Freeview

[stevec000]

hi guys ,
help on deciding for freeview boxes
at the moment I don't have any t.v ,
grandkids are coming to stay for a few weeks
I have an old virgin media socket for tv can I get one to fit
it or I can go wifi , don't have an aerial
cheapest suggestions

[Buenchico]

There are no free TV services via cable. (So the Virgin Media socket won't help you).

Free TV services over the internet are mainly 'catch up' facilities, which aren't available for many popular channels. (Live services are largely limited to the BBC and ITV channels, via BBC iPlayer and ITV Player respectively).

Internet services such as those offered by NOW TV boxes are designed to supplement what you can get via Freeview (or Freesat) and wouldn't be much use to you on their own.

So you'll need either a TV aerial or a satellite dish. If you live close to a high-powered transmitter you might be able to use an indoor aerial but most people find that they're inadequate for reliable TV reception.

If you ask around for quotes, an aerial fitter might supply and fit an aerial for as little as £80. Then you'll need either a modern TV that comes with Freeview built into it or an older TV (without Freeview but with a Scart input) plus a Scart cable and a Freeview set-top box. The cheapest option would be to go for such a secondhand TV set from your nearest BHF Electrical & Furniture store (where they sell them, with a guarantee, for around £30), plus a Freeview set-top box (perhaps a tenner from the same store or no more than £20 from a big supermarket) and a £1 Scart cable from a 'discount store'. However you can buy brand new TV sets, with Freeview built into them, for no more than £100 from major supermarkets. (Try Asda).

Alternatively you could get a satellite dish installed (probably for roughly the same price as for installing a conventional aerial). You'd then need either a TV set with Freesat built into it (which are fairly uncommon and tend to be expensive) or a set-top box and any TV with a Scart socket. Sky offer to provide the satellite dish, including installation, and a set top box for £175 http://www.sky.com/shop/freesat/home/ . You'd then just need a £30 telly from BHF to complete the set up. Alternatively (if you've had a satellite dish installed independently) you could buy a generic satellite receiver from Amazon or eBay.

Freesat offers more channels than Freeview does but at the expense of excluding popular channels from UKTV (such as Yesterday, Dave and Drama). Whichever you go for, remember that watching live TV requires a licence.