Digital TV

[izzeybear1]

I am sure this has already been covered but please bear with me. What is the best way ( i.e. cheapest) to upgrade the caravan so I can receive Digital TV Here in the West we no longer have analogue and with trips planned for later this year I want to be prepared.

Iain

 

[joeby]

either buy a tv with built in freeview , or buy a freeview box for a tv without built in freeview ,bear in mind that some areas that you visit may not have freeview

 

[Zbungle]

There are so many good deals in the supermarkets for TVs with built-in Freeview (and usually a DVD player and HD ready) that I would be inclined to go down this route. At the moment the sets are built for both digital and analogue so if you are in an area with no digital signal, you can revert back to analogue.

I think your bigger problem in a touring caravan will be getting a good digital signal. The Status 315 (the circular disk type aerial on the caravan roof) will, almost certainly, be useless. If you have the elongated version, the more directional Status 530 you may be OK. I have had mine for nearly 3 years and have never failed to get a decent picture. A lot of people revert to setting up a free-standing aerial and erecting some kind of pole. If you're starting from scratch this is probable the most cost-effective solution. Take advice on which aerial to buy as they come in 'groups' and if you are going to be travelling all over the country you might want a wideband aerial - Group W.

 

[izzeybear1]

There are so many good deals in the supermarkets for TVs with built-in Freeview (and usually a DVD player and HD ready) that I would be inclined to go down this route. At the moment the sets are built for both digital and analogue so if you are in an area with no digital signal, you can revert back to analogue.

I think your bigger problem in a touring caravan will be getting a good digital signal. The Status 315 (the circular disk type aerial on the caravan roof) will, almost certainly, be useless. If you have the elongated version, the more directional Status 530 you may be OK. I have had mine for nearly 3 years and have never failed to get a decent picture. A lot of people revert to setting up a free-standing aerial and erecting some kind of pole. If you're starting from scratch this is probable the most cost-effective solution. Take advice on which aerial to buy as they come in 'groups' and if you are going to be travelling all over the country you might want a wideband aerial - Group W.

Thank you Zbungle. (not forgetting Joby)I did not know about getting a group w aerial so that has been of help I do have the ordinary status round aerial and trying at home resulted in no signal. So the pole with aerial is probably the route I shall take

Iain

 

[Sproket]

I have just recently bought one of these digital tv for the van, with a integrated dvd player in the tv stand ( watch the video ) with the great price & its very easy to set up.........

 

[xtrailman]

Iain

I think you will find the cheapest option is to buy a digi box, as the old tube tvs (picture) are just as good or somtimes better than a cheap lcd tv.

I have two tvs running off sagem set top boxes, last time i looked you could get one for

 

[Poppasmurf]

Without doubt, the best way is via satellite, either Sky or Freesat.

You can get a tripod and dish for about

 

[Surfer]

You don't need to upgrade yoru caravan to recevie a digitla signal as the existing aerila will suffice. A lot of peopel are being ripped off and having their exisitng serials at home replaced by "digital" aerials. Basiclaly ther is no such thing.

However you would need to either upgrade the TV or buy a Freeview satellite box. The Freeview box is the cheapest option as you don't have to upgrade the aerial or the TV.

Satellite digibox is also a good bet as you get a crystal clear signal and you always knwo which way to pint the dish and it only tkaes 5 minutes to align. Sky digiboxes can be picked up on Freecycle for nothing or on eBay for

 

[Sue_374318921]

You don't need to upgrade yoru caravan to recevie a digitla signal as the existing aerila will suffice. A lot of peopel are being ripped off and having their exisitng serials at home replaced by "digital" aerials. Basiclaly ther is no such thing.

However you would need to either upgrade the TV or buy a Freeview satellite box. The Freeview box is the cheapest option as you don't have to upgrade the aerial or the TV.

Satellite digibox is also a good bet as you get a crystal clear signal and you always knwo which way to pint the dish and it only tkaes 5 minutes to align. Sky digiboxes can be picked up on Freecycle for nothing or on eBay for

 

[Sue_374318921]

Hi

I'm the same just upgraded TV to one with built in DVD and freeview TV is working(checked it in house) but will not tune in caravan which is at home. Have the circular flying saucer type aerial! on 2004 Abbey. If I do not need to upgrade this areial, how do I make it work? Any advice gratefully received

Thanks

 

[Zbungle]

Believe me Sue, you will need to upgrade your aerial if you have the flying saucer type. You might get a picture if you park the van within 50 metres of a transmitter, but once you move to another site, your picture will be gone. That sort of aerial was always poor, even with analogue sets; with digital it is hopeless. Upgrading to the Status 530 might be expensive and involves drilling holes in the roof of the van. I think you might be best to investigate the free-standing aerial on a pole (or even rubber suckers on the side of the van). Next time you are on a site there is bound to be someone with this kind of set-up. Go and ask - caravanners are ever so friendly.

