Freeview problem

in_spired2

Our large TV with freeview HD is working fine. Connected by a short cable to the wall socket. Running a longer cable to the computer HD tv/monitor (same room) or a HD freeview smaller tv in a bedroom results in only some channels being available (and no HD ones)

Any ideas why? the smaller tv has all the channels when connected to the shorter cable, so I don't think that tv or monitor has a problem with their tuners.

Things that I can think of: quality of longer cable (cheap one from ASDA and the splitter that came with it broke apart first time I pulled it from the wall, but also tried a thicker, but very old one - same result) Length of cable (do we need a booster after x metres of cable?) Frustrating too as there is a sky cable in the bedroom, but the sky box which we don't use due to freeview....wont work with it - no signal.

Am happy to buy a more expensive cable and/or booster, but don't want to do that and then find it doesn't work. Bad enough having 2 useless cables - really don't need 3 of them.

mcfisco

When you split the cable, you will at least half the signal strength.
This could easily take a marginal signal beyond the tuner's threshold.

When you plug the long cable in to the wall socket on it's own, [no other TVs or splitters etc] does the other TV run any better?

in_spired2

Sorry, I should have said, we tried the longer cables straight in the wall socket as well as on the rubbish splitter. No difference.

mcfisco

It's going to be difficult to fault find without seeing it but, the cable per se should be fine as long as it's not faulty.

Ideally [without spending the earth] you need a small distribution amp, Philex make decent ones. [Argos have them]
The cable from the wall needs to go into it's input with a separate outlet for each TV. you'll need a 4 way if you want all 3 TVs connected permanently