The problem with reception of Digital Terrestrial TV in the UK today, is that it's coverage is less, than what the old Analogue service was.
So many campsites by nature of thier location that used to get a Terrestrial Analogue signal, now get nowt!.
So my thoughts would be, if you are bothering to take a TV, you may as well take a satellite Dish and receiver along as well, it's just a pity that they don't seem to make 12" TV's etc with embedded FTA satellite tuners.
If your taking your tv you will need a free view box if its not built in to the telly.Not all campsites recieve a good signal and some get none at all.There is no such thing as a digital aerial but you do need one to give you the best chance of a signal.You will need a pole or better still a tripod stand,maplins do a selections of aerials and like i said go for a good one as a cheapy might not give you a signal
If it is just for emergencys and rainy moments would you not be better with out the hastle and take a portable DVD player and discs as purplebean suggests? If you have a laptop, you can take this for the kids to watch stuff. Its instant and saves alot of faffing around. Have a great trip and fingers crossed the weather is good for you
------------- 2015 Trips
January - Red Squirrel
February - Red Squirrel
March - Gimme Shelter
April - Elie
May - Noah's Ark
May - Riverside, Skipton
May - Blair Castle
June - Braithwaite Bridges
July - The Star
July - Witches Craig
July - Scone
August - Highburn House
September - Gimme Shelter
We take a 15" tv with built in freeview and a built in dvd player which we connect to an external ariel on an adjustable pole which sits in one of those ground spikes
(made for washing poles)
------------- Sue & Phil
--------------------- I Love My AeroBed
The TV transmitters don't send out special signals for people in tents - so you need exactly the same aerial for your tent that the locals need for their houses.
If they can get 40 Freeview channels without any pixilation with a bit of damp string laid at the back of the set, so can you.
If they need a triple arm, 48 element aerial mounted 170m above the local hill with a masthead amplifier, you need one too.
If you want to be sure your kit will work, get a satellite system. Once you have the knack of setting it up (you can practice in the back garden..), you can get a picture almost everywhere in the UK.
100% satellite..! free-view IS NOT AN OPTION FOR CAMPING.
Trust me we have been down that road, and we now use free sat with a HUMAX 500gb hard drive and we can watch all our programmes that we record when at home.
------------- Thats my tent, THE ONE WITH THE CANADIAN FLAG...!
Works for us on most sites.Just connect up the the set and then press auto set up.
Tbh I find that too much of a generalisation. why isn't freeview an option for camping? As Sue says, just connect up the tv and press auto set up or auto tuning to re-tune the tv for the area you're in.
I've taken my freeview tv to nine different sites in the two years since I got it and have had no problem on any of them - in fact I've even used a cheap £7-odd indoor aerial from Argos on a couple of sites and still got a perfect picture.
------------- Tigermouse
I have a very temperamental personality - 50% temper and 50% mental
We take the lappy,internet(when available),music,dvds and freeview tv using a usb pctv stick with the diddy ariel.If there's no freeview tv signal stick a pack of cards in the lappy bag lol.
Quote: Originally posted by Jimb0b on 21/8/2011
We take the lappy,internet(when available),music,dvds and freeview tv using a usb pctv stick with the diddy ariel.If there's no freeview tv signal stick a pack of cards in the lappy bag lol.
we have the laptop a £25 uSB twintuner from maplin and the maplin stubby aerial. works well in most places . cracking signal strength in Newquay (Hendra) but you can see the transmitter in the distance !!