 

[RichardChambers]

Before we got a caravan we bought http://www.towsure.com/product/1884-Image_530/18_UHF_Directional_TV_Antenna it worked well with http://www.towsure.com/product/1883-Vision_Plus_Universal_Multi-Mast it'll slot into awning rail on the opposite side to the door and also give you a couple of attachments you could stick to the van to attach to it.

 

[sheila_374397204]

We have the 530 status aerial which works perfectly with a freeview box.

We did buy a satellite dish but decoder or whatever it's called and nearly got divorced trying to tune it in!!!!

 

[Woody3]

Two comments on this thread.

First I note that many people say how bad their Status 315 is - with which in the main I would agree. However mine was unusable until I did a bit of checking. My installation has two plugs (on the aerial input to the box and on the cable out, and a wall-mounted socket. One of the cable plugs and the wall socket had whiskers of the braid shorting out the centre (signal) core. Remove/remake the connection and suddenly it all works. Here in Harrogate we are about equidistant from both Emley and Bilsdale both at 28 miles and cannot get a peep from either, but in 2008 we were at Cottenham near Cambridge and about 26 miles from Sandy and the picture was perfect (analogue - it is always perfect or not present (one or the other) on digital.) Horse for course I suppose.

Second, choosing a TV for the van. Before buying a TV think carefully about where the TV will reside and where you will sit (or lie) when watching it. Many of the cheaper TV screens go very dark - even negative - when you view from below the horizontal centre line, and this applies just as much to the 'specialised' caravan TVs as it does to domestic. If you see one in a shop rather than ducking and diving to check the picture (if you can) simply hold the TV and tilt it backwards - its the same thing when you think about it. You will find many - even the brand names - do it, some quite badly. I found a Sharp (LC19D1EBK - now obsolete) was the best and bought it, and some Samsungs were OK as well, but most others were unusable. It may not be such a problem if you are able to fit the TV on a wall bracket which has swivel and tilt, but very few small TVs have tilt on the foot mounting. My Sharp does which cracks the problem but its predecessor (Acoustic Solutions) had to have the back of the foot standing on a book (by Boris Johnson as I remember) to make it anything like watchable.

Finally, even though the first couple of times it can be a bit of a bind to set up, satellite is by far the best route if you want almost 100% certainty of reception. You just have to make sure there are no tall trees towards the SE/SSE from your pitch.

 

[Sue_374318921]

Many thanks for your help am going to buy aerial on mast tomorrow that will suffice I'm sure went to Wales easter (they had just switched to dijital)and sacre bleu!!! no telly (on old analogue) listened to radio and there was some fantastic programmes on then. Just like to have tv as back up

 

[StephenD]

Many thanks for your help am going to buy aerial on mast tomorrow that will suffice I'm sure went to Wales easter (they had just switched to dijital)and sacre bleu!!! no telly (on old analogue) listened to radio and there was some fantastic programmes on then. Just like to have tv as back up

My caravans located in Tenby West Wales. I too had to replace the factory fitted caravan ariel, and had to pay

 

[forestgump]

hi i use a maxiview aireal on a short pole that fits to the side of van it cost

 

[Rod_5079699]

hi

last year we went to cornwall just after the switch over to digital equiped with a new t/v and aerial on long pole only to find out that we could only receive about half the channels this we found out is due to being a long way from the main transmitter I wrongly thought that digatal would rectify this problem so decided to go for freesat which we have used on our last 14 outings without any problems.being a novice to sattelite i found www.sattaliteforcaravans.co.uk answerd all the questions a novice needs to know

 

[PetePajero]

Just a thought for you all, and that is EPG.

I find this invaluable, and please consider this before you buy a digital receiver.

EPG ?

Electronic programme guide.

Very beneficial.

 

[Woody3]

Therein lies another point - the EPG.

The Sharp mentioned above has a 7-day EPG, as does our first domestic panel TV (also a Sharp as it happens) which we bought about six weeks ago.

The kitchen TV packed up last week so we went looking for a 15" to replace it (noting my comments above about viewing angle) and settled on one from M&S. The sound is awful (a tad worse than most small TV's in my experience) but it's EPG - which you don't find out about until you get home - is now and next, and that's it!

Doh!