Digital vs Analogue TV?

[Doonhamer]

(as most people around here don't even have a freeview box or TV)

That will soon change when they realise they cant watch tv any more without one. Of course whether that is before of after the analogue shut-down I could only guess but just now a lot don't have them because its not a priority.

 

[ic1male]

I can get brilliant Freeview on a separate Wharfedale box and my Bravia TV with built-in tuner but on a Samsung R88, it got diddly squat. Obviously the different makes of tuners are a factor, also!

 

[Tom0]

Analog is far better if you get the perfect reception, none of the wibbley wobbley stations as soon as the sun comes out.


Digital has more stations though

 

[Phil99]

A perfect analogue signal looks better than most (if not all) of the crap they broadcast on freeview. Certainly nowhere near DVD quality either (BBC maybe comes close, but still not DVD quality). Some channels are only a couple of Mbit/s, and others aren't even full resolution!

Hopefully the quality of the broadcast and signal strength will improve post-analogue switch off though.

 

[Deleted member 651465]

You don't really have a choice. Or at least you won't in the next few years

 

[Raymond Lin]

Yeah, notice how they aren't informing people that if they want to watch a digital channel and record something else they'll need either a DVB TV and a box or a DVB box with twin tuners.

I haven't recorded a TV show in about 10 years......

 

[Stonedofmoo]

Some channels are only a couple of Mbit/s, and others aren't even full resolution!

I've noticed this actually. When you watch the X-Factor on ITV1 on my Virgin Cable box it look good very sharp. But as soon as we turn over to ITV2 for the Xtra Factor straight after the quality is not as sharp, quite blurred in comparison.

 

[GarethDW]

I was sat on the loo reading the Argos catalogue last night, and I saw a very misleading information box regarding the switch over to digital... it was basically saying that if you've got an analogue TV you'd better buy a digital TV before the switch off to continue being able to watch anything.

This is misleading and I can imagine many people falling for this and splashing out a few hundred quid on a TV unnecessarily so, when all they really needed was a Freeview box.

Looking on their website it says you can either get a STB, an integrated TV or switch to Sky/NTL, but the catalogue didn't say this. Bit naughty of Argos, imo.

 

[Azagoth]

Isn't that rather obvious. The only reason your VCR could record a different channel with analogue was because both the TV and the VCR contained tuners.

Yeah, it's blindingly obvious to me, and no doubt all of us other tech minded people. However, my parents didn't realise it at all. They thought he could just record with the VCR as normal but it would be in digital quality. Let's just say that they weren't very happy once I'd explained to them that not only do they need the new DVB TV they've bought but they also needs a set-top box too if they plan on recording the myriad of crap they do now.

 

[Stonedofmoo]

No it's not because analogue IS just about to be switched off in one area of the country. It's not a case of flick a switch and all is off, it's a case of it goes off in areas.

 

[Simian]

i've got freeview/digital tv with my samsung tv and everytime a moped drives past my house it breakes up until its drove off :/ random

I get this also!... (though I've got Sagem Box's...)

 

[Tesla]

It's because your installation is made up of poor materials. There is probably no supressor on the moped spark plug so this is what the interference is from.

Also, a better aerial cannot improve the digital picture, only the reliability of the reception.

 

[titchard]

I believe it is down to compression on the digital signal.

Decent equipment does help - good quality aerial, cable, and freeview decoder to help (I will ask my Dad, he is a television aerial contractor, and my parents house is perfect for all signal - i'll ask his opinion).

When analogue is shut down, would the signal be expanded into the existing spectrum so that the compression is lower and does not cause this pixelation?

I really would rather that the analogue spectrum was used for wireless national internet or something along those lines, but taking up some of the spectrum to lower compression would be possible I assume.

Rich

 

[Tomsk]

Signal quality is more important than signal strength for picture quality in Freeview transmissions. I can turn my aerial amplifier up so that I get 90%+ signal strength, but signal quality drops and I get a poor picture. My signal strength can be as low as 40% depending on channel, time of day and weather, but as long as the signal quality is >60% I get a good picture.

If your main transmitter hasn't been switched over yet, then the Freeview channles are broadcasting at a lower power than what they will be after switchover. eg. Winter hill broadcasts BBC1, BBC2, ITV and Channel 4 at 500KW, but the freeview channels at only 10kW (Five is broadcast at 12kW). After switchover there will be more power available for the Freeview transmitters (Winter hill is to go to 100kW for Freeview after switchover).

 

[bigmouse64]

I prefer digital, the picture in general looks a lot better to me.

 

[Stonedofmoo]

Good, roll on the switchover then.

Analogue is rubbish compared to a quality digital signal and is so limited with lack of widescreen support and surround sound.

 

[Whappers]

Is it just me of have the dates for switch off been brought forward by a year in most places? I thought 2012 was the year of switch off for Ulster and have seen it stated as that several times

 

[Phil99]

When analogue is shut down, would the signal be expanded into the existing spectrum so that the compression is lower and does not cause this pixelation?

In theory.

I don't the the whole existing spectrum is being used for more digital space. It'd be great if they did improve the bandwidth of all channels (especially ITV4, Setanta and a few others), however I wouldn't be surprised if we just got another 20 shopping (and +1) channels

 

[Bradmax57]

Thing that gets me is I paid a fortune for a Digital Arial to be installed, cause of where i am it had to be put on a 10ft mast lol, its a bleeding eyesore, anyway most of the time its perfect but sometimes I get no signal at all how is that?

 

[Hencore]

I can get brilliant Freeview on a separate Wharfedale box and my Bravia TV with built-in tuner but on a Samsung R88, it got diddly squat. Obviously the different makes of tuners are a factor, also!

ive also got Samsung R87 and get nothing at all. Might get box and see how that goes.