duffer

We have the switch off due tomorrow. Just wanted to know from others who have already switched over from analogue to digital if the switchover happened on the scheduled day or if there was a period in which you could still view analogue channels. Also, is there anyone who cannot obtain a digital signal or are missing some channels?

I have access only to the Mediaset Premium digital channels, there are no Rai channels available so I presume that once the switch off happens tomorrow, we will be without Italian TV. Not such a bad thing...

Lorna at Vicenza

I don't understand much of any of this but I know you do Duffer so:

Will I be able to get the Italian channels through the Italian Sky box?
Do I need one of those digi key things that are being advertised on tv?
Will the little portable tv be dead and defunct from tomorrow?

duffer

Ciao Lorna,

Whatever Italian channels are available now through your Sky Italia box will continue to be available.

You can add the Sky digital key to your Sky Italia box so that you can have all the national channels, e.g. Rai and Mediaset available on your Sky EPG so that you can see what's on now and next and also record them. It doesn't actually give you anything extra apart from the convenience of using just 1 remote control.

If your main TV has a digital terrestrial decoder built in and you can receive the digital channels then you are have no problem receiving a signal. So you can buy of one those little decoders (the tiny ones that plug into the scart socket on the back as opposed to the set-top box decoders - http://www.bow.it/Ricevitore-Digital...i/default.aspx) for your little TV. Otherwise you can use it as a CCTV monitor, a defective goldfish bowl or picture frame.

Lorna at Vicenza

Thanks a lot Duffer.

I don't watch Italian tv but OH watches the news and other stuff. He used the little portable in the bedroom sometimes to watch racing on Sunday afternoons ......... but I've just checked it and it doesn't have a scart so I suppose that means it's a useless piece of junk now.

duffer

Well, has the TV got the 3 coloured inputs? yellow, red and white? in which case you just need an adaptor.

Lorna at Vicenza

No - it's got a plug and one of those round hole things for the arial and that's it.

It is about 18 years old !

duffer

Do you have an old video recorder with a scart input? Connect that to the old TV via the old RF lead and plug in a digital set top box via scart to the video recorder...

Lorna at Vicenza

Wouldn't it just be easier (if more expensive) to buy a small, new flat screen tv?

I can't have OH watching football/rugby and racing in the lounge. The noise of the commentators and the racing drives me crazy. I need to kick him into the bedroom.

I have got an old video recorder though.

LivingHere

Buy him one for Xmas

duffer

Yes a new TV would be simply if not cheaper.

Or just make sure you buy a digital terrestrial set top box with a modulated output, the majority don't have. Or you can buy a separate RF modulator for about 20-25 Euro but this would mean you having to buy 2 devices whereas the video already has the modulator built-in.

Or like LivingHere mentions, you can get him one for Xmas or his birthday or for when you're feeling guilty for whatever reason.

37100

They switched our Rai over last week and it's a bit hit and miss as to whether we get Rai digital or not. Can't get Rai 4/news/cimena/storia etc at all. They haven't switched over Mediaset yet. We can get canale 5 and Italia 1. Our ariel man told us that they are putting a new mast up in Zai and we should get more then, but we needed a new ariel for that. We haven't got a digital key because it's free if you get a new packet etc. otherwise they want €20 for 'attivazione'. And any way, I can't get Sky at the moment because next door had multivision put in and they fiddled with our system. Sky wants €54 to put it right so I'm waiting for our ariel man. It will cost more and he is too busy at the moment, but I'm damned if I'm paying Sky. Switch off for us is 10th of dec and I'm waiting until then to re-programme everything because when they did it in Turin I re-programmed every time and ended up doing it several times in a few days for us and our elderly relatives. They finally switched off after about 10days and that was the end of the analogue single.
If you do buy a new t.v. Don't go for the cheaper ones. Their digital receivers tend to be crappy and you'll end up having to re-programme manually. Easy to do, but a pain. And if you buy a box, one that updates itself while in stand-by is an almost must. Learnt this at my expense.

Lorna at Vicenza

Thanks both to Duffer and 37100. I'll bear what you have both said in mind.

duffer

So do you have any channels on your small TV today?

Lorna at Vicenza

Not a single one - just loads of fuzzy white "snow"

Bugger! Now where am I going to send OH to watch football, news and politics?

Lorna at Vicenza

Duffer - what's the difference between :

Sintonizzatore DVB-T
and
Digitale Terrestre Integrato ?

Thanks