Advice Needed... Digital TV/Freeview Reception

[snowflake25]

Hi all,

Apologies if this has already been covered anywhere - my housemates and I have been experiencing huge problems with the digital TV reception in our basement flat since our old housemate moved out, taking with the combined DVD player/freeview box. This worked absolutely fine.

We replaced this with a Bush mid range freeview box, which picked up about 5 channels and these were all pixellated and constantly on the blink. Thinking it might be the box, we exhanged for a more expensive model - which is no different! I have since been told that it's nothing to do with the box and is more likely the aerial. Unfortunately we have no access to the rooftop aerial (if there even is one) and we have a top of the range indoor aerial. We've tried placing this in several places in the living room (even trying to angle it towards the big mast in crystal palace) but so far, nothing makes any difference.

Any advice / tips would be greatly appreciated - does anyone else in basement flats have the same problem? we have resigned ourselves at the moment to three terrestrial channels but as license payers it would be nice to have the full range!

Thanks in advance!

[steveo]

signal booster

[Narnia]

Why do you think it worked before? Are you sure there isn't an ariel socket on the wall?

[snowflake25]

There does seem to be an old aerial socket on the wall, we've tried connecting to this with a cable and picked up no signal at all. It seems to be an old satellite rather than aerial socket as there the cable disappears into the wall through an old and dusty 'ntl' box. Our landlords live in France and probably won't agree to getting this looked into, especially as it mysteriously did work well before!

As I mentioned before, I have no technical knowledge at all... limited to plugging it it, following the instructions and that's it!

Thanks for the suggestion of the signal booster - do you know if this will make a noticeable difference? I've read conflicting reports on their efficiency.

Would going through a satellite provider like Virgin help?

[SeanMacGabhann]

do you get normal reception on non digital channels? ie old skool reception?

If you can't see them then the ariel may have been knocked about in a storm or something

if they are crystal clear then the reception should be strong enough for digital - but the symptoms you report suggest otheriwse

Going to virgin or whoever will mean wall installations which your landlords may need to approve

[nashoi]

A signal booster won't help, it's height you need.

[karter]

What big daddy just said. Also try seeing for your self from down the road if the ariel on the roof is still upright if possible, or get a local recommended ariel business on here for a free quote.

[reggie]

We have just paid out for an aerial on the roof which after years of crap reception does the trick. We have signal booster

now for sale.

[Narnia]

I'd contact your old housemate if that were possible. He/she may know something you don't. It just seems too much of a coincidence that the poor reception has occured since he/she left.

Going to virgin would negate the need for an ariel but to get free TV from them you would have to buy into their telephone/broadband packages.