Scooby Snacks 23

Got a nice little wallmounted lcd tv for the bedroom the other day with built in freeview (watching telly is all that happens in my bedroom thesedays ) but and whilst it's picked up most of the freeview channels, there's a couple it won't, in particular BBC1 and BBC3 and GOLD.

I have an aerial in the loft which is only about 2 years old (only for the telly upstairs as have Vriginmedia downstairs) but is not digital.

Do I need to splash out for a digital aerial (for the loft) is is it possible to get some sort of booster to connect to the current aerial?

Any advice welcomed - cheers
Andy

hux309

I would be patient, freeview is currently at 10% strength when the changeover happens sometime this year it'll be ramped up so most reception problems should be gone.

Matteeboy

We got an engineer to fit a booster which works a treat.
From 4 very poor reception channels to about a zillion (with a digi box).

Cost just over £100.

Ant

not true at all it's not 100% but it'll only be ramped a little bit some areas are already at there peak.

As for the op original question if it was fitted more then two years more then likely it will be wideband aerial. How many points are you running off the aerial maybe just a distribution amplifier would cure.

RdI and CAI always reccommend outdoor fitting for digital, if they inspected my work and I did a loft install I'd get a telling off.

As a loft aerial can loose alot of signal compared to outside as the roof is acting as a barrier.

Without coming along and testing your signal direct from the aerial with a digital meter it's hard to diagnose

Scooby Snacks 23

Thanks for responses so far.

antc - there's only one aerial point, so I guess a distribution amplifier would do. Is this fitted at the socket end, or up in the roof and what sort of £££ would I be looking at (guessing cheaper than a digital aerial??)

hux309

Well tell the guy who was on radio cornwall touting it was 10% then.

Matteeboy

Scooby - we got an engineer to come over, he plugged in a signal meter, checked what we had, realised our digital signal was okay but weak then installed the appropriate amplifier. £100 (ish) very well spent I reckon.

Ant

I'm not getting into a tail waving competition about it but when I was on my last course with cai basically the governing body of aerial installations. He said they wouldn't be getting increased .

Due to the fact the so many millions already have digital aerials if they turned it up this 90% everyone already with a aerial will be over signalling which is just as bad as poor signal.

Maybe he meant the relays willbe getting switched over.

But what do I know as it's only my job.

Not all the country will get digital when it's 2012 why do you think BBC brought freesat out

Mateeboy said give a aerial company a call cai registered, I'd give you our number but we only cove london up to Newcastle no Cornwall sorry

Matteeboy

Ant - who do you work for (can PM)?
I might well know your company through a client of ours!

MrJim

i had a similar problem just reinstall the channels and it should be okay

hux309

Lol i didn't mean it like that, just saying some official was on the radio spouting it.

When's hd making a showing anyway or has ofcom gone and sold the lot to sky?

Ant

tbh it's in doubt and i was reading a article up about it an there still wouldnt be enough bandwith when it comes to 2012, if we get anything it'l only be 720p i would imagine or if they buy some more bandwith.

my opinion dont hold your breathe lol.

and if it does i'd imagine some digital aerials would have to be changed but as it stands noone know a great deal whats going to happen

Ant

maybe so if it's a tuner fault, but if there low signal they will only dissapear again.

ScoobyDriverWannabe

you cant get gold on freeview can you ?

Ant

i'd imagine hes on about dave which effectivly is gold

scoobymad555

iTrader: (1)

^^can confirm that aswell from two different sources working closely with the bbc at the moment

bbc are also having problems with their freesat hd transmissions in places too courtesy of over signalling from what i've seen - i've actually gotta introduce kit to reduce the signal strength in one of the bespoke installs i did recently

perhaps antc can confirm this but regarding freeview aerials, my understanding was that it's considered bad practice to install internal aerials for this since freeview being a digital transmission relies more heavily on a "line-of-sight" setup so things like roofs in the way is generally a no-no? I know my aerial ended up being on a s0ddin great pole mounted on my chimney and had a masthead amp to get a decent signal in my area but i am half way down a valley trying to pick up from crystal palace lol

Ant

yup all digital aerial should be fitted outside even if your right next to the transmitter.but some exceptions like listed buildings or some new estates stipulate no aerials on show.

you must be in a bad area if you need a 10ft and masthead, but if it works ok he did a good job lol