Freeview Reception in Difficult Area

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unclerichard

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#195844 8-May-2016 06:59

A relative living in Glenfield Auckland suffer severe interference at times that lasts for hours. She is in a spot where the UHF signal is very weak from all the three (Sky Tower/Pinehill/Waitakare) transmitters and the only solution appears to be (IMHO) the backward step of going satellite. I intend to install a line filter to make sure the interference is not from a power source. My impression is that satellite is yesterday's technology and that SKY has dug itself into a hole and that over the next few years TV by satellite - as a platform - will become more degraded.

Can you Geek Zone folks offer any suggestions I might try to improve her Freeview Terrestrial HD reception.

uncle richard

robjg63

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#1548174 8-May-2016 08:24

Sky is not freeview.
Freeview is not sky.

You can install a satellite dish and get a freeview satellite set top box and should be able to get freeview (free).

Satellite covers the whole country, so is the only way of getting TV for much of the population. The fact they haven't implemented HD broadcasts on freeview is just a cost/bandwidth issue.

RE:improving the existing signal, I guess you have to consider everything from the aerial - type/direction/height/connectors down to the wiring to the back of the TV. I reckon it's better to get a good installer to have a look - they should have all the gear with them and be able to sort it out (if possible) pretty quickly.

Nothing is impossible for the man who doesn't have to do it himself - A. H. Weiler

B1GGLZ

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#1548180 8-May-2016 08:47

What signal strength and quality is she getting and how is the interference impacting the reception? Is there any pattern to the interference i.e. time of day, duration etc?

What sort of antenna is installed? Is there a masthead amp? Can you post some pictures? The first logical step in trying to find the interference is to turn off everything in the house using power except the TV and see if it goes away. If it doesn't then it must be external to the house.

xpd

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#1548482 9-May-2016 08:49

I lived in Bayview (Glenfield) for a number of years when Freeview was released, couldn't get UHF signal at all - just went satellite and lived with it. Watching TV in high def isnt a requirement to try to "enjoy" the rubbish on F V these days ;)

XPD / Gavin

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littleheaven

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#1548715 9-May-2016 14:41

I'm in Bayview and had terrible terrestrial Freeview reception. At times it looked okay and at other times it wasn't watchable at all. I got a specialist to come check my antenna and it turned out that the signal was fine, even though I'm in a gully. It was the fact I had the UHF connected together with a VHF and the connections had corroded. He just took the VHF away, cleaned up the wiring, and now I get almost flawless reception - less interruption than I used to have with Sky and rain fade. I'd recommend getting someone to test the signal strength direct at the antenna, to make sure the cabling isn't causing the problem (if you haven't already done that). Otherwise, making the antenna taller or going Freeview satellite are options.

Geek girl. Freelance copywriter and editor at Unmistakable.co.nz.

unclerichard

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#1554592 18-May-2016 09:20

Thanks for all your help, I have additional information to add.

The TV set is a 2010 Sony 28".

It has a powered booster at the rear of the set which I presume goes to the masthead. The aerial was set up at the same time as the TV circa 2010.

The interference seems to occur on Fri., Sat., and Sundays night when it appears.

She is in a block of three and the end tenants do not suffer the inference. They have terrestrial Free-view.

Could it be the power supply, the electronics inside the TV or the aerial? Where should I go next to solve this problem?

Many thanks.

trig42

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#1554599 18-May-2016 09:26

I recommend a new antenna, or at least new cabling.

It'd be interesting to know if the neighbours in her block also have masthead amplifiers/boosters?

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littleheaven

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#1554608 18-May-2016 09:39

My TV is a 2009 Sony and it's fine, if that's any help.

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#1554611 18-May-2016 09:44

unclerichard:

It has a powered booster at the rear of the set which I presume goes to the masthead.

Are you referring to a power supply that powers a masthead amp or an indoor amp?? If an indoor amp I would remove it as totally pointless unless cable run to TV from that point is many meters.

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