THE WORLD IS CHANGING. IT’S GOING DIGITAL

Television Aerials
Did you know all analogue television transmissions will cease within the next five years. The Government intends to switch over to Digital Television between 2008 and 2011. It will be a phased process, the Border region first, and switchover will happen region by region. Don't get caught out. Upgrade to a digital TV aerial system now!! Call Clearway today on 0131 6632426

Technology in a Freeview Box
Freeview, owned, and managed, by DTV Services Limited – a conglomerate involving BBC, BSkyB, Channel 4 and National Grid Wireless – is a collection of free-to-air digital television, and digital radio, channels. A Freeview set-top box is, perhaps, the easiest way to receive Freeview channels, allowing you to use your existing television set, and possibly your existing aerial. There are no installation, or ongoing, costs, per se – other than, of course, the cost of an ordinary television licence – and Freeview requires no subscription.

Freeview Features
All Freeview boxes feature at least one SCART socket, and often two, for the connection of a television set, and another piece of equipment, such as a video cassette recorder. In the absence of a SCART socket on your television set, connection can be achieved via what is known as "modulated output" – transmission on a particular channel into which a television set can be tuned – although your chosen Freeview box must, of course, be capable of this function. This may be a problem, for example, in cheaper Freeview boxes, which usually do not have an integral UHF modulator, and can therefore only be connected via SCART.

Freeview also provides an EPG, or "Electronic Programming Guide" which, in theory at least, is capable of displaying forthcoming programming for 7 days in advance. Most Freeview broadcasters, however, only load data for any particular day, and the following day, but the "Now and Next" feature is, nevertheless, a useful and popular function. This typically includes a textual synopsis of the current programme – the programme, itself, is also displayed in an inset window – and the programme to follow, together with programme timings. Other useful features include the facility to create list of favourite channels, and to see the signal strength of the current channel.

Setting Up a Freeview Box
If you have an existing, external, television aerial, in a good state of repair, the chances are that you can use it to receive Freeview, provided that the DVB-T ("Digital Video Broadcast – Terrestrial") multiplex that serves your region broadcasts in the same frequency band as existing analogue television services. If the signal is strong, a loft aerial may be another possibility, although in some regions, where frequencies are outside the range that an existing aerial was designed to receive, a rooftop, "wideband" aerial may be required.

The cable from your rooftop, or loft, aerial should be connected to the "RF in" socket on your Freeview box, and your television connected via a SCART socket, or A/V ("Audio/Video") sockets – typically colour-coded red, white and yellow – or via an RF output socket. The use of A/V sockets requires a special lead, and not all Freeview boxes have an RF output, so these are things that you should check before buying a Freeview box.

The final step is to search, or scan, for available Freeview channels from your local transmitter. The precise method of doing this varies from manufacturer to manufacturer, but is typically a straightforward menu option. This process may also be necessary, periodically, if channels are added, or deleted.

Freeview
Digital television is currently revolutionising TV as we know it. Digital television is simply a better way of watching TV. The pictures are pin sharp, the sound is crystal clear & near CD quality, and you can watch in cinema-style widescreen if you have the latest television sets. Film Channels, Comedy Channels, Cartoon Channels, Adult Channels etc. Whatever you like to watch, documentaries, factual history, cooking programme's, DIY or gardening, you will find everything you need and more on digital television. Digital TV is also interactive, so you can send email, set reminders for programme's, or see a list of programme's coming up that meet a specific category (e.g. Wildlife).*

Aerials and reception
Most UK homes are in a FREEVIEW coverage area. Use the Freeview postcode checker below to see whether your postcode can receive FREEVIEW. If you are in coverage you should be able to receive FREEVIEW with your existing rooftop or loft aerial, provided they are in good condition. However, you may still experience poor quality digital reception and therefore need to get your aerial installation checked.

Your local aerial fitter, Clearway Aerials, can arrange an aerial survey and upgrade if required, and will advise you of any related charges.

Call us to find out prices for installing a new digital aerial today

and remember that these digital aerials will also receive the standard analogue transmissions, which means you can record Freeview while watching the standard terrestrial channels, and vice versa. We will setup your Freeview box, tune your television to these new digital frequencies, and make sure everything is working properly. If you are confused about any of the above information, call us and we will attempt to explain it properly.

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