Discover Hertford Online Forum

Topic

Topic ID 5247

26/04/2010 by Tiny

Freeview

Probably already been answered somewhere but anyone in Hertford East side of town got Freeview? Thinking of getting this BT home package, but have to be able to pick up good quality Freeview. Suggestion from BT - check with local residents! Need to escape Virgin, just can't cope with their dreadful customer service. All thoughts gratefully received!


Replies

Reply ID 73848

26/04/2010 by Golden

Hi Tiny, we have freeview in Park Road (off London Road) and the signal has to come from Sandy Heath as we're on the side of a hill - you may be able to pick up Crystal Palace signal. Its been quite reliable for a while now although like all digital signals it has the odd blip - interesting to hear your views on Virgin as I'm quite tempted!!


Reply ID 73849

27/04/2010 by Ewoowar

I'd be interested to know if anybody in the Hertingfordbury Road area has Freeview and how good the signal is.


Reply ID 73850

27/04/2010 by CLB

I wouldn't be so sure BT have any better customer service! I had no end of problems with them when I had to transfer from business to a residential line, and took on the freeview service they offer. I don't know how many times I had to tell someone in one of their overseas call centres that turning the damn tv box on and off would not get it to work (you get to speak to someone up North when you actually want to sign up, then get fobbed off overseas once they have your money...). BT would be the worst customer service I have come across I'm afraid, but my 4 page letter to the Chief Exec complaining (sadly it really did need that long to explain) did at least get me all my money back without any hassle.


Reply ID 73851

27/04/2010 by Arty

Have received a great service from Sky - the tv, broadband and phone package. Extremely helpful over the past year with a couple of technical problems, and no more expensive than our previous separate providers.


Reply ID 73852

27/04/2010 by Frenchie

I have it fine, just wish we were getting freeview HD this year...seems we are are one of the last areas to get switched on


Reply ID 73853

27/04/2010 by Ray_by_the_Beane

quote:
Originally posted by Frenchie
I have it fine, just wish we were getting freeview HD this year...seems we are are one of the last areas to get switched on
My understanding was if your aerial is pointing towards Crystal Palace then you can now get High Definition Freeview (according to what I've seen on web sites and one of the guys in Albany Radio). I'm waiting for more High Definition Freeview hard disc recorders to come on the market. The last time I checked only the Toshiba 500 was available at about £400.


Reply ID 73854

27/04/2010 by Steve

quote:
Originally posted by Frenchie
I have it fine, just wish we were getting freeview HD this year...seems we are are one of the last areas to get switched on
We're one of the first actually. Freeview HD is currently transmitted out of Crystal Palace. http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/article7097233.ece


Reply ID 73855

27/04/2010 by Tiny

Was old NTL customer, ended up with Virgin = years of misery, dropped signals, lost football games half way through, gave me same phone number as someone else! Its been endless calls to a customer service centre in India in which i always end up giving up! So yes need another provider? So Sky is good then is it?


Reply ID 73858

27/04/2010 by codek2

Sky is very good - good service, and prices same as everyone else. They also have the best set top box / recorder on the market - it's fast, snappy, and unbelievably easy to use. No other box comes close in my view - and i've used a few. (v+ isnt bad; But it's dog slow to use) Also; It has the best range of channels - and thats never likely to change, as at the end of the day they are the biggest supplier. The only thing against sky is that you're lining murdochs pockets - something quite a few people are fundamentally against! :)


Reply ID 73861

27/04/2010 by CLB

quote:
Originally posted by codek2
The only thing against sky is that you're lining murdochs pockets - something quite a few people are fundamentally against! :)
And that if it is very rainy/windy you are more likely to drop the signal, whereas I think this is less likely with Virgin as it's via underground cable... (I don't have any of them any more so not trying to convince either way)


Reply ID 73863

27/04/2010 by codek2

yes thats true - the signal does drop in extreme weather conditions. I've seen it drop 2 or 3 times in the 4 years i've had it. Usually comes straight back though. And when it does; I'm usually gawping out the window at the mad weather :)


Reply ID 73865

27/04/2010 by Frenchie

quote:
Originally posted by Steve
quote:
Originally posted by Frenchie
I have it fine, just wish we were getting freeview HD this year...seems we are are one of the last areas to get switched on
We're one of the first actually. Freeview HD is currently transmitted out of Crystal Palace. http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/article7097233.ece
When I enter my postcode on http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/article7097233.ece it says not available.. [:(] If I'm not point at Crystal place the where am I pointing ?


