Setting up Freeview from scratch

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dawnajn

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#39489 14-Aug-2009 23:41

I have been browsing for a similar issue and I coudn't find one.

I need help in setting up my Freeview. I have a Samsung 32 LCD TV. It has a built in Freeview digital hd tuner. (http://www.dse.co.nz/dse.shop/4a85465000960eca273fc0a87f3b06a8/Product/View/GE6457)

My friend who has a Freeview at home told me that all I need is to plug my TV to the wall, as long as I have a UHF or a Sky dish on my roof. I went to a retail store where I bought my TV and the guy said the same.

We plugged the TV to the wall, turned on the TV and it said No Signal.

What else do I actually need to do? Do I still need an STB with my TV that has a built in Freeview tuner?

Thanks in advance.

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#246805 14-Aug-2009 23:57

No STB needed, but you may need a better aerial, an aerial alignment, or an aerial repair.

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#246806 15-Aug-2009 00:02

dawnajn:

My friend who has a Freeview at home told me that all I need is to plug my TV to the wall, as long as I have a UHF or a Sky dish on my roof. I went to a retail store where I bought my TV and the guy said the same.

your friend and the retail store are incorrect if they are telling you that a SKY dish is useful for your TV with built-in FreeviewHD tuner..... you need a UHF aerial and it needs to point in the right direction.

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dawnajn

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#246809 15-Aug-2009 00:07

Ouch! Would there any more reasons why I didn't get any signa aside from the aerial thingl? Does that mean that I have done it right and didn't forget anything else?

Is this a common issue with aerials? Do you know the prices of the ones you suggested?

Thank you so much.

dawnajn

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#246813 15-Aug-2009 00:15

Regs:

your friend and the retail store are incorrect if they are telling you that a SKY dish is useful for your TV with built-in FreeviewHD tuner..... you need a UHF aerial and it needs to point in the right direction.

why is the sky dish not useful? there is a black cable coming out from our floor. i am assuming it's the cable for the uhf aerial, not the sky. am i right?

thanks for your reply.

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#246817 15-Aug-2009 00:26

the sky dish is for:
* sky tv
* freeview dvb-s (wont find many/any tv's with this built in, have to have set top box)

UHF antenna :
* FreeviewHD (including sets with built-in freeview tuners and set top boxes)
* Analog TV - Prime, Maori TV etc

The black could be either for a sat dish, or uhf, or both.

If you dont already have a UHF aerial, you can get one installed - call an antenna installer for a price (i was quoted over $200), install one yourself (harder to get right without the right test meters) or get one installed from Prime (www.primetv.co.nz see 'tune in' link)

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#246818 15-Aug-2009 00:31

also, you can check the freeview website for a nice picture of what the setup would look like and a link to a list of installers here http://www.freeviewnz.tv/setup_support/setup_hd

and to answer one of your other questions "do i still need a set top box" - the answer is no. you should be able to tune in directly using your tv. you may still want to buy a set top box if you want to be able to record shows if so then check out the "myfreeview|hd" link: http://freeviewnz.tv/myfreeview/

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dawnajn

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#246820 15-Aug-2009 00:46

Regs:
The black could be either for a sat dish, or uhf, or both.

If you dont already have a UHF aerial, you can get one installed - call an antenna installer for a price (i was quoted over $200), install one yourself (harder to get right without the right test meters) or get one installed from Prime (www.primetv.co.nz see 'tune in' link)

I already have a UHF aerial on my roof. How would I know if the cable is actually a UHF and not a sat dish? Maybe tonyhughes is right. It needs re-alignment. Is it really that sensitive that it didn't give me any image at all. It's all black and white pixels dancing, you know that usual no-signal thing.

I don't know if this would help. I used to have a CRT TV. I connected it with that black cable on the floor. I could see the show but it's blurred and sometimes the screen flicked. It was that annoying that it would have been better not to watch TV at all because you wouldn't really understand what's happening. I thought because of the area where we live, it's a rural by the way, that we hardly get a signal. Do you think Freeview will solve this problem?

My very old 14" Konka can get at least an image while my current TV can't.

