TV Aerials have been placed on roofs in the UK for over 80 years. They are a fixture on a house that we tend to forget about until they are damaged in a storm and stop functioning. Corrosion caused by the exposed position will typically take its toll and according to Ofcom they generally will be replaced every ten years, although some may carry on working for years more. But when they do fail that is when we need the services of TV Aerial Installation Essex.
The cost of installing a new aerial (the complete system) will typically average around £200, but costs may be different in some areas of the country. If it is just a replacement aerial required, to be connected to existing cables, then the cost will be substantially cheaper, between £80 to £100.
The major forms of TV broadcast in the UK include
Terrestrial Digital TV
To receive terrestrial TV you will need an aerial which is typically affixed to the roof, or in the loft. In some places, it may be possible to use a set-top aerial, but quite frankly the signal will not be satisfactory in most cases. The only current terrestrial digital TV service is Freeview. In most cases, this service is available using the old analog aerials as described above. Check with TV Aerial Installation Essex that your old aerial is still up to the job.
Cable TV
Some parts of the UK have access to Cable TV, there were many Cable TV operations at one time, they eventually merged into two large operators, Telewest and NTL. The two big players then merged to form Virgin Media.
Satellite TV
There are two Satellite TV services in the UK. One is operated by Sky Television and the other Freesat. To receive Sky, it is necessary to have a Sky Receiver, and for their encrypted channels, a subscription. Freesat may be picked up by any standard digital receiver, and tuned manually. If a Freesat branded receiver is purchased it will automatically tune itself.
IPTV
A new entrant to the Uk is IPTV (Internet Protocol Television) which is delivered via the Internet. There is an increasing number of companies offering this service, which is typically supplied in tandem with a Broadband service. This can be viewed on Internet-connected devices.
A variant of IPTV is operated by BT who supplies TV services via their cables and IPTV. A limited number of other companies have similar operations.
Roof Top TV Aerials Revisited
YouView
Youview is a hybrid digital service, launched in 2012, that operates a standard TV operation through Freeview, supplemented by on-demand services provided through the Internet. Viewers need to purchase a YouView box. There is no subscription or contract.
YouView has revitalized the market for traditional rooftop and loft TV aerial and brought us in a complete circle back to the original TV aerials we described.
BT, PlusNet, TalkTalk all have variants of the basic YouView service that have additional channels available to their subscribers. There is a degree of integration with NetFlix which allows those with a NetFlix account to log into Netflix through YouView.
To watch YouView you which will cost from £65 upwards and a digital aerial which we described in the very first paragraph.