Will this booster help my freeview signal?

beckie

hi, my freeview reception has been awful of late, am using a goodmans GDB2 and i wasnt sure whether i need a new and better box (like the look of sony and the humax fox) or whether a signal booster might help. Obviously I want to spend as little as possible and have spotted this one. But to be honest I dont really know what I'm looking for. Is this it? Or is it only useful if you want to split the aerial to connect to other rooms?

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=5807939228&rd=1&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWA%3AIT&rd=1

Mr_Skint_2

The thing to remember is that a booster will make the picture
worse if you have a bad signal in the first place, if its a slight
signal problem it will be ok.

beckie

basically, the box keeps switching itself off and then back on again and/or the picture is freezing, and for some channels i dont get a picture at all.

the trouble is nothing is consistent.

i couldn't get bbc3 at all the last few days, but tonite i can. itv2 turns itself on/off A LOT!

Mr_Skint_2

That booster looks like more of a splitter booster, they are ok if you got a strong
signal, If youve got an aerial in the loft I would put it outside on a chimney stack
or just check the aerial is pointing in the right direction, have a look at some nieghbours and see where there pointing, You might need a new aerial if so
dont get one until youve checked there isnt any obstacles in the way
i.e Trees or other buildings, if there is get a long pole to put the aerial on so it
reaches over the top of any Obstacles.

beckie

the problem is i have a communal ariel as i live in a flat and dont have any access to it whatsoever, but i do know that i cant get sky because i face the wrong way. so i'm a bit limited to a booster and/or the best quality freeview box i can afford.

Mr_Skint_2

I had the same problem in our flat I found out that where the upstairs flat
fed into my aerial socket it had fallen out slightly do I got a new aerial box
and rewired it, piece of cake, you might wanna check it out, either that its a new
aerial on the roof needed.

This is what I bought its where the TV aerial plugs in,, the connections behind
it were naff, so I got one for 79p and that solved it.

beckie

Hadnt thought of that. im not likely to electrocute myself though, am i? lol

Mr_Skint_2

Nah unless you sit in a bath of eels and lightning hits you.......

Frankenstien stylee.

sra

beckie wrote:

hi, my freeview reception has been awful of late, am using a goodmans GDB2 and i wasnt sure whether i need a new and better box (like the look of sony and the humax fox) or whether a signal booster might help. Obviously I want to spend as little as possible and have spotted this one. But to be honest I dont really know what I'm looking for. Is this it? Or is it only useful if you want to split the aerial to connect to other rooms?

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=5807939228&rd=1&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWA%3AIT&rd=1

The reception you get on a GDB2 depends on the software youre box is using.

The last time my box (GDB3) auto updated itself I started losing sound all the time. I had to download an older version of the software. See here for the long saga of the GDB2/3.

If you have the inclination to try, and the right connector to connect it to your computer, instructions and software is here: http://gdb.helpbytes.co.uk/

beckie

Mr_Skint wrote:

Nah unless you sit in a bath of eels and lightning hits you.......

Frankenstien stylee.

thanks, will put the eels away before i try and sit on a rubber tyre, just in case. lol

beckie

sra wrote:

The reception you get on a GDB2 depends on the software youre box is using.

The last time my box (GDB3) auto updated itself I started losing sound all the time. I had to download an older version of the software. See here for the long saga of the GDB2/3.

If you have the inclination to try, and the right connector to connect it to your computer, instructions and software is here: http://gdb.helpbytes.co.uk/

thanks. i checked that thread out, and boy are there a lot of pages on that thread! i read a few at the beginning and a few at the end. lol

it certainly sounds like my problem and I'd like to say that i DO have the inclination to try and update it, but i don't really know what i'm doing, so i think it might be best to just get a new box.

i've had a look at some reviews and the Sony VTX-D800U Digital Set-Top Box seems to be coming out on top, especially for those with poorer reception.

would you agree? would love to hear from anyone with experience of the sony (and any bargains of course)?
many thanks