Aerial/Freeview Problem

Ladyshopper

Hello. Total stranger to this thread but hoping someone can help!

I have a freeview recorder on my main tv, and for a couple of months it seems to have been playing up (at least I thought it was the recorder). Picture freezing, lack of signal, recordings doing the same thing so unwatchable.

Anyway, I had put it down to the freeview box, but checked the tv in my bedroom which has built in freeview, and it is doing the same thing, albeit to a lesser degree. Signal seems stronger, but there is still freezing of picture, can't get some channels etc.

This has led me to the conclusion that it isn't the freeview recorder, but is more likely to be a problem with the aerial, or the connections to it. Is there anyone on here that has suffered the same thing or is knowledgeable about this that could give me some advice?

If it is just a case of replacing the aerial then I will, but obviously don't want to spend out if that isn't going to work!

I live in one of these 3 story town houses and the aerial is in the loft if that makes any difference.

S0litaire

The easiest thing to do is to check the cable and connections to the aerial.

Or it might just be the aerial needing to be tightened and repositioned slightly.

frivolous_fay

I have suffered the same thing but you probably don't want my advice...

... give up and get cable

(We can't, we don't have it in our road! :rolleyes:)

Inactive

Ladyshopper wrote: »

I live in one of these 3 story town houses and the aerial is in the loft if that makes any difference.

Moving the TV Aerial from the loft to a better external location will almost certainly effect a cure.;)

financequest

1. Has the Freeview reception ever worked normally for both TV?, 2. are both TV attached to same aerial ? (reduces signal). If answer to 1 is yes, then something has changed. Check that cable is good throughout its length, not chewed by rodents, or have a nail or screw accidently inserted. Check connection at aerial and TV end not loose. Have someone move aerial around slowly whilst you watch TV, you either shout to this person, or use mobile phones. When picture is optimum, shout/call friend, clamp aerial in new position. (Usually a screwed bracket supports it. If both TV fed from same aerial, may be worth buying a signal amplifier (£10 or less), else a separate aerial for each TV. Finally, TV on roof will always pick up a stronger signal than one in loft.

jenniewb

Don't know if you have a cordless phone but check its not too close to your TV, as it can cause signal issues.

Also check that neighbours have not put up any whopping great satellites- I lose signal daily as a result of neighbours moving furniture or putting up aerials for something or another! But I live in a tall block of flats so I have many neighbours in close proximity- not sure if its the same for you.

Am not a techie btw and a more technical answer is above, just thought I would add my experience.

Ladyshopper

Thanks to all who replied.

I have checked the cable from the tv to the wall, and actually replaced it. I know this sounds stupid, but are there going to be cables in the loft from the aerial itself to where the aerial points from the 2 rooms connect?

Both tv's have been fine until recently. Have never ever been able to get CITV (kids channel 75), but that hasn't bothered us! Rest of channels have been fine. Odd bit of freezing up or lack of signal, but that has tended to be in rainy or windy weather.

Am thinking that getting the aerial fitted to the outside of the house rather than in the loft would cost a fortune given that its 3 storeys up?

Ladyshopper

financequest wrote: »

1. Has the Freeview reception ever worked normally for both TV?, 2. are both TV attached to same aerial ? (reduces signal). If answer to 1 is yes, then something has changed. Check that cable is good throughout its length, not chewed by rodents, or have a nail or screw accidently inserted. Check connection at aerial and TV end not loose. Have someone move aerial around slowly whilst you watch TV, you either shout to this person, or use mobile phones. When picture is optimum, shout/call friend, clamp aerial in new position. (Usually a screwed bracket supports it. If both TV fed from same aerial, may be worth buying a signal amplifier (£10 or less), else a separate aerial for each TV. Finally, TV on roof will always pick up a stronger signal than one in loft.

Will get my ex father in law over to give me a hand with this, thanks.

kwikbreaks

Ladyshopper wrote: »

Am thinking that getting the aerial fitted to the outside of the house rather than in the loft would cost a fortune given that its 3 storeys up?

One option with a three story building would be a wall mounted aerial just outside one of the windows so long as it can be pointed the right way.

There will be cables from the existing aerial to the two points and the chances are that both will be fed off the one aerial. If you can find them in the loft then just adding a double output amplifier (sometimes called a booster) may fix the problem but it would need mains power too which could be an issue.

There are lots of options but probably none of them are easy and cheap.

Bexm

Hello!

I'm an ex ITV Digital/Freeview employee and worked on the tech support for a while so hopefully can offer some advice.

Unfortunately as both your TVs are having problems it does seem like an aerial/reception problem.

There are a few things you can try before you go forking out for a new aerial though.

You say its only started happening recently, has anyone been up in your loft and maybe knocked the aerial, or have you recently put some stuff up there? It could be as simple as that! Digital signal, unlike the "normal" analogue signal is very precise and the slightest movement or things in the way can cause problems.

Check this out first.. if moving the aerial doesn't help, it could be as someone said above that some cable has been damaged..!

If you can find nothing wrong anywhere try a booster. At home our digital reception was useless, barely got anything, but we picked up a £14.99 booster from Wilko and now our channels are perfect. You could always try this, and I think wilko will let you return it if it doesn't work.

If this works you will need one for both TVs.

If you do decide you need a new aerial technically you shouldn't need one outside to make it work.. have a word with a local aerial installer, he may be able to tell you more information about the signal strength in your area and be able to recommend the best course of action.

One more thing I've just remembered.. that may sound daft.. is the picture always bad? or just some times of day?
In our old house we kept getting bad signal in the afternoon.. we found a bus used to stop just up the road from us to meet the train, and it'd be back and forth all afternoon..took us ages to work out but we found the bus sitting there idling actually interferred with our TV.

Is there something new going on round your house? Could be that?

Anyway.. hope this helps a bit!

Bex

kwikbreaks

> If this works you will need one for both TVs.

No

Something like - http://www.aerialshack.com/aerial-booster-amplifier-p-311.html - will feed both sets from a single aerial. In fact it would be rather hard to connect up two amps to one aerial without using a splitter which would immediately cut the signal down.