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Thread: Is it possible to get freeview on a digital TV PC card through cable?

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    Is it possible to get freeview on a digital TV PC card through cable?

    Hey everyone,
    I have just moved into a shared house for uni, which has no aerial on the roof, and has poor signal quality if I try to get channels through my Terratec Cinergy 2400i DT Dual DVBT PC TV Tuner, used with a power boosted tv aerial (£30 worth that you'd get in a large supermarket).
    I just wondered what the best way to get freeview channels through my tv card would be.

    We have just got virgin cable fitted (broadband, tv and phone). There are a few small adapters to change the cable plug into a tv aerial socket. What would happen if I ran a cable from the cable with the tv aerial connected to it to my tv card. As it's cable, I would have thought nothing would happen. Would it just act as a normal tv aerial?

    If this wouldn't work, what would any suggestions be for the cheapest way to achieve me goal! lol

    Any suggestions would be much appreciated.

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    Re: Is it possible to get freeview on a digital TV PC card through cable?

    Virgin/NTL used to trasmit the anologue tv signal so if you were to plug the cable into a tv you would get bbc etc with some other stuff. I know they were turning all this off to free up space. I last tried it about 6months ago so worth a try if the tv card supports anologue aswell as digital.

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    Re: Is it possible to get freeview on a digital TV PC card through cable?

    Quote Originally Posted by christiani View Post
    What would happen if I ran a cable from the cable with the tv aerial connected to it to my tv card. As it's cable, I would have thought nothing would happen. Would it just act as a normal tv aerial?
    Nothing.

    Virgin transmits its programs over DVB-C, so your DVB-T card wouldn't be able to find a signal. In theory you could get a DVB-C card with CAM slot and the appropriate CI for your Virgin subscription card. But that is breaking the Ts & Cs of your Virgin contract, if pretty expensive to put together and there is no guarantee it will work.

    I think your best bet would be to try and move the internal aerial around, trying to get a better signal. Try it in all manner of places, because of signal reflections some times you get a better signal in places you wouldn't expect to. Do you know where your nearest transmitter is? are you are the same side of the house as the transmitter? These are all things to think about.

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    Re: Is it possible to get freeview on a digital TV PC card through cable?

    Thanks for the replies guys.
    I have access to the attic in my room and, after taking a sneaky peek up there, found two aerials. However, after connecting one to my pc tv card, nothing happened. With the other one, it found a lot of freeview channels, but they all jerk (low signal I guess). Is there a way of amplifying the signal?

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    Re: Is it possible to get freeview on a digital TV PC card through cable?

    Sure there is. You can get signal boosters and splitters from most places like Tesco, Argos, probably Curry's and Comet as well as Maplin etc.

    it's always best to put the booster close to the source, then any noice picked up on the way is minimised and you don't amplify that as well.

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    Re: Is it possible to get freeview on a digital TV PC card through cable?

    Is it worth trying to move the aerials first? I don't know if I'll be able to sort a power source for a signal booster you see, as I'm renting in a shared house.

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    Re: Is it possible to get freeview on a digital TV PC card through cable?

    Quote Originally Posted by christiani View Post
    Thanks for the replies guys.
    I have access to the attic in my room and, after taking a sneaky peek up there, found two aerials. However, after connecting one to my pc tv card, nothing happened. With the other one, it found a lot of freeview channels, but they all jerk (low signal I guess). Is there a way of amplifying the signal?
    From the occasional maessing with my brothers install when I visit him, I think the aerial break-outs from the virgin systems are UHF and will work if plugged directly into a TV and tuned into.....but they are basically analog and therefore will not work when put through a DVB-T STB.


    You can buy a DVB-C card for your PC if you want to get cable on it though or Virgin will sell you additional STBs.
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    Re: Is it possible to get freeview on a digital TV PC card through cable?

    Quote Originally Posted by shaithis View Post
    From the occasional maessing with my brothers install when I visit him, I think the aerial break-outs from the virgin systems are UHF and will work if plugged directly into a TV and tuned into.....but they are basically analog and therefore will not work when put through a DVB-T STB.


