Strange USB TV Problem - ATMT Digital TV DVB-T Freeview

overworked_underpaid

I bought an ATMT Digital TV USB Freeview Receiver (see link below) and have a really strange problem. If I plug the USB stick on the back of my PC the TV skips every few seconds. However if I plug it on the USB sockets on the front of my PC and sit at my desk to watch the TV the display is perfect. It does not skip or hang. The strange this is that if I sit away from my desk, about 2 or 3 meters away, the reception again hangs. In both instances the TV ariel has not been moved. Can anyone explain why this is happening and how I should resolve it?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/ATMT-Digital-Freeview-receiver-Control/dp/B000GTQJ82/sr=8-2/qid=1168846129/ref=pd_ka_2/026-5024986-7931649?ie=UTF8&s=electronics

Hillfly

I think in both cases it's something to do with the reception.
When you move the usb stick you are moving the cable that runs into it and therefore slightly changing your reception into the usb device. Same thing when you move you are changing the bounce of the signal off your body. I often find by placing my hand on aan aerial it improves the reception - I assume because my body is boosting the signal.

I personally use an HVR900 usb stick.

It does digital & analogue and so I can use it to capture video from devices like sky+, camcorders, video, dvd's, using laptop for ps2 games etc etc. Costs a bit more though but worth it for me.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Hauppauge-WIN-TV-HVR-900TV-Analogue-Digital/dp/B000CENSCG/sr=1-1/qid=1168849426/ref=sr_1_1/026-3521568-8302824?ie=UTF8&s=electronics

overworked_underpaid

Hillfly wrote:

I often find by placing my hand on an aerial it improves the reception - I assume because my body is boosting the signal.

If I place my hand near the actual USB stick (not the aerial), it boosts the signal. Is there anyway to resolve this?

espresso

overworked_underpaid wrote:

If I place my hand near the actual USB stick (not the aerial), it boosts the signal. Is there anyway to resolve this?

What do you mean "resolve this"? It sounds like you basically have insufficient signal strength but that is to be expected if using the supplied aerial. For it to work well, it needs a good signal like all other TV sets.

Browntoa

it's also better to place it away from the interference your PC base unit kicks out, get a longish USB lead and place it a bit away from the PC, won't resolve the weak signal problem if that is what it is

Moss5

I had sound and vision problems on digital TV.
Moving my DECT cordless phone to a new location cured the problem.

overworked_underpaid

espresso wrote:

What do you mean "resolve this"? It sounds like you basically have insufficient signal strength but that is to be expected if using the supplied aerial. For it to work well, it needs a good signal like all other TV sets.

I thought that the signal is boosed by the aerial, (which is 2 Meters away) and not the actual USB device.

Hillfly

You could plug the aerial into a signal booster. It may help a bit - but again the internal aerial will almost always be 2nd best to a rooftop aerial.