HD Freeview TV Reception issues - help!

jojo2004

Hi All,

We recently bought a Samsung tv with built in Freeview HD tuner, and lots of other gubbins besides.
However, we get hardly any decent channels - BBC1, BBC3&4, BBC News, E4+1 5*, but not: BBC 2, ITV 1-3, Channel 4, Channel 5, normal E4, etc etc.

The ones we do get have very unreliable signal, which varies day to day - it will pixellate, and cut out now and then, and then be fine for an hour. I know that planes going over head cause a problem (we are on the City airport flight path - joy).

Is there anything we can try to fix this? It drives me round the bend, and we end up watching iPlayer on the wireless dongle more than we watch live tv! This is not why we bought a tv!
Much appreciated (and please no tech speak - am not too hot on tv terminology etc!)
xx

System

Has your area gone through the process of digital switchover recently ?

Check here : DigitalSwitchOver You may need to retune your digital TV tuner if your area has recently switched.

Your TV should have a signal strength indicator, check the instructions.
On the main channels, if your aerial is OK then the signal should be up above 75% for the majority of channels, if most channels signal is below 50% then something is wrong with the aerial or cable from the aerial to the TV.

Is your aerial shared between more than one TV or set top box ?
If yes, then does it have a splitter / amplifier with multiple outputs for different TVs ?
If the aerial is shared without such a device, the signal quality will be effected, get the aerial rewired / replaced if that is the case.

Also, make sure that the aerial cable goes directly to the back of the TV (not via an old VHS video recorder or other box)

macman

City Airport flight path? You should get excellent reception, probably from Crystal Palace if nothing in the way (tall buildings at Canary Wharf etc)?
Are you using a proper rooftop aerial that is correctly aligned and with proper cabling-you won't get decent digital reception without that.
Digital transmitter power will be boosted after the London/SE switchover, but that's not for a year or more yet.

jojo2004

We're due to switchover in April 2012. So it's not that.

No idea about the aerial, as we're in a block of flats (8 flats in the block). Will check signal strength on tv when I can find instructions, but if it's a shared aerial is that the problem?
Thanks guys! x

grizzly1911

Depends whether you "share" aerial with the others or if you have your own.

To get freeview you need a good aerial and cabling as other posters have said.

In our house we have 4TVs, 1HDFV, 2 Normal FV and 1FV via a digibox.

When we moved in originally we couldn't get normal analogue TV without fitting a booster.

When we increased the number of TVs we had to have a better booster system fitted. We have fully switched over.

My mother and mother in law, live within 1 mile of each other and are both served by the same transmitter. They had new HDFVTVs last summer. They are due to switch fully next month and are currently on an interim solution.

One was fine no problems at all.

The second can only get a subset of channels and no HD. The digi peole have said that in the interim phase some channels are being transmitted outside the the frequency range of "older" aerials due to bandwith issues. Apparently when the full switch over happens they will be brought back within the the capability of the older aerials.

I wait with bated breath but I suspect that an aerial upgrade my still be required.

macman

So the first thing to do is establish if the aerial is shared, if so ask your neighbours if they are also having issues.
If it is shared, it's down to the managing agents to sort it out for you.