TV by Aerial or Internet

[Momac]

5 hours ago, Jen-in-Wellies said:

Vinyl is still a thing, which I find bizarre, but I never got in to that as a youngster and CDs when they came out were so obviously superior that I went straight from cassette tape to them, then to MP3. 

The music experience from vinyl is potentially  superior to CD . But you wouldn't know if you  never used it with the right equipment.

The idea with vinyl is/was you sit down at a spot where you get the  best sound experience  from the equipment and listen  to the music. I am not sure many people do that these days (myself included).

I packed away my HIFI equipment some years ago and have kept a modest  vinyl collection. I hope to reinstate it some day. Or maybe the electronics will be no good and I will need something new.

 

[Jen-in-Wellies]

8 minutes ago, Momac said:

The music experience from vinyl is potentially  superior to CD . But you wouldn't know if you  never used it with the right equipment.

The idea with vinyl is/was you sit down at a spot where you get the  best sound experience  from the equipment and listen  to the music.

And this is another reason I never got in to vinyl. Vinyl fans, almost exclusively men, telling me how great vinyl is, but I have to dedicate an entire room to it and buy hugely expensive gear to listen to it.

[Hudds Lad]

My daughter is very much into CD's (18yr old) and is properly miffed now they're having a revival as all the second hand prices have gone up.

She likes the physical object with artwork, inlays you can read etc. and can't be taken away from you at a streaming services whim.

 

Vinyl was obviously better for this due to the larger surface area of sleeves, but it's just out of her price range these days.

I still have most of my old collection, but if i'm honest it rarely gets used.

[cuthound]

1 hour ago, Momac said:

The music experience from vinyl is potentially  superior to CD . But you wouldn't know if you  never used it with the right equipment.

 

The dynamic range of a CD is much wider than that of vinyl, as well as being free from cracks, pops and rumble.   

 

From Wikipedia:

 

"The dynamic range of digital audio systems can exceed that of analog audio systems. Consumer analog cassette tapes have a dynamic range of 60 to 70 dB. Analog FM broadcasts rarely have a dynamic range exceeding 50 dB.^[4] The dynamic range of a direct-cut vinyl record may surpass 70 dB. Analog studio master tapes can have a dynamic range of up to 77 dB.^[5] An LP made out of perfect diamond has an atomic feature size of about 0.5 nanometer, which, with a groove size of 8 micron, yields a theoretical dynamic range of 110 dB. An LP made out of perfect vinyl LP would have a theoretical dynamic range of 70 dB.^[6] Measurements indicate maximum actual performance in the 60 to 70 dB range.^[7] Typically, a 16-bit analog-to-digital converter may have a dynamic range of between 90 and 95 dB,^[8]: 132 whereas the signal-to-noise ratio (roughly the equivalent of dynamic range, noting the absence of quantization noise but presence of tape hiss) of a professional reel-to-reel ¼-inch tape recorder would be between 60 and 70 dB at the recorder's rated output.^[8]: 111"

 

Prior to moving to CD I had a Linn Sondek LP12  and never regretted moving to CD. I now steam my music which combines quality sound with convenience.

[Hudds Lad]

1 hour ago, cuthound said:

I now steam my music which combines quality sound with convenience.

And is much better for you than boiling  

[cuthound]

1 hour ago, Hudds Lad said:

And is much better for you than boiling  

 

It ensures that I don't have to listen to wallpaper music...

 

[blackrose]

20 hours ago, The Black Jack said:

It amazes me people try to watch TV by aerial on narrowboats. Freeview reception needs a good clear path to the transmitter. Even a good directional aerial is going to struggle in wooded areas and cuttings.

 

A much better solution is to use streaming apps via the internet. A 4G mobile router on an unlimited data SIM connected to a small external aerial is all you need. If you don't have a newish smart TV, you can buy a Google Chromecast or Firestick. Let's send TV by aerial into the history books.

 

Before anyone points out that there are regions where 4G drops out, that may be correct but for the most part, it is a more reliable coverage than that provided by UHF TV reception from an aerial mounted only 3 metres from the surface of the canal.

