New to this - which DTT receiver?

BigAde

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Hi

Up till now I've always had analogue terrestial TV and been reasonably pleased with the picture. I had a brief spell with analogue satellite a few years back, but didn't use it enough to justify the monthly cost. I'm now thinking about getting the free to air channels (mostly for the kids) and was wondering which route to take. I'm rather taken with the idea of getting widescreen TV myself (the TV is widescreen)!

I'm not too enthusiastic about the idea of a satellite dish on the side of the house, so thought I'd investigate DTT first. I've checked the web sites and believe I will get some/most of the channels on offer (will check first by borrowing a receiver from a mate though).

Just wanted to check a few things:
1. What's the picture and sound quality like on DTT compared to analogue?
2. Which boxes should I consider - presumably there are differences between them, but what are they ? Any recommendations?
3. Am I right in thinking that I wouldn't be able to receive other regional news programmes like you can on satellite?
4. How do I go about recording a TV programme on my VCR - are the connections all via SCART?

Sorry for all the questions - hope someone can help!
:confused: :confused: :confused:
 
Originally posted by BigAde

Just wanted to check a few things:
1. What's the picture and sound quality like on DTT compared to analogue?
If you currently get a good, strong analogue signal, them BSkyB, and freeview will not be a better picture.
Some BSkyB is DD5.1 so the audio can be better.

If you get a good digital signal then you may find it better than 'most' analogue pictures and sound. imo

2. Which boxes should I consider - presumably there are differences between them, but what are they ? Any recommendations?
New, and better ones are being launched now and early next year. I have an old Philips OnDigital box and I hope the newer ones are faster in the menus and have s-video.
Panasonic's TUCT20 seems OK (1xScart, small box, RGB or PAL)
Nokia 221T (digital audio o/p, iirc: 2xscart)
Pace DVTA (one cable for everything (could be a +ve, or a -ve). s-video)
Nearly out: Pace Twin DTT receiver recorder (2xscart, s-video, 20GB hard drive, NO monthly subscription)
3. Am I right in thinking that I wouldn't be able to receive other regional news programmes like you can on satellite?
No, I think you'd be wrong.
4. How do I go about recording a TV programme on my VCR - are the connections all via SCART?
Get a STB with 2xscart for convenience.
 
With a widescreen TV BBC, ITV, C4, and C5 look better simply due to being anamorphic
 
Thanks for the replies - a big help!
:) :) :)

Generally quite happy with the analogue picture at the mo, so wouldn't want to take a step backwards. Will have to try it and see I guess.

I had a root around the newsagents at lunchtime and read a few reviews of the DTT boxes. Doesn't look like any of them are amazingly good:
Panasonic - only one SCART; Nokia - slow; Pace DVTA - no RF loop through.
The new Pace box that's coming out sounds very good though. Any idea where I can get more info i.e. price, spec etc etc???
Does the twin receiver mean that I can record one digital channel while recording another?

So I CAN get other regional news programmes on DTT ? I thought you couldn't! Well that would certainly be a nice feature.
 
Pace Twin DTT Info

With the above STB, you can watch one channel, but record another.

So I CAN get other regional news programmes on DTT ?
The DTT channels are regionalised in that on my STB ITV shows Meridian news, and iirc BBC 1 shows South Today. Is that what you want confirming?
I think I maybe confused by you saying "other regional news", but I hope you're nearer to getting the question you're asking answered :blush:

Also, it wasn't my intention to put you off DTT on the quality issue. I just want to make sure that you didn't fall into the digital = top quality trap that I know lots of people do.
DTT and BSkyB transmit digital COMPRESSED pictures. Much lower quality than DVD disks are capable of.
 
Nice STB, but £350 :eek:

I suppose with the hard-disk recorder as well it's probably worth it, but there's a big difference between £99 and £350. Might prove difficult getting Wife-Control-Approval on that one. :D

Is this the only STB with twin tuners?

Oh and about the regional news thing... sorry I should have explained better. I live well and truly in the south-east - no where near London, but because I live the wrong side of a hill, I can't 'see' the Heathfield transmitter and am forced to use one nearer London (Reigate I think). So I get London regional news 'London Tonight' and the ITV equivalent - no use to me. :(
I know Sky allows you to access all the regional news programmes regardless of where you live and was just wondering if somehow this was possible on DTT. Didn't think it was, but just thought I'd check.
 
The rrp price of the Pace Twin STB is best kept from the other half.
I've got approval but I didn't mention the price ;) . I did show her the web page, but if she did see the price she didn't let on - yet.
But, it is a one off price, unlike the other "record, and pause live TV" STB's.

Soz, don't know of any other dual STB's.

