The long-announced transition to digital TV in Russia is being actively implemented. And many users have a very obvious problem: how to receive digital TV if they do not have the ability or skills to install a special antenna in their apartment. Fortunately, today service companies are equipping homes with centralized receiving devices. But not everyone does this, and sometimes a common house antenna is not capable of working with digital channels.
How can you find out if your home TV antenna has a digital reception function?
A collective antenna is available to several residents of one high-rise building.
If it was installed in the 60-80s of the last century, then such a device has a meter range and will not be able to pick up digital television. For this type of TV, a digital antenna in the decimeter range is required. The collective antenna has the following device diagram:
- receiver - a device that receives a signal from a television tower;
- an amplifier is used to increase the range;
- a special device for distributing the signal to all residents of a particular high-rise building.
If the common antenna did not pick up just analog TV, then it will not work at all on digital TV.
Are collective television antennas installed in new houses?
So here it is. Yesterday, some fellows from Rostelecom were hanging around in the entrance (as reported by the Housing Office), opening the apartment panels, and as a result, the television signal from the antenna was lost. That is, in general. There is no picture, no sound. The housing office gave me the Rostelecom phone number. I'm calling. I say, where is the signal? They answer: collective antenna is a thing of the past, switch to cable. I conclude: the antenna was cut on purpose in order to force a transfer to cable and charge money for 100 channels that I don’t really need. Has anyone encountered such a scammer? We submitted a request for antenna repair.
Advantages and disadvantages of installing shared equipment
The main purpose of the collective antenna is to provide all residents with access to digital TV. It becomes an analogue of a home antenna and helps to tune in all free digital channels. Pros of the device in question:
- high level of reception - these devices are of decent quality;
- free service provided by the same company as other utilities;
- it is possible to simultaneously connect digital and analog TV, and later switch to cable;
- No additional equipment is required for setup; everything can be done immediately after moving in.
But there are also some disadvantages of the system that should be taken into account - there is a subscription fee, which is included in general utility bills.
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How to connect to the antenna cable yourself.
You purchased a TV. An antenna or cable channel is required to receive a television signal. How can you connect to the antenna cable yourself? To connect you need to purchase a special television cable. F-plugs are usually placed at the ends of the cable. If the cable is not connected correctly, the TV works with poor image quality and is unstable. This occurs due to signal loss in the cable due to a poor connection.
How to switch to digital?
At the first stage , it is necessary to clarify whether there is a collective antenna on the roof of an apartment building . If it is missing, you can try to install it, but to do this you need to agree on the issue with the other residents of the house.
To switch to a shared antenna, you first need to make sure whether your TV supports digital broadcasting. To do this, the TV must have the DVB-T2 format. All models released after 2012 have it.
Procedure
The collective antenna is usually located so that it is directed towards the television tower. This way she manages to catch the best signal. Then you need to unpack the receiver and connect the antenna cable to it. The next step is to complete the initial settings:
- language;
- Timezone;
- time.
How to setup?
For most models of modern TVs, there is no need to configure it yourself after connecting. You just need to pick up the remote control.
If the TV supports the required format, then the connection diagram works simply using the remote control:
- Disconnect the TV from the mains.
- Connect the antenna cable to the digital TV antenna input.
- Connect the TV's power to the network.
- Go to the settings menu and activate the tuner.
- At this stage, it is necessary to automatically search for programs. If the signal level is good, all available digital channels will be found in 2-3 minutes.
- To manually search, you will need to enter the channel number and frequency.
When using such equipment, you should update the available channels from time to time, as they may change over time and may require reconfiguration.
How many free channels?
A total of 20 digital channels are provided free of charge, which will be distributed into 2 sets:
- the first will contain all government and news channels;
- and in the second - family and entertainment.
First command:
- "First TV channel";
- "Russia 1";
- "Russia-culture";
- "Russia 24";
- "NTV";
- "Carousel";
- "TVC";
- "Match";
- “Petersburg-5 channel;
- "Public Television of Russia".
Second complex:
- "Ren-TV";
- "STS";
- "TNT";
- "Home";
- "SAVED";
- "FRIDAY";
- "TV3";
- "WORLD";
- "Star";
- "Muz TV".
Also, using a radio receiver in the Russian Federation, you can listen to 3 radio channels for free:
- "Lighthouse";
- "Vesti FM";
- "Radio of Russia".
Can it be used secretly?
Despite the fact that the listed channels are free, the housing company charges residents a subscription fee for using the antenna. A collective antenna is required when connecting. You can also use a small indoor antenna. It is necessary to install it near the window and point it towards the tower.
How to connect to a public antenna and set up digital channels
After digital television is brought into the apartment via a collective antenna, the subscriber should immediately attend to the wiring of the internal network. Its circuit includes signal dividers and amplifiers, if necessary, to ensure a good level at distant connection points. The wiring looks like this:
- the cable entering the apartment is connected to the input of a simple splitter;
- from the two outputs of the divider the signal goes to TVs in separate rooms;
- A separate cable is supplied to each TV.
