Free view noob needing some help

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Seanskatesalot

51 posts

Master Geek

#280446 15-Dec-2020 14:37

Hey guys I'm looking for some help. Currently we have all our TV channels through Vodafone TV. We are switching isp and getting rid of Vodafone TV so I need to try and setup free view on several tvs in the house and I'm a complete noob at it. I've never used/setup free view at all and I'm unsure if we even have the right aerial for it. I plugged the aerial (cord coming out of the floor) in the lounge into the TV and did an old school tuner channel scan. It gave me channels 1 and 2 plus some others like aljazeera but it didn't pickup many like 3/4 and trackside etc. Can anyone help me identify what aerial we have currently (I'll attach pics I just took) and what we need to do to get up and running please.

This site won't let me upload the pics for some reason so here's a link to them hosted.
https://ibb.co/VTLRFbf
https://ibb.co/8jdRxMF

Cheers

magnetonz

23 posts

Geek
Inactive user

#2622018 15-Dec-2020 14:42

That is a UHF antenna you have there.

It does not look like it has an amplifier inline with the cable. If it does, have a blue/grey box inline with the cable, these require an inline power supply to power the amplifier.

Otherwise....

Look at other antenna in your area and see if....

a) It's pointing in the same direction

b) It's orientated the same way. Your one is currently Vertical orientation.

If yes to the above questions you may need to get an antenna person in to check the signal levels etc.
You may have water in the cable or the connection which attaches to the antenna itself.

Groucho

524 posts

Ultimate Geek

#2622021 15-Dec-2020 14:55

You're pretty much there. Based on the photos you have the correct UHF aerial for Freeview HD (aka terrestrial Freeview). You can view what channels you should receive in theory if you go to https://freeviewnz.tv/freeview/live-tv/ and under Freeview Channels section click the "Channels via UHF" tab. Note the list includes regional channels so vary depending on your location.

I'm not an expert but if you're not receiving 3 and 4 (Bravo) it may indicate a weak signal where you're not picking up the channels from broadcasters who use that channel.

Groucho

524 posts

Ultimate Geek

#2622023 15-Dec-2020 15:08

magnetonz:

That is a UHF antenna you have there.

It does not look like it has an amplifier inline with the cable. If it does, have a blue/grey box inline with the cable, these require an inline power supply to power the amplifier.

As I understand it UHF aerials only need amplifiers if there is a weak signal which in looking at the photos I doubt as it's a fairly standard number of elements for a high gain urban area. In rural or low gain settings UHF aerials tend to have many more elements (much longer bar) to focus the signal.

magnetonz:

Otherwise....

Look at other antenna in your area and see if....

a) It's pointing in the same direction

b) It's orientated the same way. Your one is currently Vertical orientation.

If yes to the above questions you may need to get an antenna person in to check the signal levels etc.
You may have water in the cable or the connection which attaches to the antenna itself.

All valid things to check. The orientation thing particularly as Freeview will work mounted either horizontally or vertically but ideally should be mounted in keeping with the transmitter it points to. If its polarised opposite to the transmitter it does degrade the signal. I often see new houses with UHF aerials with the incorrect polarisation because some numpty thought it looked better. It might work OK with one device plugged into it but add a few more and say goodbye to signal strength.

Bit more info about polarity at https://freeviewforum.co.nz/forum/topics/getting-freeview-hd

Seanskatesalot

51 posts

Master Geek

#2622069 15-Dec-2020 15:13

magnetonz:
That is a UHF antenna you have there.

It does not look like it has an amplifier inline with the cable. If it does, have a blue/grey box inline with the cable, these require an inline power supply to power the amplifier.

Otherwise....

Look at other antenna in your area and see if....

a) It's pointing in the same direction

b) It's orientated the same way. Your one is currently Vertical orientation.

If yes to the above questions you may need to get an antenna person in to check the signal levels etc.
You may have water in the cable or the connection which attaches to the antenna itself.

Looks like its pointing the same way as the rest of the 'hood.
Could it be that a regular TV tuner only gets some of the channels but a set top box would get them? I'm not sure what the set top box actually has or does that's different from a TV tuner?

Groucho

524 posts

Ultimate Geek

#2622076 15-Dec-2020 15:29

Seanskatesalot:

Looks like its pointing the same way as the rest of the 'hood.
Could it be that a regular TV tuner only gets some of the channels but a set top box would get them? I'm not sure what the set top box actually has or does that's different from a TV tuner?

A set top box is generally used if the TV doesn't have a Freeview tuner but there are others which have a hard drive so you can record live TV similar to a VCR. A Freeview tuner should receive all channels that are broadcast in your area.

trig42

5809 posts

Uber Geek

ID Verified

#2622086 15-Dec-2020 15:57

It could just be that that antenna has been there a while, and the cables/antenna itself have degraded in the weather.

If other homes around you have it, and you're ina good coverage area, you chould get all the channels.

If you want it on multiple TVs, you'll need splitters and cables run. If you already have splitters etc., it could be that causing your signal degradation.

Get someone in to check it all out.

Seanskatesalot

51 posts

Master Geek

#2622094 15-Dec-2020 16:13

Groucho:

Seanskatesalot:

Looks like its pointing the same way as the rest of the 'hood.
Could it be that a regular TV tuner only gets some of the channels but a set top box would get them? I'm not sure what the set top box actually has or does that's different from a TV tuner?

