No TV signal, options for Mum?

Martin_o03

Hello all,

My elderly mother is currently without any TV.

She currently has a communal aerial this line is connected to her Samsung smart tv.

She cannot get a signal using her smart tv Freeview. It cuts out constantly. She was just using apps via the tv. Now the apps have vanished and she has nothing and can't get them back despite me trying everything in very farcical FaceTime calls (I live in a different country)

She can't get sky either due to interference, her house backs onto a forrest and she has had the sky guy out. She can't get virgin.

We had been considering Sky Stream but she can't get that due to her broadband minimum guaranteed speed being 4.3 - awful!

I'm not particularly great on these things myself. Does anyone know of any easy options for basic tv?

She doesn't want any engineers out because she's not keeping well at the moment.

Are there any particular TV boxes that would be best? Freeview etc? An indoor aerial?

Would a fire stick work with such rubbish internet speeds? Is a fire stick just apps or do you get tv channels.

She's sat with no tv in the run up to Christmas

Eldi_Dos

With it being a communal aerial will there not be a conceirge/caretaker that can connect tv to that aerial,failing that arrange a indoor aerial till communal aerial is up and running again.

Torry_Quine

Has she notified whoever is responsible for the communal aerial? 

oldernonethewiser

Martin_o03 said:

Hello all,

My elderly mother is currently without any TV.

She currently has a communal aerial this line is connected to her Samsung smart tv.

She cannot get a signal using her smart tv Freeview. It cuts out constantly. She was just using apps via the tv. Now the apps have vanished and she has nothing and can't get them back despite me trying everything in very farcical FaceTime calls (I live in a different country)

She can't get sky either due to interference, her house backs onto a forrest and she has had the sky guy out. She can't get virgin.

We had been considering Sky Stream but she can't get that due to her broadband minimum guaranteed speed being 4.3 - awful!

I'm not particularly great on these things myself. Does anyone know of any easy options for basic tv?

She doesn't want any engineers out because she's not keeping well at the moment.

Are there any particular TV boxes that would be best? Freeview etc? An indoor aerial?

Would a fire stick work with such rubbish internet speeds? Is a fire stick just apps or do you get tv channels.

She's sat with no tv in the run up to Christmas

The abilty to use the apps would have been through the broadband connection.   Is there an issue with the actual TV?

Rodders53

The communal aerial will need seeing to by the owner/operator of it:  She needs to report to the Landlord (if renting) and/or building managing agents (factor in Scotland) so that it can be repaired.  That should not cost as the system will be paid for in rent or service fees for the building.
Quite possibly that forest of trees is affecting terrestrial reception, if all the building is affected.  Has she asked neighbours if they are having trouble as well - and have they reported it?

It is possible that doing a full reset/retune of TV with faulty aerial will have messed up access to the Catchup apps via the 'backward epg' and even disabled them due to no reception.  BUT I note it's a Samsung Smart TV... Does it have the Samsung proprietary TV Plus system that needs internet access?  https://www.samsung.com/us/support/answer/ANS00088822/
If the internet is flaky I don't know if that affects through the aerial TV reception, too??  May be worth disabling it to see?

Assuming the communal aerial system does need fixing and may require a home visit.
Distancing and face masks can be requested/worn and disinfecting wipes used afterwards to protect.  Presuming she's had her Flu and Covid boosters!  Refusing a home visit to fix the reception issue is nose cut off face territory.

The same applies to the TV apps and internet connection issue.  It's far easier to fix on site that try to do so remotely (as you have found).  Is there no-one you'd both trust to visit 'safely' and with the technical ability.  The TV should ideally be wired to the ISP router.  WiFi is a poor choice.
It could be that something is wrong with this internet/wifi setup that needs attention?

A minimum 4.3 Mbit/s guaranteed speed is ADSL territory and likely faster than that speed most of the time.  It will be adequate for most SD and perhaps HD streaming (UHD needs faster).  https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/help/questions/getting-started-with-bbc-iplayer/internet-speed is what the BBC say.
Consider checking if anything faster can be got, such as fibre to the cabinet.  Likely to be almost the same price even from her current ISP.  https://www.broadbandchecker.btwholesale.com/#/ADSL/AddressHome
But such an installation may need a new router-modem installed and could take many weeks.  (Beware Full Fibre as that involves a home visit, new kit, and a loss of analogue phone line replaced by 'digital voice' or an equivalent.

A Fire TV stick can do the major UK broadcaster Catchup services and some broadcasters even support "Live" TV.  Not all do though.  Quality will still be limited by the ISP speed, though.

EDIT  One of the first things that needs in home checking is the TV aerial cable and connections to the communal wallplate. Especially if there are any hand-made TV plugs.  They can work loose over time and give problems.