Digital freeview on PC

Archived from groups: alt.video.digital-tv,uk.tech.digital-tv (More info?)

Hi,

I would like to be able to receive and watch digital terrestial freeview
channels (UK) on my laptop PC. It's a recent 2.66GHz, 512Mb RAM machine,
so that shouldn't be a problem.

I have looked into things like the Hauppauge WinTV-NOVA-usb-t
(http://www.hauppauge.co.uk/pages/products/data_nova-t-usb.html), but
I'm confused as to what I would need in the way of aerials etc.
Obviously since I just want to pickup the terrestial freeview channels,
I assume I don't need a satellite. However, I'm living in student
accomodation and there is no aerial socket in the wall, so would I need
to buy an external aerial, and how well would this work (I'm living in
central London, so reception shouldn't be a problem??)? Where would I
get such a thing and would it be the same type of aerial one gets to
receive analogue signals?

Thanks,

Richard Hayden.

Archived from groups: alt.video.digital-tv,uk.tech.digital-tv (More info?)

On Fri, 30 Apr 2004 14:27:01 +0100, Richard Hayden <rah03@doc.ic.ac.uk> wrote:

>Hi,
>
>I would like to be able to receive and watch digital terrestial freeview
>channels (UK) on my laptop PC. It's a recent 2.66GHz, 512Mb RAM machine,
>so that shouldn't be a problem.
>
>I have looked into things like the Hauppauge WinTV-NOVA-usb-t
>(http://www.hauppauge.co.uk/pages/products/data_nova-t-usb.html), but
>I'm confused as to what I would need in the way of aerials etc.
>Obviously since I just want to pickup the terrestial freeview channels,
>I assume I don't need a satellite.

You don't need a satellite, they are only available from NASA or universities
and cost billions - you don't need a satellite receiver either. (g)

> However, I'm living in student
>accomodation and there is no aerial socket in the wall, so would I need
>to buy an external aerial, and how well would this work (I'm living in
>central London, so reception shouldn't be a problem??)?

I know you probably don't want to hear a vague answer but it all depends. I
would strongly recommend borrowing a Freeview box and TV and trying out an
indoor aerial of the type available from Dixons et al. If you can see Crystal
Palace transmitter from your window you should be ok - even if you can't you
might still get a decent signal. A decent analogue signal is not a reliable
pointer of good reception so the borrowed freeview box is quite important.

> Where would I
>get such a thing and would it be the same type of aerial one gets to
>receive analogue signals?

Generally, yes, the aerials are the same type as analogue.

Maplins, Dixons, Currys or go to TCR and have a look in the electronics stores
there.

JPG
>
>Thanks,
>
>Richard Hayden.