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White Horse Aerials Freeview FAQ



What is Freeview?

Well there's plenty of information here and here but the best info can be found here

Can I receive freeview?

Enter your postcode here but the answer you get takes no account of local relief, trees and buildings, and tends to be a tad pessimistic. I have managed to set up freeview for customers in Norton Bavant and Sutton Veny, both of which have a reputation for poor signal and get a "no" from the above website. Conversely up on the army camp, the postcode checker gives a thumbs up yet there's no way most of those houses get a good enough signal.

If you (or your neighbours) get a half decent analogue reception from Hannington/Mendip/Rowridge/Salisbury or Stockland Hill then there is a very good chance that you can get freeview now, without my help. If not, all is not lost as the aerials available today can produce very good results.

You can either buy/borrow a box and try it (increasing numbers of newer TVs have a built in freeview receiver) or I can do a survey.

I can only get a poor signal, does this mean that when the analogue system stops I will no longer receive TV?

Maybe not. When the switchover occurs the transmitters will increase the power of the digital signal, hopefully overcoming your problem. The government target is to broadcast to as many homes as they do now.

I get a good analogue picture but no freeview reception. Am I doomed?

Unlikely. I expect you are picking up your signal from one of the repeater transmitters, (eg Crockerton, Shrewton, Chitterne). These will start transmitting freeview when the analogue signal is switched off. It will be a limited service but will include all the BBC and ITV channels, C4 and C5. It is also possible that you can be redirected to one of the main transmitters, enabling you to recieve the full suite of channels now.

We have a terrible ghosting problem, is this going to mess Freeview up?

No. One of the advantages of the digital signal is that it's hardly affected by ghosting

I've got a freeview receiver, but my picture occasionally freezes or breaks up?

There is no such thing as perfect reception as far as digital TV goes. The better your aerial installation, the less frequent the picture problems will be. What's acceptable is subjective. I would suggest one "minor incident" in 20 hours viewing is about as good as it gets. Your problem may not be the aerial. The whole system needs to be in good order, i.e. the aerial, downlead, connectors, splitters, amplifiers etc. You may even have problems with too high a signal level.

So why not wait until 2010?

There's no way the aerial riggers in this area will be able to cope with demand at switchover. We are going to be VERY busy. You may find yourself waiting some time for an upgrade. Why not make the change now and enjoy the benefits sooner?

So maybe Sky or cable TV is a better option?

OK, If you can get it and don't mind paying a never ending subscription then this may be true. Freesat (from the BBC/ITV joint venture) went live in March 2008, this may offer a cost effective alternative to freeview, see my freesat page here.

How much is an aerial upgrade going to cost me?

Tricky one, this. They start from £60 (bungalow in a good reception area with easy access for me and bracketry/downlead in good condition). Every house and every customer's requirement are different. I'd have to see the property to estimate. I was in a popular retailer outlet the other day and I see they offer an aerial upgrade for £200. Now I think that's expensive, I rarely charge much more than half that for a new installation.

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