Confused! Digital receivers and internal antennas?

Jane Eden

So, moved to a new place in a nice complex a few days ago, SKY's available to all apartments but of course you pay per month, €25 minimum, and private "pay once" satellite dishes aren't allowed to be installed (management company rules! - although I've seen a couple!) so I'm thinking as I'm buying a new tv could I also buy a digital receiver and an internal antenna (it looks like a flat black wall mounted thingie - not rabbits ears!) and get channels for free? Or isn't it that simple?

Had SKY previously but dropped it a few months ago but still got lots of channels in my old place (a house) through the original SKY box (had a dish on the roof) Took the SKY box with me and thought it'd be the same here, there's a dish on the side of each building but no such luck, it tells me something along the lines of "No signal received blah blah" when I plug it in and turn it on, maybe I could tweek it somehow but I'm guessing not? Thanks.

The Cush

Jane Eden wrote: »

so I'm thinking as I'm buying a new tv could I also buy a digital receiver and an internal antenna (it looks like a flat black wall mounted thingie - not rabbits ears!) and get channels for free? Or isn't it that simple?

How well an indoor aerial will work at your location will depend the signal strength and signal quality where you position the aerial in the room, it may work and then again it may not.

We can't tell you how good the signal is at your location so the best thing you can do is buy a cheap indoor aerial and test it out at various locations around the room. If it does work and you have a Saorview TV or set top box you will only receive these channels.

Regarding your existing Sky receiver the reason you may not be able to receive a signal could be that the feed to your apartment is disconnected and may only be reconnected when you subscribe to Sky.

zg3409

I would ask the managament company what is the story with the signal at your apartment. If the management company paid to have the system installed then you should be able to use your old Sky box as you say.

The dish may have been installed as part of "Sky in your apartment" which means the management company paid nothing and the system is owned by Sky. They may have only connected the apartments that paid for Sky.

In order for a dish to work you would need a balcony that faces south East. If you drill the walls the company may go mad and charge for repair works. You can get dishes that mount on brackets or sit on the ground held down by concrete blocks etc.

The first step is to find out why there is no satellite signal. Also before 24th of October I would connect your TV to the aerial connection and see do you get any Irish channels. It may be that they have a dish and an aerial on the roof. Connect your TV and do an automatic scan for channels.

formerly scottish paddy

You can also get a "caravan sat dish" these have rubber suckers that attach to any smooth surface (best on glass/window). Lidl were selling them a while ago with a receiver in a nice plastic case.