Digital tv - for a technophobe

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susie

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If a house has a satellite receiver will it act as an aerial for a digibox? I know it will pick up for satelite chanels if I sign up with one of the providers, but if I just plug the digibox to it will the tv work :thinking:

Technically challenged and confuzzled of the north!
 
You would need a 'freesat' box.
These are designed to give 'freeview' when used with a sky satellite dish.
Unless I am mistake, this will also give you high definition TV as well.
 
You can now get FreeView via satellite using the same dish as used for Sky. It's called FreeSat and is part of the digital switchover thing for people who can't get DTT (aerial)

http://www.freesat.co.uk/
 
if you already have a Sky digibox you can get all of the freeview channels if you have one of the current blue sky cards with the yellow house picture on it. Even if you don't you can get a freeview card for nothing by contacting the BBC (you'll need to Google for the correct phone number/address), or alternatively buy a Sky card from Ebay
 
Hmm, looks like I need a different ariel then, I have an astratec box so its not going to work with it and freesat seem to just do the boxes or tv's, I will try contacting the BBC though to see if they will send me a card that will work with it.
Oh the joys of dragging myself into the same century as everyone else :lol:

Hashcake, high definition is years away for me - I don't often watch tv and it was only a few years ago I upgraded to a tv with a remote :lol:

Thanks a lot, at least I now know there is a card slot in the box!
 
electric :thinking: I think it was already in when I bought the house :lol: :lol:

I'm just one of the few who don't watch much tv so I just have one that takes up as little room as possible!!!!
 
susie said:
Hashcake, high definition is years away for me - I don't often watch tv and it was only a few years ago I upgraded to a tv with a remote :lol:
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You're not missing much that's for sure.
I swear saturday night TV was far better in the 70's when I was a kid than what it is these days.
However, that was a long time ago and my memory isn't what it used to be :D
 
susie said:
If a house has a satellite receiver will it act as an aerial for a digibox? I know it will pick up for satelite chanels if I sign up with one of the providers, but if I just plug the digibox to it will the tv work :thinking:

Technically challenged and confuzzled of the north!
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A "Digibox" works with a normal TV aerial, this will allow you to watch "terrestrial" digital freeview channels on an analogue TV.

hashcake said:
You're not missing much that's for sure.
I swear saturday night TV was far better in the 70's when I was a kid than what it is these days.
However, that was a long time ago and my memory isn't what it used to be :D
Click to expand...

My theory is that there is only so much quality on TV, the more channels the thinner it spreads :D
 
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mrgubby said:
A "Digibox" works with a normal TV aerial, this will allow you to watch "terrestrial" digital freeview channels on an analogue TV.
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Thats all I need, problem is the aerial I have at the moment is very old, and although the box picks up the channels and sound the picture is not there, hence my thinking the satelllite dish may work better, but it does sound as if I need either a card or aeriel - the card is beter if its free!!!
 
susie said:
Thats all I need, problem is the aerial I have at the moment is very old, and although the box picks up the channels and sound the picture is not there, hence my thinking the satelllite dish may work better, but it does sound as if I need either a card or aeriel - the card is beter if its free!!!
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A Digibox will not work with a Dish, it's for use with "normal" TV signals not Satellite. If you've got a Sat box already then a card from the BBC is the best/cheapest option :thumbs:
 
Right first things first, assuming it's not faulty your sky box will work with or without the 'blue card' you'll be able to get all the bbc, itv, channels and channnel 4 but not five at the moment. Plus a whole lot of other channels, too many to mention.

Second, if you have a freeview box plugged into your tv and you get good sound but no picture ( i,e, a black screen ) the chances are the scart lead is not plugged in properly either at the tv or the box, or it's a bad cable or bad socket.
 
Thanks for that, its not the scart lead, I have tried 2 and they are both plugged in ok, and the box worked at a friends house so its not the box. The picture is a very light grey/blue and I can hardly see the writing is there let alone make out what it says!! If I get time I may lug the pair of them to a friends place and see if it works there, if so its got to be the aerial - otherwise I will see what happens when it gets to the other place!
 
With a freeview box a bad signal shows up as the picture breaking up, freezing, going blocky. What you are describing sounds more to me like a faulty tv, or broken scart socket if you are sure the lead is ok (try giving it a waggle while watching the picture). Depending on how old your tv is the scart input might be configurable in the tv's menu or it might just be incompatible. Scart was meant to be the great european standard but manufacturers have their own ideas about what is standard.
 
susie said:
Thanks for that, its not the scart lead, I have tried 2 and they are both plugged in ok, and the box worked at a friends house so its not the box. The picture is a very light grey/blue and I can hardly see the writing is there let alone make out what it says!! If I get time I may lug the pair of them to a friends place and see if it works there, if so its got to be the aerial - otherwise I will see what happens when it gets to the other place!
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If you are getting sound and a faint picture it's not the aerial, with digital TV if the signals carp the sound cuts in/out & the picture goes all pixely. If you are getting a faint picture then it's either the lead or the TV. Unplug all the other SCARTs & try moving the cable to different sockets & see if there is any difference. Also check that the TV / Digibox hasn't set the SCART sockets to use RGB & it's a composite cable :)
 
I will give that a go, I need the manual for the RGB bit though and its been packed in one of about 20 boxes at the moment :lol:

Thanks for your help :)
 
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