Freeview and Cable

[chambece]

Just a quick query here.

I have thought a couple of times about getting a freeview box in addition to the NTL Digital service, and I've thought about getting my mum one for christmas.

Now although we are both in OK areas, I don't use the ariel, and I'm not sure about my mum's - the picture on analog isn't great.....

Now I don't use the ariel on the roof, as I take the RF out of the back of the NTL STB, which I know also carries the RF channel -s.

My questions are these - firstly, does the RF output on the STB carry the DTT signals, and secondly, if it does, My mum used to have analog Cable, and still has the cable socket on the wall - would this still carry the RF signals, and I know it's a different connector (f-Type?) but can that somehow be hooked up instead of the ariel?


TIA

Craig

Dont know if this helps but I have FREEview and no outdoor ariel either. I have an in door one with booster and get all the channels

[chambece]

Originally Posted by Defiant

Dont know if this helps but I have FREEview and no outdoor ariel either. I have an in door one with booster and get all the channels

I have heard of this workng for some people, and not for others - we actually have a fairly big ariel on the roof, but as we get the RF from the STB, we don't use it... I might get one from argos and perhaps utilise the Argos 16 day Borrow Me Free Guarantee.....

[Shaun]

Originally Posted by chambece

Just a quick query here.

I have thought a couple of times about getting a freeview box in addition to the NTL Digital service, and I've thought about getting my mum one for christmas.

Now although we are both in OK areas, I don't use the ariel, and I'm not sure about my mum's - the picture on analog isn't great.....

Now I don't use the ariel on the roof, as I take the RF out of the back of the NTL STB, which I know also carries the RF channel -s.

My questions are these - firstly, does the RF output on the STB carry the DTT signals, and secondly, if it does, My mum used to have analog Cable, and still has the cable socket on the wall - would this still carry the RF signals, and I know it's a different connector (f-Type?) but can that somehow be hooked up instead of the ariel?


TIA

Craig

The simple answer is no, the cable doesn't carry free-view signals, you will only get them through your Aeriel.

As an aside, Curry's have Free-view set top boxes in at £39.99 ATM


HTH

[chambece]

Originally Posted by dellwear

The simple answer is no, the cable doesn't carry free-view signals, you will only get them through your Aeriel.

As an aside, Curry's have Free-view set top boxes in at £39.99 ATM


HTH

Thought that might be the case - thanks a lot anyway.....

Yes seen that currys offer here

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I payed £69 for that box 2wks back for the girlfriend. Nice picture, sound infact I think its the same software mine use's. The Grundig 1500. Their both made by thomson so get reguler firmware update which is good.

Over all it blows the NTL basepack as far as I'm concerned

[chambece]

Originally Posted by Defiant

Yes seen that currys offer here



I payed £69 for that box 2wks back for the girlfriend. Nice picture, sound infact I think its the same software mine use's. The Grundig 1500. Their both made by thomson so get reguler firmware update which is good.

Over all it blows the NTL basepack as far as I'm concerned

Yeah, that was the one I was looking at - you prolly saw it on the same site as me!!

[bob_builder]

Originally Posted by chambece

I have heard of this workng for some people, and not for others - we actually have a fairly big ariel on the roof, but as we get the RF from the STB, we don't use it... I might get one from argos and perhaps utilise the Argos 16 day Borrow Me Free Guarantee.....

Note that Argos explicity exclude Freeview boxes from the 16 day deal!

[chambece]

Originally Posted by bob_builder

Note that Argos explicity exclude Freeview boxes from the 16 day deal!

Aww, dammit - they must have had too many other people with the same idea!!

My portable CD player once broke when I was going to be working away - they sent it for repair, and I 'borrowed' one off them for the week

A friend got some two way radios for when they went on a skiing holiday, again, just for a fortnight....

[altis]

The digital TV and radio channels on cable conform to a format called DVB-C ('C' for cable) whilst those used by Freeview are DVB-T ('T' for terrestrial). Although they are similar (the picture is encoded using MPEG2) the modulation techniques are quite different so a box designed for one system will not work on another. There is also DVB-S for satellite which is different again. Crazy innit.

I smell vested interests being protected...

[chambece]

Originally Posted by towny

I smell vested interests being protected...

Whose? or in what way? or am I being thick

But regarding Altis' post, surely that the format that the box decodes to - so if the RF signal that the STB outputs is the same as what is recieved through an ariel, then why couldn't carry the DTT RF signal too? Notice I didn't say the DVB-T signal, which the freeview box would decode, or the the DTT RF siganal actually a carrier for the DVB-T signal? If that makes any sense

[altis]

Originally Posted by chambece

But regarding Altis' post, surely that the format that the box decodes to - so if the RF signal that the STB outputs is the same as what is recieved through an ariel, then why couldn't carry the DTT RF signal too? Notice I didn't say the DVB-T signal, which the freeview box would decode, or the the DTT RF siganal actually a carrier for the DVB-T signal? If that makes any sense

Mmm, not quite sure if I follow all that

The DVB-C (digital cable) signal is decoded by the STB and is then transmitted through the RF output connector in a format that is identical to a plain old analogue terrestrial system. It doesn't generate a DVB-T (digital terrestrial) signal.

If you want to add this then you'll have to put up a terrestrial aerial and feed the signal into the RF input connector. The STB will combine the two before sending them to the RF output. However, the television at the receiving end will have to understand both analogue and terrestial digital - and I'm not sure that most systems will do this.

PS. I volunteer to edit the acronyms page on ntli.info

Originally Posted by chambece

Whose? or in what way? or am I being thick

Why develop one system when you can have three? Heaven forbid that consumers might want to buy one set-top-box and then switch between satellite, cable and terrestrial as their needs, and the market, changes. This way, to switch, they must buy a new STB each time, or sign up with a broadcaster who will give them a 'free' STB in return for a minimum-term contract, and in the case of Sky also on condition that you connect the blasted thing to your phone line so it can run up your bill whenever it likes, without your permission. The winners here are the broadcasters, who have a way to lock you in to their services, and the manufacturers of the STBs, who get to sell more of them.

Originally Posted by towny

Why develop one system when you can have three? Heaven forbid that consumers might want to buy one set-top-box and then switch between satellite, cable and terrestrial as their needs, and the market, changes. This way, to switch, they must buy a new STB each time, or sign up with a broadcaster who will give them a 'free' STB in return for a minimum-term contract, and in the case of Sky also on condition that you connect the blasted thing to your phone line so it can run up your bill whenever it likes, without your permission. The winners here are the broadcasters, who have a way to lock you in to their services, and the manufacturers of the STBs, who get to sell more of them.

Or could it be due to the transmission medium in each case ? Not really thought it through have you? A satellite signal has to travel approx 23500Miles to the satellite and then 23500 miles back to earth. Theres a lot of interference in the atmosphere and the signals involved aren't particularly high powered. With the noisy enviroment the transmission method is kept simple. A dish is required to focus the weak signals. QPSK modulation is simple and hence simple to recieve and decode.
DTT using rooftop or indoor aerials has to cope with lots of echos which cause ghosting in the analogue enviroment, hence they use a method which can cope with echoes (reflected signals). COFDM, is thought the best method.
Cable is a relatively noise free enviroment, when terminated properly it doesn't suffer from reflections. Therefore it can use a relatively complicated modulation method (QAM), without the 'echo cancellation' capabilities of COFDM.

So your comments about it being pure greed on the part of broadcasters/manufacturers are cr*p.