Digital change over

Does everyone know what they have to buy/do when this happens? I still haven't got a clue exactly what I have to get so perhaps someone can enlighten me. I have 2 analogue TV's one upstairs and one down, what sort of box do I need to convert the signal? Will my video recorders still work?
Hope somebody knows!!

Val

 

Don't panic Val, its quite easy. You can pick up a freeview box from most supermarkets for around £15.

Have your analogue tv's got a scart socket on the back, the oblongish one with lots of pin holes ?

 

Yeah you can get freeview but its treetreetreetree.
I have to turn mine off most of the time as the picture keeps freezing and breaking up.

I'm told by the official website that this will improve once we go digital.

If it dont I I will be sending them some very nasty E mails.

How can they expect people to go out and buy things when it dont actually work in your area.

 

Unless you are in a deep valley Pete, it will get better when they switch the analogue signal off, they only run the signal at half strength till then.

 

As Zig says just grab a set top box. If you don't have a scart socket on your tvs just make sure you get a box which includes an RF Modulator.

Aerial plugs into box, box plugs into TV.

If anyone tries to sell you a box for more than £20 or over complicates the process they're trying to scam. It really is simple.

 

Yeah thats what they say,:D I live on a hill and can see the transmitter, so why is it only at half strength, and why have I bothered to buy a piece of electronic junk that dont work.

I've had this piece of junk for more than two years and its turned off most of the time.

We have another 8 months before the powers that BE get themselves sorted out and we go digital.

 

Nope it's still dreadful! it was un-usable when my nan lived in London a bus would go passed and it would stutter (buses used to go passed at least every 7 minutes!)

I think freesat is quite good though

 

If they broadcast digital at full strength it would block out the analogue signal, 8 months is ridiculous, we've had Digital down here since 2002:DOH:

Works great in most of the West Country, except West Bay, which is in a dip, not all of the channels.

I take a box when I work away & stay in B&Bs, even with the bedroom tellys with set top airials I can usually get 50+ channels.

 

I already have a freeview box, is that it then?? I have had this box for about 3 years I didn't know it was digital!!:DOH: The Freeview channels are such rubbish that I hardly ever turn it on!! Oh, so I just have to get another one for upstairs then? Cheers guys. Yes I do have scart sockets.

Val

 

Sorted then Val:yess: BBC 3 & 4 are good, E4 has some reasonable comedy, History Channel is good, you've got all the radio stations above channel 700.

Dave is good. Lots of rubbish in between, Oh, and there is Film 4 too.

When there a special events like Chelsea, Wimbledon, Glastonbury etc. they are usually covered on the 300's

 

Hi, you need a "free view box" and a scart lead, you will need one for each TV.

You can get them from Argos Other suppliers are available. But Argos are doing a "special" where you can get the scart lead for a few quid more.

Unplug the aerial, plug it into the freeview box.
Plug the scart lead into the freeview box
Plug the other end of the scart lead into the back of the TV
Plug the freeview box into the mains

Switch on and follow the on screen instructions.

You do NOT need a "digital aerial" since there is no such thing anyway, its a con to get you to buy something you don't need.

My brother argued that you do need one, he told our mother she will need one, I took a freeview box round, plugged it in and yes it worked first time, shut him up.

We have a poor signal so I did buy a signal amplifier (Argos one ) Other suppliers are available.

My mother decided she didn't like having another box, and as she is old, and her TV is small she went out and brought a new flat screen TV with freeview built in. Like This one Other supplies of TV's are available.

You get loads of channels you have never even heard of, but that also means you get more repeats of stuff you have never heard of.

Silly thing is, although there are more channels my mum (she is 79 years old) still only watches BBC1 and sometimes ITV, never watches any of the others.

There is also available free sat, which as the name says is free from a satellite, I haven't got that, but I am considering it.

Anyone here got free sat? what's it like?

 

Oh yes, we get the channels, but only on a temporary basis.
You just get interested in something and the picture freezes, then the sound makes a loud crack, it stutters and goes all pixelated and you turn it off.

Modern technology is really wonderful, pity it dont work and hasn't for the last two years or more.

 

If you get the channels then thats good. When they switch off the analog then you'll get the full service.

I can't believe its taken them this long to doing it though, I foolishly thought it was only the outer Hebrides that was still analog

 

I've got Freesat HD downstairs and use Sky upstairs (with no subscription so just the free to air channels.)

Although I don't watch any TV (maybe an hour a week) when I do use it the Freesat is absolutely fine. Plenty of channel choice including BBC HD, BBC One HD, ITV HD and C4 HD. In really bad weather we lose SKY while Freesat keeps plodding along for whatever reason.

 

Almost completely off topic, but I notice that they are repeating "Apples: British to the Core" on BBC4 this evening - which is all about the history of the modern apple tree.