Sky Aerial, Freeview HD TV

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networkn

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#112365 6-Dec-2012 09:45

Hi There!

The TV I am looking at has freeview built into it (HD I think). Our office has a sky aerial on the roof, can we use this to get freeview HD (I know it works with standard freeview according to the FAQ.

The Sky cable runs down and is split on every level of our building, and the tenant in the basement has sky operational with a decoder, I saw something about needing the sky decoder to get sound, but that didn't sound right. Can someone clarify for me please?

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#727881 6-Dec-2012 09:55

Is it a UHF aerial, or a satellite dish?

Standard Freeview = Freeview|HD. (The other option is the satellite service which is designed as in-fill, and is SD only, with variation to the channel line up).

TV with built-in Freeview is Freeview|HD.

If the aerial points at your local Freeview UHF transmitter, and is otherwise in good condition with decent cabling to you, then yes you should get Freeview.

All bets are off once you start splitting cables for multiple dwellings, and have a system designed for another service - your best bet is to plug a decoder in and try, or get an aerial installer to check for you.

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#727882 6-Dec-2012 09:56

An old Sky UHF antenna should be fine, although it's probably been there for many years, and may be near the end of it's life now.

If there is a Sky decoder working from it, then it will almost certainly be a satellite dish, not a UHF antenna.

Freeview | HD is broadcast requires the UHF antenna, and you need to be within the reception area. If you are getting a satellite signal, you will need an external decoder/STB, and it will be SD only.

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#727884 6-Dec-2012 09:56

tonyhughes: Is it a UHF aerial, or a satellite dish?

Standard Freeview = Freeview|HD. (The other option is the satellite service which is designed as in-fill, and is SD only, with variation to the channel line up).

TV with built-in Freeview is Freeview|HD.

If the aerial points at your local Freeview UHF transmitter, and is otherwise in good condition with decent cabling to you, then yes you should get Freeview.

All bets are off once you start splitting cables for multiple dwellings, and have a system designed for another service - your best bet is to plug a decoder in and try, or get an aerial installer to check for you.

I'm told it's a satellite dish.

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#727886 6-Dec-2012 09:58

Sat dish is no good for HD. You will need to install a UHF antenna.

networkn

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#727893 6-Dec-2012 10:08

RunningMan: Sat dish is no good for HD. You will need to install a UHF antenna.

But SD will still be ok ? If the TV has freeview HD built in, I presume it will also display SD?

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#727895 6-Dec-2012 10:12

Nope. They are broadcast in 2 very different ways. The tuner in the TV cannot receive a satellite signal at all.

You have 2 options.

1) Get an external satellite STB - will work with the current dish, but SD only.

2) Get a UHF antenna to work with the TV. Will get you the HD signal, but you need to be in an area that it is broadcast.

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#727896 6-Dec-2012 10:12

networkn:
RunningMan: Sat dish is no good for HD. You will need to install a UHF antenna.

But SD will still be ok ? If the TV has freeview HD built in, I presume it will also display SD?

Nope totally different technologies,

the tuner frequencies are totally different for freeviewHD (UHF) and SD ( Sat)

A FreeviewHD set will not decode freeview SD signals, you will need a set top box.....

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#727897 6-Dec-2012 10:13

you wont be able to connect the tv to the sat dish directly you would need a separate box. basically you need to get someone to install a UHF aerial.

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#727899 6-Dec-2012 10:15

reven: you wont be able to connect the tv to the sat dish directly you would need a separate box. basically you need to get someone to install a UHF aerial.

Hmm this is very weird. At home I have JUST Sky Dish, and I can get Freeview (Not sure if it's HD) on my Sony EX700 32" without issues.

Hmm Just checked the specs on the Ex700 Sony TV and it doesn't say Freeview on it. I need to doublecheck when I get home.

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#727902 6-Dec-2012 10:21

networkn:
reven: you wont be able to connect the tv to the sat dish directly you would need a separate box. basically you need to get someone to install a UHF aerial.

