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SMOKEU
5th January 2011, 15:04
I have a big TV antenna/aerial mounted to the roof of my house and I want to get Freeview and use one of these things here http://dragonpc.co.nz/p.aspx?123910.

The aerial has been on the roof since before we moved into this house and I want to know if the roof aerials all have a generic cable which connects to the Freeview receiver, or if there are different types of cable as I need to move the cable from one room to another.

There is a plastic box in the attic which states that it is a 4 way splitter which appears to be connected to the aerial.

tnarg
5th January 2011, 15:12
Looks like you will need to have a satelite dish on the roof somewhere for this to work. If you have a uhf arieal you will have to get the HD decoder, more $'s.

tnarg
5th January 2011, 15:15
I stand corrected. And to answer about the conections, yes normally standard but depends if has a male or female termination. Easy to get swap over plugs from Dick smiths.

steve_t
5th January 2011, 15:21
As long as the aerial is a UHF aerial, you should be OK. The cable leading to and from the splitter box will have an f-type connector

http://www.stevelarkins.freeuk.com/images/f-type_plug2.jpg

But you need a something to get you a male RF connector to the computer

http://www.dreambox-receiver.org/image/b/fplug2coax.jpg

Coldrider
5th January 2011, 15:36
Coax cable is RG6 with UHF aerial for terrestrial which is HD, assumming you are in a terrestrial broadcast area.

SMOKEU
5th January 2011, 15:48
Coax cable is RG6 with UHF aerial for terrestrial which is HD, assumming you are in a terrestrial broadcast area.

I've used this here http://www.freeviewnz.tv/get_freeview to check if I can get Freeview in my area and it says that it is very likely that I will be able to receive Freeview HD via a UHF aerial AND it is also very likely that I will be able to receive Freeview via satellite.

Ronin
5th January 2011, 15:55
AND it is also very likely that I will be able to receive Freeview via satellite.

Anyone with a sky dish can... but not with the card you are using as it is T not S.

SMOKEU
5th January 2011, 16:05
Anyone with a sky dish can... but not with the card you are using as it is T not S.

So you reckon I could still get Freeview channels with a roof antenna with that card then?

Ronin
5th January 2011, 16:17
So you reckon I could still get Freeview channels with a roof antenna with that card then?

Hold the line please caller...

Erm... should be able to... Watch yes. Record not sure.

Not what I would choose. I would spend a little more money and go for a Hauppauge product. I run a S version in my win 7 box. Runs sweet as.

tnarg
5th January 2011, 16:19
That cards a terrestial, so you should be sweet as long as the aerial on your roof is a UHF aerial. The UHF aerial is the old sky type that are the directional ones that kinda look like an arrow. If you only have the vhf aerial ( the big old tv type aerials) you will need to get one.

SMOKEU
5th January 2011, 16:25
Hold the line please caller...

Erm... should be able to... Watch yes. Record not sure.

Not what I would choose. I would spend a little more money and go for a Hauppauge product. I run a S version in my win 7 box. Runs sweet as.

What model is your card?

steve_t
5th January 2011, 16:27
Hold the line please caller...

Erm... should be able to... Watch yes. Record not sure.

Not what I would choose. I would spend a little more money and go for a Hauppauge product. I run a S version in my win 7 box. Runs sweet as.

Get this http://www.hauppauge.co.uk/site/products/data_novatstick.html
Easy Plug & Play and comes with remote and can record :yes:
http://www.earthcomputer.sg/catalog/images/hauppauge-wintv-nova-t-stick-dvb-t-usb2-for-mac-pc-1234-l.jpg

p.dath
5th January 2011, 17:01
Not what I would choose. I would spend a little more money and go for a Hauppauge product. I run a S version in my win 7 box. Runs sweet as.

+1. Go for a Hauppauge card. Forget satellite, go UHF so you can enjoy HD.

Note that HD *can* be encrypted allowing you to watch but not record. Ideally whatever your watching the signal on (aka monitor/TV) should support HDCP (the HD encryption standard) and be HD as well.

SMOKEU
5th January 2011, 18:13
I could always buy this http://pricespy.co.nz/product.php?p=617682. This one supports DVB-T and DVB-S

Or this http://www.trademe.co.nz/Computers/Components/Video-cards/Other/auction-344702564.htm

BuzzardNZ
5th January 2011, 18:19
I get perfect freeview reception with a roof antenna

AllanB
5th January 2011, 18:38
I ran freeview on a old UHF/VHF aerial but it went a bit crap after a few months - some bugger must have erected something in the way!

