# Freeview Box



## spinmaster (5 Jan 2008)

Hi,

I live in close to the Northern Ireland border and receive the four British [SIZE=-1]terrestrial channels through an arial on my roof, in addition to the Irish channels. My neigbour has just bought a new Sony LCD and is able to pick up a lot more channels (E4, BBC3 etc) throught this (he doesn't have Sky or anything, I think there may be a receiver built into the TV).

Am I correct in thinking that simply by buying a Freeview box I should also be able to get these channels? Will this work with my old CRT television?

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## dave_brent (5 Jan 2008)

yea freeview is built into the TV.. you can buy a freeview box esy enough and you should get these channels if your neighbour gets them... the freeview box is around 40 pound i think


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## bigjoe_dub (5 Jan 2008)

the new tv could have a digital recevier built in and thiis picking them up.


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## spinmaster (5 Jan 2008)

I thought NI wasn't switching over to digital TV until 2012?

[broken link removed]

Perhaps the process has started there with a view to be completed by 2012


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## BarneyMc (6 Jan 2008)

The 2012 significance is that analogue will be switched off in the UK in 2012... they currently broadcast both analogue and digital.

I live in Monaghan, about 1 mile from the Armagh border and use a freeview box (sold in most border towns) as I don't have a built in box in my (non digital) TV. I pick up maybe 30 tv channels (BBC 1,2,3,4, News 24, ITV 1,2,3,4, channel 4, More 4, Film 4....) and the same amount of radio stations - really great. I was told that if you receive channel 5 you have a good chance of picking up the freeview channels. Anyway they should allow you to bring it back if you can't.


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## tosullivan (6 Jan 2008)

any idea how close you have to be near teh border to use one of these?

Would Shercock in Cavan be close enough?


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## BarneyMc (6 Jan 2008)

tosullivan said:


> any idea how close you have to be near teh border to use one of these?
> 
> Would Shercock in Cavan be close enough?


 
Really don't know to be honest... give it a go.. just make sure you can bring the freeview box back to the shop if it doesn't work (you are entitled to do this anyway I would think)


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## CCOVICH (6 Jan 2008)

BarneyMc said:


> just make sure you can bring the freeview box back to the shop if it doesn't work (you are entitled to do this anyway I would think)



You wouldn't have an entitlement to do so-it would be at the discretion of the shop.


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## Betsy Og (8 Jan 2008)

I take it you need a satellite dish before any of this works??

I'm in the deep south (y'all ) and my freeview box with the Sky "yellow house" freeview card bought on ebay for £30 works a treat.


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## ClubMan (8 Jan 2008)

Betsy Og said:


> I take it you need a satellite dish before any of this works??


Don't confuse _FreeView _the _UK _digital terrestrial broadcast system with other more generic uses of the term or with _Free To View _or _Free To Air _satellite broadcasts. Note that there is no _Irish _digital terrestrial system at the moment. There are some trials ongoing but nothing certain about the technology that may be used or when an official system may be rolled out. Anybody buying equipment in anticipation of being able to use it to receive such broadcasts needs to be very careful. There is no guarantee that what works with _UK FreeView_ will work here in the long run. As _FreeView _box may be useful if you can receive UK digital terrestrial broadcast signals. Anybody interested in this stuff should really look at this boards.ie forum.


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## Guest127 (9 Jan 2008)

Sky free to air. LG tv picking up the 4 irish channels in digital format. also have a smaller toshiba in one of the bedrooms. freeview built in. when tuned to digital format it picks up 34 tv channels (not to be confused with the sky free to air) however its does not store all 34 channels only around 15 of them. doesn't store the irish channels for instance. they are tuned in under the analog system, but for some reason wont store in the digital system, unlike the LG which has no problem storing them. Early days yet with digital terrestrial signals I would say.


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## ClubMan (9 Jan 2008)

cuchulainn said:


> LG tv  picking up the 4 irish channels in digital format.


Bear in mind that that is just a trial and could disappear at any time.


> Early days yet with digital terrestrial signals I would say.


Yes - trial stage only in _Ireland _I'm afraid.


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## tosullivan (2 Apr 2008)

so where do you get these set top boxes?

do they need a dish aswell?


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## spinmaster (3 Apr 2008)

Freeview boxes can be got from most electrical retailers in the North for about £30/ £40stg.  No satellitte dish is needed.  See [broken link removed].


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