How to Improve TV Aerial Freeview signal quality

iwant2asave

Hello,

I have just started using Freeview from my external TV aerial.  The aerial is at least 49 years old.  I am getting ITV clearly but other channels like BBC 1 and 2 are not clear.

Does anyone have any suggestions as to how I can improve the signal or what is causing it not to be clear for BBC despite it working for ITV?  Thanks,

Sam

Tiexen

Although an old analogue TV aerial can work with the Freeview signal, it will depend on multiple elements. For trouble free viewing It is always best to get the proper equipment installed

iwant2asave

Tiexen said:

Although an old analogue TV aerial can work with the Freeview signal, it will depend on multiple elements. For trouble free viewing It is always best to get the proper equipment installed

Hi There,

When you say proper equipment what does that mean please?

wongataa

iwant2asave said:

Hello,

I have just started using Freeview from my external TV aerial.  The aerial is at least 49 years old.  I am getting ITV clearly but other channels like BBC 1 and 2 are not clear.

Does anyone have any suggestions as to how I can improve the signal or what is causing it not to be clear for BBC despite it working for ITV?  Thanks,

Sam

It could be the wrong type of aerial now (the frequencies used in each area could have changed), it could be pointing in slightly the wrong direction (enough to affect some channels but not others), it could be degradation of the joints in the cables/connections enough to affect certain channels if the signal for those is not high enough.

wongataa

Tiexen said:

Although an old analogue TV aerial can work with the Freeview signal, it will depend on multiple elements. For trouble free viewing It is always best to get the proper equipment installed

An old aerial is just as good as a new aerial for TV reception (as long as it is the correct type and pointing the correct direction but that is true for both new and old aerials).  There is no difference between old analogue TV and digital TV in terms of the aerial requirements.

JSmithy45AD

wongataa said:

Tiexen said:

Although an old analogue TV aerial can work with the Freeview signal, it will depend on multiple elements. For trouble free viewing It is always best to get the proper equipment installed

An old aerial is just as good as a new aerial for TV reception (as long as it is the correct type and pointing the correct direction but that is true for both new and old aerials).  There is no difference between old analogue TV and digital TV in terms of the aerial requirements.

You could use an old wire coat hanger if the signal is strong enough but given the OP's aerial is 49 years old they need to replace it with a new wideband aerial and replace the cable run at the same time.

coffeehound

Yes the leaky old co-ax cable we got away with in analogue times isn't good enough for digital, unfortunately

Rodders53

Insufficient information.

Location, approx?  What transmitter?

Digital TV is usually perfect pictures or none at all ... although not clear might be a description of blackness and breakup of the picture due to low (or even too much) signal.If

If the TV is modernish and had HD tuner, try 101 for BBC 1... Is that Ok?

Go over the cables and plugs/sockets.  Remake any hand made plugs.  Often reception issues are caused by dodgy cables and connections.

BBC SD channels are on one multiplex frequency.  ITV/C4/C5 are on another.  The HD versions (101,102,103,104,105) are on a third frequency.  Not all frequencies are always received equally.  It may be a new aerial and download cable is needed; but start with the basics first.

PS what have you been using for TV watching up til now, and why the change?  There may be other options?

matelodave

after that amount of time is more than likely that water has got into the aerial connector or the cable and could be causing you a problem.

Also, as suggested above an old aerial will have been dedicated to the frequency group allocated to your region, however as time has passed, different frequencies have been allocated and the old band structure may not be relevant any more.

You need to check whether a wideband aerial is now recommended for your region as some channels may now be outside the old group that your aerial was tuned to.

You can use this to find out where your service should come from and which aerial group you need but I doubt it will tell you what aerial group was required when your aerial was installed  -  https://www.freeview.co.uk/help/coverage-checker/detailed-view

iwant2asave

Rodders53 said:

Insufficient information.

Location, approx?  What transmitter?

Digital TV is usually perfect pictures or none at all ... although not clear might be a description of blackness and breakup of the picture due to low (or even too much) signal.If

If the TV is modernish and had HD tuner, try 101 for BBC 1... Is that Ok?

Go over the cables and plugs/sockets.  Remake any hand made plugs.  Often reception issues are caused by dodgy cables and connections.

BBC SD channels are on one multiplex frequency.  ITV/C4/C5 are on another.  The HD versions (101,102,103,104,105) are on a third frequency.  Not all frequencies are always received equally.  It may be a new aerial and download cable is needed; but start with the basics first.

PS what have you been using for TV watching up til now, and why the change?  There may be other options?

Luton transmitter

I mean breakup when I say unclear.  BBC1, BBC2, BBC3 all break up.  But ITV, Channel4, Channel 5 are very clear with no break up. 

The TV is about 10 years old and doesnt have HD.

Until now been using Sky, but cancelled that due to price increases and mainly using BBC and ITV only.

Thanks for the suggestions.

iwant2asave

Sounds like from the above replies it might be worth getting a wideband aerial installed.

Does anyone have a ballpark figure for the cost?  Thanks,