Advice on BT vision & Aerial?

[Magic_x_uk]

Hi, wonder if I can get some guidance.

We are presently with Sky for Telephone, broadband (3mb) and TV (variety package) @£62 PM.

I feel it is too expensive and we are looking to change.

Just spoken with BT and we can get telephone, unlimited fibre & tv entertainment+ from them for all in £40 pm x12 months. With a £9.99 delivery charge.

Problem is, I have no aerial. my house was built in 1999, there is a mounted aerial in the loft. But I do not use it, BT would want £60 to install a aerial. But would my aerial in the loft work for BT that is in the loft?

I have no idea if it needs to be a certain 'type' of aerial?


Thanks.

 

[varkanoid]

Depends on what your current aerial type is and the size of it. You need to make sure its pointing in the right direction to your nearest TV mast in case its been moved. Do you have a TV amp connected to it too ?
Best thing is to try it if you can now. For instance my house is about 20 years old and I didnt need to change the aerial on my house. I have BT TV.

If you have a freeview TV, freeview box or more better one with a Freeview HD Tuner hook that upto the aerial in the loft (I take it you still have the aerial sockets somewhere in the house so you dont have to hoof the TV into the loft) then tune the TV into the terrestial digital channels. Look for BBC 1 HD and ITV HD (or BBC1 or ITV) and see if you can view these between the hours of 7pm to 9pm, and between 8am to 9am okay without any breakup or pixelisation, not for the full hours of course but just as a test. Then before 7pm look at a couple of the childrens channels CBEEBIES HD, CBBC and CITV and also try Channel 5. Reason being even though you may not watch these channels these are usually the first to go if your aerial signal is poor.

If possible when this is hooked up see if the TV has a aerial strength indicator (often found on the info button when viewing channels) to give you an idea of signal quality.

£60 is not bad if they do a good job. I've seen local TV companies charge £120+

 

[a1ex2001]

Try it with a tv chances are it will work most of the issues with rubbish freeview signal went away Shen they killed analogue tv.

If you go with BT do the sign up online via quidco/TopCashback and check for offers. I got £75 quid cashbavk plus a Visa card with about £100 on it when I joined.

 

[varkanoid]

Just something worth noting. The BT Youview box DOES NOT like strong digital signals. Might sound like backwards thinking but its true. If you get 80% or above signal strength you get random breakups of HD channels. (its well reported in the BT Community forums). It affects the BT Youview UHD box mainly. I had to be a TV aerial attenuator to dial back the signal strength to 75%! (I get 93% otherwise)