The time has come to upgrade your television. With a new year comes new technology, and there are always new questions to be answered about the best way to stay up-to-date. One of the most common questions we get asked is: Does a Smart TV need an aerial in order to work properly? The answer, unfortunately, is not a simple one. It depends on a few factors, but we’ll break it down for you so you can make the best decision for your home.
Can I Watch Live TV With No Aerial On My Smart TV?
If you don’t have a TV aerial and want to watch Freeview in the UK or Saorview Ireland on your new Smart digital TV through WIFI or Ethernet connection. We’re afraid you won’t be able to pull this off. Freeview is a service that provides live television through a television aerial and is not yet available via the internet. The same is true for Freesat TVs that are not connected to a satellite dish. The live TV feature was inoperable.
You will be able to watch catch-up television or TV on demand. The services available to you will vary depending on the type of television you have. Most Smart TVs in the UK will have BBC iPlayer, ITV Hub, All 4, and 5OD, as well as YouTube and subscription-based services such as Netflix and Amazon Prime.
The options are not always the same, but we are approaching a stage when the majority of new TVs will provide all of the above services. Nevertheless, do not think that just because your TV is “Smart,” you will be able to get them all. I once had a Sharp Smart TV that didn’t have iPlayer, so the client couldn’t watch it. I had a difficult time explaining that one to her!
It’s also worth noting that many Smart TVs with built-in Freesat and satellite tuners use the Freesat platform for their Smart TV portals. Because of a disagreement over carriage costs that Channel 4 was to pay to the BBC and ITV to transmit on Freesat, Channel 4 pulled All 4 and Channel 4 HD off the Freesat platform. This means that even if all 4 come up on your applications, you will be unable to receive them if you own one of these TVs.
To summarize, at the time of writing, if you wanted to watch live TV on such channels as BBC1, BBC2, ITV, and others, you would need either an aerial or satellite dish.
Do You Need An Aerial For A Smart TV In 2022?
You may stream without an aerial on your smart TV. However, if you want to receive full HD material and all the internet has to offer, you’ll need to install one in addition to your TV’s inbuilt one.
Aerials are not required for viewing regular TV, but they are essential when streaming online in order to experience everything that is available. Otherwise, you’ll only get standard definition (SD) signals, which are inferior in quality to HD material.
How To Watch TV Without A TV Aerial
Previously, the answer to the question ‘do TVs require an aerial?’ was a straightforward yes. However, with the arrival of smart TV, the solution has become more difficult. So, do you really need an aerial for your smart TV?
The answer is that an antenna is required to receive a TV signal. You can’t watch live TV if you don’t have an aerial. You may, however, view catch-up TV and streaming programming via applications such as BBC iPlayer, All 4, and ITV Hub as long as you have internet access.
On-demand TV series and movies are also available via providers such as Amazon Prime Video, Now TV, Sky Go, and Virgin Media Player. So, even if you don’t have an aerial, you can still watch a variety of TV shows.
Do I Need An Aerial To Watch Freeview?
By connecting your television to a digital box through an antenna, you may watch the Freeview app. Most smart TVs include this functionality; if not, you will need to acquire a digital box.
How To Watch Freeview On Smart TV Without An Aerial
There are a couple of ways to access Freeview on a smart TV without an antenna. You may, for example, cast the Freeview Play app from your phone to the screen if you have a device like a Chromecast. So, the answer to the question ‘do you need an antenna for smart TV’ is no, but you will require internet connectivity.
What Can You Watch on a Smart TV If You Don’t Have an Aerial?
You may buy a smart TV without an antenna, but to fully utilize the internet and other services, you will need one installed. If this bothers you, no aerial is required; but, if high-quality watching is wanted, you should consider acquiring a smart TV with a built-in aerial.
What Types Of TV Aerial Are There?
In the United Kingdom, there are three types of TV aerials:
- Terrestrial aerials
- Satellite aerials
- Aerials for satellites
The two most prevalent are terrestrial and cable. Because they can pick up lower signals, satellite aerials are best suited for rural locations. However, you may still use one in a town or city; the only difference is that an extra antenna may be required to boost signal quality and intensity.
Terrestrial aerials:
- Provide free broadcast channels
- It has built-in tuners (most smart TVs have this functionality)
- Less costly than satellite in terms of the initial cost
- More inexpensive (no equipment to purchase or maintain, free broadcast channels just require the installation of a TV antenna)
- Viewing is unrestricted and commercial-free.
- There is less diversity in programs (you will have to subscribe to multiple services for content)
- Outside the home, mobile gadgets are not as portable/viewable. Not all channels are accessible through the internet.
- To get terrestrial TV broadcasts, you will need an extra aerial.
- Interference is more common on terrestrial frequencies. You may experience low picture quality, pixelation, or the need to move the antenna around to acquire a clean signal.
Satellite aerials:
- Provides premium networks and on-demand programming
- When acquiring equipment, the initial cost might be rather high.
- Improved connection stability and download speeds
- In comparison to cable, programming is relatively restricted. The majority of programming is on pay-per-view channels rather than free broadcast channels, thus you will have to pay for these services on a monthly basis.
- Not as affordable (you will need a satellite dish, decoder, roof mount bracket, and LNB.)
- Outside of the home, there is limited range and viewing.
- A more reliable connection and quicker download rates are available.
- There is less diversity in programs (you will have to subscribe to multiple services for content)
- Rain may easily impair satellite transmissions. To effectively access these channels, you will need an additional aerial and/or an outside satellite dish, especially if your signal strength is poor. Rural regions are less affected, while towns and cities are more vulnerable to these interruptions.
Cable aerials
- Make available free broadcast channels
- In comparison to satellite and terrestrial, programming is more limited.
- Initially more costly than terrestrial
- There is less diversity in programs (you will have to subscribe to multiple services for content)
- Outside the home, mobile gadgets are not as portable/viewable. Not all channels are accessible through the internet.
- To get terrestrial TV broadcasts, you will need an extra aerial.
- Rain may easily impair cable transmissions. To effectively get these channels, you will require an external aerial and/or outdoor antenna, as well as an LNB. Rural regions are less affected, while towns and cities are more vulnerable to these interruptions.
Conclusion:
To conclude, in order to watch live TV on your smart TV, you will need either an aerial or satellite dish. You may be able to watch catch-up TV and TV on demand without an aerial, but you will not be able to watch live TV. If you want to watch Freeview on your smart TV, you will need to connect it to a digital box through an antenna. Check out more like these articles on our blog !
