What Is The Estate TV System?

The Estate maintains a network of aerials, dishes and cables that distributes TV signals to all the houses in The Knoll, Heronsforde and Lakeside.

This is the Estate TV, and is separate from any Virgin Media connection you might have in your home.

The Estate Management Scheme (EMS) and the Ealing council Conservation Area both stipulate that external TV aerials and satellite dishes are not permitted, since they are considered to have a negative effect on the look of the estate.

The Estate TV system was installed to allow these houses to access TV signals without contravening the rules. Over the years, the Estate TV System has evolved from a simple system offering basic channels, to a more comprehensive system now which includes both terrestrial and satellite options.

How Does Estate TV Work?

This Estate TV system uses fibre optic cables to carry the signals from place to place. These are typically very narrow, light grey cables that have been rigged across rooftops, and pinned down the sides of houses.

They are different from the TV aerial connections you might recognise when connecting to a conventional rooftop aerial, or to a satellite dish.

At each house, one of these grey optical cables was installed when the system was put in place some years ago. In many houses, these cables were fed through holes in the wall, and connected inside.

In some houses, the shareholders at the time elected not to complete their installation, and in these cases the cable might have been left coiled up outside, or might have been removed entirely.

As a new resident, you might need to investigate whether the cable is present at your house, and whether it has been routed into the property somewhere so that it can be exploited.

If the cable has been set up correctly, you can then add your own TV equipment, such as a FreeView TV, a FreeView or FreeSat receiver, or even a Sky+ / SkyQ satellite box if you wish to subscribe. The Estate TV gives you all of these options.

How Do I Make Estate TV Work For Me?

First, you need to determine whether the fibre optic cable is present or not. With luck, it has been installed, and routed through a hole in the wall somewhere so that you can access it indoors. Remember, the Estate TV cable is a thin, grey optical cable. It doesn’t look like a normal TV aerial, and that’s because it works differently.

If there is no cable, or if it is hanging outside without actually entering your property, you will need assistance. (Talk to Colin Bibra in the first instance.)

If the cable is present you can’t connect it directly to your TV, because it is an optical cable rather than the normal aerial lead. Instead, the optical signal in this fibre optic cable needs to be converted into an electrical signal that can be connected to conventional TV equipment (a TV set, a Sky Box, and so on.)

The conversion requires a small box of electronics, which may often be mounted onto the interior wall of the house, close to where the fibre optic cable enters the building. Again, check if you have one of these boxes.

If you do not have a box anywhere, and your fibre optic cable is not connected to anything, you will need assistance. (Talk to Colin Bibra. The Grange Directors can also advise about sourcing a replacement box.)

Note that the box needs to be connected to a mains socket, because the electronics inside needs to be powered. Sometimes the boxes have been left in houses, but the power has not been connected to them.

So, I Have A Cable And A Box… Now What?

If you have a converter box, and it powers up, and you have a fibre optic cable that connects to it, then you are almost in business!

Power up the converter, and with luck the LED will turn green. This indicates that the incoming signal is good.

If you are familiar with satellite TV, you may know that heavy rain can interfere with reception. The same applies to the satellite feed on Estate TV, and sometimes the LED may flash, or go red if the satellite signal is interrupted due to rain. Generally the signal comes back when the rain eases off. This should not happen with FreeView.

You should be able to connect the converter box to your TV equipment, and then set up your TV the way you would if you were plugging into either a conventional aerial (for FreeView) or satellite dish (for FreeSat or Sky.)

There are different kinds of converters, but you should be able to connect:

A FreeView TV or recorder

A FreeSat TV or recorder

A Sky Q set top box

What Does It Cost?

If you don’t already have a converter box, and/or a fibre optic cable, there will be a charge for getting these installed.

Once you are connected, Estate TV is free at the point of usage. There is no subscription. Watching TV can be free, if you choose to watch FreeView or FreeSat.

You can of course opt for pay-TV options such as Sky Q, but the choice is yours.

The Board is keen to maintain a TV option which is free of charge.