Possibly stupid question about using old aerial with new TV ...

The Big Red Button

I'm currently looking for a new TV. I have my eye on one on at the moment, it happens to be HD ready, but - for the moment at least - I don't have Sky at all, I'll just be using an analogue aerial thingy. But one of my friends said that maybe the new HD ready TVs won't work with the old-school aerials. Anyone happen to know if this is true?! This friend knows about as little about technology as I do, so I'm thinking it's probably not!

Thanks!

Bob_Harris

chatterpillar wrote: »

I'm currently looking for a new TV. I have my eye on one on at the moment, it happens to be HD ready, but - for the moment at least - I don't have Sky at all, I'll just be using an analogue aerial thingy. But one of my friends said that maybe the new HD ready TVs won't work with the old-school aerials. Anyone happen to know if this is true?! This friend knows about as little about technology as I do, so I'm thinking it's probably not!

Thanks!

If buying a new TV you should make sure it has an mpeg4 chip so you will be able to watch Irish digital terrestrial.
See here :http://boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055420793

New TVs have the same coax connectors as old TVs. So "old-school" aerials will plug in fine.

Maybe he meant you'd need a UHF (for DTT) opposed to a VHF aerial.

emaherx

there is no differance in TV Aerials for old or new TV's. Diffrent TV's can vary in how weak a signal they can receive. So a diffrent TV new or old may preform better or worse than your current setup. Is the current Aerial internnal portable type or an external/loft type?

If you are looking for a new TV you should consider one with an MPEG4 tuner. This is what will be required to receive RTE signals after Analouge switch off. Be warned most TV sales people are usless, if you go into currys you will most likely be told that all of thier TV's are digital ready, which is true if you receive UK digital signal but no use for RTE. Some stores like powercity are better imformed and even mark compatible TV's as such.

The Big Red Button

Oooh ... I may be in slightly over my head here

As far as I can see, the TV I'm looking at doesn't have this mpeg4 chip. But from what I can see in that thread you linked to, the TVs that have it are quite pricey. I'm only looking for a fairly small cheap TV, with the basic channels ... is this DTT thing actually essential?

Sorry, I'm really really clueless about this stuff! Thanks for your help!

emaherx

Bob_Harris wrote: »

Maybe he meant you'd need a UHF (for DTT) opposed to a VHF aerial.

Thats a good point. if you currently receive TG4 or TV3 then you have a UHF Aerial and should be ok for DTT also

The Big Red Button

emaherx wrote: »

there is no differance in TV Aerials for old or new TV's. Diffrent TV's can vary in how weak a signal they can receive. So a diffrent TV new or old may preform better or worse than your current setup. Is the current Aerial internnal portable type or an external/loft type?

The one I have at the moment is a portable one, it was working fine with my old TV until the TV decided to stop working.

emaherx wrote: »

If you are looking for a new TV you should consider one with an MPEG4 tuner. This is what will be required to receive RTE signals after Analouge switch off. Be warned most TV sales people are usless, if you go into currys you will most likely be told that all of thier TV's are digital ready, which is true if you receive UK digital signal but no use for RTE. Some stores like powercity are better imformed and even mark compatible TV's as such.

When is analogue switching off? (Stupid question? Sorry!)

Thanks for your help!

emaherx

chatterpillar wrote: »

Oooh ... I may be in slightly over my head here

As far as I can see, the TV I'm looking at doesn't have this mpeg4 chip. But from what I can see in that thread you linked to, the TVs that have it are quite pricey. I'm only looking for a fairly small cheap TV, with the basic channels ... is this DTT thing actually essential?

Sorry, I'm really really clueless about this stuff! Thanks for your help!

any TV will work for now. But after 2012 you may need to buy an Set Top Box to continue using it. So pay a little more now or buy the add on later. its up to you.

Bob_Harris

chatterpillar wrote: »

As far as I can see, the TV I'm looking at doesn't have this mpeg4 chip. But from what I can see in that thread you linked to, the TVs that have it are quite pricey. I'm only looking for a fairly small cheap TV, with the basic channels ... is this DTT thing actually essential?

It will eventually be essential. Of course you could always buy a non mpeg4 TV now and a set to box later.

I got a 32inch TV with mpeg4 chip for €370 in Currys. I saw 32inch TVs with no mpeg4 chip for a lot more in the same shop (they weren't even better speced ones).

The LG LHxxxx range are good and all have mpeg4 chips.

Best thing to do is get a few model numbers off the thread I linked, and visit / ring every electronics store in your area to find where you will get it cheapest. I saw the exact same TV sell for €150 more in a shop less than a kilometre apart from another.

The Big Red Button

Bob_Harris wrote: »

It will eventually be essential. Of course you could always buy a non mpeg4 TV now and a set to box later.

I got a 32inch TV with mpeg4 chip for €370 in Currys. I saw 32inch TVs with no mpeg4 chip for a lot more in the same shop (they weren't even better speced ones).

The LG LHxxxx range are good and all have mpeg4 chips.

Best thing to do is get a few model numbers off the thread I linked, and visit / ring every electronics store in your area to find where you will get it cheapest. I saw the exact same TV sell for €150 more in a shop less than a kilometre apart from another.

Thanks again for your help!

One last question - if I did end up getting one without the mpeg4, would you have any idea what kind of price range I'd be paying for the set top box when the time comes?

Bob_Harris

chatterpillar wrote: »

Thanks again for your help!

One last question - if I did end up getting one without the mpeg4, would you have any idea what kind of price range I'd be paying for the set top box when the time comes?

Hard to tell. Depends on if the hardware comes down in price or if there are subsidised boxes.

50-100 euro maybe.

You might end up finding an mpeg4 TV which cost less than a similar model which only has mpeg2.

What price range and TV size are you looking at anyway, someone might be able to recommend you a specific model.

watty

emaherx wrote: »

any TV will work for now. But after 2012 you may [might] need to buy a I]very cheap[/I Set Top Box to continue using it. So pay a little more now or buy the add on later. its up to you.

2012 is an aspiration. An external tuner will be inexpensive. Even current expensive MPEG4 TVs may not be fully compatible.

You need a separate setbox to record Digital TV anyway, it can drive the existing TV too.

You may need to buy an HD ready or HD TV to get a good picture with ordinary TV on a flat screen TV compared with old fat Tube sets. This is because the dots on the non-HD screens may not match the signal (simplified explanation).

For actual HD TV, an "HD ready" set isn't good enough as it hasn't enough dots (1366x768 rather than Proper HD of 1920 x 1080).


It's still not terribly worth while having HD TV unless you have bluRay disc (BD) player as there is little HD content and all of it on Cable or Satellite.