What is a collective antenna?
In terms of its purpose, a collective antenna is absolutely no different from a conventional receiver. The difference is manifested solely in the hardware configuration. The collective antenna has a more complex structure:
- receiver - a device that receives a digital signal from a television tower;
- amplifier – significantly increases the range of the antenna;
- distribution system is a special device that allows you to set up television for all residents of a multi-story building.
There are two cables available to the consumer - analog and digital. The collective antenna is capable of receiving digital channels. However, the quality of the signal will largely depend on its direction and distance from the TV tower.
If there is only one television tower in the area of reliable reception, then the collective antenna must be directed towards the repeater. When there are several towers nearby, you need to point the antenna towards the repeater, which provides transmission of the channels of the second multiplex.
Users will definitely not have any problems setting up digital TV. Simply connect the antenna cable to the appropriate connector on your TV or receiver that supports the DVB-T2 standard. When the cable is connected, go to settings to start automatic channel search.
Topic: free cable TV
OLEGJAN.83
, I work in streaming and I know what I’m saying, the signal is pumped up onto the central cable by an amplifier and this boosted signal is already divided by crabs that are on the floors, if you connect 3 TVs to 2 different taps on the crab, then the quality will be the same, but if there’s one it’s already noticeably worse
For two years I was on someone else’s cable, the price was 20 rubles. (antenna splitter). The neighbor was offered to pay in half, but due to his illiteracy, he decided that his TV would show worse. I had to connect without it. For 2 years there were no ATK inspections.
Pros and cons of a collective antenna
The main purpose of this type of receiver is to provide all residents of apartment buildings with digital TV. The collective antenna in Moscow allows you to configure all channels. It will become an effective analogue of an indoor TV antenna. Experts highlight the following advantages of this device:
- high quality reception. The collective TV antenna is installed by specialists, not by the residents of the house. They know the specific location of the area, so they choose the optimal point for installing the receiver;
- free service. The cost of antenna repair and installation is borne by the housing utility company;
- users will be able to simultaneously set up analogue and digital television. In the future, you can connect pay cable TV;
- A resident of an apartment building will be able to set up TV broadcasting immediately after arrival. No additional equipment required.
There is only one drawback - the subscription fee for use, which is initially included in utilities.
Payment methods for services
As mentioned earlier, the main payment method is a single payment document for housing and communal services. Every month this document arrives in the client's mailbox. There you can see the prices of all services, divided by item. The service in question is labeled “Antenna”. You can make a payment using any method you are used to paying for utilities.
Other payment methods
You can top up your cable TV account without EPD. To do this, you need to know the personal account of the Rostelecom subscriber to which the service is connected. The following payment systems are currently supported:
- Sberbank Online;
- Sberbank ATMs and terminals;
- QIWI;
- Elexnet;
- RAPIDA;
- CebyrPlat;
- Yandex.Money (Yumani).
The nuances of watching TV through a shared antenna
A collective antenna for digital television provides broadcasting of channels under the same contract as in the case of an individual connection. The intermediary is the housing company. The standard tariff plan, available to all subscribers, includes federal TV channels, as well as several regional programs.
As for paid channels, narrowly focused programs are mainly presented here - sports broadcasts, music videos, etc. An individual cable television connection allows you to select the set of necessary channels. The use of a collective antenna assumes that the subscriber selects one of the available paid tariffs.
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.
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How to connect digital TV using a collective antenna
First you need to make sure that a collective television antenna is installed on the roof of a multi-story building. If it is missing, then you can order the installation of the device, but first this point must be agreed upon with other residents. How to connect digital TV without a common antenna? You can use a regular indoor receiver.
To set up digital television in Moscow via a collective antenna, contact representatives of the company responsible for concluding the relevant agreement. The subscriber will be offered affordable tariffs. Depending on the list of channels, the subscription fee will change. To tune in channels, run an automatic search on your TV or receiver.
Digital and analogue television together
In many regions, only the first multiplex operates, which includes 10 TV channels. In such situations, a common house antenna is not capable of providing digital television. The problem is solved by setting up analog channels.
To tune in analogue and digital channels, use a community antenna. Of course, much will depend on the year of manufacture, configuration and model of the device. However, practice shows that common TV antennas can be used to simultaneously receive analog and digital signals. Signal transmission is carried out over one cable. Branching is carried out directly in the apartment. To do this you need to install a special adapter.