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#246821 15-Aug-2009 00:52

with freeview|hd you wont be seeing the "black and white pixels dancing". that would be analog reception. in any case, if you cant pick up any channels on analog - prime, maori etc - then that would indicate a problem with the aerial.

some people have been able to get reception with 'bunny ears' plugged into the back of the TV - i know I have where I am. perhaps you have a set you can try plugging in instead and see if you get anything?

what city/town are you in? perhaps your aerial is pointing to a transmission site which doesnt broadcast freeview?

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dawnajn

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#246823 15-Aug-2009 01:08

so with freeview|hd, is it just plain black screen? i'm sure my old tv was able to pick up channels before. i could still remember watching desperate housewives last year. :) it was still clear. but then again, that was last year, around june maybe. i stopped watching tv when that season finished. and early this year, i just couldn't watch any proper channels at all. my husband bought a bunny ears and nothing changed, still the same. we ended up returning it. :)

i live in dairy flat, auckland.

farcus

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#246831 15-Aug-2009 03:23

I thought because of the area where we live, it's a rural by the way, that we hardly get a signal. Do you think Freeview will solve this problem?

Do you actually live somewhere that Freeview HD is available.
It is only available in these cities (Auckland, Hamilton, Tauranga, Napier, Hastings, Palmerston North, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin) within good signal range.

If you don't live in (or near) one of these centers then you will need a seperate unit to hook up to your satellite dish - and you have just wasted A LOT of money on a TV feature that you cannot use.

Put your address in here and it will let you know whether you can receive Freeview HD.

http://www.freeviewnz.tv/all_about_freeview/coverage

This also has help on setting up Samsung TVs

http://www.freeviewnz.tv/images/uploads/pdfs/Samsung_IDTV_quick_set_up_guide.doc

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#246849 15-Aug-2009 08:23

Desperate Housewives is on TV2, typically a VHF channel. You are interested in UHF (518 to 806 MHz) reception only for Freeview HD (DVB-T). Please tell us what transmitter your current antenna is aimed at.

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wellygary

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#246866 15-Aug-2009 09:41

dawnajn: I have been browsing for a similar issue and I coudn't find one.

I need help in setting up my Freeview. I have a Samsung 32 LCD TV. It has a built in Freeview digital hd tuner. (http://www.dse.co.nz/dse.shop/4a85465000960eca273fc0a87f3b06a8/Product/View/GE6457)

My friend who has a Freeview at home told me that all I need is to plug my TV to the wall, as long as I have a UHF or a Sky dish on my roof. I went to a retail store where I bought my TV and the guy said the same.

We plugged the TV to the wall, turned on the TV and it said No Signal.

What else do I actually need to do? Do I still need an STB with my TV that has a built in Freeview tuner?

Thanks in advance.

You don't need a STB, Your new TV will also have a regular analog tuner in it. So, if you are getting absolutely no signal, it indicates that your aerial connection may need looking at,

If you are only getting a few channels on analog, you may only have a VHF aerial ( long arms )

Where are you living?

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#246870 15-Aug-2009 10:00

wellygary the OP has already stated that the TV he has a Freeview|HD tuner.

One thing no one seem to have checked.

Have you read the manual and followed the instructions for setting up the digital tuner? It still needs to be tuned in similar to the old analogue channels.

I cannot find a copy of the manual to tell you what page to look at but it will be for setting up digital TV. It currently sounds like you have the input set to analogue TV.

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Snowflake

#246930 15-Aug-2009 12:44

dairy flat in auckland comes up as "very likely" for freeview reception. i'd suggest calling an installer to check/replace your aerial

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dawnajn

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#246936 15-Aug-2009 12:59

Thank you for all your help.

I live in Dairy Flat, Auckland. I have checked from the Freeview website and I could very likely get Freeview. I am not sure if my new TV can only do DVB-T which means I need a UHF. One thing for sure though, we realised we only have VHF aerial. I didn't know that there are different types of antenna. :( I found this from FAQ on Freeview site:

Can I use an indoor UHF aerial to receive Freeview HD?

Yes, in many cases an internal aerial with or without a booster will work with Freeview|HDTM. If our Google maps coverage tool gives you a result of ?very likely? then an internal antenna near a window may work.

Does this mean that if I buy a bunny ears (VHF/UHF), even without a UHF on the roof, it will work?

OR another option, if I go for the satellite one and use the sky dish instead, will I need a STB in this case?

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