Freeview...

[Sair33]

...any thoughts?

I bought a Freeview set top box at the weekend, and it was all very exciting!!

EXCEPT... my signal strength really isn't strong enough
I can get most of the channels, but ITV/ITV2/ITVNews only work occasionally which is rather a shame. From that respect, getting a Freeview box is all a bit of a gamble!

My analogue TV picture is nowhere near as good as it was now either (as the aerial goes via the set top box)

BUT... the whole concept of Freeview is ace I think.

I have the Philips DTR1500, which for around £70 most places, really is good. The menus are VERY easy to use, and there are a lot of features that make life so much easier! The TV guide, whats on "now & next" previews and descriptions are fab and quick and easy to use. No waiting around for menus to load or anything. Really pleased

The only thing I haven't quite figured out though, is that on certain channels, I get a screen that is not explained in the instructions! Anyone know what this means? I'm guessing it means that I need to pay to receive that particular channel, although the "Top Up TV" page appears on some channels too...


So basically... I'm pleased I got it, I'm just sad that my signal strength isn't better.... (and sad that there is now a huge tempation to spend spend spend on ridiculous and useless items from QVC!!!!! )

[TiG]

NOOOOOOOO QVC is like bad...

http://www.topuptv.co.uk/html/get_th...atulations.htm

Top up TV gives you the following channels for £7.99 with a bit of googling....

TiG

[Sair33]

Hmmmm... good plan, and very tempting (not as tempting as QVC obviously!! ), but it was the "£7.99 a month" bit that I was trying to avoid!

EDIT* plus I don't have a card slot either...

[stytagm]

Sair,

wrt your not getting ITV channels, do you get channel 4? Itv 1, 2 and news, and channel 4 are the channels most frequently lost, I don't get them on my hauppage winTV-nova for example, because of the way digi tv is broadcast. You might need a wideband aerial. This is because the digi channels are broadcast in groups of up to six channels all on one frequency, multiplexed together. Each multiplex is broadcast at a slightly different frequency, just a little bit higher or lower than analoge tv.

Analogue aerials are designed to pick up the frequency of analgue tv, and the further from this frequency the digital multiplex is, the poorer your aerial will recieve it. And for some reason itv, itv2 and channel 4 are broadcast in the multiplex that is furthest from the norm, and thus most likely to be poor. A wideband antenna is designed to recieve well over the whole range of frequencies that digiTV is braodcast over.

The bad news is that a new, rooftop wideband antenna, plus fitting will set you back about as much as your digi box did in the first place, and if you live in a block of flats with a communal aerial, will cost about twice as much as you'll need a rooftop signal booster. But if you do live in a block of flats you might find your landlord / management comitte will stump up, if not try a whip round with the neighbours.

Hope this is of some use,

Andrew

[Andyr]

I had the same problem with my freeview box when i was only able to get the signal strength bar to about halfway. I purchased a aerial (for £19.99 from currys) put the aerial in my in my attic and after a bit of positioning i was able to get full signal strength.

[subucni]

hey sair, i used to work for itv digital, sounds to me that you are picking up a poor signal on mux 2 (the ones that carries the itv channels etc like stytagm said), there is a bit more into than just picking up a wide band aerial, what transmitter are you coming off? if you dont know you can find out by going onto analogue itv if your tv has teletext, bring up the teletext on screen and on the first page press the recall button on your remote (can't remember what the symbol looks like anymore, it's been a while since i've done this), it's the button that brings up the hidden text on teletext screens, when you press it, it should flash up on the top banner with 3 letters of the name of your transmitter. if you can tell me that, i may be able to give you a little more specific advice.

later

[Rob]

Grr. They wont give us Freeview. Our town is a smallish bay surrounded by big hills so we cannot receive it, or CH5. And the companies involved refuse to pay for extra transmitter so stuck with pricey Murdoch TV.

[Lee @ SCAN]

I have poor signal on my hauppage DEC 2000 on the Music channels. shame innit I can't watch the hits and the other bobbins music channel.

Good thing is the digital radio function on this box, although, its been tuned to 1xtra for the last week so I dunno what else is broadcast

[Skii]

We have freeview here, I guess being in the Greater London area we get a very good signal, apart from some regular interference which we have just learned to live with, its superb considering the £45 we paid for it. I have no intention of buying Sky ever, unless they consider massively dropping the price and dropping the endlessly repeated and soul destoyingly repetitive ad breaks every 10 minutes. As far as value for money is concerned I can honestly say freeview is a bargain for what you get.

[Lee @ SCAN]

Originally Posted by Skii

We have freeview here, I guess being in the Greater London area we get a very good signal, apart from some regular interference which we have just learned to live with, its superb considering the £45 we paid for it. I have no intention of buying Sky ever, unless they consider massively dropping the price and dropping the endlessly repeated and soul destoyingly repetitive ad breaks every 10 minutes. As far as value for money is concerned I can honestly say freeview is a bargain for what you get.

AGREED

Its well worth the fee for BBC3 alone as they place some seriously great TV shows.

[Sair33]

subucni, thanks, I'll have a check when I get home

I did think that it must be more than coincidence that its ITV channels that are affected... and no, I don't think I can get Ch4 either so it is all starting to make a bit more sense now!

Thanks for the advice everyone

(And I do agree.. freeview IS a bargain for what you get, I was just hoping for ITV2 too!)

[Zathras]

If only they'd put Eurosport on it. It was free-to-air on analogue satellite, but now it's a bastardized "British Eurosport" and you can only get it as part of a Sky pay package

[Sair33]

Originally Posted by subucni

hey sair, i used to work for itv digital, sounds to me that you are picking up a poor signal on mux 2 (the ones that carries the itv channels etc like stytagm said), there is a bit more into than just picking up a wide band aerial, what transmitter are you coming off? if you dont know you can find out by going onto analogue itv if your tv has teletext, bring up the teletext on screen and on the first page press the recall button on your remote (can't remember what the symbol looks like anymore, it's been a while since i've done this), it's the button that brings up the hidden text on teletext screens, when you press it, it should flash up on the top banner with 3 letters of the name of your transmitter. if you can tell me that, i may be able to give you a little more specific advice.

later

OXF, Oxford I assume!

[Rave]

Originally Posted by Zathras

If only they'd put Eurosport on it. It was free-to-air on analogue satellite, but now it's a bastardized "British Eurosport" and you can only get it as part of a Sky pay package

Yeah, I really miss Tractor Pulling, that really is the coolest sport ever. British Eurosport just ended up being crappy football and tennis all the time.

Perhaps you can still get it from one of those motorised satellite dish thingies?

Rich :¬)

[Zathras]

Originally Posted by Rave

Yeah, I really miss Tractor Pulling, that really is the coolest sport ever

Was thinking more World Cup skiing and rowing and total Tour de France coverage. Mind you I think they replaced most of the World Champs skiing with some coverage mickey mouse satellite WTA tennis game (not a major event) on British Eurosport as they reckoned it better suited the British audience Will have to investigate old analogue satellite for good ole international Eurosport once I have a place I can slap a dish up without causing WW3.

[Rave]

Yeah, the non-stop TDF was a total winner, although now I don't work in a shop anymore and hence and don't have random days off during the week, I don't miss it as much as I would have. David Duffield was worth the price of admission alone, I can still remember like it was yesterday his comment when that 'Eric the fan' guy knocked the leader off his bike at the end of a mountain stage: "Oh the stupid man!"

Skiing I also agree with (although ski flying was more my cup of tea), and many were the happy Sunday afternoons I spent watching Motorcycle Grands Prix (as they were then). I still reckon that tractor pulling is the best sport evar, though.

Rich :¬)