What is Freeview?
Freeview is the free Digital TV and Radio service that is broadcast from existing terrestrial transmitters. It gives you up to 50 free Digital TV channels including the 8 BBC and over 20 Radio stations. With Freeview+ you'll get all the benefits of tape-free digital recording on top of access to Freeview's great range of TV and radio channels. HD is coming soon to Freeview. With no subscription and no contract, Freeview HD will bring you clearer, sharper and more lifelike pictures.
Click here to download the latest Freeview channel information.
How do I get it?
You need to be in an area that has Freeview coverage and have a digital FreeView box and Digital Aerial installation.
How do I find out if I am in an area that has adequate coverage?
You can get a rough indication by entering your postcode into the DTG group database. However if you are between a good reception area and a poor one your local CAI aerial expert is likely to be able to give you better advice. If you live in the Ayrshire area then please contact us, even if you have previously been told that you can't get adequate reception in your area in Ayrshire.
With our database of our local reception conditions we will be able to give you one of 3 answers:
- Yes it should work at your home with our standard digital aerial installation. If you purchase a Freeview box from us and have us install it, we will measure the digital signal quality of your existing aerial and advise you - See Digital Aerials.
- We believe that it is possible for you to get reception but you may need a Digital High gain installation. To know conclusively we require to carry out a digital reception survey by calling at your home and measuring the digital levels at roof level with a digital test meter.
- Reception at present is not possible.
Why is the DTG Database only good as a rough guide?
The postcode areas they use cover quite large areas and where a certain postcode is declared bad by the DTG database we very often can get adequate results at areas within that postcode. The DTG database was set up when DTT (Digital Terrestrial Television) first started. At the time DTT receivers, transmission encoding, digital aerials and digital me of OnDigital. The UK DTT service was the first in the world. At that time measurement equipment was not so good as it is now. Also, we as installers didn't have much experience in this new field.
OnDigital (later ITVdigital and now defunct) was under pressure to gain as many subscribers to their service as possible and initially set the reception threshold too low. After a period of many failed installations the threshold levels were altered. Since Freeview started the DTG have had no feedback as they don't know at which addresses freeview boxes are being used successfully. So the database is relatively unchanged.