An issue "older" sets face is that the screen format is rather square but the digital transmissions are much more rectangular.
This means that [if the set can cope with it] the picture can be "cropped" keeping the image proportions right but only seeing part of the picture, or seeing all the picture but as a strip with blank zones at the top and bottom.
Unfortunately for optimum viewing of digital we are pushed into wider screen format TVs; maybe in the caravans this optimised picture is not too important, that's the line I have taken.
On a lot of sites because of get away from it all. The tV reception can be notoriously poor but with a jiggery pokery you could always get a snowy picture of some sort. However with digital if you dont get a good signal you wont get a picture. Your standard aerial should be ok if you get a good signal but need a digibox. Dont despair when all of the country has switched across the signal will be increased and in poor reception areas a better signal will be achieved. Failing that get a freesat however that has its foibles too.
------------- A barman is just a pharmacist
with a limited inventory
Quote: Originally posted by Janx on 27/3/2011
...Can we use a freeview box with our old flat screen t.v. which is not digital and will this work with our status ariel? or is it no good anymore?
Check to see if your TV has a scart connection on the back (long socket, 20 pins); which while I'm sure it will, most current Freeview set-top boxes will only connect via a scart cable.
Agree with other comments regarding signal quality etc. I may be lucky, but I rarely have issue with the van's integral aerial (do have a pole mount as a back-up though) and only on the odd ocassion use the sites aerial connection.
Also, if you do have problems you can always invest in a cheapie DVD player and watch those instead. We sometimes do that if reception is particularly bad.
This caused quite a laugh for us last year. We were setting up in Cornwall & no matter what we couldn't get a picture on the TV. I tried asking neighbours if they'd try our TV & we try theirs etc but still nothing. Then my brother rang to ask me something & I told him what was going on. He laughed & suggested I go to the shops & buy a Freeview box. Job sorted straight away. We've now got a 22 inch flat screen with ilt in freeview, it was given to us so we had it for the caravan. It saves carrying the freeview box & needing another socket.
Forget Freeview. Buy a satellite system designed for caravans from Maplins. The best investment I've made for TV reception - had it three years and helped others to convert. There ae too many places where Freeview reception is poor - or nil!
------------- "To be born Welsh is not with a silver spoon in your mouth but with a song in your heart and poetry in your soul"
Post from theoldsilverfox is true at this exact moment in time. Freesat is almost 100% guaranteed to give you a decent signal, but not all channels are available at the moment (Dave springs to mind). However, as freeview with an aerial gets the booted power we are promised, the difference may well be less clear... But to be fair i use freesat in our van and have never had a bad signal all arounf the UK, and this year we are going to try it out in the Nehterlands and expect to get a great sinal as usual. Freeview cannot offer the same European-wide coverage but i do wonder if Euro freeview is available on a UK freeview decoder....
------------- Why am i doing this instead of camping??!!
Amazing family weekend with old steam engines, classic car displays, market stalls, and full catering and bar. And camping on site - Save £25 by booking in advance.
Topic: T.V when the analog is no more
