i want freeview for christmas but people keep saying that you can't get freeview without conecting it to an outside ariel. i only have an ariel that plugs nto my tv, would it still work with freeview

aaron wiles, October 2005

This *snip* from the "Confederation of Aerial Industries"....
http://www.cai.org.uk/asp/faq.asp#Q6

FAQ..
Q 6. Can I use an indoor set-top aerial with my Freeview receiver?
There is considerable government inspired research going on looking into the effectiveness of set-top or room aerials. They are common in dwellings where access to signal from outdoor aerials or signal networks is difficult. Unfortunately the ‘unforgiving’ nature of digital makes indoor reception very problematic. The same can also be true of loft or roof space aerials.

Cobweb, October 2005

Not impossible but very unlikely. I've installed lots of digital boxes and although I have seen reception off an indoor aerial , it's always been unreliable (ie. picture drops out) or only partial coverage. Then again if you're in a very strong reception area you could be lucky. If you analogue reception is very good with no interference it 'may' work.

An outside wideband aerial designed for digital reception is highly recommended.

Also, the cheap digital boxes (sub £50) are a total waste of time.
To pull in a good signal you'll need a good box (expect £75+).

Check here for advice...
http://www.cai.org.uk/

Check here for coverage...
http://www.dtg.org.uk/retailer/coverage.html

Cobweb, October 2005