Reply ID 73868

27/04/2010 by Steve

quote:
Originally posted by Frenchie
quote:
Originally posted by Steve
quote:
Originally posted by Frenchie
I have it fine, just wish we were getting freeview HD this year...seems we are are one of the last areas to get switched on
We're one of the first actually. Freeview HD is currently transmitted out of Crystal Palace. http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/article7097233.ece
When I enter my postcode on http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/article7097233.ece it says not available.. [:(] If I'm not point at Crystal place the where am I pointing ?
Don't rely on the postcode checker, it's not very reliable. It says not available for my postcode, yet I and my neighbours all get it. (Freeview that is, not HD)


Reply ID 73869

27/04/2010 by Ray_by_the_Beane

quote:
Originally posted by Frenchie
quote:
Originally posted by Steve
quote:
Originally posted by Frenchie
I have it fine, just wish we were getting freeview HD this year...seems we are are one of the last areas to get switched on
We're one of the first actually. Freeview HD is currently transmitted out of Crystal Palace. http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/article7097233.ece
When I enter my postcode on http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/article7097233.ece it says not available.. [:(] If I'm not point at Crystal place the where am I pointing ?
If you are getting Freeview and your aerial is not not pointing to Crystal Palace, you must be pointing at Sandy in Bedfordshire. You should be able to tell by which regional news you get -- if it is Anglia, then it is Sandy; if it is London, then it is Crystal Palace. As far as I know the Bengeo water tower repeater for London transmissions(if that is the correct term), will be one of the last to switch over to digital.


Reply ID 73884

27/04/2010 by Leo Densian

quote:
Originally posted by codek2
Sky is very good - good service, and prices same as everyone else. They also have the best set top box / recorder on the market - it's fast, snappy, and unbelievably easy to use. No other box comes close in my view
My sky HD box is currently pixellating like crazy, cutting out, cancelling recordings and has to be rebooted on a regular basis. Cheers Rupert. [V]


Reply ID 73893

28/04/2010 by codek2

How old is your dish/cable? Sounds like a problem with the receiving hardware, not the box. ivy growing over the dish? cable become snagged somewhere? Or it could even be the dish has moved - then you'll need it re-aligned.


Reply ID 73897

28/04/2010 by Frenchie

quote:
Originally posted by Ray_by_the_Beane
quote:
Originally posted by Frenchie
quote:
Originally posted by Steve
quote:
Originally posted by Frenchie
I have it fine, just wish we were getting freeview HD this year...seems we are are one of the last areas to get switched on
We're one of the first actually. Freeview HD is currently transmitted out of Crystal Palace. http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/article7097233.ece
When I enter my postcode on http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/article7097233.ece it says not available.. [:(] If I'm not point at Crystal place the where am I pointing ?
If you are getting Freeview and your aerial is not not pointing to Crystal Palace, you must be pointing at Sandy in Bedfordshire. You should be able to tell by which regional news you get -- if it is Anglia, then it is Sandy; if it is London, then it is Crystal Palace. As far as I know the Bengeo water tower repeater for London transmissions(if that is the correct term), will be one of the last to switch over to digital.
I must be pointing at Crystal Palce as I get London local news. Does this mean i will have HD now or soon ? or do I use the "repeater" ?!?


