Poor digital TV Signal Help

[TechSupp]

Leading on from the FreeviewHD thread my Dad has gone over to digital with a new Samsung TV but although he has had a new digital areal installed and aligned the best they can he still has poor signal reception especially in bad weather (delayed sound, picture breakup, no signal message etc). Any suggestions to the best (for him read cheapest as I've already tried with the 'just get the cheapest Sky option" suggestion) option. He's not bothered about having lots to watch just the basic channels as they only changed to digital because their existing TV was useless. Not sure what would be the best. He currently has a video player but I can swap that for a spare TopUp TV digital recorder I have if that helps any suggestions?

Just as an afterthough is he likely to get a better reception/picture by using the TopUp TV recorders reciever than using the TV's own inbuilt reciever?

Oh and no he's not going down the TopUp TV subscription route, that one mistake I won't make again!

Edited November 23, 2009 by TechSupp

[sted]

doubt the difference between the tuner in the telly and the set top box will be much. try an ariel signal booster SLX 4 Way Plug-In Signal Booster, 27843HS/04 without one of those i get dodgy signal with one near perfect

[TechSupp]

Thanks, jogged my memory that I have one lurking about only 9.5dB gain but could be the difference, I'll give it to him to have a go, may be the answer, Thanks. See we are in the same neck of the woods, I'm in Doncaster as well!

[Michael]

Unfortunately some areas of the country are just better than others at receiving a signal using an aerial. As well as a new aerial was a new cable installed? This can make all the difference too.

 

In my opinion I would always recommend a 43cm Sky/Freesat dish (same thing) with a Freesat box. Something like 98% of the country can pick up a perfect signal in the UK compared to something like 65-70% Freeview.

 

For those that don't know Freesat/Sky use the same technology - a satellite dish pointing at the Astra2 satellite with the same satellite cabling.

If you subscribed to Sky you can connect a Sky box and watch whichever channels you subscribed too. Alternatively connect a Freesat box and watch all the FTA (Free to Air) channels. Just pay your TV license annually and that's it, no subscription.

[yugo]

Have the same problem. The C4 and ITV channels are lost in the bad weather

Thinking of going down the freesat route. Tried a booster without success.

[sted]

Thanks, jogged my memory that I have one lurking about only 9.5dB gain but could be the difference, I'll give it to him to have a go, may be the answer, Thanks. See we are in the same neck of the woods, I'm in Doncaster as well!

 

for the few quid it costs its worth a go. Im managing with one on a fairly old non digital ariel thats in the loft rather than on the roof (its not even fixed in place its just layed on piles of stuff so everytime someone goes up there it gets knocked out of alignment lol)

[mullet_man]

In our flat, we don't have a dedicate ariel in our bedroom, and have one of those that has the amp built in, before the first switchover the other month, we got most channels ok, now we are struggling to get a picture on any.

 

Will the signal be boosted when all analogue channels get switched off next month in the North West?

[sted]

In our flat, we don't have a dedicate ariel in our bedroom, and have one of those that has the amp built in, before the first switchover the other month, we got most channels ok, now we are struggling to get a picture on any.

 

Will the signal be boosted when all analogue channels get switched off next month in the North West?

 

i believe so

[SteveBentley]

I've seen a number of reports that the decoders in integrated TVs are not as sensitive as those in dedicted set top boxes.

 

And, for the record - There is no such thing as a digital aerial!

[maniac]

And, for the record - There is no such thing as a digital aerial!

 

I'm glad someone else said it, there's been a lot of people ripped off by aerial installers over the last few years. My parents have an age old aerial on their house with proper old cable as well and they get an almost perfect signal on their digital TV.

 

Mike.

[SteveBentley]

Have a look at http://www.paras.org.uk for some good advice and myth debunking - the guys behind this site know their stuff

[SpuffMonkey]

I'd chat to his neighbours - see if everyone in that area is having problems - if not - ask who installed their aerial and get them in to align and boost his.

[TechSupp]

Thanks, neighbours are either on Sky or Virgin cable, as for the ariel, meant to say really it was a better ariel than his old one that he recieved the analogue signal on.