freeview and digital aerial advice wanted plsss

bonjovibel_729

hiya have recently moved house and in my old house i was able to get freeview using an indoor aerial...i only moved about a mile away but am now not able to get any signal using the indoor aerial....i rang the freeview ppl and they said i live really close to the signal and shud be able to get a picture using a indoor aerial...

i have looked in argos and can see outdoor aerials that should work but if i want a signal in mine the kids rooms and in hte basement kitchen can i get some sort of splitter to supply all rooms or do i need more than one aerial...also if i put the aerial outside how do i get a lead to go to the basement and also to the bedrooms??

sorry am just really thick when it comes to technical stuff lol

markdavey

TBH you really need an external aerial (there's no such thing as a 'digital' aerial) connected to a Distribution system to distribute the signal to the other rooms. It is DIYable (I did this very job at the weekend) but you would need all the equipment:

Proper Ladders (and someone to hold them/watch you)
Aerial Mount/Pole
Masthead Amplifier (although as you are close to the transmitter this is probably not required)
Suitable Aerial for your transmitter (wideband is likely)
Cable
Distribution Amplifier
Sockets
etc. etc.

You will also need to work out how you get to the other rooms (either via the loft and through the ceiling or via the outside of the house etc.).

Alternatively you could call a CAI approved installer local to you for a quote.

dacouch

It's quite common when you move, just go into the menu on the freeview and chose either "First time installation" or "rescan for chanells".

It should then work

markdavey

dacouch wrote: »

It's quite common when you move, just go into the menu on the freeview and chose either "First time installation" or "rescan for chanells".

It should then work

I very much doubt a re-tune will work (although I will stand corrected if it does). OP has only moved 1 mile away from the original house and should still be using the same transmitter...

Its more likely that the new house position is not in a location that in indoor aerial can pick-up the signal.

dacouch

markdavey wrote: »

I very much doubt a re-tune will work (although I will stand corrected if it does). OP has only moved 1 mile away from the original house and should still be using the same transmitter...

Its more likely that the new house position is not in a location that in indoor aerial can pick-up the signal.

I've moved three times and had to reinstall each time including a 1 mile move and I'm only a few miles from the Crystal Palace transmitter.

I would try the reinstall / rescan before spending money / time on further equipment especially as if this is all that is needed the same problem will probably still exist even after buying the new equipment

markdavey

dacouch wrote: »

I've moved three times and had to reinstall each time including a 1 mile move and I'm only a few miles from the Crystal Palace transmitter.

I would try the reinstall / rescan before spending money / time on further equipment especially as if this is all that is needed the same problem will probably still exist even after buying the new equipment

Fair point.

Shaanbles

My house has just been re-wired and there are now several TV points. Previously the 4 points were linked in a box in the loft and Virgin was wired into one room.

I will still have Virgin installed and the electrician said Virgin should now be able to connect the TV straight into the loft; however I'm only having one Virgin box the rest of the TVs will be freeview. So I'm confused as to what type of box I need to plug all these aerial points into so as to connect them to the external aerial but also to have Virgin connected.

markdavey

If you only want to distribute Freeview to the upstairs TV's and leave VM just connected to the one downstairs, you need a simple amp such as this

They also do cheaper versions and 4-way versions. I have the one in the link and it works flawlessly.

If you want to distribute Virgin etc. You will need a more complicated set-up. with a proper loftbox such as this

Shaanbles

Thanks Mark

With the second option you suggested is that not just for Sky or does it work with cable as well? Also if I connect virgin to it then can I see what's on the main box downstairs in the rooms upstairs as well as watch freeview through the TV?

markdavey

I'm afraid that I don't have Virgin so I can't answer that question. As long as Virgin outputs a signal through an aerial cable to feed a second TV position, you should be fine. With the 2nd option, you need to feed the aerial into the loftbox and then back out again and down to your main TV postion. Your VM box should then take the aerial signal, combine it with the VM signal and output both through its 2nd TV interface (if it has one), this is then fed back into the loftbox and throughout the house. both the VM signal (i.e. the picture being shown downstairs) and the Freeview signals will therefor reach each TV.

Someone with VM will need to confirm if this is actually possible.