Buying an LCD - Digital Tuner or Not?

BaZmO*

I'm looking to get a 32" LCD TV. I have the one I want picked out on Komplett but the exact same model is available in Dixons for €250 more and the only difference is that it has a Digital Tuner. Do I need this?

The NTL package that I signed up gives us Broadband, the basic 17 channels and 80 Digital Channels (free for the first 6 months).

I also want to use the TV as a monitor for my PC so does the Digital Tuner make any difference there.

And one last thing. The house we moved into has a Satellite Dish already installed and wired up ready to connect. Is there some way that the DT would tie into this somehow?

Apologies for the completely noobie type questions but I thought I had a handle on what I wanted to get but it seems the more I look into it the more confused I get and I also have a history of buying stuffing only to realise that I've either over-specced or under-specced.

Thanks in advance.

Krusty_Clown

AFAIK the digital tuner will be feck all use to you, until (if ever) digital terrestrial is introduced in the country. To watch digital satellite you will still need a satellite decoder. To watch Digital cable, you'll still need NTL/Chorus' digibox.

Now, if you lived in the UK, where digital terrestrial TV is already available, different story! I beleive there was discussion previously about the government introducing digital terrestrial reception (I may be entirely wrong) but you could find out more on the ICDG forums.

If we did introduce digital terrestrial TV, and you didn't have a TV with built-in digital tuner, you would need an external decoder.

I'm sure someone will be along soon with a more accurrate factual response, for the moment, I hope this helps..

BaZmO*

Krusty_Clown wrote:

AFAIK the digital tuner will be feck all use to you, until (if ever) digital terrestrial is introduced in the country. To watch digital satellite you will still need a satellite decoder. To watch Digital cable, you'll still need NTL/Chorus' digibox.

Now, if you lived in the UK, where digital terrestrial TV is already available, different story! I beleive there was discussion previously about the government introducing digital terrestrial reception (I may be entirely wrong) but you could find out more on the ICDG forums.

If we did introduce digital terrestrial TV, and you didn't have a TV with built-in digital tuner, you would need an external decoder.

I'm sure someone will be along soon with a more accurrate factual response, for the moment, I hope this helps..

So therefore paying an extra €250 for an internal tuner is no use considering that I could just use an external one if the need to ever arose?

Krusty_Clown

Hmm.. Loks like my response may be a little out of date:

BT Ireland wins digital terrestrial TV pilot
Dempsey Announces Roll-Out of Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) Pilot in Ireland

First stop, go do some research... The digital tuner could be a worthwhile investment!
Check out this forum: http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?f=40

Krusty_Clown

All your questions are answered here:
http://bytelive.com/wiki/tiki-index.php?page=FAQ+DTT+and+Freeview

lafors

Krusty_Clown wrote:

All your questions are answered here:
http://bytelive.com/wiki/tiki-index.php?page=FAQ+DTT+and+Freeview

Thanks Krusty....eventually I have the answers