Future proof set up

crenacille

I currently have a old school CRT telly with an indoor aerial and pick up the 4 terrestial channels (RTE1/2, TV3, TG4) with reasonable quality (except for TG4 which can be flaky).

I would like to move into the 21st century and buy a new LCD TV and install whatever outdoor aerials/dishes are needed to pick up the 4 local channels.

I would also like to pick up whatever free foreign channels I can.

However I'm a bit unsure of what to get/install given the uncertainty around DTT and other matters.

* Do I need to buy a telly with an MPEG4 decoder?

* If so, can anyone recommend a 26'' model (would prefer not to go bigger than this).

* Right now, do I need an aerial to pick up the 4 terrestial channels or will just a dish suffice?

* If I do need an aerial to pick up the 4 terrestial channels, what type of aerial do I need? Will the same aerial also pick up DTT? Any idea what it costs to buy and have installed?

Any help much appreciated.

'twas simpler in the old days

watty

Now is a bad time to buy as we are in transition.

measure the HEIGHT of your TV. A new TV is best WS, a 36" WS is roughly same height of picture as 29" ordinary 4:3

26" is very small for WS. 32" is smallest you want for WS.

LCDs are generally poorer than CRT, unless good quality "full HD". For technical mathematic reasons due to CRT able to write continious lines anywhere and fixed location dots on an LCD, an HD LCD is MUCH better for ordinary TV than an non-HD LCD. Tends to have better quality panel closer to ability of CRT to render pastels and coloured greys better. LCDs in shop are always set up very contrasty over coloured to hide this lack they have.

Every kind of HD screen works for ordinary TV and always better than non-HD LCDs.

At the minute a separate set box is the way to go.
RTE/TV3/TG4 are very unlikely to be free on Satellite (Dish route), but all the main UK channels are perfect quality and free via dish.

The Irish channels are only universally available for free via analogue and the free Digital service via aerial does not launch till later in the Summer. Even then only 80% population coverage.

The same aerial might pickup DTT. It depends on your area and existing aerial.


Free foriegn channels (up to 3500) do need a 2nd dish or a multifeed dish and switch if you want Free BBC, ITV, C4 and Five.

The Cush

crenacille wrote: »

* If so, can anyone recommend a 26'' model (would prefer not to go bigger than this).

Sony KDL-26V4500 (MPEG4 & MHEG5 for epg/interactive)

watty

Not future proof (no DVB-t2, no recording) but a comprehensive decent set.

Compare it and its 28" brother with screen height of existing TV.

crenacille

Thanks for the replies.

Regarding the screen height of my existing tv, I have a 21" model. But since I bought it, I've moved into a bigger house and hence my desire to get a bigger modern tv. I felt 26" was a good size because I don't want to "fill" my livnig room with a tv.

So my learnings are:

* if I limit myself to 26", I won't get the benefits of WS. Maybe I can live with that.

* I need to make sure that LCD is "full HD".

* I should wait till DTT is deployed before sticking up an external aerial. I live in Galway city. I'm hoping that will put me in the 80% which get DTT?

* To pick up the Uk channels, I need a set top box and dish.

* To pick up further foreign channels, I need a multifeed dish and switch.

Further questions:

* do I need ensure my new tv has an MPEG4 decoder?

* Where can I find which dish/set top box to buy and what channels they provide?

* how do I know if I need DVB-t2?

* how do you rate the Samsung LE26A457? The guy in the store said they were v. similar to the equivalent more expensive Sony.

watty

Measure the HEIGHT of your screen.

The 26", etc is the diagonal. A 26" WS is much smaller actually than a 26" 4:3 screen. Honestly 28" is really a minimum for WS unless it's a Kitchen/Study/Bedroom TV.

Don't pay a premium for any built in Tuner. External is cheaper and more flexible. Especially since the service for DTT is not Public yet. UK Freeview (MPEG2 only) is no use. If its a Digital tuner it must be MPEG4

We don't know when or if Ireland will use DVB-T2. UK tested it last year and may use DVB-T2 in some areas this year for HD.

Free UK Digital Satellite via Dish :
http://www.lyngsat.com/28east.html
Also on our ICDG wiki and Wikipedia (Freesat)

A good installer should be able to fit you an aerial for Analogue and Digital. There is no Irish TV on Dish/Satellite without a Sky subscription. Analogue will be around for 5 or 6 years and the main advantage of DTT is really only WS if you have a good signal.

If you like to record some things to watch later, then a Freesat or Sat4free PVR connected to Dish allows record of one channel while watching another and schedule of recordings via on screen weekly TV guide. Unlike VHS, the playback is identical to live as it records the digital stream from tuner before decoding and then only decodes on playback.

The BBC rule of thumb from 1969 (625 lines) was divide the viewing distance by 5 to get screen height (not diagonal). (for 405 lines it was by 7). Too much bigger and it is too dominant and blurry (unless HD content), too much smaller and the picture is too small to see the detail of action or read captions etc. I'd say at smallest go for viewing distance divided by 7 and at largest 4.5 (For HD if you getting BluRay or PS3 or HD receiver for BBC HD, then no bigger than 1/3rd and no less than 1/4).

Google model. Never believe a regular store sales person. Only a few TVs have DTT and Satellite tuners (both). Most are either Analogue only, Analogue + UK Digital or Analogue + Satellite. An cheap Analogue only with HDMI and SCART connectors will work with any setbox for any system.

In Ireland Cable Digital (and soon Cable Digital HD) always needs a separate SCART or HDMI connection setbox.

crenacille

Thanks for the reply Watty.

The height of the screen on my current 21 inch CRT is 13 inches (330 mm). The 26 inch Samsung that I am considering is approximately 18 inches (450 mm) high. I would be quite happy with this height/screen size.

What I think Ill do for now is put up an aerial to pick up the 4 terrestrial channels and DTT (whenever it goes live) and get Free to Air Satellite later.

Is this the type of aerial I need - Televes DTT Terrestrial Aerial? Once DTT goes live, I will need to buy a set top box?

watty

The aerial you need depends on where you live. There is no such thing as a Digital or DTT aerial. Aerials are for particular groups of channels (A, B or C/D) or bands (Radio, VHF III, UHF IV/V). A band aerial rather than a channel aerial will have poorer performance for same size but do all channels on UHF.

The aerial listed is a general purpose one for all UHF analogue and digital channels. A separate Aerial is needed for VHF TV if required. A different aerial is required for poor signal areas.

Some areas need VHF for RTE1&2 Analogue.

The size of aerial depends on how far you are from the transmitter and the transmitter power. An aerial preamp is used for larger masts or longer cable runs no matter how good or bad the signal is. It always should be no closer than 1.2m to aerial and no more than 2.5m from aerial. It rarely makes a bad signal better, a bigger aerial does that best.

You may later want a setbox with dual tuners and HDD (PVR) as this records the tuner digital signal direct and schedules recordings from the on screen weekly guide (EPG). Since the tuner signals with DTT can be recorded directly without conversion, playback is identical to live quality.

crenacille

I'm in Galway so pick up my terrestial signal from the Maghera transmitter in Clare.

I think this means RTE1/2 are via VHF so I'll need a VHF + UHF aerial?

I have a reasonable RTE 1/2 picture via the internal "rabbit ears" aerial so would be hopeful of getting a good signal from an aerial on the roof.

watty

use a VHF/UHF diplexer to combine VHF and UHF aerials. Stick the rabbit in the attic.

After digital it won't be needed.