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Digitalization and me tellies - can u help?

Posted: Wed Oct 10, 2012 2:26 pm
by HwoodMike2umate
In our enormous Holywood pad (people have compared it, albeit unfavourably, to Rory's) we have 4 tellies.
Main one is great - quite a big screen and we are hooked up to Virgin Media - covers the phone, internet and loadsa
channels inc RTE 1, 2 & TG4. We also have a now unused and slightly dodgy 15 year old RTE aerial that never gave great reception that i reckon at the very least needs someone to go up on the roof and move it about a bit.

So what do we do about the other 3 tellies that just give us the usual 5 channels - well probably one less by the time we turn them on tonight. Can we somehow extend Virgin to other tellies or do we need to buy wee boxes and fiddle around with things or should we get an Aeriel man out? It goes without saying that we are looking for the cheapest option here - and i dont mean just throwing out the 3 old tellies. Its the wee telly in the kitchen that i probably watch the most.

It also goes without saying that there's a pint in it for the most "successful" help.

PS - and before you ask none of the tellies are just Black & White reception - but my parents kitchen one was until about a year ago! And yes i have for months just ignored all the adverts warning me of this perilous situation arising.

Re: Digitalization and me tellies - can u help?

Posted: Wed Oct 10, 2012 2:52 pm
by mikerob
If you want Virgin on another TV, you'll need to get another Virgin box. There will be a charge for additional Virgin boxes but this will depend on what packages you get from them already. They'll also need to run coax cable to the additional box, so this may not be very practical depending where you want to have it.

For digital TV, you'll need to buy a Freeview box and connect it to an aerial and the TV. Freeview boxes are pretty cheap - you can probably pick one up for less than £20.

RTE will be switching off analogue TV on 24 October but RTE 1, 2, and TG4 will be available from N Ireland transmitters so there isn't much point having an aerial pointing south - it should really point towards Divis.

Edit: you can have more than one TV connected to the same Virgin box, but both will show the same program. Also, you'll need to run cable between the Virgin box and the other TV, the type of cable will depend on the interfaces on the TV and some cables (like SCART) won't work over a few metres.

Re: Digitalization and me tellies - can u help?

Posted: Wed Oct 10, 2012 2:58 pm
by striker
Will an HD ready Digibox not be required to receive RTE channels?

Re: Digitalization and me tellies - can u help?

Posted: Wed Oct 10, 2012 3:06 pm
by mikerob
striker wrote:Will an HD ready Digibox not be required to receive RTE channels?
Good point. Yes, a Freeview HD box will be needed for RTE and these will be a bit more expensive than non-HD boxes.

That doesn't mean RTE will be in HD but as RTE use a different standard for transmitting digital TV, the HD box is needed to support this.

Re: Digitalization and me tellies - can u help?

Posted: Wed Oct 10, 2012 3:21 pm
by VanTheMan
Will all the tellies not just be tossed when the bulldozer moves in to clear your site. I heard you have sold up to a developer and with all the extra cash the Rockettes will have supported by HWM across their costumes.

The Ulster public have the rite to know!!! :D

Re: Digitalization and me tellies - can u help?

Posted: Wed Oct 10, 2012 3:23 pm
by Jackie Brown
Mikerob, will RTE, TV3 and TG4 be available through Freeview?

Re: Digitalization and me tellies - can u help?

Posted: Wed Oct 10, 2012 3:28 pm
by Jackie Brown
mikerob wrote:
striker wrote:Will an HD ready Digibox not be required to receive RTE channels?
Good point. Yes, a Freeview HD box will be needed for RTE and these will be a bit more expensive than non-HD boxes.

That doesn't mean RTE will be in HD but as RTE use a different standard for transmitting digital TV, the HD box is needed to support this.
Ok you've already answered my question! However I have a Freesat HD box and Standard Freeview built into the TV. Am I gonna have to get ANOTHER box just for RTE?

Re: Digitalization and me tellies - can u help?

Posted: Wed Oct 10, 2012 3:37 pm
by ColinM
HwoodMike2umate wrote:In our enormous Holywood pad (people have compared it, albeit unfavourably, to Rory's) we have 4 tellies.
Main one is great - quite a big screen and we are hooked up to Virgin Media - covers the phone, internet and loadsa
channels inc RTE 1, 2 & TG4. We also have a now unused and slightly dodgy 15 year old RTE aerial that never gave great reception that i reckon at the very least needs someone to go up on the roof and move it about a bit.

So what do we do about the other 3 tellies that just give us the usual 5 channels - well probably one less by the time we turn them on tonight. Can we somehow extend Virgin to other tellies or do we need to buy wee boxes and fiddle around with things or should we get an Aeriel man out? It goes without saying that we are looking for the cheapest option here - and i dont mean just throwing out the 3 old tellies. Its the wee telly in the kitchen that i probably watch the most.