I'm 100% understanding your regional news query now. I doubt that you will find the region you need. Possibly, the Heathfield transmitter may get a look in as you will be using a different receiver, but I wouldn't base a purchase on that chance. See how you get on with the loaner. Is your aerial easy to swing about for test purposes?
 
Hi big ade

Ive just bought (today)a thomson dt1000 terrestrial receiver. It has 2 scarts and rf loop thru, rgb output and quite small. was meant to go in bedroom but have put it downstairs as pic qual seems a little better than the pace dtr ex ITV dig box that has now gone upstairs instead. Star wars episode 1 looks very good right now.:)
 
Some BSkyB is DD5.1 so the audio can be better.

Confusing answer. There is no DD5.1 on DTT.



If you currently get a good, strong analogue signal, them BSkyB, and freeview will not be a better picture.

If you have a widescreen set there is no comparison. The digital anamorphic picture is streets ahead of analogue providing you invest in a good wideband aerial.
 
Originally posted by fuzzy
Hi big ade

Ive just bought (today)a thomson dt1000 terrestrial receiver. It has 2 scarts and rf loop thru, rgb output and quite small. was meant to go in bedroom but have put it downstairs as pic qual seems a little better than the pace dtr ex ITV dig box that has now gone upstairs instead. Star wars episode 1 looks very good right now.:)

Sounds good.
This doesn't have a twin-tuner by any chance does it?
 
The Thomson doesn't have twin tuners :(

It's also likely to be a rebadged Grundig 1000 stb.
(I' don't know if that's a good or bad thing :) )
 
Hmmm...
There doesn't seem to be a clear choice here - I would really want a twin-tuner model, but at a sensible price. Think I might put the decision on hold until early next year when there might be more choice. Might even have to reconsider getting Sky.
Thanks again for all the help chaps.
:)
 
Originally posted by BigAde
Hmmm...
There doesn't seem to be a clear choice here - I would really want a twin-tuner model, but at a sensible price. Think I might put the decision on hold until early next year when there might be more choice. Might even have to reconsider getting Sky.
Thanks again for all the help chaps.
:)

I had DTT and have got NTL Digital at the mo,which has a better signal strength and more channels.

I am getting Sky for a £1 install fee and Sky World+Family @ £37 for the first month and then you can change your pack after that.I'm getting Sky for the extra channels and features,plus I've got fed up recently with NTL of faulty box's,crashing box's and blanking screens.
 
Sadly I don't live in a cable area, so NTL &c are not an option for me...
Re Sky... having seen what Sky has to offer, I really can't see me paying for any of it - certainly not £37 a month. Just one thought, after the first month can you cancel and just watch the free to air telly or do you have to have some sort of contractual tie-in? If I end up getting Sky, it'll be just for the free to air stuff.
 
Originally posted by BigAde
Sadly I don't live in a cable area, so NTL &c are not an option for me...
Re Sky... having seen what Sky has to offer, I really can't see me paying for any of it - certainly not £37 a month. Just one thought, after the first month can you cancel and just watch the free to air telly or do you have to have some sort of contractual tie-in? If I end up getting Sky, it'll be just for the free to air stuff.

You have to subscribe for the first year and then you can get a freeview card from the BBC.

The bottom 2 Sky packs after the first month are £10 and £16 per month.Go for it.
 
If I get satellite (and I'm still far from convinced), I'll just buy a cheap second-hand decoder and dish and get the free to air card from day one.
Even £10 a month is still too much IMHO!!!
 
BigAde - I suggest you wait until the New Year as there will be more choice then - as you've already said - and some of the new boxes (Daewoo, Labgear, Triax) will incorporate Setpal technology which is claimed to give better reception in difficult areas. A few of the Daewoo and Labgear boxes are said to be already available, but I understand they're hard to find. Also I can't recall whether any of them have twin tuners. As has already been said, DTT is worth it for the anamorphic widescreen; unfortunately there isn't much of that on the Sky pay channels.
 
Quite agree with you Bernard - think I'll wait and see what comes out in the New Year. I'm in no rush to do this, although I must admit that I would love to get anamorphic widescreen...! The DTT technology still seems to have some developing to do, so will wait for the right gear to come out before I commit to the format.
 
If I buy a digibox, will I receive BBC, ITV, C4 and C5 in widescreen mode? I have a SONY KP44PX2U TV.

Thanks!
 
Originally posted by rjs1974
If I buy a digibox, will I receive BBC, ITV, C4 and C5 in widescreen mode? I have a SONY KP44PX2U TV.
Kind of. BBC is in widescreen - though, if the source is 4:3 (e.g. some sports), this is broadcast with black bars on the side - not sure about ITV and C4 - though I think they are the same as BBC. C5 broadcasts as 4:3 with black bars down the sides to take it out to 16:9.

HTH,

_
 

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