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Digital TV set top boxes

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Bizarre Moderator The artist formerly known as blue74l

12,787 posts · joined Aug 2002 ·

#547609
I have gone and got one of those Set Top Boxes for digital TV

Plugged it in and wouldnt load up. rang DGTech and they said rabbit ears are no good.

I went and installed a digital ready antenna.

Brilliant normal TV but even worse digital signal strength.
I can see the Gore Hill transmitters from my place. Assuming they still transmit from there.

The TV is just a 2 year old Harvey Norman special.
Has AV inputs. Not high definition though

Reckon its a dud box??
Some thing else required??
Futue te ipsum!!!

kombikim disfunctionally capable

1,521 posts · joined Dec 2002 ·

#547618
we have a friend at riverstone, who has tried evrything & given up, - at Concord West we get farly crook reception on normal TV, the digital top box is great reception, but almost everynight on some channels to a varying degree it starts breaking up, losing sound in fits & starts & then pixelating if really bad - I think a lot of people have problems, I'l ask my son, he works at Dick Smiths
Please, I need drivers side window regulator (winder mechanism) for my '54

h fractals - an ever changing lifestyle

7,671 posts · joined Feb 2005 ·

#547626
yeah i live right in the city and i have a set top box standard def as well..
it does improve the picture qual no doubt but as soon as there is a puff of wind sbs 1 is lost and most of nine digital (couldnt care about that station)
anyways the technology is at the mo not as good as i thought, so alas i have held off going the whole shabang re: high def plasmas and alike..
i have a regular outside roof aerial so maybe that is why it picks it up better than yours..
maybe get mr antenna out to fix the dilemma, it may be worth it,
after all how much tv do you watch should make your mind up re spending more money..
good luck
fractal geometry; the inner most limits of mind altering abuse

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Z = Z2 + C1/r = 1/0 = infinity

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blutopless2 DAMSLO

2,457 posts · joined Jan 2004 ·

#547636
apparently a common prob... ours is similar to h's ... we run standard def... depending upon the time of the day channel 9 seems to take a very long time to pick up the signal (anywhere from 10 to 30 seconds) and then if it is bad weather there tends to be a lot of interference. I have a standard aerial which i had installed years ago. our other problem which is also common is that when appliances or lights are turned on/off in the house there is interference with the reception, the sound goes off and the screen pauses in sections then all comes good after about 1 second. just really annoying. went back to where i bought all the gear and the guy said that its coz the antenna wiring is run next to the mains cables and has insufficient shielding for digital signals. the solution is either upgrade all the antenna cables in the house or seperate the antenna cables from the mains cables throughout the house (seperation of about 0.5m required according to them). the other solution is to have an isolated mains supply to the tv equipment which will filter out all interference.
i was annoyed with them coz they were really good with everything except telling me about the interference etc. when it was installed.
see.... air and water do mix 😉

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koolkarmakombi enkarmarising

2,078 posts · joined Jun 2003 ·

#547641
Our works great except chanel 2 in a howling storm. Which is a pain as abc and abc 2 take 60% of my viewing pleasure. ABC2 rocks!

Digi signal requires 'cleaner' antenna input than analog. 4x shielded coax and a decent arial.

I found a good tech site online but cannot relocate it now.

I also found cheaper = better after looking at a few.

Kind of like cheaper dvd players play anything!
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beelzebug Seriously Crusin Dubber

114 posts · joined Jun 2005 ·

#547647
Hi Baz,

This is a right pain. I too shelled out big bucks for HD Plasma, HD set top box, DVD recorder, etc etc only to discover I had to spend even more $$ on a new digital outside aerial, even though all channels enter my house through Foxtel cable.
Something about free to air channels require an outside aerial with HD set top boxes but didn't before. Go figure.

Anyhow all is now good (for those who care)
6 Volt Swinger

Bizarre Moderator The artist formerly known as blue74l

12,787 posts · joined Aug 2002 ·

#547673
Ok - thanks all

When i bought the ariel and cable the other day it is all "digital standard" stuff.

Gunna take the box back now and get it checked out
Futue te ipsum!!!

type3lover in the garage...

796 posts · joined Feb 2005 ·

#547684
I would try to exchange it for a different brand. The DG's are very sensitive to dirty or weak signals. I took mine back and got a Topfield. Works great.
.

amazeer Bishop of Volkswagenism

3,029 posts · joined Nov 2005 ·

#547689
I've got 2 cheapass STBs. One I bought for $150 when they first came out. The second one I got off ebay for $60. Wouldnt have a clue what the brands are.

I have no problems with either, rarely does the signal go out and never more than a couple of seconds. I'm using a regular UHF tv antenna from kmart.

Bizarre Moderator The artist formerly known as blue74l

12,787 posts · joined Aug 2002 ·

#547707
now your upsetting me Chris.

Anyway - they just changed the unit over and we plugged it in and tested the new one.

It works.

So - i guess if it doesnt work when i get home it could be any number of a million reasons.
I need a new ariel anyway.
Just depends if i have wasted my money on the box.
Yes - it was a cheapie. 🙄
Futue te ipsum!!!

Yogie Moderator Custom Title Time!