I got a new UHF one from the Freeview shop http://www.freeviewshop.co.nz/terrestrial-aerials-c-11.html if you have good reception the cheap on is fine - in fact mine is so good that you can point it anyway!

One note I had it on a extension pole but that came down with the chimney in the quake - wrecked the stays so it wobbled in the wind - this stuffs up your reception. Solution - I popped the aerial in the roof space, works well.

Ronin
5th January 2011, 18:42
I could always buy this http://pricespy.co.nz/product.php?p=617682. This one supports DVB-T and DVB-S

Or this http://www.trademe.co.nz/Computers/Components/Video-cards/Other/auction-344702564.htm

Stay away from card number 2. Card number 1 is PCI 1 only

SMOKEU
5th January 2011, 19:30
Stay away from card number 2. Card number 1 is PCI 1 only

The Happauge is a bit pricey, but I'm prepared to fork out for it since it's something I'm likely to keep for a few years.

I could probably use Windows Media Center to record the shows as well.

Ronin
5th January 2011, 20:01
The Happauge is a bit pricey, but I'm prepared to fork out for it since it's something I'm likely to keep for a few years.

I could probably use Windows Media Center to record the shows as well.

That's what I use to be honest. Check your Motherboard. Not all Motherboards have a PCIE 1 slot anymore. IE, if you look at the pic you will see the contacts aare on a very short length of the card.

Gremlin
5th January 2011, 20:02
I use hauppauge and windows media centre in win7. Be aware those basic splitters from DSE lose a lot of the signal. I need to sort out signal strength as TV and PC don't get enough when both are working.

UHF aerial for Freeview HD, once you have it up and running you'll start learning about EPG.

Coldrider
5th January 2011, 20:14
Satelite with a dish (other than sky) is digital high quality.

Terrestrial with a UHF antenna is digital High Def.


Freeview with satelite is not HD.

Ronin
5th January 2011, 20:17
I use hauppauge and windows media centre in win7. Be aware those basic splitters from DSE lose a lot of the signal. I need to sort out signal strength as TV and PC don't get enough when both are working.

UHF aerial for Freeview HD, once you have it up and running you'll start learning about EPG.

Oh yes. Set up EPG BEFORE you scan transponders. My freeview box has a passthrough which I assume must be powered as I lose almost no signal. Having said that, I am rural and for some reason rural folk get BIG LNB's

Gremlin
5th January 2011, 20:25
No freeview box here. TV has it built in, and hauppauge card decodes.

SMOKEU
5th January 2011, 20:46
That's what I use to be honest. Check your Motherboard. Not all Motherboards have a PCIE 1 slot anymore. IE, if you look at the pic you will see the contacts aare on a very short length of the card.

I'll have to wait until I build up my AM3 rig before I can fit a PCI-E card in because my SLI setup is taking up all the room.

Ronin
5th January 2011, 21:04
I'll have to wait until I build up my AM3 rig before I can fit a PCI-E card in because my SLI setup is taking up all the room.

Nonononononononono. You misunderstand. Yes it is PCIE but not as you know it. It is a different form factor PCIE and will not fit in your normal slot.

steve_t
5th January 2011, 21:05
So, why not the USB2.0 device I suggested earlier?

Ronin
5th January 2011, 21:07
So, why not the USB2.0 device I suggested earlier?

Because that would make sense.

Actually, given the choice, I would use an internal. The USB will use the CPU to decode/encode etc whereas the internal should (with the right card) do that onboard.

SMOKEU
5th January 2011, 21:20
Nonononononononono. You misunderstand. Yes it is PCIE but not as you know it. It is a different form factor PCIE and will not fit in your normal slot.

I know that video cards and TV tuner cards use a different kind of PCI-E slot, but since both of my video cards are double slot cards they cover the other PCI-E slots so I can't physically fit a PCI-E TV tuner card in there. I should have a my new rig built up in the next few weeks.


So, why not the USB2.0 device I suggested earlier?

That was my next thought. I think USB2.0 should be fast enough to allow a similar picture and sound quality compared to PCI-E. USB2 usually has a read speed of 35-40MB/s which should be plenty for the TV tuner to allow all the "quality" to get through.

rwh
5th January 2011, 23:17
That's what I use to be honest. Check your Motherboard. Not all Motherboards have a PCIE 1 slot anymore. IE, if you look at the pic you will see the contacts aare on a very short length of the card.


