Digital TV

[NorthernWave]

I just phoned BBC Freeview to ask if it was possible to put digital onboard.

The guy I spoke to said it was fine if the area you are moored has a signal and also that when the boat is moved you would have to retune (as per normal TV).

I'd need to purchase a decent aerial first but it sounds like a good idea for those miserable nights in.

Thought about cable but they don't make one long enough!!!!! )

Chris

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[Bejasus]

What's wrong with sattelite?

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[Geoffs]

Digital TV needs a very good signal from the aerial, more so than analogue. So bearing in mind that TV reception at sea level can be dodgy, I'd guess that it wouldn't work too well on a boat.

I've got dgital TV at home, in a very strong signal area, and it's by no means 100%.

Old Chinese proverb 'Man who sail boat into rice field, soon get into paddy'

 

[byron]

BBC Freeview ain't ready yet, as a matter of interest they haven't yet got the software which allows your VCR to record from them (or so I understand)

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[Bejasus]

At present I am on a vessel doing 12 knots across the North Sea and happily watching Sky on a fixed dish which I installed myself.

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[Geoffs]

Most Freeview channels are up and running, there's a couple still to be launched. You can record digital channels on a VCR, but what you can't do is watch a different channel whilst recording. This is because most VCR's don't have a decoder built in them, like they do a uhf tuner.

You could put another digital 'box' on the VCR to overcome this, or watch an analogue channel on the TV.

Old Chinese proverb 'Man who sail boat into rice field, soon get into paddy'

 

[boatone]

Your definition of 'fixed dish' should make interesting reading................

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[Bejasus]

Ok. I'll bite.

The dish is fixed on a bracket attached to a handrail. The bracket is made so that I can swivel it on a horizontal plane. The vertical is not so critical unless I have changes in latitude.
This is in contrast to a self tracking dish which is a lot more involved and a lot more costly.

C'mon the B1. Do your worst. I can take it. Besides if you upset me, I can always call my mummy.

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[boatone]

Suffice it to say that your explanation confirms that your original claim of a fixed dish was terminologically inexact and I am now happy to accept that the arrangement is pragmatically functional in a imprecise sort of fashion.................



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[Bejasus]

Thans for your enlightenment, Oh Great1.

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[Bejasus]

Thanks for your enlightenment, Oh Great1.

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[boatone]

Oh do stop repeating yourself............and anyway, its you who've done the enlightening.....I merely requested that you throw the switch /forums/images/icons/laugh.gif

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[Bejasus]

/forums/images/icons/shocked.gif

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[martinwoolwich]

At SBS I saw an aerial for the boat which had "Digital Ready"
across the packaging. I asked the supplier if I needed a special aerial to recieve freeview onboard and he told me that I would Most onboard aerials are nor suitable (he said). Sorry can't remember the brand but it might be worth checking before buying.

 

[NorthernWave]

Thats correct, apparantly you do need a digital ready aerial

Relaxation starts at the pontoon gate

 

[NorthernWave]

Thats correct, apparantly you do need a digital ready aerial

Relaxation starts at the pontoon gate

 

[boatone]

Im rather puzzled by this talk of 'digital ready' re aerials.
As I understyand it the digital signal for freeview is carried in the analogue tv signal and decoded by the set top box. What is needed is a good strong signal eg a fuzzy analogue picture means receoption will not be good enough for digital. I have a Pace free-to-air receiver and many of the freeview channels are now available but I am in a poorish reception area and the digital picture breaks up quite a lot.
As most boat tv aerials are pretty cr*p anyway, I suspect they will not give a strong enough signal for freeview, especially as most places we stop are shielded by trees, buildings etc cos we are so low down.

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[JerryHawkins]

Standard Nargus aerial works

I have a Nargus omni-dorectional TV antenna mounted on a 5' pole on the transom along with GPS Navtex etc antennas. Moored in the marina in Plymouth, the analogue reception is adequate, but the digital terrestrial reception is great! You DO NOT NEED a special antenna! We currently use a Hauppauge WinTV Nova USB connected to a Dell laptop PC. Yes, you do need to re-tune when you move, but that's all done automatically and very quickly (about 10-15 seconds to re-tune all channels).

Hauppauge have just introduced a new unit which can be connected directly to an TV (no need for PC/Laptop). Both units have 12v mains adapters to power them so you can just connect them to your on-board 12v supply.

Cheers,

Jerry

 

[Robin2]

This may be interesting. Are you receiving digital signals from the satellite or analogue ones?

Local dealers say that digital dishes need to be so finely aligned that they won't work on a boat - even when moored.

I would be delighted to contradict them.

 

[Bejasus]

Digital Sky dish. It is of the larger 'oop north' variety, but not huge, as we are mainly in latitudes above Newcastle and as high as mid Norway. Most of our work is done in Danish & Norwegian sectors. I previously used an Analogue dish before going to Digital. Moored along side is absolutely no problem, and sailing in anything other than fairly moderate seas useless, but as I said earlier, I had a spot on picture whilst sailing to a rig the other day for 10 hours. Sometimes if we are on location for an extended period and there's something I want to watch, like a WSB race or such like, then I will re-align the dish to enable me to watch it, weather permitting.

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