LCD TV to Display PC

[chainsaw_masochist]

Sorry to go on (this is probably not the appropriate thread in any case) but have you got any advice re aerials?

My folks have got this plasma TV driven at the mo' by a Freeview digi-box. It may sound odd but in the area they live (Suffolk coastal), the prevailing wisdom is that on their postcode you cannot receive a terrestial digital signal - mainly because of perceived interference from continental transmissions. This is complete nonsense, you can, and in an area where the analogue signal is poor anyway this is a very welcome situation. The one snag is that the quality of the Channel 5 reception (on digital) is prone to occassional interference - you know, that clicking sound and loss of small squares on the screen. Now I have looked into the reception details on-line and it seems that Channel 5 is transmitted digitally on a different multiplex to other stations. It is on Mltp 1 which it shares with QVC ( ) and Discovery. To confirm, the interfence, when it occurs, does so on all of these stations.

Now my question is would upgrading the aerial (the current one is about 20 years old) be likely to eliminate/reduce this interference given that there is no brief for the broadcasters to cover this area in anycase? Also any upgrading would include installing a high grade coaxial which currently is bog standard.

I should point out that all stations on other multiplexes are fine.

 

[JamesG]

Digital Terestrial TV is by nature tranmitted over the airwaves. Channels are designated different multiplexes and you will often find upto 4 channels in the same multiplex. As you've quite rightly said if one channel on this multiplex exhibits problems the the other channel also on it will suffer the same fate.

It's worth brearing in mind that these different multiplex's transmit and differing strengths/quality's. The BBC 1 and 2's of this world will spend more on transmissions than say "bidup tv". The same may be said for channel 5, QVC and Discovery channel.

A new aerial is certainly not going to make it any worse and SHOULD improve the signal quality but this is a situation where it's impossible to say without going ahead and actually trying.

 

[chainsaw_masochist]

Yes, it does seem to make sense. Any idea what is on the market in terms of different quality aerials?

 

[breezer]

this may help as somewhere to start

 

[AdamW]

A higher quality (i.e. bigger and more expensive) aerial should improve things, due to the fact that by their very nature a higher quality TV aerial is more directional than a lower quality one.

Having a more focussed direction means that you will pick up less sh*te coming from directions other than the desired transmitter.

For any given aerial design, making it larger makes it more directional, so even if you don't need the signal strength of a large aerial, it will reduce intereference. If you end up with the problem where you have too much signal strength (it happens!) then you can always stick an attenuator between the aerial socket and digibox.

Alternatively you could do everyone a favour and jam the French TV transmitter

 

[chainsaw_masochist]

Thanks for the link Breezer, extremely useful.

Thanks again Adam. Will take your avaice and bugger the entente cordialle.