Is BT vision (freeview) easy to install? I have a non-digital ariel, will this link up ok?

Question

Is BT vision (freeview) easy to install? I have a non-digital ariel, will this link up ok?

Answer 1

Sorry, Ian M answer is confused, muddled and "Way Out".

The BT V box is easy to install. You need a BT Hub, a telephone socket and an aerial and the tv set all close together. When you order one they come and install it for you.

Connect the Hub to the telephone socket.

Connect the Hub to the V Box using the cable supplied.

Connect the V Box to the tv using SCART (or HDMI if you want to).

Connect the aerial cable to the V Box aerial input socket.

Use a short aerial adaptor lead (like the one you probably used for your old VCR) to connect the V Box aerial output into the tv set aerial socket.

The V Box will receive films as "pay per view video on demand" via the internet broadband connection. It also receives available Freeview channels so you probably don't really need an aerial anyway.

You don't need a computer logged on to do this. The Hub sorts it out.

There is no such thing as a "digital aerial". That is just advertisers' puff to put the price up. You will need a good aerial, preferably on the roof to receive the Freeview transmissions. If your existing one isn't good enough then a suitable High-Gain aerial from Maplin electronics will be about £25.

If you decide that you don't want a BT V Box and decide to buy a Freeview box instead then the above remarks about your aerial will still apply.

Answer 2

Most ariels are non digital.  The signals come down the ariel and to the end of the socket - When you plug the socket into the box, the transponder turns the signals into digital.  If you imagine that analouge, which is standard comes down in wavy lines and the digital signals travel in stright lines - like binary maths - 101010101 on off, on off, etc. This compresses the signals into the box so that you can get more than your five basic channels

So plug scart lead from box to TV. There should be an option of scart inward, and scart outward at the back of the box.  Place socket into set top let the box scan for available channels and you are away