Digital TV antenna costs unveiled

I wonder how well the current grid type UHF antennas will work?
 
And so the new digital tv age gains speed... next is we need a special remote controll... o and dont forget the new cable that connects the antenna with the tv...and a smartcard... digital batteries...
 
grim said:
My current antenna picks up the digital signal just fine, so unless they are planning on changing something it should work just fine.
Click to expand...

Doesn't DVB-H (like drifta) also work on normal UHF ? That seems to work well with those little telescopic antennas.

Maybe if you have bad reception or are far from the broadcasting tower you will need a fancy expensive antenna.
 
mercurial said:
I'm confused. So do we now need a new antenna and set top box?
Click to expand...

No, I am using one of these (R180 at Checkers Hyper):

http://www.ellies.co.za/index.php?id=433

Which gives a "Fair" signal quality and strength on my decoder, and I get really terrible signal where I am, standard terrestrial TV on that antenna is un-watchable.

With that I get no pixellation of the image, it is just as good as DSTV (SD), and the sound quality is great except on E-TV, which is slightly tinny and echoes. I am going to assume for now that it is problem with their broadcast. SABC 1-3 and Tswhane TV is crystal clear. I have not tried 5.1 surround yet.

I intend to re-connect my grid antenna this weekend (which was cut by either the Top TV or DSTV installer) whose picture was also snowy but not as bad as the bunny ears, and will come back with results, but I expect the signal quality to be better.
 
IdlePhaedrus said:
No, I am using one of these (R180 at Checkers Hyper):

http://www.ellies.co.za/index.php?id=433

Which gives a "Fair" signal quality and strength on my decoder, and I get really terrible signal where I am, standard terrestrial TV on that antenna is un-watchable.

With that I get no pixellation of the image, it is just as good as DSTV (SD), and the sound quality is great except on E-TV, which is slightly tinny and echoes. I am going to assume for now that it is problem with their broadcast. SABC 1-3 and Tswhane TV is crystal clear. I have not tried 5.1 surround yet.

I intend to re-connect my grid antenna this weekend (which was cut by either the Top TV or DSTV installer) whose picture was also snowy but not as bad as the bunny ears, and will come back with results, but I expect the signal quality to be better.
Click to expand...

I cant wait to start playing with DVB-T2 sounds like you are having fun.

Ordered a decoder from ebay a week ago so probably another 4weeks or so. :)
 
Currently your typical grid antenna covers the channels mentioned. Here's one example.

Based on the recommendation for channels 21-69 I assume the VHF broadcasts will be phased out? Then some viewers are going to be without coverage.

Where a new antenna would be needed then is where terrestrial broadcasts are presently VHF only. This is mainly in rural areas.

The upside of this would be in places where VHF and UHF are still used simultaneously one would now only need a single antenna without a V/UHF combiner.
 
dade said:
Doesn't DVB-H (like drifta) also work on normal UHF ? That seems to work well with those little telescopic antennas.

Maybe if you have bad reception or are far from the broadcasting tower you will need a fancy expensive antenna.
Click to expand...

I'm not referring to the DVB-H signals, I'm referring to the DVB-T that is currently being broadcasted and has been for the past couple of years now. SABC, eTV etc.
 
Easter Bunny said:
you kidding? they need that R1billion for cars.
Click to expand...

No, I am not. R300 for a new aerial and another R700 for a set top box. That's R1000 that every household needs to fork out. Many people can't afford that.

IdlePhaedrus said:
No, I am using one of these (R180 at Checkers Hyper):

http://www.ellies.co.za/index.php?id=433

Which gives a "Fair" signal quality and strength on my decoder, and I get really terrible signal where I am, standard terrestrial TV on that antenna is un-watchable.

With that I get no pixellation of the image, it is just as good as DSTV (SD), and the sound quality is great except on E-TV, which is slightly tinny and echoes. I am going to assume for now that it is problem with their broadcast. SABC 1-3 and Tswhane TV is crystal clear. I have not tried 5.1 surround yet.

I intend to re-connect my grid antenna this weekend (which was cut by either the Top TV or DSTV installer) whose picture was also snowy but not as bad as the bunny ears, and will come back with results, but I expect the signal quality to be better.
Click to expand...

Good to know. I have a similar aerial but my signal is shyte. I need an outdoor one.
 
dade said:
I cant wait to start playing with DVB-T2 sounds like you are having fun.

Ordered a decoder from ebay a week ago so probably another 4weeks or so. :)
Click to expand...

Great, hope it arrives soon. Give us a link to the specs?

I was very against DTT until I went to the UK recently, because I really think DST is much more efficient and cheaper in the long run. However, the UK now have over fifty FTA channels, and some of them are very entertaining. If the FTA channels in the UK came to ZA tomorrow, they would put DSTV and TopTV under some quite serious pressure.

When I saw what was on offer I decided to wonder down the high street and see if I could find a decoder, just for fun (I know we are unlikely to get that many channels here, but every little bit helps). What was odd is that in the UK they currently have a mixture of DVB-T and DVB-T2, and the boxes in the shops do not generally clearly state which standard they support, and the sales assistants don't have a clue. But found one eventually at Maplin for 35GBP.

I am interested to see how the DA question regarding the legality of importing STB's to ZA turns out. I expect it would be un-constitutional to ban them, but they could load a whack of import duty on them making them too expensive to import.
 
mercurial said:
I'm confused. So do we now need a new antenna and set top box?
Click to expand...
ajax said:
Currently your typical grid antenna covers the channels mentioned. Here's one example.

Based on the recommendation for channels 21-69 I assume the VHF broadcasts will be phased out? Then some viewers are going to be without coverage.

Where a new antenna would be needed then is where terrestrial broadcasts are presently VHF only. This is mainly in rural areas.

The upside of this would be in places where VHF and UHF are still used simultaneously one would now only need a single antenna without a V/UHF combiner.
Click to expand...

That clears it up, I was going to ask what is so unique about this UHF signal that could possibly require a new antenna.

Does that still equate to R1 billion on these new antennas since anyone with a UHF one won't need to replace it?
 
All this to pick up SABC channels. Why would anyone want to do that? :sick:
 
evilstebunny said:
All this to pick up SABC channels. Why would anyone want to do that? :sick:
Click to expand...

Everyone cant afford DSTV and this might be the beginning of good things maybe more FTA channels like IdlePhaedrus mentioned.
 
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