Digital TV: How To Connect For Free, Including To An Old TV

2024 Author: Bailey Albertson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 12:53

Digital TV: how to connect for free

The transition to digital television is underway throughout the country. Support for the outdated analog broadcasting format will soon be discontinued. And this means that you should take care of connecting digital television now, when you still have time before disconnecting the old broadcasting option.

Content

• 1 General information on digital switchover

  1.1 The cost of switching to digital television

• 2 Instructions for the transition to digital television

  2.1 Video: the transition to digital broadcasting in Russia

General information on digital switchover

Why is digital television being preferred more and more often? It has many advantages over analogue broadcasting:

• higher image quality - the picture in digital television is clearer and smoother. It allows you to fully convey bright colors and display the picture on a large screen without blurring the image;

  

  Image quality varies greatly depending on the type of signal

• more channels - in digital television, there are initially more channels than a conventional analog antenna can pick up. At the same time, it is possible to connect additional channels if desired. The standard digital broadcasting package contains about twenty popular TV channels;
• stable operation - digital television works without interference or image distortion. If any serious problems arise with the signal, the picture may disappear altogether, but until this critical moment the image will be transmitted in full.

Now the transition to digital television is taking place at the state level - analogue broadcasting will soon be abandoned and it will be switched off throughout Russia. But the staff of RTRS (Russian Television and Radio Broadcasting Network) are trying to do everything to make the transition comfortable for citizens. They provide assistance in purchasing equipment, perform free setup and stage-by-stage digitalization of various regions of the country. At the moment, the end of the transition to digital television can be considered the fourth stage, which is scheduled for October 2019. The shifts in timing were caused by the summer cottage season, when many citizens find it inconvenient to waste time replacing and setting up television equipment.

The cost of switching to digital television

How much does it cost to connect to digital TV? The answer to this is definitely not so simple. By itself, connecting to the main digital channels is completely free. There is no monthly fee for their use either. However, you may need the following equipment:

• digital set-top box - you will need a set-top box if your TV model does not support DVB-T2 signal reception. All new TVs have a similar receiver, that is, you only need to buy a set-top box if you are using an old model. The price of such a console is about one thousand rubles. In addition, some social groups (the poor) can be provided with such a prefix free of charge, if the regional leadership is concerned about it;
• antenna for receiving a signal - you will need to install an antenna. You can do it yourself, but a purchased device will receive a signal better. If you are installing an antenna on the roof, then you should not forget about the lightning rod. A self-made antenna will pick up a signal in a rather narrow range, but it can still serve as a temporary solution. You can make an antenna yourself, for example, from beer cans.

Thus, the cost of switching to digital television is made up of the cost of the required equipment. At the same time, the installation of this equipment can be done for you free of charge - specially trained volunteers are engaged in this. Connection can cost you completely free if you have a modern TV and make a suitable antenna.

Instructions for the transition to digital television

Given the information above, let's take a step-by-step look at your steps if you want to switch to digital television:

1. The first step you need to understand is whether you are actually using analog broadcasting or already digital. In some cases, the transition could have occurred unnoticed by the user. In order to understand the type of broadcasting, pay attention to any state TV channel, for example, "First". If there is a letter A next to the channel sign, then the channel is transmitted via analog broadcasting and will be disconnected later. Otherwise, the channel is still connected via digital broadcasting and it costs nothing to change.

   

   You can determine the type of broadcast simply by looking at the corner of the screen

2. After that, you should make sure that your region is already making the transition to digital broadcasting. There is a transition in stages. The third phase of this transition has not yet begun - it will be completed on June 3, 2019. The fourth will take place only on October 14th. At the moment, the transition has been completed in the following territories: Magadan, Penza, Ryazan, Tula, Ulyanovsk, Yaroslavl, Amur, Ivanovsk, Kemerovo, Kirov, Kostroma, Kurgan, Lipetsk, Moscow, Novgorod, Sakhalin, Tyumen regions; Chechen, Kabardino-Balkarian, Karachay-Cherkess, Udmurt and Chuvash republics, as well as in Moscow, Kalmykia and Mordovia. You can find out detailed information about the digital coverage area using a special map published on the RTRS website at this link.

   

   On the map you can explore the digital TV broadcast area

3. After that, it's worth examining your TV. The easiest way to get acquainted with its characteristics is on the box or on the manufacturer's website. You are wondering if it supports receiving DVB-T2 broadcasts. If so, you do not need to buy a console. Today, almost all TVs on the market that came out after 2013 support this signal. The cost of such a TV starts at seven thousand rubles.

   

   Most modern TVs are capable of receiving DVB-T2 signal without additional devices

4. If your TV does not support DVB-T2 reception, then you need to purchase a digital set-top box. All of them are approximately the same in quality, but, of course, it is better to take in a trusted place where you will be provided with a guarantee. Such a set-top box must receive a DVB-T2 signal and even itself can be equipped with a simple antenna. It is possible to buy a high-quality set-top box for about a thousand rubles, so you shouldn't overpay.

   

   For older TVs, you have to use a digital set-top box

5. Connect the set-top box to the TV. Most likely, ordinary "tulips" will be used for these purposes, so that you can even connect to an old TV. For a newer one, it is better to connect via an HDMI cable. If you have any problems installing the set-top box, you can contact RTRS volunteers.

   

   The set-top box is connected using standard cables

6. Next, you need to install the antenna. For high-quality signal reception, it is necessary that the antenna looks towards the digital broadcasting tower (if it is within line of sight) or towards the building, from which the broadcast signal will be reflected. The exact installation of the antenna using the instruments can be performed by the same volunteers.

   

   It is better to install the antenna on the roof of the house

7. And now you can start setting up the equipment. Open the TV settings using the Menu button on its remote control and selecting the appropriate item.

   

   Go to your TV settings

8. Try to find the signal automatically. If you are asked for a source, then select digital DVB-T2 broadcasting.

   

   Select "Auto Search" for automatic signal selection

9. If necessary (if the signal is not automatically configured), you can fill in the settings manually. To do this, enter 314 MHz in the "signal frequency" field, set the modulation value to 256 and the transmission rate limit to 6845.

   

   You can enter the signal data manually

10. The search process will begin, during which the equipment will try to pick up the digital signal. Do not interrupt this process until it reaches the end. If the signal is still not detected, then you should make sure that the antenna is installed correctly.

    

    Wait for the digital TV signal to be detected

In case of problems during the connection process, you can contact the RTRS hotline. You can do this by calling 8-800-220-2002. The hotline accepts calls at any time of the day. Consultants will help you with any questions you may have.

Video: transition to digital broadcasting in Russia

Switching to digital television in Russia will not be difficult. Someone will need to purchase the necessary equipment, while others already have everything they need. The main thing is to know exactly what actions should be taken to switch to digital television and now you have all the necessary information.