Digital Transmission

[cupic]

With the end of analogue transmission and the era of digital fast upon us,I thought that having a set top HD Box was all I needed.
Now I need a digital antenna?
Is this true?
And what of the cost?
Ball park figure to aid in comparing installer charges

cheers

[cs123]

No you don't need a "digital"antenna. You need an antenna that is designed to receive the frequencies that are transmitted it your area.

Older antennas were designed with some longer elements to pick up VHF low which is not transmitted these days. These elements are great at picking up noise and interference.

If you have a good picture and no pixelation or noise then stick with what you have.

If you are having issues then post back what they are, what town you live in and what sort of antenna you have. We can help you obtain the right unit.

[Jastel]

Have done the switchover here already.
A digital antenna is better for reception of course but normally only necesary if you are on the edge of good reception areas.

Think I paid $150 for the best one Dick Smith had but there are cheaper versions. It is small bikies in the long run, the reception is much better compared to analogue, like colour vs B&W once you are used to it.

When $$ allow go the whole way with a Full HD flatscreen.
If your old TV has not enough resolution you wont get the full benefit.

The bad thing about digital is that there is no half service, it's on or it's off.

[xisled]

HAHAHAHAHA Digital antenna. I love this as it is a big scam, just a way to get more money from teh same antenna

Listen to cs123.

[Mechan1k]

Lucky for me Foxtel is cable in my area ... I have no need for an antenna.
It's all piped through the cable to the house luckily for me.

[poppa smurf]

I just use a pair of rabbit ears and a HD box.....digital antenna made the signal come in too strong

[XR6Runner]

What a coincidence, I just finished plugging in my set top box and used my old antenna. Box cost me not even $10 from K-mart. All up took about 5 minutes to set up. Piece of cake.

[TC200six]

Rabbit ear antennas are useless in my case, can never get a strong enough signal. That's why the existing old rooftop antenna is back in use, digital reception is perfect.

This is for the second TV in my house, the other has Foxtel

[poppa smurf]

yep it will vary enormously.....most tv's have a "signal strength meter" built in...well digital tellys anyway

use this to determine your reception.....if you are in a gully you will need height.....on the flat you may have to detune

dont get sucked into high priced units either.....kmart cheapies do just as well as high priced units

[Jastel]

Another point on antennas is if your house is 20 years old the antenna is pretty shot anyway. If you get on the roof and try to move it it will just crumble away.

Mine was crap anyway... each cyclone it looses another arm so I got a new one.

[Jim Goose]

I was actually using an old indoor coiled type antenna from the 1960s for a while with some success. Eventually the drop outs just became too much! in fact it got really bad suddenly for some reason and ended up buying an antenna from dick smith.

Depends on the area and signal strength

[dave351cid]

i had to get a satalite dish fitted to the roof when they turned off the old TV towers here.
but that because i live in a a bad reception area and the TV stations would not fund the upgrading of the towers to digital, so they just turned them off.
the fed gov subsidised the install and i just had to pay $220. and now i use the "vast" TV network. i dont get many adds but most of the ones that are on are from areas like Alice Springs, Dawin and Mount Isa.

picture is good though and very rarely freezes like i have seen digital do in some places. even works fine in heavy storms which i though would cut the satalite signal.


.

[cupic]

This is why I ask from the forum always good solid advice.
I have had recently Foxtel installed in my house and the Tech asked me when I had Austar before how was reception.I said 100%.Its now about 12 y.o the antenna and cables
Then when he went inside he commented that I was not getting any HD signal.Sounds strange to me.Went outside again and said oh you dont seem to have a digital antenna.
Again sounded strange so I had to ask.
I live down here is sunny Shellharbour and have always had top reception
The tech said that by June 13 all analogue signal is switched off.
I thought that it was already in June 12
cheers

[cs123]

The Foxtel tech shouldn't be misleading you like that.

This is from the Digital TV switchover website

http://www.digitalready.gov.au/House...derations.aspx

There is no such thing as a digital antenna, but there are some things that can be done to improve your reception. To help you, the Australian Government has developed the Antenna Installer Endorsement Scheme. Antenna installers endorsed under this Scheme can check your antenna, reception and cabling and help you become digital ready.

If you're wondering what to do you can probably call up a endorsed antenna tech but the reality is that if you can receive all the TV signals without dropouts etc, then you're fine.

[ThaFlash]

http://www.satpro.com.au

Roy Brown

Contact details on site.

Ref: Chris from Franga

I been using Roy for years!

[Simple6]

But FOXTEL (even free to air) comes through cable not antennas?