Freeview HD signal destroyed with loopthrough/splitter

[Harry00]

Hi,

I have recently bought a Samsung Freeview HD TV.

Connecting the TV directly to the aerial provides high quality TV reception (TV reports clean signal, no errors).

I also have a Humax Freeview PVR-9200T. In order to use the PVR and receive HD on the TV, I connected the TV aerial to the PVR unit and the TV via the loop through.

Sounds simple, however the Freeview HD signal is destroyed. The signal level is good but the quality is destroyed.

Suspecting the PVR loop through I connected the aerial to a passive splitter and connected the PVR and the TV separately. Same destruction of the signal.

Using an active splitter/amplifier I can receive the HD channels but the signal quality is poor. The error rate the TV reports is high although there is no picture breakup/loss of lock.

Any ideas?

Thanks in advance

Harry

 

[flameport]

Using the passive splitter will just degrade the signal.

Using the PVR unit or a separate amplifier causes problems as there is some local interference which the amplifier is making worse.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Any ideas?

Try here: http://www.avforums.com/

 

[maltaron]

Your Humax to TV connection should be preferably HDMI or alternatively Scart. NEVER RF loopthro'.

 

[Chri5]

Your Humax to TV connection should be preferably HDMI or alternatively Scart. NEVER RF loopthro'.

So how would the PVR Humax unit tune to TV aerial if it didn't have the TV aerial in / out ?

From what I understand the OP has a PVR unit for record / freeview and must have a freeview HD tuner in the TV.

Direct to TV the HD freeview works fine, via the PVR it doesn't.


OP have you tried a 2 way powered TV amp (sub £10)- plug the TV aerial in and you have two outs 1 for TV 1 for PVR, then link PVR via scart to the TV.

Result should be HD Freeview via in TV tuner working, PVR working to TV via scart and aux channel change.

Or if you really want you could buy the newer Humax HD freeview PVR and blow out the TV HD freeview.

Most 2 way amps have a + - Db setting and it should work

 

[Harry00]

From what I understand the OP has a PVR unit for record / freeview and must have a freeview HD tuner in the TV.

Direct to TV the HD freeview works fine, via the PVR it doesn't.

Correct.

I have indeed tried a TV amp with two outputs, one to SD PVR, one to HD TV. This does provide a viewable picture but the reported errors are very high and care is needed with the positioning of the cables. With the TV aerial direct to TV, no errors reported. I have now got some high quality double screened cables and will be trying those.

Or if you really want you could buy the newer Humax HD freeview PVR and blow out the TV HD freeview.

Yeah, but I'm tight. I just replaced the CRT

Thanks for all the answers.

Harry

 

[Chri5]

A Yorkshireman v money.

I have a Humax, nice kit- pitty we were all hodwinked in to freeview, when HD freeview sort of now makes standard freeview a bit 'old'.

You could try a tv aerial attenuator, such as this from Maplin.

Sounds like the signal through the amp to the TV is too strong, and the singal via a spliter too weak. The attenuator between amp and TV HD freeview tuner might work.

 

[c128]

Out of interest, whenever you've connected the TV either from your PVR or from your splitter/amp have you always used the same cable each time?

My personal experience with terrestrial PVRs over the years is to avoid loop throughs and, if your aerial is half decent and you're getting a good signal in general, to use a passive splitter to the amount of outputs you want - amps generally introduce more problems than they solve, unless you're genuinely in a weak signal area, and loop/pass throughs can also degrade the signal. I have a pretty rubbish aerial at the moment, pending me getting on the roof to upgrade it, and I passively split that 4-ways: 2 x Topfield PVR, 1 x TV and 1 x HTPC card.

 

[Harry00]

Out of interest, whenever you've connected the TV either from your PVR or from your splitter/amp have you always used the same cable each time?

The same two. I have now replaced them with some good cables and things are improved but still using an amp/splitter. I will retry the passive splitter.

I am sorted now. Thanks for all the advice. Interesting to see the degradation from loopthrough / amp on such a clean signal.

Harry