Help! Life without telly is unbearable :(

[Wild Is The Wind]

Hi

 

For two months now we've managed fine without live TV, just catching up occasionally with some favorites using BBC iPlayer (downloads), but now even this isn't working - downloads work fine but won't play and the message says "... is temporarily unavailable, please try later" but later never comes and all downloads now have the same message. Nobody has been able to solve this so its bye bye BBC iPlayer.

 

Lots needs to be done to our boat and TV isn't the first priority, so we need to rig up some sort of aerial as cheaply as possible. We already have an aerial socket fitted with wiring up through the roof - looking at other boats the simplest seems to be some sort of magnetic base, a pole and an aerial that looks like those you see on houses. But where do you get these things?

 

Any advice / recommendations much appreciated.

[Guest]

http://www.aerialsandtv.com/touringaerials.html

 

Loads of info. and a very good company to deal with..

[Wild Is The Wind]

Hi

 

For two months now we've managed fine without live TV, just catching up occasionally with some favorites using BBC iPlayer (downloads), but now even this isn't working - downloads work fine but won't play and the message says "... is temporarily unavailable, please try later" but later never comes and all downloads now have the same message. Nobody has been able to solve this so its bye bye BBC iPlayer.

 

Lots needs to be done to our boat and TV isn't the first priority, so we need to rig up some sort of aerial as cheaply as possible. We already have an aerial socket fitted with wiring up through the roof - looking at other boats the simplest seems to be some sort of magnetic base, a pole and an aerial that looks like those you see on houses. But where do you get these things?

 

Any advice / recommendations much appreciated.

 

Please ignore this, ive accidently put it on twice.

Edited May 8, 2012 by Wild Is The Wind

[LoneWolf]

Have you tried uninstalling & reinstalling iplayer?

Mine started deleting programs and a reinstall fixed it.

 

you could try checking the FAQs on the technical problems page?

Edited May 8, 2012 by LoneWolf

[Wild Is The Wind]

http://www.aerialsandtv.com/touringaerials.html

 

Loads of info. and a very good company to deal with..

 

 

Thanks, looks really useful.

[Guest]

Have you tried uninstalling & reinstalling iplayer?

Mine started deleting programs and a reinstall fixed it.

 

you could try checking the FAQs on the technical problems page?

 

I briefly thought the OP was out of data allowance but thought that could be too obvious...

[Wild Is The Wind]

Yes tried that, but it was still the same. Look at the FAQ / help links and cleared the Cache but that didn't work either. Very annoying as internet data is being used to download them.

[LoneWolf]

Yes tried that, but it was still the same. Look at the FAQ / help links and cleared the Cache but that didn't work either. Very annoying as internet data is being used to download them.

 

yeah, tell me about it!

 

I think the next step is to download some sort or error capture thing & you can send them an error file. They will try and fix it.

 

 

Otherwise there's always 4OD

or camping shops may be the place to go for aerials

[Ange]

We bought our aerial from Maplins for about £30 - it was on special at the time. It's a big one, looks a bit odd on a narrowboat and we get a fair amount of ribbing but we get a good signal with it laid on the roof, we just have to twist it around occasionally. We have to be careful to move it again when we set off because it juts out from both sides of the boat! We also use a WinTV dongle which we plug into the laptop - this makes watching TV less power hungry.

[matty40s]

Use c-cleaner , free from filehippo

 

believe me, life without TV is not unbearable, in fact it is bliss.

 

Last thing on tv I watched was the attenborough frozen planet series, missed a bit, didn't worry about it.

 

People in houses turn TV on because its there.

...and search for things to watch.....

....and get pissed off if there isn't something there that takes their fancy....

....and watch re-runs of stuff you wouldn't want to watch in the first place....

...because it's there....

[Nickhlx]

We bought our aerial from Maplins for about £30 - it was on special at the time. It's a big one, looks a bit odd on a narrowboat and we get a fair amount of ribbing but we get a good signal with it laid on the roof, we just have to twist it around occasionally. We have to be careful to move it again when we set off because it juts out from both sides of the boat! We also use a WinTV dongle which we plug into the laptop - this makes watching TV less power hungry.

 

If you can run to £40, you can get a complete satellite receiving system including dish and set top box, mounts and remote control from Aldi or Lidl and I guess other places too... I have used these and they are superb value for money and work well ( south of England). Sometimes they are mains and sometimes they are 12v powered, if you don't have / want the inverter on, so need to check...

 

Nick

[bizzard]

You could fit some knobs below a convenient window opposite your favorite chair and stare at it using your imagination.

[Ange]

If you can run to £40, you can get a complete satellite receiving system including dish and set top box, mounts and remote control from Aldi or Lidl and I guess other places too... I have used these and they are superb value for money and work well ( south of England). Sometimes they are mains and sometimes they are 12v powered, if you don't have / want the inverter on, so need to check...

 

Nick

 

That is good value! We might just have a re-think of our setup. Thanks for the info

 

I keep meaning to PM you about our TV - we found out it is 12v DC and not AC as we originally thought. I know we had a conversation about it - must dig out the thread and send you a PM

[Nickhlx]

That is good value! We might just have a re-think of our setup. Thanks for the info

 

I keep meaning to PM you about our TV - we found out it is 12v DC and not AC as we originally thought. I know we had a conversation about it - must dig out the thread and send you a PM

 

OK - I await with interest ...

 

I am sure I have seen them in Halfords, but not recently and for a bit more - they are also available in camping shops and Maplin do them too but are a bit more expensive there too...