Hmm this is very weird. At home I have JUST Sky Dish, and I can get Freeview (Not sure if it's HD) on my Sony EX700 32" without issues.

Hmm Just checked the specs on the Ex700 Sony TV and it doesn't say Freeview on it. I need to doublecheck when I get home.

If you live in an exceptionally good reception area, it might be that the cable to the dish is acting as enough of an antenna to work...

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#727903 6-Dec-2012 10:24

The Sony tv does not have a satellite tuner in it. The freeview uhf signal will only be being received this way because the uhf transmission is strong enough to be picked up by the cable itself. What signal quality readings do you get on the Sony?

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#727911 6-Dec-2012 10:35

networkn:
reven: you wont be able to connect the tv to the sat dish directly you would need a separate box. basically you need to get someone to install a UHF aerial.

Hmm this is very weird. At home I have JUST Sky Dish, and I can get Freeview (Not sure if it's HD) on my Sony EX700 32" without issues.

Hmm Just checked the specs on the Ex700 Sony TV and it doesn't say Freeview on it. I need to doublecheck when I get home.

Apart from a couple of 'oddities' that one company imported, its safe to say that no tvs sold in NZ have a built in Freeview Satellite tuner built in.

New TVs will all have a Freeview HD tuner - this requires a 'regular' (UHF) style TV aerial to work and Freeview HD has to be broadcast where you live - most larger population areas. New TVs (and older TVs) still have the old analogue TV tuner built in - the analogue system is being shut down over the next 12 months - The Hawkes bay have switched off the old analogue transmission already but its still working elsewhere. Effectively then, new TVs have 2 tuners the old analogue and the new Freeview digital. Both require an aerial.

If your TV was made/sold after 2009 then its almost certainly got a Freeview HD tuner built in.

If you live in an area without Freeview HD coverage, you would need a satellite dish (sky dish should probably work) and you would need to buy a Freeview satellite tuner box to plug between the TV and the satellite. The Freeview satellite system is not high definition.

If you are getting a picture on your TV and you somehow have it plugged in to a sky dish it would be pretty surprising. Maybe you are somehow getting enough signal from the cable to pick up something - maybe its the old analogue picture?

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#727937 6-Dec-2012 10:58

networkn:

Hmm this is very weird. At home I have JUST Sky Dish, and I can get Freeview (Not sure if it's HD) on my Sony EX700 32" without issues.

Hmm Just checked the specs on the Ex700 Sony TV and it doesn't say Freeview on it. I need to doublecheck when I get home.

Read the Manual! The Sony EX700 does indeed have Freeview Digital tuner. It is just an earlier model of my 32ex720. Only difference is the 720 is 3D.
It receives Analogue (VHF-UHF) and Freeview Digital HD (UHF).
It cannot tune a satellite signal as it has not got a satellite tuner. To receive satellite Freeview (or Sky) you must have a Satellite STB.
As someone else said, if you are in a strong signal area then just plugging in the satellite coax may provide sufficient UHF signal for reception of Freeview Terrestrial HD. The signal is being picked up by the coax and not the dish. A piece of wire stuck in the socket and even just putting your finger on the socket can produce a picture if the signal is really really strong.

tonyhughes

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#727959 6-Dec-2012 11:37

Summary:

Your new place has a Sky dish.
Your TV is Freeview Terrestrial.
You need a UHF antenna to get Freeview at the new place.
Don't rely on picking up a signal from the sat coax - the fact you are now is simply a very lucky break.

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#727973 6-Dec-2012 11:47

tonyhughes: Summary:

Your new place has a Sky dish.
Your TV is Freeview Terrestrial.
You need a UHF antenna to get Freeview at the new place.
Don't rely on picking up a signal from the sat coax - the fact you are now is simply a very lucky break.

Yeah what he said.

Before you go all out, as a quick test try a piece of wire as an aerial in your office location, followed by an indoor aerial if you have access to one. If either of these work then you're looking good.

The coax is the same for the satellite or UHF aerial install, so you can simply disconnect the satellite dish and attach an external UHF aerial IF the satellite is not required anymore. Makes it quick and easy potentially.

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