It also goes without saying that there's a pint in it for the most "successful" help.

PS - and before you ask none of the tellies are just Black & White reception - but my parents kitchen one was until about a year ago! And yes i have for months just ignored all the adverts warning me of this perilous situation arising.
Does your big telly (or any of your wee tellies) have freeview built in? If so disconnect the virgin box and see if your roof aerials get you a signal. Beware of men that go up on the roof and pretend to twiddle the aerial for a while before proclaiming they've solved all your problems for just £60 having done nahin.

I think that the elderly get free digiboxes so if you can befriend 3 old dears you may be sorted for £0

Re: Digitalization and me tellies - can u help?

Posted: Wed Oct 10, 2012 3:42 pm
by Jackie Brown
He'll only need to befriend 2 old dears surely?

Re: Digitalization and me tellies - can u help?

Posted: Wed Oct 10, 2012 4:00 pm
by BR
mikerob wrote:
striker wrote:Will an HD ready Digibox not be required to receive RTE channels?
Good point. Yes, a Freeview HD box will be needed for RTE and these will be a bit more expensive than non-HD boxes.

That doesn't mean RTE will be in HD but as RTE use a different standard for transmitting digital TV, the HD box is needed to support this.
You're right Mike, but I'm not sure I understand the reason you give. The RTE standard is relevant for those trying to pick up an RoI broadcast (saorview), but for most people, the main channels (RTE1,2&TG4) will now come in from the UK transmitters, so I'd have thought they'd be using a UK standard. Are we having our eye wiped?

HWM - As I know you enjoy spending money on more improtant things - I would recomend holding fire with any purchases. Make do with your virgin box until December until the prices for set top boxes etc return to sensible levels. Boxes that were retailing for about £12 or less two years ago are about £20 at the minute. Once the rush is over they should follow the usual path of technology goods.

Also - don't believe any of that aul carp about needing a 'digital' aerial - once they switch off the old analogue signal, the power of the digital signal will be boosted and you'll probably be able to receive it as good as before.

Re: Digitalization and me tellies - can u help?

Posted: Wed Oct 10, 2012 4:15 pm
by mikerob
In techy talk, Freeview in the UK uses a standard called MPEG2 to encode the digital signals.

RTE and the HD channels on Freeview HD use a more recent standard called MPEG4 to encode the digital channels.

Older Freeview boxes won't support MPEG4, new ones may support MPEG4, but won't have been certified for this in the UK so it is a bit of a lottery if they will work or not.

So the requirement for a Freeview HD box for RTE really means a box that has been certified for receiving MPEG4 channels transmitted in the UK.

For JB: I believe RTE 1, 2 and TG4 will be broadcast from transmitters in NI.

Re: Digitalization and me tellies - can u help?

Posted: Wed Oct 10, 2012 4:23 pm
by BR
mikerob wrote:In techy talk, Freeview in the UK uses a standard called MPEG2 to encode the digital signals.

RTE and the HD channels on Freeview HD use a more recent standard called MPEG4 to encode the digital channels.

Older Freeview boxes won't support MPEG4, new ones may support MPEG4, but won't have been certified for this in the UK so it is a bit of a lottery if they will work or not.

So the requirement for a Freeview HD box for RTE really means a box that has been certified for receiving MPEG4 channels transmitted in the UK.
Thanks.

For JB: I believe RTE 1, 2 and TG4 will be broadcast from transmitters in NI.
Black Mountain, Carnmoney and Brougher - I think Limavady folks are expected to pick up Saorview.

Re: Digitalization and me tellies - can u help?

Posted: Wed Oct 10, 2012 4:27 pm
by mikerob
Jackie Brown wrote:
Ok you've already answered my question! However I have a Freesat HD box and Standard Freeview built into the TV. Am I gonna have to get ANOTHER box just for RTE?
Sorry to say this, but you may need another box...

RTE isn't broadcast on Freesat HD. If it was, then everyone in the UK would be able to get RTE and I suspect this causes too much difficulty with broadcast rights for sports and other stuff.

There is a chance that the standard Freeview receiver in the TV may be able to pick up RTE if it is recent but the only way to find out is try it.

If not, you'll need a Freeview HD box.

Re: Digitalization and me tellies - can u help?

Posted: Wed Oct 10, 2012 5:20 pm
by Jackie Brown
pants

Re: Digitalization and me tellies - can u help?

Posted: Wed Oct 10, 2012 5:24 pm
by Snipe Watson
What is DVB-T2?