Gyn_Paul Posted November 26, 2007 Share Posted November 26, 2007 Ok I'll be the first to admit that this is an academic question of very little interest to almost everyone.My friend in the UK who has recently had a new so-called 'digital' aerial installed for Freeview was told by his electrician (there doing some other job) that... ".. to go with that, you really need some proper digital cable, mate." "What? Do you mean some sort of low-loss coax?" "Nah, it's not coax, its digital " or words to that effect.Now - to me - this sounds like complete and utter bovine gonads, or am I missing something (something vital, probably)?Yes the signal strengths of Freeview transmissions are (currently) lower than the ordinary analogue ones, and thus you need a decent signal to avoid the pictures falling off the digital cliff, but as for digital aerials and digital cables???? I understood that the signal was a digital bitstream modulating an ANALOGUE carrier? Am I completely wrong ?p Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anton Redman Posted November 27, 2007 Share Posted November 27, 2007 You may have to change your aerial, you may have to improve your cable but neither piece of equipment is specefically digital. Following the SATCURE site with some interest as I shuuder to think what France will be like when they make the transition/ switch off analogue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin963 Posted November 27, 2007 Share Posted November 27, 2007 It has more to do with a lot of so called "professionals" not having a clue.We used to be quite amused at the sale of "digital radios" in the 1980's; what the stores meant was that the display was digital. We used to wander down from LBH to John Lewis or the Tottenham Court Road at lunchtime and find some sales assistant to wind up on the subject. They were always stumped when questioned in more and more detail as to how exactly these radios were "digital", and who was providing the digital transmissions for them. The only thing to be said is that dodgy digital signals can sometimes be pulled back from the brink by using top quality cable. But everything else should be checked as well.You knew all that already Paul didn't you!!PS I'm always amused by "digital headphones" too at £4.99. You see them everywhere now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil & Pat Posted November 28, 2007 Share Posted November 28, 2007 [quote user="Martinwatkins"]PS I'm always amused by "digital headphones" too at £4.99. You see them everywhere now.[/quote]Don't they just make a hissing noise? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nearly Retired (I am now) Posted November 28, 2007 Share Posted November 28, 2007 In the 1960s and 1970s it was GT this and GT that. In 1980s and 1990s we then had turbo this and turbo that - you know, turbo dog food, turbo window cleaner etc.It's now the turn of "digital". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin963 Posted November 28, 2007 Share Posted November 28, 2007 .... you missed the "FM" phase - there were even trousers labelled FM. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gyn_Paul Posted November 28, 2007 Author Share Posted November 28, 2007 My keyboard is digital: - I work it with my fingers!p Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gyn_Paul Posted November 28, 2007 Author Share Posted November 28, 2007 I used to have fun in Comet and Currys enquiring exactly which part of this (CRT) TV was actually digital. And I'm sure we've all had variations on the conversation along the lines of, -"I'm looking for a TV to work in France" "Well this one here says it will play NTSC""Yes, I noticed. I'm sure that's quite lovely but I'm going to France, not America" "Yes, that's NTSC.""What is?" "NTSC""What do you mean?" "That's what they have if they don't have our TV""You mean if they don't have PAL? "That's it""No, it's not" "Yes it is, it's PAL here, and NTSC abroad""Really? "Yes. You'll definitely need NTSC.""Right..... so what's SECAM then ?" "SECAM ????" So cruel. But such sport.p Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin963 Posted November 29, 2007 Share Posted November 29, 2007 Glad it's not just me who winds up these poor people.Mind you I was stopped dead in my tracks about ten years ago when a lady in Curry's actually COULD tell me what NICAM stood for. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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