A set top box is generally used if the TV doesn't have a Freeview tuner but there are others which have a hard drive so you can record live TV similar to a VCR. A Freeview tuner should receive all channels that are broadcast in your area.

It's not a freeview tuner as far as I'm aware, just the regular analogue tuning in the tv. It's a panasonic viera, non smart tv that I was testing on so far.

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Seanskatesalot

51 posts

Master Geek

#2622157 15-Dec-2020 16:20

trig42:
It could just be that that antenna has been there a while, and the cables/antenna itself have degraded in the weather.

If other homes around you have it, and you're ina good coverage area, you chould get all the channels.

If you want it on multiple TVs, you'll need splitters and cables run. If you already have splitters etc., it could be that causing your signal degradation.

Get someone in to check it all out.

In the other bedroom where we will want it there are these leftover plugs from sky(and a sky satellite on a different section of the roof).
The white cord my finger is on goes to the satellite cable end I'm holding in the other picture. The other 3 go into the floor. Will it cost much to get someone in to sort it all out?

Rikkitic

Awrrr
18657 posts

Uber Geek

Lifetime subscriber

#2622160 15-Dec-2020 16:24

As others have pointed out, you may just have a weak signal. This could be caused by different things. Unlike the old analogue system, modern TV tends to be all or nothing. Even with a weak signal you will often either see a perfect picture or nothing at all.

The channels are bundled in different groups. One group is TVNZ, which includes TV One, TV2, and some others. These are transmitted together, so if you can get one of them you should get all of them. TV3 and other channels are in different bundles, so you may be getting sufficient signal for one of them, but not for others. I would start by making sure you have adequate signal from the antenna and through the cables.

Plesse igmore amd axxept applogies in adbance fir anu typos

Seanskatesalot

51 posts

Master Geek

#2622163 15-Dec-2020 16:29

Rikkitic:

As others have pointed out, you may just have a weak signal. This could be caused by different things. Unlike the old analogue system, modern TV tends to be all or nothing. Even with a weak signal you will often either see a perfect picture or nothing at all.

The channels are bundled in different groups. One group is TVNZ, which includes TV One, TV2, and some others. These are transmitted together, so if you can get one of them you should get all of them. TV3 and other channels are in different bundles, so you may be getting sufficient signal for one of them, but not for others. I would start by making sure you have adequate signal from the antenna and through the cables.

Is there a way I can test the signal myself or would need a technician?

Rikkitic

Awrrr
18657 posts

Uber Geek

Lifetime subscriber

#2622180 15-Dec-2020 17:37

Your antenna is high gain, which implies that you are in a marginal reception area. The channels you cannot get may be below the reception threshold. I'm not familiar with your TV, but most receivers have an option that lets you see the signal strength and 'quality' values. If you can find those, post them here. Signal strength is not so critical. Quality is more important. It probably should be around 40% or better. That is usually enough for me, but if it drops to 25% I have reception problems. Of course if you can't get any channel at all, you won't see anything, but check the values on the channels you can see. That will give you a rough indication of how things are working.

The only other test I can think of that you might be able to do is to get a new antenna cable and temporarily connect it between the antenna and the TV to see if that makes any difference. The antenna looks fairly accessible so if you could get a cable that is long enough, or could place the TV close enough, you might be able to run the cable out the window or something. You need to match the connectors at both ends. You can probably find such a cable on TradeMe. This would bypass any other cables, splitters, bad connections, or other issues that might be hidden behind the walls. If you get good reception this way, then you know your wiring is faulty.

The cable connects to the antenna through a balun. Corrosion here can affect reception but that's about all. It isn't complicated.

Since the antenna looks easy to get at, you could try adding an in-line amplifier to it, but most likely that won't make a difference. If you reach this point, you probably do need to consult a technician. Good luck.

Plesse igmore amd axxept applogies in adbance fir anu typos

djtOtago

1149 posts

Uber Geek

#2622219 15-Dec-2020 19:49

After you change ISP, you can just buy Vodafone TV device. You don't need to be using Vodafone broadband to use Vodafone TV if you buy it as a stand alone device.

https://www.pbtech.co.nz/product/DVAVDF0010/Vodafone-TV----A-New-Power-Streaming-Box-to-make-y

https://www.vodafone.co.nz/tv/

Seanskatesalot

51 posts

Master Geek

#2622275 16-Dec-2020 01:11

djtOtago:
After you change ISP, you can just buy Vodafone TV device. You don't need to be using Vodafone broadband to use Vodafone TV if you buy it as a stand alone device.

https://www.pbtech.co.nz/product/DVAVDF0010/Vodafone-TV----A-New-Power-Streaming-Box-to-make-y

https://www.vodafone.co.nz/tv/

Oh wait can we just use the Vodafone TV boxes we have now or do you have to buy new boxes for a license or something?

Apsattv

2388 posts

Uber Geek

#2623051 16-Dec-2020 21:51

If the Vodafone tv was supplied as part of your contract then you will have to send it back

But you can purchase one in the shops and own it and get the service for Free and use any isp as they opened it up to work on any isp a while back