    You can buy a DVB-C card for your PC if you want to get cable on it though or Virgin will sell you additional STBs.
    I'm only bothered about getting freeview to be honest, so just using the aerials in the attic is the best option I think.

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    Re: Is it possible to get freeview on a digital TV PC card through cable?

    Quote Originally Posted by christiani View Post
    I'm only bothered about getting freeview to be honest, so just using the aerials in the attic is the best option I think.
    Yes, deffo the best option

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    Re: Is it possible to get freeview on a digital TV PC card through cable?

    I adjusted one of the aerials slightly, and it seems to have helped the signal a lot. The picture is still jerky every few seconds or so though. I'm starting to think it's the Terratec 2400i card I have. I also tried to scan for available channels in Windows media centre, and it didn't find anything at all, despite the fact that the Terratec home cinema program found all freeview channels. Any ides?

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    Re: Is it possible to get freeview on a digital TV PC card through cable?

    the best way to boost the signal would be to use a masthead amp and PSU as below. the amp goes in the loft about a 1metre away from aerial max and the psu goes where ever the aerial goes to. The advantage is you dont need power in the loft and you boost the signal to the best possible. but if the aerial is not a digital aerial and is in the loft its not going to be brilliant.

    http://www.toolstation.com/shop/Elec.../sd3084/p27286

    http://www.toolstation.com/shop/Elec.../sd3084/p61182

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    Re: Is it possible to get freeview on a digital TV PC card through cable?

    I might look into the booster then. Before I do though, I have posted links to 3 pictures. The first is of the 3-way box that the two aerials were connected to, with another cable connected to go to the tv, which didn't work. The second pic is of the aerial I have currently connected to the card. The third pic is of the aerial I suspect is in the incorrect position. Do any of you know what type of aerials they are. Which one would be better at receiving a signal if swiveled into the correct position?

    Pic 1:


    Pic 2:


    Pic 3:

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    Re: Is it possible to get freeview on a digital TV PC card through cable?

    Pic 3 looks like an 18 element, pointed on a vertical phase (repeater) transmitter. It's a bit, um, weedy. Especially for attic mounting.

    Here's what I think you have: http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=36354

    A so-called "high gain" antenna tends to start around the 43-element level. I reckon pic 2 is 43-element, give or take

    Also, if you have a decent compass, you can work out which way to point with the help of the "I am in the aerial installation trade" tickbox on http://www.digitaluk.co.uk/ - it will tell you the bearing from your address that all local transmitters are available from, as well as whether to mount vertically or horizontally (V or H in the Aerial Group column). When I moved here, I discovered I was pointing at *totally* the wrong place - the Bretch Hill transmitter (V) is nearby but analog-only, whereas the Oxford transmitter (H) is about 90 degrees away - somehow this detail was missed, even when I paid to get a professional in.
    Last edited by directhex; 24-09-2009 at 07:37 AM.

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    Re: Is it possible to get freeview on a digital TV PC card through cable?

    Thank you so much for the info. I'll be buying a compass and having a go today

    Do you think a 52 element aerial such as the one listed below would make a noticeable difference when picking up signal?

    http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...=STRK:MEWAX:IT

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    Re: Is it possible to get freeview on a digital TV PC card through cable?

    the red box would be a diplexer usually if both aerials are connected to it. You used to use them to recieve from two transmitters i think if you use one with digital tv it confuses it as i know from my days selling aerial diplexers and digital didn't go well.

    this may do the job. includes amp and new cable. allot of problems with digital aerials if poor quality cable.
    http://www.screwfix.com/prods/75506/...ial-Cable-16dB

    you may still an amp if you go for the 52 element from ebay and need to replace the cable.

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    Re: Is it possible to get freeview on a digital TV PC card through cable?

    Unfortunately, I'm in a house share, so the house doesn't belong to me. I can't attach anything outside as a result. Would the aerial on screwfix work in the attic?

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