Trials vs production - as explained to your granny

zagmund

Guys, I'm sorry if this has been covered somewhere but I just can't find the answer without coming across lots of weird technical jargon that just confuses the heck out of me, so please bear with me here.

Imagine your granny rings you up to say her tellys bust and she wants a new one, she doesn't want that new fangled Sky stuff, NTL hasn't worked on the road in ages, PVRs are the devils work and she doesn't want to invest in a pair of rabbits ears that will be in the skip in a few years time. She's heard about this new digital trial thing and wants to buy a telly that will just work today and in 10 years time and which will let her watch Pat Kenny and those lovely weather forecasters. Imagine she lives in south Dublin, near enough to RTE that the tower could almost fall on her house and she can see Three Rock from her bedroom window if this has a bearing on signal strength.

Does such a TV exist on the shelves today ?
Will the fact that RTE is trialing this product at the moment mean that the spec might change in a year or two and the TV will have to be binned ?
Will she need some sort of new fangled rabbits ears or will the TV just pick the signal up from the ether ?

Thanks for any clarification,

Your granny.

byte

Yes, MPEG4 TV's exist today, see this thread from the top of this very forum.
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055465776

RTE are trialling and will continue to use MPEG4 DTT.

She will not need some new fangled rabbits ears.
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055327458

The Cush

zagmund wrote: »

Will the fact that RTE is trialing this product at the moment mean that the spec might change in a year or two and the TV will have to be binned ?

The current RTENL broadcasts are (pre-launch) engineering test transmissions during the infrastructure build programme to prepare the network for the delivery of digital television mid to late 2009. The trial, which was run by the Dept of Communications ended in July 2008.
The spec will not change, the standard is finalised.

watty

However depending where she lives she might need a chimney aerial rather than indoor one to get a good enough signal.

If she records, then the VHS is for the bin really and she needs an external Setbox/PVR. They are easier to use than a VHS.

It's likely any tuner might be obsolete in 10 years. We are in a period of more rapid change. However the TV would not be binned, just add a setbox/pvr.

Few LCDs will give anything like the back light life of a CRT (In 2006 I junked a set bought in 1976). They are built for approx 5 years life.

STB

Assuming that your granny want the Irish stations and a few of the british channels....and no more bills.

Then she wants

a) Panasonic TX37LZD81 (37" Widescreen LCD TV - 1080p HD Ready - freesat HD - with at home warranty)
Has a freesat menu that a 5 year old child could use. Also has a tuner that picks up the irish channels digitally.

OR

b) A cheap LCD and an MVision HD200 Combo (DTT/Sat Combo set top box)

In both cases your granny is looking at €750-€850.

You are looking at installing a sat dish/aerial and setting up the initial installation!:)

Again if you have a 5 year old child handy.....

zagmund

Thanks for the replies everyone. It's getting clearer now.

z