 

Why does it have to be one or the other? On boats multiple systems are best. I watch TV on both Freesat and streaming.

 

However, from what others have said on another thread Freesat services will gradually be reduced so we will only be left with streaming services.

9 hours ago, robtheplod said:

I think the major benefit of streaming is you're not tied to programme schedules... its all on demand and hence all recorded for you to watch at your leisure and much much more content... why would you want to be tied to a set time when you're on a boat...

 

Unless you're a weirdo like me who for some odd reason prefers watching live TV. I don't know why.

[Lily Rose]

Like this. Maybe.

 

https://www.freely.co.uk/

[blackrose]

8 hours ago, booke23 said:

 

Good point. It's also worth mentioning the user experience of using a Freeview/Freesat is much slicker than streaming, which is clunky and fragmented across multiple apps. Someday this might change of course. 

 

Yes, that's one reason I don't like streaming TV as much.

[Lily Rose]

Just now, blackrose said:

 

Yes, that's one reason I don't like streaming TV as much.

 

I haven't tried Freely but it looks as though it may have potential to improve streaming.

[blackrose]

4 hours ago, Jen-in-Wellies said:

And this is another reason I never got in to vinyl. Vinyl fans, almost exclusively men, telling me how great vinyl is, but I have to dedicate an entire room to it and buy hugely expensive gear to listen to it.

 

The bit the most audiophiles forget is that no matter how good your equipment is you only have a pair of lugholes and the more money you spend on audio equipment the less you get back in terms of improved sound quality. The law of diminishing returns.

8 minutes ago, Lily Rose said:

Like this. Maybe.

 

https://www.freely.co.uk/

 

7 minutes ago, Lily Rose said:

 

I haven't tried Freely but it looks as though it may have potential to improve streaming.

 

From the link above it seems like you have to buy one of their TVs? Or is there a way to install Freely into my smart monitor?

[cuthound]

Just now, blackrose said:

 

The bit the most audiophiles forget is that no matter how good your equipment is you only have a pair of lugholes and the more money you spend on audio equipment the less you get back in terms of improved sound quality. The law of diminishing returns.

 

Indeed. The thing that revolutionised the sound quality of my music was this WiiM Mini streamer, which cost me about £80 about 18 months ago. It delivered very high quality music to my existing system. I recently upgraded to their WiiM Pro, which has additional connectivity.

 

WiiM continuously improve the functionality of their equipment via "over the air" upgrades.Since getting mine they have added PEQ equalisation and Logitech Squeezebox functionality, and are working on room correction (the acoustics of the room has the biggest influence on what you hear).

 

https://www.wiimhome.com/wiimmini/overview

 

 

[Lily Rose]

12 minutes ago, blackrose said:

 

The bit the most audiophiles forget is that no matter how good your equipment is you only have a pair of lugholes and the more money you spend on audio equipment the less you get back in terms of improved sound quality. The law of diminishing returns.

 

 

From the link above it seems like you have to buy one of their TVs? Or is there a way to install Freely into my smart monitor?

 

From what I could see, by using the "Shop Now" button, it's built into (some) new TVs so no retro-fitting sadly.

 

[blackrose]

Just now, Lily Rose said:

 

From what I could see, by using the "Shop Now" button, it's built into (some) new TVs so no retro-fitting sadly.

 

 

Ok thanks, Freely isn't for me then. If you have to buy new equipment it isn't free!

[IanD]

13 minutes ago, blackrose said:

 

Ok thanks, Freely isn't for me then. If you have to buy new equipment it isn't free!

No set-top boxes or dongles yet either, only some new TVs... 😞

[booke23]

2 hours ago, Lily Rose said:

 

I haven't tried Freely but it looks as though it may have potential to improve streaming.

 

Yes it could. I suppose this type of streaming platform will eventually replace broadcast TV in the distant future.  

[pearley]

Our experience over the past week is we're glad to have both options. 

 

At the bottom end of the Great Ouse with a flood bank higher than the boat roof and only a few feet away, broadcast TV had been abysmal.

 

Now moored at the GOBA mooring on the Little Ouse in the open, flood banks many yards away and only a few miles from Thetford transmitter we have TV. But no WiFi!