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Free to air TV

Freeview is the new free to air digital TV signal that has been available in New Zealand for nearly 3 years. I still receive many questions from my customers wanting to know how to take advantage of the new digital service so today I'm going why you will want to embrace the new technology.

Benefits of Freeview

Because Freeview is a digital service, you will receive much clearer and more detailed TV pictures when using a Freeview decoder.

Freeview terrestrial (or over-the-air UHF signal) now offers High Definition pictures on 12 channels including TV 1, 2 & 3 for the clearest free-to-air TV in NZ.

You will really notice the difference if you invest in a TV and Freeview decoder that supports hi-def, especially on programmes that are recorded in hi-def by the TV studio. You'll need a TV capable of '1080p' which is nerd speak for the hi-def format.

Recording TV

The greatest benefit of Freeview comes when it is combined with a Freeview decoder capable of recording your favourite TV shows, also known as a DTR (digital TV recorder).

With a suitable decoder you can record TV at the touch of a button. You use the EPG (electronic program guide), which lists the upcoming shows for all your favourite channels, to record a one off show, or even an entire series whenever it is on the air. It will record even if you are not watching the TV or are away from home! Never again will you have to miss an episode.

Plus when you watch a recorded TV show you can fast forward through all of the ad breaks!

Prices start at around $600 for a decoder that can record up to 70 hours of TV, watch and record up to 2 channels at once. More powerful models have more space for recordings and allow more channels to be watched or recorded at once.

Use your PC to watch TV

You can also purchase a tuner card for your desktop or laptop computer. Prices start at around $100. To receive hi-def TV you will need a DVB-T tuner (the T is for Terrestrial), a computer and a TV antenna which is included with most tuners.

You will also need suitable software to view the TV programs which is usually included with the tuner. MythTV (www.mythtv.org) is a popular TV decoding program which is available free from their website.

If you have a computer with Windows Vista or Windows 7 you may already have the Windows software necessary to watch, record, and generally enjoy TV on your computer. Check your Start Menu for a program called Windows Media Centre. Once you install TV tuner and open Windows Media Centre, it will guide you through the process to setup TV on your PC.

You can also install multiple TV tuners to allow multiple channels to be watched and recorded at once. With suitable cables you can even connect your computer to your TV for a great viewing experience.

Links
For more on installing Freeview check the website www.freeviewnz.tv