Advice please on digital set up

[whatsthis]

Hi
I'm going to set up a TV in the peterborough area on a house with no system in place.

Is there anything I need to ask for specifically for digital TV regarding the type of arial and digi-box. Does anyone know which is the best transmitter to point it at in that area and whats the minimum arial I need.

As you can tell by the questions I'm a complete novice when it comes to these systems so any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers

 

[Topper]

Sorry whatsthis I have no idea apart from the info that googling brings up
MK1 here appears to be the one but really I would just check out the other houses in the area to see in which direction they are receiving signals and the polarity of the aerial without knowing the area there may be local geographical considerations to account for

 

[spiney]

Presumably, you mean "can I get Freeview" (because, satellite should not be a problem!)?

Look at postcode predictors on Freeview site, also the Wolfbane one, gives some idea, most places are only in range of 1 transmitter.

You need correct aerial for transmitter you're using, and cable should be sat grade, and preferably waterproof (foam filled).

Best guide is other nearby houses, if they have huge aeirals, you'll need one too! But, if the next door house gets it ok, no reason why you shouldn't!

There's my freeview guide, which goes on a bit, but might be useful: Top section in FAQs, now on 2nd page down I think, anyway it's:
http://www.satellites.co.uk/php-bin/forum/showthread.php?t=43646 .
(that should make Rolf happier).

 

[glesgaguysat]

My advice regarding your aerial setup is always go for the best and the biggest that you can get away with/afford, digital is less forgiving than analogue and much like satellite it's not the strength but the quality of the signal that counts, the digital information can get garbled by noise coming from poor cable/cable runs and bad connections this leads to EPG info or update info or even channels not being recieved properly, so if you want to be future proof get the best, when HD comes along it will be worth it

 

[Topper]

Presumably, you mean "can I get Freeview"

I had certainly assumed that Spiney as the thread is in the Terrestrial Broadcasting > Digital and Analogue Terrestrial section

 

[whatsthis]

Thanks for all your replies.

I've used the links provided and found out that the two transmitters are Waltham and Sandy Heath but unfortunately freeview isnt available in the area. As you suggest I shall ask the neighbours what system/setup they have.

Cheers

 

[spiney]

Well, as said, the best guide is to look at other nearby aeirals!

The digital cliff effect means that a big enough aerial is necessary, without which you get nothing. In theory, a bigger aerial is then pointless, but it's a good idea to go "at least one size bigger", if reasonably possible.

The Wolfbane site gives "some idea", it should say if you have a choice of transmitters, or if reception is LIKELY to be difficult (it can't possibly be 100% accurate, of course).

I still use a Sepal receiver, has the best Freeview tuner ever made, but no longer available. Unfortunately, Freeview receiver makers rarely quote sensitivity! Rolf usually says he finds Sagems have "good" sensitivity.

If you're in a problem area, but still wish to try, then:

1 Aerial for correct frequency bands (of course).
2 Use sat grade cable, to ct100 or better spec, foam filled.
3 Use high gain low noise masthead amp (on aeiral), and any "signal booster" is worse than useless, again see my guide for why.

 

[rolfw]

As Spiney says, the best way to guage your ability to receive digital terrestrial signals is to ask your neighbours. Go to the nearest one with the newest aerial installation, as they may well have had the work done with digital in mind.

I have found that a difference of 100m can make a huge difference to digital reception, particularly in hilly areas.

 

[Muddler]

All good advice above, ask neighbours. I have found freeview rexception predictor unreliable and seems to err on the cautious side.

 

[spiney]

Unfortunately, predicting Freeview reception is a problem, due to the "quirks" of digital tv. The only sure way to find out, beforehand, is have a signal measurement done at your home (which will cost).

What size are nearby aerials? If all obviously older types, then it may be nobody is getting Freeview.

If it's dodgy, and you still wish to try, without measuring the signal first, then obviously that's risky.

You could contact aerial installers on a "no reception, no fee" basis. Otherwise, there's non subscription Sky satellite, DIY install or Freesat, though this misses out E4/More4.

 

[whatsthis]

After being quoted 200 quid for someone to install the aerial on the roof I did it myself. I got a high gain aerial from argos for 20 quid and stuck it in the attic. The picture was a bit snowy on some channels but then I got an old freeview box for the price of a pint and stuck it on. The picture is perfect and I get bbci.

22 pound 50 well spent ! If aerial and satellite installers try to baffle people with technology and quote rediculous prices then people will try low cost simple methods and if they work out then we're well chuffed.

 

[Melvyn]

Well done whatsthis.

It always warms the cockles of my heart to hear of someone beating the system and installing something themselves really cheaply. Unfortunately it rarely seems to work out like that for me, but that's another story.

 

[spiney]

If it works, then it works, there's no arguing with that!

However, note that:

1) you can't get a poor (snowy) digital tv picture, either it works or it doesn't.

2) Digital tv is "a very different animal" from analouge, the reception criterion being Viterbi bit error. There's no deliberate "mystification", the techniques used are highly complicated and depend on information theory.

Digital is all or nothing, and the aerial can make the critical difference between getting and not getting it.

http://www.satellites.co.uk/php-bin/forum/showthread.php?t=60042 .

 

[Topper]

My interpretation was that the analogue signal was snowy so whatsthis then went out and bought an old freeview box

The picture was a bit snowy on some channels but then I got an old freeview box for the price of a pint and stuck it on. The picture is perfect and I get bbci.

 

[PaulR]

If the snowy picture was on analogue Five then, as this is frequently transmitted on lower powers and different channel grouping to the other 4, this can be easily understood.

 

[spiney]

Yeah, ok, i probably misread that!