1,608 posts · joined Jun 2003 ·

#547727
We have a HD Toshiba PVR running through an old antenna. We are in a really poor reception area for analogue and ours works fine. There is a huge difference in picture quality between SD and HD though. Funny, the sound comes through louder on SD so we have to turn it up as we normally watch HD. Only thing is, 7 plays a promo show on HD if the show they have programmed isn't HD. You would think they would just broadcast in SD anyway but no. We change channels to HD, see the promo and have to change channel again to SD. Just irritating. My whinge over now.

Yogie

robnjo Veteran Volks Folk

2,082 posts · joined Sep 2003 ·

#547833
""and they said rabbit ears are no good.""
I did the bloody same thing...so it was a sad day for my beloved rabbit ears.
I got a set with an 80gig HD of ebay about 7months ago for 165 and it awesome.

amazeer Bishop of Volkswagenism

3,029 posts · joined Nov 2005 ·

#547851
KAON and Supernet are the brands of mine. KAON looks better, easier menus and has better games 😉

robnjo Veteran Volks Folk

2,082 posts · joined Sep 2003 ·

#547857
mines a Supernet but always forget to play the games on there

Bizarre Moderator The artist formerly known as blue74l

12,787 posts · joined Aug 2002 ·

#547921
OK - now im pissed 🤘

Took it back and they gave me a new one.

Bought it home and plugged it in - better. But breaking up all over the place.
Thought WTF - and plugged old bugs back in.

P.E.R.F.E.C.T.

What the hell did i spend $$$ on an ariel for???!!!

Well - to be honest. Normal TV is now better - dont have to keep changing the bloody rabbit ears.
But now i have clear digital.

I give up!

barry

[ Edited on 23-10-2006 by Bizarre ]
Futue te ipsum!!!

h fractals - an ever changing lifestyle

7,671 posts · joined Feb 2005 ·

#547937
:o enjoy your 'clearer' picture then.. and yeah abc2 rocks.. might motivate you eventually..
fractal geometry; the inner most limits of mind altering abuse

Fantasy http://seventhchronicle.com

Z = Z2 + C1/r = 1/0 = infinity

Barrels www.barrelman.com.au

VW Workshop - aircooledgarage.com.au
allcooled.com.au

ratty 63 Custom Title Time!

1,083 posts · joined Oct 2003 ·

#548053
I've been using a digital set-top box since they first turned the digital transmitter on here on the Gold Coast. I live on the other side of a hill to the transmitters and my analogue TV signal varied between total crap and non-existant. We purchased a Topfield SD reciever, plugged it in and it worked just fine (and still does) - perfect picture 99% of the time (only 'hesitates' during big storms).

A friend of mine who lives at the other end of the Gold Coast saw how good the pic was on my TV and immediatly went out and purchased one of those 'iveneverheardofthatbrand' recievers... to cut a long story very short - he had nothing but trouble - he replaced his entire antenna system, added signal boosters, etc, with verly little effect. After a number of visits from an antenna installer, they plugged in the installers test unit... perfect picture on all channels. He returned his original unit to the store and swapped it for a named brand and has had no further problems.

Whilst he was going through all this trouble, the TV antenna installer informed him that the digital transmitter on the southern end of the gold coast is not in the same place as the old analogue transmitter, so those who live close by (or in the hinterland, such as my friend) may have to re-aim their antenna to recieve a decent signal. Perhaps this is what is going on with those who have fitted new antennas and can still get a better signal with the 'bunny ears'.

R 🙂
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bugboymatt Custom Title Time!

1,405 posts · joined Aug 2002 ·

#548067
ratty 63 wrote:Whilst he was going through all this trouble, the TV antenna installer informed him that the digital transmitter on the southern end of the gold coast is not in the same place as the old analogue transmitter, so those who live close by (or in the hinterland, such as my friend) may have to re-aim their antenna to recieve a decent signal.
Umm when i gets around to buying a TV i might look into one of those there set top boxes. Is this TV stuff all it's cracked upto be !! Wonder whats it's like to watch moving pictures on a screen in your own home !!!
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amazeer Bishop of Volkswagenism

3,029 posts · joined Nov 2005 ·

#548089
Mostly not too big a deal, tv is still full of crap in digital or analogue and still full of ads.

Plenty of music on ABC2. Reruns of lots of shows that I tend to miss on ABC1. But also.... Now I can see even more cricket in widescreen. I can watch stateline WA and see what westie farmers are complaining about. And I can also watch northern territory australian football.🤪

Bizarre Moderator The artist formerly known as blue74l

12,787 posts · joined Aug 2002 ·

#548692
Now i am even MORE pissed :cussing

Got ONE day out of it.

Now BLUE SCREEN.
Zip - Nothing - 0.

Tried different TV. Zip
Different cables. 0

I am taking it back AGAIN. Think i will just get my $$$ back.
Yes - it was a cheapie - beside the point.
I should at least get pixelated rubbish!
Futue te ipsum!!!

PrettyBlueBug Almost over it...

2,032 posts · joined May 2005 ·

#548702
Now I know why I don't watch TV at all! :P

Bizarre Moderator The artist formerly known as blue74l

12,787 posts · joined Aug 2002 ·

#548706
Same here

I really dont know why i bothered :duh
Futue te ipsum!!!