Can i use a freeview box with a digital aerial?

[squirtle]

I recently moved house and had freeview through my tv aerial, now i have moved house and the tv mast i have a signal through won't allow me to receive freeview. However there is a digital dish on the house connected up, can i use this with my freeview box?

[Buenchico]

The dish is designed to receive satellite transmissions which are from a different source and in a completely different frequency range to the signals required by your Freeview box, so you can't use it to get Freeview.

Use the postcode checker, here, to see if you're in a Freeview area:
http://www.freeview.co.uk/

If you are, and your existing aerial isn't good enough, head to your nearest Maplin Electronics store and get hold of this aerial which has been recommended and praised many times on AB:
http://www.maplin.co.uk/Search.aspx?criteria=P T18&doy=25m4&source=15
If you're not very confident working up ladders, you'll need to pay someone to fit it but this is a simple job and shouldn't cost too much.

If you're not in a Freeview area (and you don't want to join a subscription service) then your only alternative is Freesat (at a cost of �150):
http://www.freesatfromsky.co.uk/

Chris

[squirtle]

Thanks buenchico, i can get freeview if i position my aerial onto a different transmitter, there are two in the area and i can definately get it on that one, its going to be a case of re positioning the aerial outside the house. The previous occupier had two aerials in the loft and there isn't a sufficient signal to receive freeview, i have directed it towards the transmitter which i know works but being in the loft has dragged the signal down. So i can either get a better aerial which works ok in the loft or put the existing aerial outside. There are houses up the hill from mine and i need to be aiming the aerial straight at them so not sure now which is the best option, better aerial or repositioning? Not sure if i've explained that very well but thanks for your advice anyhow. Its not much fun going back to 4 channels to flick through.

[Buenchico]

Freeview don't recommend loft aerials but some people on AB have said that they can get a good digital signal with a loft aerial.

I remember one post, last year, from someone who couldn't use an outside aerial. He swapped to the aerial which I've recommended above (in his loft) and reported that he got a perfect signal. At �30 that aerial isn't cheap but it seems to do the job better than almost any other. (I'm often amazed by people who'll willingly fork out thousands of pounds for a wide-screen TV but who then complain that the aerial they bought for a fiver doesn't work very well!).

Chris