Digital aerials - Receiving Free To Air stations - Blu-ray Forum

garlad · 11-24-2009, 02:38 PM

Can someone please explain this to me? Where would one buy such an aerial? Are they expensive? Are some aerials better than others? For such a great service (hundreds of free to air channels, most of which now digital and some HD) the whole idea of having to put am ugly looking aerial on your roof seems a bit dated.

I know this is available in the UK and America and other countries (Ireland are years behind everyone again) but do many people use it?

Are they easy to install? I would be looking to get one when digital broadcasting is available in Ireland and when the "switch off" of analog broadcasting happens around Europe (2012 is think). I would like to think that one day I could utilise PlayTV for the PS3.

garlad · 11-25-2009, 09:49 PM

Anyone have any advice/info on this? Should I have posted in another area?

Thanks

jadedeath · 11-25-2009, 10:42 PM

I've never used one, but I'm seriously considering it.

I see that Best Buy {here in Canada} has some for just a shade over $100 but I'm unsure as to which would be the best to purchase.

Logan

jsteinhauer · 11-25-2009, 10:54 PM

What will work for you is entirely dependent on where you live with respect to where the transmitters are. I have a large UHF and a large high VHF antenna (both directional) on my rooftop with a preamp and a coaxial cable running a LONG way to my primary television. Both were less than US$100 each. I live about 30 miles as the crow flies to the local transmitters (which are all on the same hilltop. Here, I also only get about 15-20 OTA digital channels, some of which are duplicates, most of which are not HD, and three of which I watch on a regular basis and only for sports. In the US, antennaweb.org can help choose an appropriate antenna. Ireland and the UK may have a similar resource. If you are close to transmitters, you may only need a set-top antenna.

11-24-2009, 02:38 PM	#1
garlad AVFC Member since:Dec 2007 Location:Ireland Blu-ray collection:226 Blu-ray reviews:1 Trading Score:3	Digital aerials - Receiving Free To Air stations Can someone please explain this to me? Where would one buy such an aerial? Are they expensive? Are some aerials better than others? For such a great service (hundreds of free to air channels, most of which now digital and some HD) the whole idea of having to put am ugly looking aerial on your roof seems a bit dated. I know this is available in the UK and America and other countries (Ireland are years behind everyone again) but do many people use it? Are they easy to install? I would be looking to get one when digital broadcasting is available in Ireland and when the "switch off" of analog broadcasting happens around Europe (2012 is think). I would like to think that one day I could utilise PlayTV for the PS3.

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11-25-2009, 09:49 PM	#2
garlad AVFC Member since:Dec 2007 Location:Ireland Blu-ray collection:226 Blu-ray reviews:1 Trading Score:3	Anyone have any advice/info on this? Should I have posted in another area? Thanks

11-25-2009, 10:42 PM	#3
jadedeath Blu-ray Knight Member since:Jun 2007	I've never used one, but I'm seriously considering it. I see that Best Buy {here in Canada} has some for just a shade over $100 but I'm unsure as to which would be the best to purchase. Logan

11-25-2009, 10:54 PM	#4
jsteinhauer Gaming Moderator Member since:Aug 2007 Blu-ray reviews:120 Trading Score:66	What will work for you is entirely dependent on where you live with respect to where the transmitters are. I have a large UHF and a large high VHF antenna (both directional) on my rooftop with a preamp and a coaxial cable running a LONG way to my primary television. Both were less than US$100 each. I live about 30 miles as the crow flies to the local transmitters (which are all on the same hilltop. Here, I also only get about 15-20 OTA digital channels, some of which are duplicates, most of which are not HD, and three of which I watch on a regular basis and only for sports. In the US, antennaweb.org can help choose an appropriate antenna. Ireland and the UK may have a similar resource. If you are close to transmitters, you may only need a set-top antenna.

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