On/ITV
Digital Reception Guide Version 0.1b
So many people in uk.tech.digital-tv have queries about reception problems I thought I’d try my hand at a small (non-technical) guide. This is not intended to be an FAQ because I would just end up repeating information already available and is not intended to be a technical document. I am not a professional installer. Hell, I can’t even promise that this stuff is right. This is the second draft – if anyone has any ideas, wishes to add anything or wants to report mistakes then please email me.
Please feel free to reproduce this guide in any way. All I ask is that if you modify it you email me a copy, credit me with it and include a link back to here if possible.
Before reading this you might want to check up on some of the general information on The ICT Website
Can I receive ITV Digital where I live?
If you were sold the box by a reputable high street store or directly from ITV Digital then they should have checked to see if you should be able to receive all channels and not sold you the box otherwise. If not check here for more info.
I live in an area of poor coverage – isn’t there any way
I can still get DTT?
Possibly, but you will have difficulty getting a subscription from ITV Digital. You may have to tell the retailer that it is a gift and give someone else’s address or buy a second hand box outright. Again check here to predict the coverage in your area.
I have bought a DVB TV/IDTV how do I get all of the pay
channels.
In order to make an IDTV work with ITV Digital you will need a CAM. If you are going to subscribe ITV Digital will happily provide you with one for the duration of your subscription. If you are not planning to subscribe (wink wink) you will need to buy an Aston SECA CAM, preferably version 1.05. The CAM will fit into your TV and then the viewing card will fit into the CAM.
Be warned – DVB TV’s/IDTV’s are notorious for not getting their software updated by the manufacturers. This means that you will not normally be able to receive PPV or access much of the interactive content. PPV may work if you have an Aston 1.05 CAM.
I have just subscribed and gotten a brand new box – what
do I do now?
Follow the instructions and then enjoy – this guide is only any use if you have followed the instructions and still have no joy.
I have followed the instructions but some/all channels
are missing/un-watchable.
Welcome to the fun world of ITV Digital. Although digital signals do not need to be as powerful as their analogue counterparts they are much more prone to interference and poor aerial installations and so require a better quality signal. With analogue a poor quality signal is usually still watchable – with digital a poor quality signal often means no picture or sounds at all.
The good news is that your reception can probably be greatly improved.
If you are a genuine subscriber the first thing you should do is to telephone ITV Digital. They will perform an aerial upgrade for £25 – for that price it’s not worth doing it yourself and they usually do an excellent job.
If you are not a subscriber then you have two options: DIY or PAY
PAY - If you are going to pay someone to put a new aerial in for you try and find someone from the local area recommended by a customer who has had similar problems to you. As well as there being a lot of cowboys in the industry, there are also some dinosaurs that have never bothered to learn about installing DTT. Make sure that they guarantee that the new aerial installation will be suitable for DTT. Try and find someone who has been recommended locally.
DIY – If you are going to do it yourself then I will say two words to you - Rod Hull.
If, after you have considered the fate of this determined Manchester United Fan, you still want to DIY then read on:
Before you start check with Wolfbane to see if your aerial is pointing at a digital transmitter. If it's not you need to find the most appropriate transmitter (again from Wolfbane), then check here to make sure that the same transmitter broadcasts analogue channels and here to check channel 5 coverage. If your aerial is pointing the wrong way, and the checks you did show that you can receive both analogue, digital and channel 5 from a single, more appropriate, transmitter you may only need to move your current aerial to point in the correct direction with the correct polarisation. If there is no common transmitter for all then you will need to install a separate aerial for ITV Digital. These links will also give you an idea of which aerial group you need and whether it should be high gain or amplified but don't take this information as gospel - there is no substitute for trying things out for yourself.
The first thing you should try is just replacing the downlead from the aerial to your STB. See points 8 and 9. Never use your old downlead with a new aerial.
If this fails and your aerial looks in good shape, you may be able to just re-site your existing aerial. See points 7 and 11 onwards.
DO NOT BE TEMPTED TO JUST ADD A SET-BACK SIGNAL BOOSTER (as found in Comet, Curry’s, Argos, Index, etc) as this works for very few people. It is unusual for the signal to be too weak as signal strength is not a big issue for digital TV and even if the strength is weak, a set back amplifier will rarely give good results. If you absolutely have to use an amplifier then get a masthead amplifier and power supply from somewhere like Maplins as these give vastly superior results. Install the masthead amp as close as possible to the aerial itself (mount it on the pole if possible). Alternatively, if you live in a good signal area but the length of the cable run from your aerial to your STB is very long, an in-line amplifier in conjunction with CT125 cable may be a better/cheaper option – again try Maplins. Try to think of a TV signal as a recording on an audio tape - if the recording is too quiet to start with then just turning up the volume (amplifying) will introduce loads of noise. You may be able to reach a decent volume but the 'noise' introduced will make it much less pleasant to listen to. TV signals are exactly the same - much of the signal is lost in the downlead between the aerial and your STB. Therefore Amplifying the signal before it is degraded in the cable means that the signal you receive into your STB will be much closer to the original, with far less noise. With audio tapes noise means unpleasant listening - with digital TV noise means it probably won't work reliably.