There can be more than one divider in a circuit. For example, two, if you need to send a signal to three rooms of the apartment. The network needs to be planned in advance. In this case, service company specialists can configure cable television equipment in an apartment building so that a sufficiently high signal is supplied to the port of a particular subscriber. This will allow you to get an excellent picture on all connected TVs, even with dividers.
To set up digital channels through a common house antenna, the user will need a modern TV with a DVB T2 tuner or a separate set-top box for each imaging device. It is better to find out how to search for available broadcasts in the operating instructions for the installed equipment. In general, the algorithm looks like this:
- the TV OSD menu is called up;
- you need to go into settings;
- go to the “Channels” section;
- start an automatic search and wait for it to finish.
Important!
After this, you almost always need to sort the channels. The fact is that digital television through a collective antenna can include many paid broadcasts. If desired, if the service company provides such an opportunity, you can subscribe to them for a fee. It is worth remembering that in practice the range of paid channels is quite scarce. Unlike the offers of cable television providers, where there are many packages and thematic selections. But if you plan to receive only 20 free federal channels from your home antenna, you need to conduct a search and remove unnecessary programs from the list.
How to switch to analog TV at the same time?
The connection diagram for simultaneously analog and digital TV looks simple:
- Analogue TV is tuned to the TV set-top box using an additional antenna cable. This cable should connect the RF OUT connector from the digital set-top box to the ANT IN directly on the TV.
- As soon as the set-top box is connected to the TV, it must be set to analogue broadcasting mode. Then an automatic channel search is performed.
- On the remote control of the digital set-top box, digital channels are configured.
- Select AV input and start automatic search for all channels.
After this, you can freely use analogue and digital TV at the same time. To connect an additional antenna cable, you must use a special splitter that will successfully maintain the connection between the antenna cable and the TV.
Setting up digital TV via a common antenna
Setting up digital television reception using a collective antenna is done at two levels:
- On the side of the service organization. They are responsible for ensuring the correct operation of the television antenna and cable network, clear orientation of the structure towards the broadcast source, and correct amplification.
- On the user side. Having connected to the TV antenna, you need to catch digital TV channels on the TV or set-top box-receiver. There are 20 of them in Russia, and 30 in Moscow.
The channel setup looks like this:
- go to “Menu” mode;
- select “Settings”, then “Setting up TV channels” or similar;
- set the signal source for the TV (in this case it will be an antenna) and run auto-tuning;
- the receiving device scans the range and writes the found channels into memory;
- After completion, you can delete unnecessary ones or sort them. For example, move the channels you like to the first buttons of the remote control, and push the rest further away.
This completes the setup procedure.
Is it possible to connect a TV set-top box to shared equipment?
To connect to a community antenna, you must contact the housing company directly. If the TV is an old model and you don’t want to change it, then you need to buy a digital receiver (set-top box) that will transmit the signal and broadcast digital channels on the TV.
When choosing a receiver, you need to focus on your own needs. You should immediately discard too cheap devices, since they have low signal quality. If you choose an expensive set-top box, it will simultaneously serve as a storage device and a media device.
When connecting a digital set-top box, several options are used:
- "Tulips".
- Antenna cable.
- HDMI.
- "Tulips" are great for those who have an old TV. This is a common type of connection. There won’t be a big difference in quality with a small diagonal. Cables vary in color. Yellow is responsible for video, and white and red are for audio transmission.
- HDMI - have high resolution, which means the image quality here is much better. This is especially noticeable on TVs with a large screen diagonal.
- For the budget option, an antenna cable is required. To connect the set-top box, you must purchase an antenna cord. In this case, you should not expect high quality image and sound.
Rostelecom home antenna
In addition, you can make a subscription payment using the Internet, payment terminals, or by contacting Sberbank. When paying for the service, certain categories of citizens are given a 50% discount. Those eligible for reduced pay include:
You can also submit a connection request via the hotline; your passport details and place of residence will have to be dictated to the operator. The most common way is to fill out the appropriate form on the company’s official website.
How to disable it if it is not needed?
There is a strict algorithm for citizens who want to remove the antenna from their apartment legally:
- Identify the name, telephone number and address of the organization that services this residential building. All information is on the receipts.
- If there are overdue payments for antenna use, pay them.
- Call the company that provides telecommunications services to ask them what documents are specifically required to terminate the contract.
- Collect all the necessary certificates and papers, take them to the service company and write a letter of termination of the contract there.
- Employees issue an appropriate certificate stating that the citizen has refused the services and is allowed to turn off the antenna.
- At a time agreed upon with the tenant, the technician arrives and disconnects the connection. He leaves a certificate, which the tenant must then take to the EIRC.