Nonononononononono. You misunderstand. Yes it is PCIE but not as you know it. It is a different form factor PCIE and will not fit in your normal slot.

Really? Wikipedia, which matches my prior understanding, says all versions up to the latest 3.0 (which is as yet uncommon) are backward compatible, and any card should fit in a longer (more lanes) slot.

I'm not sure which (version or size) you're talking about, as you refer to the length of connector while saying not all have a particular slot 'any more'. Are you saying it's a 1.0 card or a x1 card?

Richard

Ronin
5th January 2011, 23:29
Really? Wikipedia, which matches my prior understanding, says all versions up to the latest 3.0 (which is as yet uncommon) are backward compatible, and any card should fit in a longer (more lanes) slot.

I'm not sure which (version or size) you're talking about, as you refer to the length of connector while saying not all have a particular slot 'any more'. Are you saying it's a 1.0 card or a x1 card?

Richard

The card pictured is a x1

rwh
5th January 2011, 23:34
The card pictured is a x1

That's what I thought. Which should fit in a x1, x4, x8, x16 slot no problems - just the way (in the days when I knew more ...) an 8-bit card would go in a 16-bit ISA slot, or a 32-bit VLB slot :)

Richard

SMOKEU
5th January 2011, 23:56
That's what I thought. Which should fit in a x1, x4, x8, x16 slot no problems - just the way (in the days when I knew more ...) an 8-bit card would go in a 16-bit ISA slot, or a 32-bit VLB slot :)

Richard

Gotta love the old ISA cards. I first learnt to work on computers back in the 90s with them. Great memories...

p.dath
6th January 2011, 06:37
Actually, given the choice, I would use an internal. The USB will use the CPU to decode/encode etc whereas the internal should (with the right card) do that onboard.

USB/PCIe - there both just interface standards, and does not imply that either is more or less likely to use the CPU for en/decoding. It's the hardware on/in the card that controls that on its own.

It's funny because long ago I would have preferred an internal card as well. But these days I am the opposite, and would take an external USB decoder instead. They have to plug into an external cable anyway, so its just like having an extra cable. Your far less likely to have hardware compatibility problems with an external USB card than an internal card, and you can power down/reset a USB card (simply by unplugging it and plugging it back in) than an internal card (which would require a complete PC reboot).

And with the release of USB3, there really isn't any reason that 90% of phipherials can't go USB3 now (with things like solid state drives and 3d video cards being the most obvious exceptions). Tried out my first USB3 external hard drive about 2 weeks ago - what a huge and very noticeable performance difference.

crazyhorse
6th January 2011, 07:23
We tried to get Freeview up in Whangarei - but it just wouldn't work. We bought the connection, went back to the shop thinking the system was broken as this girl had bought it 5 months ago. They swapped it - and we tried again (they live 40 minutes in the country) and it still won't go. Next to trying the aerial, they will have to pay someone $400 to come out and get it going.

Thought Freeview was supposed to be easy. I don't actually know of anyone yet who has just plugged it in and it has worked. I do know of others who still have it sitting in their box, for possibly the same reason :facepalm:

Ronin
6th January 2011, 07:48
That's what I thought. Which should fit in a x1, x4, x8, x16 slot no problems - just the way (in the days when I knew more ...) an 8-bit card would go in a 16-bit ISA slot, or a 32-bit VLB slot :)

Richard

Fair enough. I had been lead to believe otherwise.

Ronin
6th January 2011, 07:58
And with the release of USB3, there really isn't any reason that 90% of phipherials can't go USB3 now (with things like solid state drives and 3d video cards being the most obvious exceptions). Tried out my first USB3 external hard drive about 2 weeks ago - what a huge and very noticeable performance difference.

Well yes and no. There is a limit to the amount of processing power you can put on a USB device that will fit into a USB slot without a cable. The easy (and cheaper) answer to the Manufacturers is to hand most of the job off to the CPU. Remember the old Dial up soft modems? pain in the ass. If you look at the amount of hardware on a decent PCI(e) TV card and then compare it with the USB stick, you have to wonder where it has all gone.

p.dath
6th January 2011, 13:01
Thought Freeview was supposed to be easy. I don't actually know of anyone yet who has just plugged it in and it has worked. I do know of others who still have it sitting in their box, for possibly the same reason :facepalm:

I've done about a half dozen free view install for friends. Mostly I had to resolve aerial faults - cabling corroded, or under spec, fittings rusted, bad joints, stuffed balun, or no UHF antenna.

What I do now is get them to buy a Dick Smith $100 (odd) UHF kit and replace the whole system. Works every time a treat.

crazyhorse
6th January 2011, 13:03
I've done about a half dozen free view install for friends. Mostly I had to resolve aerial faults - cabling corroded, or under spec, fittings rusted, bad joints, stuffed balun, or no UHF antenna.

What I do now is get them to buy a Dick Smith $100 (odd) UHF kit and replace the whole system. Works every time a treat.

Thanks - I will pass this info on..... :yes:

Genie
6th January 2011, 13:12
I just got a freeview box, plugged it in and it wouldn't go :blink:

Picked up my phone, dialed a number and a lovely man came around and sorted it, new cable to splitter, skydish thing and it's wonderful.

We have sky and freeview and still there's SFA to watch! I just have zillions of channels to choose from and by the time I've surfed through the whole lot it's bed-time, evening done:corn:

Coldrider
6th January 2011, 14:36
We tried to get Freeview up in Whangarei - but it just wouldn't work. We bought the connection, went back to the shop thinking the system was broken as this girl had bought it 5 months ago. They swapped it - and we tried again (they live 40 minutes in the country) and it still won't go. Next to trying the aerial, they will have to pay someone $400 to come out and get it going.

Thought Freeview was supposed to be easy. I don't actually know of anyone yet who has just plugged it in and it has worked. I do know of others who still have it sitting in their box, for possibly the same reason :facepalm:75% of ther population (not of the country) is able to receive terresrrial. The rest have tio use satelite via a dish and the dish needs to be mounted horizontally and vertically in the correct direction to the degree, you use a satelite finder in line of the coax to do this.

p.dath
6th January 2011, 18:19
Thanks - I will pass this info on..... :yes:

This is the one I get everyone to buy now before I start:
http://www.dse.co.nz/dse.shop/4d255e870211dfb4273fc0a87f3b06c0/Product/View/L4735


I just got a freeview box, plugged it in and it wouldn't go :blink:

Picked up my phone, dialed a number and a lovely man came around and sorted it, new cable to splitter, skydish thing and it's wonderful.

See what I mean ... cabling fault. Easier to just replace everything if your using UHF as part of the job.

Genie
7th January 2011, 07:02
This is the one I get everyone to buy now before I start:
http://www.dse.co.nz/dse.shop/4d255e870211dfb4273fc0a87f3b06c0/Product/View/L4735



See what I mean ... cabling fault. Easier to just replace everything if your using UHF as part of the job.

Yep, I see what you mean...cost for man to come $120.00. Not bad.:yes:

Ronin
7th January 2011, 08:16
Yep, I see what you mean...cost for man to come $120.00. Not bad.:yes:

You need to pay a man to come?

Ronin
7th January 2011, 08:17
75% of ther population (not of the country) is able to receive terresrrial. The rest have tio use satelite via a dish and the dish needs to be mounted horizontally and vertically in the correct direction to the degree, you use a satelite finder in line of the coax to do this.

Or use your sky dish which the majority of houses seem to have now.

p.dath
7th January 2011, 08:37
Or use your sky dish which the majority of houses seem to have now.

The problem is the satellite option doesn't do HD, and has less channels.

If your using a $1,000+ TV, it seems a shame not to spend $100 to put a proper antenna in to get the most of it.

Ronin
7th January 2011, 08:59
The problem is the satellite option doesn't do HD, and has less channels.

If your using a $1,000+ TV, it seems a shame not to spend $100 to put a proper antenna in to get the most of it.

Was replying to coldrider in relation to setting up a dish. Those of us who live in a proper part of God's Own don't get terrestrial.

imdying
11th January 2011, 08:28
I don't actually know of anyone yet who has just plugged it in and it has worked.Well, now you know two.

Suntoucher
12th January 2011, 15:37
Three, didn't even need to push anything, switched on the TV and it tuned itself in, it ran a full setup and I came back a couple minutes later to find a working tv with all the channels tuned in the correct numbers, teletext and guide all working and even the analogues all done.

Panasonic Plasma though, wasn't a separate box.