Find out which transmitter is the best for your area here. If you have a neighbor who already receives digital TV successfully have a look which direction his aerial is pointing (excuse me madam). If you live very close to a transmitter then it is possible that the signal is too strong. If this is the case you will probably need to consult a specialist, although if you want to try signal attenuators (which reduce the signal) from somewhere like Maplins they are usually fairly inexpensive.
If you are in an area where reception of all six MUX’s is supposed to be possible then don’t waste money on a huge, expensive aerial – it’s not necessary and may cause you more problems later. I recommend Televes equipment but there are plenty of others out there. If you are in a fringe area then you may benefit from a high gain and/or channelised aerial.
DO NOT PUT YOUR AERIAL IN THE LOFT IF AT ALL POSSIBLE. If it absolutely has to go in the loft then discount the above aerial advice and buy the biggest, highest gain aerial you can and only buy the best.
Find out the digital and analogue channel numbers from Wolfbane Cybernetic or the ITC. Many areas have two transmitters that use different sets of frequencies and it may be useful to try both. Write down the channel numbers for the transmitters – make sure to list both analogue channels and digital multiplexes and include the aerial polarisation.
Use only CT125 or CT100 cable. This type of cable is double screened and helps cut out interference. Make sure you buy a few metres too much – you don’t want to have to put a join in and you can use any leftover to make high quality fly leads. As I said earlier, don't even think of re-using your existing downlead - remember cheap or old downleads cause far more problems than the aerials themselves.
Bear in mind that the type of cable and how you install it is just as important, if not more so, than the aerial itself. Try to use one single cable run all the way from the aerial to your set top box. Each join you make weakens the signal. Also, try not to use a wall plate – it may look professional but they are often badly screened and can also cause interference. Use only double screened fly leads (i.e. not the ones that came free with your video/STB/TV) for connecting your STB to your video and your video to your TV.
Get a friend to help you. I assume you do not have a digital signal meter so you will need someone to watch the TV while you adjust the aerial. Try and choose someone who is not a technophobe, as they will probably have to mess around with your remotes to tune things in.
The higher the elevation of the aerial the better. Ideally, place it on a chimneystack. Choose a spot where there are no immediate obstacles in the line of sight to the transmitter. To give yourself a head start look at the direction the other aerials in your area point. In extreme cases a polar mount may give you a height advantage over obstacles.
As someone who has fallen off a two storey house roof I would strongly recommend you beg, borrow, hire (they are very cheap) or steal (maybe not) a roof ladder – without one you will probably damage your roof and you will need both hands to work anyway. Believe me falling that far is SCARY and I was lucky to survive.
Start early – this job may well take a while and once you lose the light you will have to stop for the day. Weather wise a summer installation can be very pleasant whereas a winter one can be hell.
If it is windy leave it until another day. When your holding the aerial in one hand a strong gust of wind can easily knock you off balance. Make sure you mount the aerial according to the polarisation you wrote down earlier – V (Vertical) is up-and-down and H (Horizontal) is flat.
Once you have the aerial roughly aligned and the new downlead in (don't forget to make sure it's waterproof at the aerial end) get your assistant to tune your TV in to the transmitter (all five analogue channels – remember the stuff you wrote down from Wolfbane Cybernetic? You did write it down didn’t you?). To communicate easily with your assistant a mobile phone (hands free if possible) is very handy. You can quite often get a rough guide of where to point it by looking at the direction of your neighbour’s aerials.
While aligning the aerial concentrate on getting a good picture on all analogue channels first. Channel 5 is usually the worst so start with that.
Once you have a good picture on all analogue channels get your assistant to turn on your STB. If he pushes Menu, 7, 1 it should bring up the signal strength/quality meter built into the box. Push green, then the first multiplex number from your list, then red and wait a couple of seconds. A signal bar should appear with signal strength between 0 and 4. Signal quality is denoted by colour – nothing except a signal that is green all of the time will do. Signal strength is actually fairly unimportant – the rule of thumb is that you should have more than 1 but less than 4 on the bar graph but I have found that it rarely matters. If the signal is not acceptable then adjust the aerial in small stages until it is. Once you have a good quality signal push green, type in the channel number of the next MUX, then push red and check the signal again. Repeat this for all six MUX’s, ensuring that they are all giving you a green signal and adjust as appropriate. Once all MUX’s are being received properly go back and check your analogue channels again. Adjust if necessary.
Now, to tune your STB make sure that your smart card is not inserted, push exit, menu, 5, 4, select and watch. While the box is tuning in, you should see it find between 50 and 60 channels.
Sit back and enjoy. If your receiver hasn’t picked up all of the channels then you may have to go back to step 13 and try again.
Pat yourself on the back if all of this worked or, alternatively, curse me if it didn’t. If it didn’t work and you really have tried everything I have suggested then email me and I will try my best to help/alleviate my guilt.
Glossary:
