Freeview with indoor aerial - any chance?

trican

Hi all,

I picked up one of those All-in-One indoor aerials from argos (http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/5347919/Trail/searchtext%3EAERIAL.htm), which claims to be able to receive analogue and digital signals. Whilst it does give pretty ok reception, I was wondering if I coupled this with one of those cheap MPEG-4 decoder STB would I be able to receive and view the RTE Freeview / MPEG test broadcasts on my Analogue CRT tv? I'd do this in the hope of getting much better quality reception. Btw I'm living in Killaloe, Co. Clare.

Many thanks

coylemj

Assuming you're picking up Maghera (Gort), the test for you is the picture quality on TV3 and TG4, ignore RTE1 & 2 for this purpose as they are on VHF. TV3 and TG4 are channels 66 and 68 respectively, RTE DTT is on Ch. 48. If the analog TV3 picture is pretty good then you should pick up DTT no bother.

I have one of those Sagem Picnic boxes and on a good day I can get Three Rock DTT using a 20 year old indoor UHF aerial.

Even if the Argos aerial doesn't work for DTT, get yourself a UHF-only aerial and try it, this Maplins UHF aerial costs less than €10.

http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=33215

BTW, watch the terminology - 'Freeview' refers to UK DTT, not the Irish flavour,

trican

Thanks for the info - thats really useful. Unfortunately TG4 is quite snowy and there was little if any reception of TV3 last night.

coylemj

trican wrote: »

Thanks for the info - thats really useful. Unfortunately TG4 is quite snowy and there was little if any reception of TV3 last night.

Then you can forget about DTT with the kit you have because with DTT there's no such thing as a 'snowy' reception, you'll get nothing.

Before you bought that Argos aerial what were you using to get a TV signal?

The Cush

Killaloe, Co. Clare has its own relay, east of the town I think. I think Maghera and Woodcock Hill analogue are difficult to receive there. The relay has no TV3 or DTT.

If you are receiving snowy analogue TV3/TG4 it could be Maghera. An outdoor UHF aerial could pull in Maghera DTT.

In my case I am unable to receive Woodcock Hill analogue but I can pull in DTT from the transmitter with an aerial pointing at Mullaghanish.

Snowy analogue could mean an adequate DTT signal with the correct aerial.

trican

Thanks for that info TheCush - as its a rented apartment (just moved into it), alas an outdoor aerial isn't an option.

There is an ntl/chorus point but I don't watch enough TV to justify that. Although quite oddly despite not contacting NTL/Chorus about arranging a connection when I connect the tv via a coax to that point I can pick up UTV and TV3 perfectly and several other channels are almost ok, but the TV (tried two different ones) can't fully lock to the signal (but I've established there is at least eurosport, sky1, rte1, rte2, bbc also present, but just not strong enough for the TV to lock to I guess). To clarify what I mean here, the TV automatically tunes into the channel, but its like it then looses the lock on the vsync/hsync and becomes unwatchable. I tried one of those stand alone amplifiers (boasted the signal up by about 20db) but that didn't really help.

Anyhow if I had a good reception of RTE1/2, TV3 and TG4 I'd be happy.

Thanks for all the info btw!

mossym

hey, i know this is an old thread, but in case you still have an interest in this, i'm just across the bridge in Ballina from you and managed to get the digital channels working last night with a Philips indoor UHF aerials. Had to put the aerial right in the window, but it did work...

L1011

coylemj wrote: »

Then you can forget about DTT with the kit you have because with DTT there's no such thing as a 'snowy' reception, you'll get nothing.

Depends. My 3R analogue is extremely poor, digital locks fine.

Antenna

MYOB wrote: »

Depends. My 3R analogue is extremely poor, digital locks fine.

The comparison depends on the ratio of analogue to Digital power. This would differ from transmitter to transmitter.

The DTT transmitters serving the main cities (Three Rock, Spur Hill etc) are quite high powered by UK standards.

mossym

an update to my post, i discovered last night it is channel 21 i am picking up, which is Mullaghanish. strange to be picking up the cork transmitter rather than Maghera or woodcock but there you go

Grumpypants

My Chorus was taken out today. So i plugged an old set of rabbit ears into my LCD. Searched for some channels. Got the 4 normal ones pic was a big snowy and it tunes in the sound but no picture for the digital RTE etc.

I went to Argos and got a indor plug in arial that is ment to be full HD 1080P but id doesnt have a HDMI just a normal aerial. It says it picks up analog and digital. I got the Analog signal a bit better. But while the TV picks up and names the digital channels i get no pic or sound the TV tells me its a HD service ?

Any reason for this ? is this a MPEG4 problem if i got the PS3 play TV thing would it work or is that anothe rwaste of money.

In limerick suburbs.

pa990

sounds like your tv is mpeg2
You need an mpeg4 tv or maybe you can get a cam that will convert mpeg4 to mpeg2.. All depends on make and model of your tv

Grumpypants

Think thats the issue i got an LG in Harvey Normans fairly cheap so i guess they are UK imports.

mossym

Grumpypants wrote: »

I went to Argos and got a indor plug in arial that is ment to be full HD 1080P

what on earth is a 1080p aerial? i didn't think there was such a thing

BostonB

mossym wrote: »

what on earth is a 1080p aerial? i didn't think there was such a thing

It won't work without a 1080p 3 pin plug.

Grumpypants

mossym wrote: »

what on earth is a 1080p aerial? i didn't think there was such a thing

Thats what im wondering and ive bought it !! I was looking at the ones in Argos. This is the one i got as on the box it says watch free toair TV in full HD upto 1080p

http://www.argos.ie/static/Product/partNumber/0483892/Trail/searchtext%3EINDOOR+AERIAL+.htm

I though since you plugged it in and it said full HD that it would have some kind of intenal upscaling or at least a HDMI cable. In fact when i plugged in just the cable part i got the same quality of reception as when i plugged in the aerial !!

The Cush

mossym wrote: »

what on earth is a 1080p aerial?

Digital Aerial myth again. Wait until DTT proper starts and the ads for upgrading your aerial to digital.

Grumpypants

Had another look and they have an * at the bottom that says Full 1080P requires a 1080P receiver. Something like PlayTV on PS3 will do this but that would mean i would have spend around 120 euro to get RTE1&2 on digital. Think ill take it back.