Indorr Aerial for a TV with built in freeview

macman

Always amazes me that people are prepared to spend maybe £5-600 on a shiny new LCD/plasma TV, and then expect to get a decent picture with a £10 bent coathanger balanced on top of it.
What's the problem with external aerials?

AirCooledHeaven

Where is your house? The size and type of aerial you need will depend on where you are in relation to your nearest freeview transmitter. Are you in a dip, or on a hill?

Taffybiker

I agree that roof mounted is best, followed by loft. The picture is unlikely to change on digital by moving the aerial around. For the moment, you could try the same again but be tuned to an analogue station. When this station is at its best, leave the aerial alone then try scanning for digital channels. I wouldn't hold out too much hope though.

u01jet4

macman wrote: »

Always amazes me that people are prepared to spend maybe £5-600 on a shiny new LCD/plasma TV, and then expect to get a decent picture with a £10 bent coathanger balanced on top of it.
What's the problem with external aerials?

I spent a lot less than that, went halfers with my boyfriend and have had 2 years good use out of it with Sky+. Now I have moved back home (temporarily hopefully!) and was hopiong to be able to used it in the meantime without splashing out a fortune getting a tv point installed or getting the equivalent of Sky multiroom but for Virgin. If I can't get a signal without much hassle then it'll do for dvds until I get my own place in a couple of years where it can take back pride of place for a good few years!

Certainly wouldn't fork out a wad of cash to then expect to use a "bent coathanger"!

I went to Asda and bought an aerial that claims to have 96% good reception etc so I'll give it a bash and if not I will return

Jockanory

My daughter had a similar problem and after a bit of research she bought this one from argos and it's worked fine.
http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/9004272/c_1/1|category_root|Home+entertainment+and+sat+nav|14419512/c_2/2|cat_14419512|Television+aerials+and+boosters|14419536.htm

Stompa

It might be worth asking your neighbours if any of them have had success with an indoor aerial.

bingo_bango

Taffybiker wrote: »

I agree that roof mounted is best, followed by loft. The picture is unlikely to change on digital by moving the aerial around. For the moment, you could try the same again but be tuned to an analogue station. When this station is at its best, leave the aerial alone then try scanning for digital channels. I wouldn't hold out too much hope though.

Ahh...but that were true. I have a TV and freeview box in the bedroom. I also have one of the little cheap indoor aerials. On my previous freeview box, I had to get up and rotate the aerial depending on the channel I wanted to watch.
Have now got an updated box, and no longer have a problem. All channels picked up, although it can take up to 5 seconds for the box to recognise the signal on each channel. I'm still using the same cheap aerial.

Poppycat

I live very close to a mast less than 1 1/2 miles in fact you can see it from our bedroom window and we are on a hill, I tried two indoor aerials in end it was hit n miss so I ended up getting a new aerial for all 3 bedrooms two share one aerial and another bedroom uses another aerial. It cost us around £180 for 4 rooms including two aerials, cable and splitters itw as worth it for all the messing around

You an get aerials to fit in loft but aerials are best outside

dacouch

If you have moved house then the Freeview needs to be reconfigured (This will apply for virtually any aerial you buy). Go into the menu and select first time set up. This will tell the freeview decoder to retune to the relevant transmitter

u01jet4

Jockanory wrote: »

My daughter had a similar problem and after a bit of research she bought this one from argos and it's worked fine.
http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/9004272/c_1/1|category_root|Home+entertainment+and+sat+nav|14419512/c_2/2|cat_14419512|Television+aerials+and+boosters|14419536.htm

Haha, this is the same one I bought, and it did pick up most BBC channels, but nothing else! I'm going to probably make do with my old cheapy TV for a couple of weeks before my dad can do what espresso suggested.

Is there any way to check whether running a cable from the aerial in the loft will give me as good a signal as we get downstairs? or do we just have to chance it and hope for the best?