 

Nick

[matty40s]

That is good value! We might just have a re-think of our setup. Thanks for the info

 

I keep meaning to PM you about our TV - we found out it is 12v DC and not AC as we originally thought. I know we had a conversation about it - must dig out the thread and send you a PM

if it's DC, it only needs a car ciggy socket to run. I use a led telly and a maplins mushroom ariel (needs 12v amplifier) and has never let me down yet when i do find something worth putting it together for.

[Ange]

OK - I await with interest ...

 

I am sure I have seen them in Halfords, but not recently and for a bit more - they are also available in camping shops and Maplin do them too but are a bit more expensive there too...

 

Nick

 

 

if it's DC, it only needs a car ciggy socket to run. I use a led telly and a maplins mushroom ariel (needs 12v amplifier) and has never let me down yet when i do find something worth putting it together for.

 

We're moving into the dark magic of electickery here and Dave, my electrickery guru, is snoring very loudly in the back cabin so I'll defer this conversation until tomorrow

[Wild Is The Wind]

 

 

I think the next step is to download some sort or error capture thing & you can send them an error file. They will try and fix it.

 

 

Thanks, will follow this up.

 

Use c-cleaner , free from filehippo

 

believe me, life without TV is not unbearable, in fact it is bliss.

 

Last thing on tv I watched was the attenborough frozen planet series, missed a bit, didn't worry about it.

 

People in houses turn TV on because its there.

...and search for things to watch.....

....and get pissed off if there isn't something there that takes their fancy....

....and watch re-runs of stuff you wouldn't want to watch in the first place....

...because it's there....

 

 

Tried c-cleaner thanks, but it still hasn't made any difference

 

Totally get what you say but we just want a bit sometimes

 

If you can run to £40, you can get a complete satellite receiving system including dish and set top box, mounts and remote control from Aldi or Lidl and I guess other places too... I have used these and they are superb value for money and work well ( south of England). Sometimes they are mains and sometimes they are 12v powered, if you don't have / want the inverter on, so need to check...

 

Nick

 

Thanks will look at these immediately!

[Ange]

Apologies to the OP for hijacking this thread but I can't send you a PM Nick - is your inbox full?

 

Linky to the thread about my TV here http://www.canalworld.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=28154&st=0&p=485585&hl=powering&fromsearch=1entry485585

 

Two years on it's still a brick in the corner that does nothing! Again apologies to Wild is the Wind for the hijack!

[Pretty Funked Up]

yeah, tell me about it!

 

I think the next step is to download some sort or error capture thing & you can send them an error file. They will try and fix it.

 

 

Otherwise there's always 4OD

or camping shops may be the place to go for aerials

 

It'll be the DRM addon for media player thats corrupt.

Theres instructions on their site, the bbc, about how to reset it all and keep your downloads.

Or if you dont care remove media player altogether and reinstall that or vlc player.

 

Its either that or their server thinks you are connecting from outside the UK.

Edited May 9, 2012 by Pretty Funked Up

[Robbo]

If your on a mac, instead of iplayer use this to download them...

 

http://www.macupdate.com/app/mac/28733/iplayer-downloader

[Richard10002]

Have you tried Tvcatchup? Google it and you can watch most channels in real time. Not sure about recording them. If you have Sky at home, you can log on to SkyGo.

 

I've got a Log 24 aerial on one of their loft poles... Works a treat and swivels to point it in the right direction. If you've already got the wire, the pole, aerial and brackets will be about £40 or so.

Edited May 8, 2012 by Richard10002

[Québec]

We bought one of these from Maplins (it was on sale at the time)

 

http://www.maplin.co.uk/gigaboost-digital-tv-aerial-kit-47022

 

Works very well.

Instead of a permanent fixing point, I attached it to a short plank of wood and just place it on the roof, turn it to the optimum signal (which shows up on our TV), and put something heavy on it so it doesn't move around. It's not that big and stows away easily.

 

Edited to add: we haven't needed to use the amplifier yet. Works fine without it, though handy to have if in a weak signal area.

Edited May 9, 2012 by Québec

[Higgs]

My digi aerial cost about £2.50 and is made of wood and two wire coat-hangers. Works well. Plans from Youtube. Given the amount of tripe on the telly, I think £2.50 is about right. The aerial sits inside the front deck, under the cratch. Basically eight 'V' sections of coat-hanger and a couple of joining lengths, and coaxial.

[larkshall]

Hi

 

For two months now we've managed fine without live TV, just catching up occasionally with some favorites using BBC iPlayer (downloads), but now even this isn't working - downloads work fine but won't play and the message says "... is temporarily unavailable, please try later" but later never comes and all downloads now have the same message. Nobody has been able to solve this so its bye bye BBC iPlayer.

 

Lots needs to be done to our boat and TV isn't the first priority, so we need to rig up some sort of aerial as cheaply as possible. We already have an aerial socket fitted with wiring up through the roof - looking at other boats the simplest seems to be some sort of magnetic base, a pole and an aerial that looks like those you see on houses. But where do you get these things?

 

Any advice / recommendations much appreciated.

 

Please ignore this, ive accidently put it on twice.

 

Ahem, telly?, surely this slows or prevents the 'lots need to be done to our boat' bad habit really bad.

 

PS I presume you are using I-player via explorer?, if so clear the cache, and clear the cookies then retry.

[Arthur Brown]

With the coming of digital TV several people have had to buy better aerials. Maplin and several other electronics shops can supply good aerials and sometimes a signal finder -which makes setting up in a new location easier.

 

Once you ditch the TV completely you will find time for more things you want to do!