Reply ID 73901

28/04/2010 by Steve

quote:
Originally posted by Frenchie
quote:
Originally posted by Ray_by_the_Beane
quote:
Originally posted by Frenchie
quote:
Originally posted by Steve
quote:
Originally posted by Frenchie
I have it fine, just wish we were getting freeview HD this year...seems we are are one of the last areas to get switched on
We're one of the first actually. Freeview HD is currently transmitted out of Crystal Palace. http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/article7097233.ece
When I enter my postcode on http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/article7097233.ece it says not available.. [:(] If I'm not point at Crystal place the where am I pointing ?
If you are getting Freeview and your aerial is not not pointing to Crystal Palace, you must be pointing at Sandy in Bedfordshire. You should be able to tell by which regional news you get -- if it is Anglia, then it is Sandy; if it is London, then it is Crystal Palace. As far as I know the Bengeo water tower repeater for London transmissions(if that is the correct term), will be one of the last to switch over to digital.
I must be pointing at Crystal Palce as I get London local news. Does this mean i will have HD now or soon ? or do I use the "repeater" ?!?
To receive Freeview HD you need an HD receiver. This is not to be confused with an "HD Ready" TV, which simply has the the ability to show HD quality pictures, not the receiving equipment. http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/article7097233.ece


Reply ID 73902

28/04/2010 by Ray_by_the_Beane

quote:
Originally posted by Frenchie
quote:
Originally posted by Ray_by_the_Beane
quote:
Originally posted by Frenchie
quote:
Originally posted by Steve
quote:
Originally posted by Frenchie
I have it fine, just wish we were getting freeview HD this year...seems we are are one of the last areas to get switched on
We're one of the first actually. Freeview HD is currently transmitted out of Crystal Palace. http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/article7097233.ece
When I enter my postcode on http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/article7097233.ece it says not available.. [:(] If I'm not point at Crystal place the where am I pointing ?
If you are getting Freeview and your aerial is not not pointing to Crystal Palace, you must be pointing at Sandy in Bedfordshire. You should be able to tell by which regional news you get -- if it is Anglia, then it is Sandy; if it is London, then it is Crystal Palace. As far as I know the Bengeo water tower repeater for London transmissions(if that is the correct term), will be one of the last to switch over to digital.
I must be pointing at Crystal Palce as I get London local news. Does this mean i will have HD now or soon ? or do I use the "repeater" ?!?
If you are pointing towards Crystal Palace, High Definition Freeview is curremtly being transmitted. However, you need a new set top box to recieve it. These are only now coming on the market and are around £200 the last time I looked. High Definition Freeview hard disk recorders and TV's with inbuilt High Definition Freeview are due to come on the market about now (the Toshiba 500 recorder is available already but is about £400). Hopefully these prices will steadily decrease over the coming months. So unless you desperately need to see the World Cup in high definition Freeview[:)], it is probably wise to wait a few months.


Reply ID 73905

28/04/2010 by Frenchie

Thanks for info chaps. I cant wait so I will be on Amazon shortly !


Reply ID 73907

28/04/2010 by Ray_by_the_Beane

quote:
Originally posted by Frenchie
Thanks for info chaps. I cant wait so I will be on Amazon shortly !
I just checked the official Freeview web site, some set top boxes are now down to £99. The TVs and recorders are still only for "pre-order" at the moment. One thing to be wary of if searching on the net and Amazon is that you may see references to HD Freeview recorders. In that context HD usually means hard disk not high definition. High definition HD Freeview recorders are only "pre-order" at the moment and rather expensive. Best to pop into Albany Radio for advice.


Reply ID 78005

26/11/2010 by Frenchie

Freeview HD....are we supposed to get it ? I have got hold of an HD freeview box but i cant get any HD signals....I though North London was getting it :(


Reply ID 78006

26/11/2010 by thefair1973

maybe they did, but Hertford is North OF London, not North London.


Reply ID 78007

26/11/2010 by Frenchie

Thanks for that.... I thought i had heard it was possible to get the signal in Hertford ?


Reply ID 78026

28/11/2010 by Ray_by_the_Beane

quote:
Originally posted by Frenchie
Thanks for that.... I thought i had heard it was possible to get the signal in Hertford ?
You certainly can get the four Freeview HD channels in Hertford if your aerial is pointing to Crystal Palace. However, where I live the signal strength is 6 out 10 whereas for standard Freeview it is 9 or 10 out of 10. So I sometimes lose the signal when there is heavy rain, but most of the time it is fine. I understand, however, that the transmitter power will be raised ten fold once the analogue channels are switched off in 2012 so the signal strength should be higher then.


25 replies