After this, starting next month, the company will stop charging subscription fees for television.
Installing an antenna on the roof of an apartment building
But this type also has a significant disadvantage. Since the plate itself is quite large and light at the same time, it can simply be blown off the roof by the wind. Based on this feature, the mounting of such an antenna should be as strong and reliable as possible.
- a written statement that meets the established requirements;
- a copy of the applicant's passport;
- diagram of the part of the building where the structure is planned to be installed;
- technical documentation completed by the organization that will install the structure;
- documented roof/façade inspection.
Why are there no channels, the screen shows nothing?
There are many reasons why a common house antenna may not pick up a signal. Such reasons include:
- the antenna or television receiver is not configured correctly;
- the antenna just broke;
- There are problems with the signal itself.
If the problems arose due to a bad signal, then it is very difficult to do anything. It is easier to install cable or Internet television. In other cases, you can call a specialist who can restore normal operation of the antenna or reconfigure it correctly. It’s better not to try to set it up on your own, without special knowledge.
Modern equipment may be too complex for the amateur. Even an indoor antenna sometimes needs the help of a professional.
Modern digital television has recently come to every home. The main state channels will now be shown in digital quality. The fee will be charged purely symbolically only for the use of a collective antenna. Connecting and setting up modern TV is not difficult.
In modern TVs this can be done automatically, but for older TVs you need to purchase a receiver. For those who do not want to use a collective antenna, there is always the opportunity to refuse this service through the management company.
How does television work from a collective antenna?
A common antenna in a house is a phenomenon that originated in Soviet times. The receiving device is designed to receive meter waves and analogue broadcasts. For digital television DVB T2 you need a completely different antenna. In addition, the signal distribution scheme for apartments involves the installation of rather expensive amplifiers with multiple outputs and control of the gain control. Therefore, the service of using digital TV, which is transmitted by a common antenna in the house, is often paid. But let's start with everything in order.
A common house antenna is perceived by many apartment owners as a cable entering through the wall from the entrance. Wherein:
- the user is not installing the receiving device;
- the collective television reception system is configured and installed by the company serving the house;
- It is impossible to connect digital TV from a common antenna by simply connecting the cable to the terminal box in the entrance.
The correct course of action for a user who wants to watch channels in a modern format begins with contacting the home service company. It is necessary to conclude an agreement for the provision of services. You may have to pay for cable installation inside the apartment.
Service company intervention is key. It is its specialists who will configure the port on the amplifier for a particular apartment. If necessary, they will make an individual connection for the subscriber if there are no free points left for switching in the terminal box.
How many channels should there be?
Federal channels on digital TV are transmitted in two packages (multiplexes), RTRS-1 and RTRS-2, each with 10 channels. The exception is the cities of Moscow, Sevastopol and the territory of Crimea, where 3 packages of 10 channels are available.
Broadcasting of the third multiplex, which will contain both federal and regional channels, is due to begin soon. In Moscow, this package is already working in test mode. Broadcasting is not 24/7. From 7 to 19 channels will be available.
In addition to television channels, the packages also contain broadcasts from 3 radio stations (“Vesti-FM”, “Mayak” and “Radio Russia”).
Sometimes it happens that one of the packages is not available. Then the user can watch only 10 channels instead of 20. Let's look at the most common causes of such failures.
Service company
If we talk about the advantages of receiving television via a collective antenna, we can note the affordable cost of such broadcast packages of TV channels, the availability of this technology, as well as the absence of the need to purchase any decoders and other equipment to watch TV channels on the TV screen.
What is a collective antenna
There can be many reasons why a collective antenna does not work. These include a loose cable, mechanical failure of the antenna, or problems with your TV. If problems are noted in the homeowner's receiver, it will be necessary to carry out appropriate repairs or change the TV itself.
Residents of our region contact us by phone and e-mail with a variety of questions on the subject of television and radio broadcasting, and not just broadcasting. Of course, we try, to the best of our ability and capabilities, to answer all, and sometimes quite difficult, questions from our television viewers and radio listeners.
Who is responsible and pays for the service?
A collective antenna is often included in the building design, so it belongs to all residents in the apartment building. The management company is responsible for maintaining the common house antenna. You can find out who the owner of the antenna is from a representative of the building council or by calling the supplier. This way you can get to know the owner, find out the rules of use and payment procedures for television services.
Usually money is withdrawn every month, including payment to utilities. This type of payment is the most common. The price depends on the provider and region. In remote areas from the center, the receiver will receive fewer TV channels and in poorer quality. This has a dual effect on the cost. In distant regions it is more difficult to get a TV signal, which raises the price. The TV broadcasts fewer TV channels, which reduces the amount of money spent on work.
Receipts for antenna use are divided into two types. Most are included in utilities and paid along with them. The rest are paid separately, as a service that is provided outside the competence of the management company.
