SABC through DVB-T2 on HD TV?

Which type of antenna would I need for a Hisense 43" 4K TV? The unit I am currently renting has no outside antenna or a DSTV dish installed.
 
koogs said:
Which type of antenna would I need for a Hisense 43" 4K TV? The unit I am currently renting has no outside antenna or a DSTV dish installed.
Click to expand...

Depends where you are and what signal you want to receive?
Terrestrial DVBT2 reception will only be possible if that TV has a built-in DVBT2 receiver, or, has an analogue TV signal input.
Next, DVBT2 reception requires a wideband UHF antenna. Analogue TV probably will also be picked up with the same antenna.
For Satellite TV, you will require a DStv decoder, or an OpenView HD decoder, as well as a satellite antenna pointed at IS 20 at 68.5 Degrees East.

DVBT2 can also be received on the same satellite if you get hold of a DVBT2 STB suitable for use in SA. Buying one internationally comes with quite a bit of risk.
 
Last edited:
If you go back to post 23, you'll see where I began tinkering with DTB-T2 on my Samsung SmartTV. After my first experiment with the paperclip, I found a vintage Ellies/Spar Bunny Ears in my garden shed. Also is a shot of the signal strength of one of the available ETV Channels. SABC channels seem slightly stronger. (As Geoff mentions above, when you do a 'scan' of TV channels with the bunny ears, it does pick up three SABC analogue channels but the quality is horrendous).
 

Attachments

  • SmartTV~Bunny Ears~SigQual.JPG
    SmartTV~Bunny Ears~SigQual.JPG
    277.9 KB · Views: 128
  • SmartTV plus Bunny Ears.jpg
    SmartTV plus Bunny Ears.jpg
    249.2 KB · Views: 126
Rouxenator said:
Nice, I got an Ellies on at Spar for R40.
Click to expand...

My nearby Spar didn't have the Ellies one, but I bought the cheap looking no-name brand one that they had instead for R35 with two telescopic antenna and a little round wire thing at the front.

Works perfectly with the antenna just plonked behind the TV set. Analogue quality is pretty messed up though but it doesn't matter.

I'm using the onboard tuner on my Hisense TV.
 
What model TV is that please?
And you are sure you have reception of the digital channels?
 
Geoff.D said:
What model TV is that please?
And you are sure you have reception of the digital channels?
Click to expand...
TV is a Hisense 43A6100UW.

The channel list can be set to filter between digital and analogue signals. Digital looks great and the PVR feature works with it. The analogue channels look awful.

The HD channels it picks up are SABC1-3, SABC sports and E-TV HD. There are some non-HD channels as well that merely look okay.
 
A few more observations for anyone that hasn't tried digital TV:
The picture quality is either "on" when you have enough signal or completely off with no sound if the signal is poor. There is no analogue style noisy picture with hissy sound with a poor signal.

There is a DSTV like program guide that can be called up and used to browse the various channels. Some devices have the ability to schedule a recording like a DSTV PVR. On the Hisense TV I have, you have to plug in a USB flash drive to enable this. You can also pause live TV.
 
The specs for the Terrestrial tuner:
Digital and Analog Tuner DVB-T2/T/C/S2/S
Twintuner No
LCN Support Yes (Depending on location and operator)
Teletext Support Yes
EPG 7 days forward EPG
Parental Control Yes
PVR No Time Shift
No Channel sorting
Build-in and exportable for PC edit (ChSort)
Favorite channel list 4

Now that is really interesting! DVB-S2/S What RF Inputs are there on the TV? Is there one marked Satellite?
 
Last edited:
Geoff.D said:
The specs for the Terrestrial tuner:
Digital and Analog Tuner DVB-T2/T/C/S2/S
Twintuner No
LCN Support Yes (Depending on location and operator)
Teletext Support Yes
EPG 7 days forward EPG
Parental Control Yes
PVR No Time Shift
No Channel sorting
Build-in and exportable for PC edit (ChSort)
Favorite channel list 4

Now that is really interesting! DVB-S2/S What RF Inputs are there on the TV? Is there one marked Satellite?
Click to expand...

There is a satellite input below the usual antenna input.

PVR says No on the website if I recall correctly but the model I have definitely does support it. You just insert a FAT32 formatted stick. The manual says it needs 2 Gig free space to work. Doesn't matter if there are other files on the stick. They are not affected if you record.

Twintuner No is correct. You cannot record one channel while watching another. You also cannot record a show that has already started, only pause it and rewind or fast forward. PVR features work only on digital TV signals.

The other specs look correct.

In other news it seems that the antenna I got was a bit too cheap. Some of the channels drop out at different times of the day. Fiddling with the antenna position a bit usually helps.
 
That is about LOS. You need to establish where the transmitter is and align the antenna accordingly. Then the reception will improve.

Thanks for confirming the satellite input!
A good buy! I trust that Hisense is equipping all its TVs accordingly. All sizes, not just the high end ones.
 
My Hisense model is the cheapest 4k model. It's a 2018 model.

I assume all recent models have the same basic features.
 
The 40 inch did not have an active digital tuner at all. It may actually have the hardware but it is definitely not available for use. And I see no sw upgrades are available so far.
 
Geoff.D said:
The 40 inch did not have an active digital tuner at all. It may actually have the hardware but it is definitely not available for use. And I see no sw upgrades are available so far.
Click to expand...
Is that a 1080p set? From what I can see the smallest 4k is 43 inch.

Here is the full channel list that I can pick up courtesy of ChanSort:
TV channels:
SABC 1 HD
SABC 2 HD
SABC 3 HD
e.tv HD
SABC News
eMovies+
Parliament
eExtra
eToonz
Landing Page
REG DATA
SABC Sport HD

Radio channels:
5FM
Channel Africa
Good Hope
Ikwekwezi FM
Lesedi FM
Ligwalagwala FM
Lotus FM
Metro FM
Motsweding FM
Munghana Lonene FM
Phalaphala FM
Radio 2000
RSG
SAFM
Thobela FM
Tru FM
Ukhozi FM
Umhlobo Wenene
X-K FM

The HD channels are 1080i and the other channels are 576i
 
Okay so a bit of research on Hi sense. Only 43" and up have digital tuners. Only some models of Smart TVs have digital tuners. Many models only have a DVBT2 tuner activated.
The 4k TVs all have DVB T2 tuners but NOT all are full-service DVB T/T2/S2/S capable and with PVR type facilities with an external drive added. So for anyone looking at TVs, you will have to establish exactly what the model you are considering has been equipped with.
 
Last edited:
Geoff.D said:
The 4k TVs all have DVB T2 tuners but NOT all are full-service DVB T/T2/S2/Scpabale and with PVR type facilities with an external drive added. So for anyone looking at TVs, you will have to establish exactly what the model you are considering has been equipped with.
Click to expand...
I've mentioned on the Hisense site via their chat that their spec for the 43A6100UW lists PVR and Time Shift as not available when they in fact are.
 
I seem to lose the SABC multiplex during the day (610MHz). After about 11:00PM it works like a champ. The ETV/MC multiplex (706MHz) has no issues o_O
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top
Sign up to the MyBroadband newsletter
X