Freeview Reception

Andy · Post by **Andy** » 30 Nov 2005, 20:48

I can see people reporting only small Freeview issues elsewhere in the forums.

I have some great channels but also some terrible ones; ITV, ITV3 and E4 are often unwatchable. This is awful as Lost is on E4!

I'm running off the roof aerial which seems to be in fine shape. I've been up there and there's no way I can change its angle at all.

I've installed a <a href="http://www.edinburgh-reviews.co.uk/sign ... r/">signal booster</a> and its had a marginal effect.

Checking my settings I can see the best signal comes from the Black Hill transmitter but I only get (at most) about 60% strength and often get an error rate high enough to corrupt the broadcast.

Anyone on or near Argyle Crescent have the same problem? I'm weighing the pros and cons of having someone in to look at the roof aerial. It's a faff since I just rent, would have to talk to the people who share the signal (luckily I seem to have nice neighbours

) and I'm incredibly busy at work and would probably have to take some time (*gasp*) off to deal with the workies.

Dadaist · Post by **Dadaist** » 30 Nov 2005, 21:13

I'll be interested to hear how you get on.

Interesting point about the signal booster.

Must a freeview aerial be a big (roof) one?

Andy · Post by **Andy** » 30 Nov 2005, 21:49

It's just your usual roof top aerial. It's stuck on the side of the chimney and from Argyle Crescent points towards, oh, Bath Street I'd say. It's taller than me (given then chimney boost) when I dare to stand on the roof. It's pretty solid, I'd say.

bearcub · Post by **bearcub** » 01 Dec 2005, 21:14

Used to live in a rented flat in Newington and had to get a new aerial to get ITV Digital. The old one was just a normal roof aerial but wasn't good enought to get any signal, but the new 'super' aerial (or Big Mutha) got a great signal...

Anyway, point of the story is Freeview is basically same as ITV Digital was so reckon it has to be a pretty good aerial to get a decent signal - and also definitely needs to be pointing in the direction of strongest signal.

Andy · Post by **Andy** » 03 Dec 2005, 19:28

Thanks bearcub,

That's good to know as it suggests it might be an aerial problem after all.

It's funny. I can't find any email address to email "Freeview technical people" at all. You'd think there would be some site which lists the various transmitters and gave us updates on their status. There doesn't seem to be.

rathbone · Post by **rathbone** » 04 Dec 2005, 14:13

Andy,

Try this.... (it worked for me)

http://www.radioandtelly.co.uk/cgi-bin/ ... reeviewgen

Post by **wangi** » 04 Dec 2005, 14:24

Andy, first thing you've got to do is dig into the debug info available from the box. Somewhere deep in the menus (probably under tuning) there will be a display that shows signal strenth and signal quality.

I'm now using a rooftop aerial, but before that a TV top one was giving me good reception on all channels except occasional blips when the weather was bad.

You'll want the aerial facing NNW towards Craigkelly in Fife more than likely.

Epykat · Post by **Epykat** » 04 Dec 2005, 19:02

We get a brilliant picture with the freeview box and we've only got an ordinary aerial (on the High Street). We used to get Channel 5 no probs in Marlborough Street but couldn't get it here without the freeview box. Friend in E.Brighton Crescent has probs with hers (maybe the pylons are frying the signals

)