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New to
Freeview? Some help getting started...
Freeview is a Digital TV service that
allows you to watch extra channels via your TV aerial. You don't need
a satellite dish, and there's no subscription charge - all you need is a Freeview set-top
box.
As long as you're in a good reception area, you should be able to
view around 30 TV channels and over
20 radio channels.
For information on Freeview and what's available on the channels, see
our main Freeview page
This page is aimed at people looking to switch over to Freeview, to take advantage of the free extra
channels, and this page should help you get started.
How to get
Freeview:
Freeview is transmitted
over the air in a similar way to the standard five TV channels, but using
a new type of transmission system. You receive the signals via a TV aerial that's pointing at a TV transmitter... this means that you have to be in a coverage area.
To check this, enter your
postcode at www.digitaluk.co.uk/postcodechecker/,
and see which of the Freeview channels it should be possible to receive
in your area.
| Step 2 - Get a Set-top
box |
If you are in a coverage area, you'll
need to get a free-to-air set-top box. These plug into your TV set or
video recorder, and convert the signal from your standard aerial into
digital TV channels.
Boxes can be purchased for a one-off fee, starting from around £20 for a basic box. They can can
be bought from high-street stores such as
Comet
and Currys,
but shopping online for a set-top
box is often the best route, as there are some good bargains to be had.
Here are a few things to consider
when buying a Freeview box:
- Price:
Prices start from around £20 - no subscription, installation or
ongoing costs (apart from the standard UK TV licence).
- Connectivity:
All boxes have a single SCART socket as standard, for connection either
to a TV or video. You may want to consider improving your connection
options by getting a box with a second SCART socket that allows connection
to both a TV and video recorder. If connecting to a TV or video that
doesn't have a SCART socket, you need to look for a set-top box that
has a 'modulated' output (i.e.
that can transmit TV on a special channel that you can tune your TV/VHS
into).

A SCART plug
- Features:
All boxes allow you to access the standard Freeview TV and radio channels.
Most boxes also support interactive
services (digital teletext, 'the red button') and subtitles. More
advanced boxes have extra features such as electronic programme guides
(EPG), built-in games and programme
timers. Top-of-the-range boxes come with Internet
/ email access, built-in CD / DVD players, DVD recorders, or hard-disk
recorders.
Consider what features you're looking for, and browse what's on offer
on our set-top box page
|
Radio & Telly's Freeview Quick Picks
|
Basic, easy-to-use, low-priced Freeview box with 2 SCARTs, the Matsui DTR3. Currys £24.99 |
Freeview, hard-disk recorder with video-on-demand. Box free to BT Total Broadband customers. More |
The Humax PVR-9200TS box includes a hard-disk recorder that hold 160 hours of TV. Martin Dawes & Dixons £155 |
If you're looking
to buy a Freeview receiver, see our set-top
box page for the full range of UK boxes, and try our interactive set-top
box selector, where you can choose your features, browse for the lowest
prices, and arrange delivery. You can also browse our forum
and our Review
Section to see user's comments on various boxes.
| Step 3 - Connecting
the Set-top box |
Once
you have got your new Freeview set-top box, you'll need to connect the
aerial. Unplug the aerial
lead (the one that runs up to your roof/loft TV aerial) from the back
of your TV or VHS recorder, and plug this lead
into the 'aerial in' socket on the Freeview box.
- You
now need to connect from your Freeview box to the TV. If your TV has
a SCART socket, connect from the Freeview
box to the TV via a SCART lead. If your TV doesn't have a SCART lead,
you can connect from your box to your TV using a standard aerial lead
(Note you must have a Freeview box with a 'modulator' for this configuration.
Details).
- The
next step is to tune your TV into the Freeview box channel. Switch on
your TV and Freeview box. If using SCART,
then you should switch your TV to the "AV", "Aux"
or "Line in" feed. If using an aerial lead, you'll need to
tune your TV into the output of the Freeview box, in the same way you'd
tune in a standard TV station. Refer to your TV manual for details on
how to do this.
- With
the box connected, you'll need to scan for Freeview channels. Go to
the Freeview box's onscreen menu, and perform a "Store channels".
The box will scan for Freeview channels (may take a couple of minutes),
and then show you what it's found.
That's
it - Happy viewing!
Connecting via a video recorder
If you want to connect via your
VHS video recorder, follow the same basic procedure, but go from the aerial
to the set-top-box, then from the set-top-box to the video input, then
from the video to the TV set. For more help getting connected, see our
dedicated Connection page

Freeview
problems?
- Answers to Freeview reception
difficulty and connection problems can be found on our Freeview
FAQ page
- If your question isn't answered,
please leave a message in our Freeview
forum
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