Analog TV and digital TV differ in the specifics of broadcasting. The signal is transmitted from different repeaters. If the collective antenna provides DVB-T2 digital television in good quality, you can contact the appropriate organization to deactivate the broadcast.
Using only one type of broadcasting will allow the subscriber to save on utility bills.
However, practice shows that residents of houses are charged a relatively small subscription fee. If the analog TV service is turned off at your request, then specialists will attach a special device to the distributor that blocks the signal. The cable is located in the apartment. The user will be able to restore analog TV in the future if such a need arises.
How to illegally connect to cable TV
Well, since illegal connections primarily affect neighbors, and many pensioners live in our cities, our population takes a very active position in the fight against “pirates.” Our grandmothers work better than any local police officer
. And if they notice something, they call us immediately. In cities, many already know that we can come to a “pirate” with a representative of law enforcement, and further connection for such a subscriber can become difficult. In September 2021, the management of the Cable Television operator Orion Constellation LLC decided to take strict measures to suppress illegal connections to the cable television network in Lakinsk. The consequence of this decision was the sending of a statement to the Department of Economic Crimes of the Sobinsky District to bring to criminal liability the residents of several apartments in which an unauthorized connection was discovered. These persons are charged with causing material damage to the company as a result of using the company’s services without concluding an agreement and timely payment of the subscription fee.
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How to connect cable TV for free is a question that many citizens face. There are several types of cable TV connection: paid and free; by submitting an application to the appropriate office in the city or independently. We will look at how you can independently connect cable TV to all TVs in your apartment or house for free.
What to do if your TV does not support digital format
Digital TV is broadcast via the DVB-T2 channel. Only modern TVs can decode this standard. To find out whether your TV supports this channel, carefully study the technical specifications of the device.
If the TV does not support DVB-T2, then there are several ways out of this situation:
- purchasing a new TV;
- purchase and installation of a digital receiver.
Of course, the second option is the priority. The cost of the tuner will directly depend on the functionality. For example, on the modern market there is a wide range of set-top boxes with the ability to record content on flash media.
How to run an antenna from the distribution panel to your TV
The route for laying the cable is prepared as follows. Move furniture away from the baseboard. Drill holes slightly larger than the diameter of the cable in the door jambs, preferably at the bottom, at a distance of 2-5 cm from the edge of the door frame. If the required length of the drill is not available, then a feather drill is made from a steel rod ∅5. 6 mm, drill holes with this drill, and then drill out to the desired size on both sides. The entrance door to an apartment usually already has a hole in the wall. If it is not there, then drill a hole in the jamb of the front door, at the top. If the cable can be laid in the wall, then it is necessary to use steel wire ∅1-2 mm; it is passed into the wall channels, bending the tip of the wire back.
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The diameter of the cable is also important. It can be from 2 to 17 mm. The specific signal attenuation depends on the cable diameter. The thicker the cable, the smaller this value. The thick cable has good shielding and excellent resistance to mechanical stress. The disadvantages of a thick cable are its “ugliness” and lack of flexibility. The advantages of thin cable are that it is more flexible, less noticeable and easier to route along baseboards. Its main disadvantage is a colossal decrease in the signal level with a large feeder length. This is especially noticeable when receiving channels operating at higher frequencies. The second disadvantage of a thin cable is its low mechanical strength. When laying it, you need to secure it very carefully, using special holders, otherwise its outer braid may collapse. As a result, “snow” and other unpleasant distortions appear on the screen. Sometimes the integrity of a thin cable can be damaged due to careless transportation. Therefore, before laying a thin cable, make sure it is in good condition.
Which way to choose
Towards the end of 2021, analogue television broadcasting will be switched off throughout Russia. Therefore, there is no point in spending money and time setting up digital and analog television at the same time. Digital is capable of broadcasting content in maximum resolution. Owners of paid subscriptions have access to HD channels.
Digital television is less dependent on changes in weather conditions. Therefore, even during heavy rain or wind, the quality of the broadcast image will not decrease, which cannot be said about analogue broadcasting. Considering the arguments presented above, it becomes clear that digital TV is the optimal solution for residents of apartment buildings. Practice shows that collective antennas allow you to set up 2 multiplexes with free channels. It is very comfortable.
