Why is the Freeview HD Signal so poor - or is it just me?

[Andy JB]

Having recently spent over a grand on a new home entertainment system choosing the latest Sony LCD TV with built in HD freeview, it is more often than not poor reception only on HD signals for both sound and picture break-up showing 45-60 signal /quality strengths.

We are located in a good reception area receiving digital/analogue signals at full 100% strength /quality, recent weather has no bearing, but HD is barely watchable due to image breakup, sound crackle. I guess the aerial isn't the problem as surely this would affect digital/analogue too !!

Does anyone else experience this problem with HD? What are my options - upgraded areial perhaps, interference from my NAD Amp/ Bose theatre, shielding etc, or will this resolve itslef as band width broadens with the closure of analogue in the spring?

Advise appreciated.

[OldSkoolRS]

It'll be down to the Bose...get rid of that and you'll be much better.

[OldSkoolRS]

Seriously it's possibly down to either your aerial/masthead booster or the quality of the downlead: I have a couple of Freeview HD tuners/TVs and one of them is in the kitchen with a 20 metre plus downlead, but it's dual screened and fed from a 6 way splitter in the loft which applies a bit of boost to the signal. The splitter powers a masthead amplifier right next to the aerial, so there is less chance of boosting noise as you would with a booster down by the TV itself (it's also boosting the noise picked up in the downlead then). It's important not to kink the downlead and better to bring the lead directly into the back of the TV not via a wall plate and not via a video recorder/PVR. Each connection/piece of equipment can cause a further drop in signal.

I also have a recent aerial that I believe is 'tuned' for the band(s) required rather than being a 'wideband' model. I get 72% signal quality and 78% signal strength on BBC 1 HD and no break ups, even though I live near Wokingham and receive from Crystal Palace.

I think it cost about £150 for the new aerial and mast, so if you're getting fed up of the break ups, then budget around this figure for a new aerial, or at least consider getting someone out to check it. My old aerial moved only a small amount after a gale and we lost certain channels (as they share the same 'mux')yet to look at it you wouldn't know. It blew back the correct way a week later, so it lasted another year before the wind finally killed it.

[FlossyThePig]

Andy JB said:

We are located in a good reception area receiving digital/analogue signals at full 100% strength /quality, recent weather has no bearing, but HD is barely watchable due to image breakup, sound crackle. I guess the aerial isn't the problem as surely this would affect digital/analogue too !!

Where exactly are you?
Has your area been switched over to digital yet?
As you mention analogue I assume your area has not switched over yet.
Until switchover some channels can be hit and miss. I can only get BBC channels at the moment which is why I have Freesat. Checking on Digital UK HD won't be available for me until middle of July

[Andy JB]

I am based in South Staffordshire & yes we can receive HD signals (confirmed) although quite some way from the trasmitters. I can watch the HD programmes & they are great but occassionally they pixelate and the sound crackles so performance is marginal & digital better.

The aerial feed is direct without any spurs and so should be a pure signal. I have linked it via a digital recorder but i can't see this should interfer with the signal to the TV!

[Road2Ruin]

You need a wideband aerial to receive all available digital channels if you are on the Sutton Coldfield transmitter. That may be the problem.

[OldSkoolRS]

Just to confirm the recorder isn't attenuating the signal at all, you could check the signal stregth and quality now, and then bypass the recorder and see if it makes any difference. It may depend on the design of the recorder and whether it's in standby or power save mode. With marginal signals, the more connections you have (and this includes having a wall socket that the cable plugs into rather than just a cable going direct into the back of the TV) the more chance you have of dropout.

[E31Shrew]

Andy JB said:

I am based in South Staffordshire & yes we can receive HD signals (confirmed) although quite some way from the trasmitters. I can watch the HD programmes & they are great but occassionally they pixelate and the sound crackles so performance is marginal & digital better.

The aerial feed is direct without any spurs and so should be a pure signal. I have linked it via a digital recorder but i can't see this should interfer with the signal to the TV!

Are you receivng from Sutton Coldfield? I would hazard a guess that all will improve when the analogue transmitter gets switched off. Are you due for switch off in April?

[telecat]

E31Shrew said:

Are you receiving from Sutton Coldfield? I would hazard a guess that all will improve when the analogue transmitter gets switched off. Are you due for switch off in April?

I'd be careful of improving the signal strength too much until after Switchover. The signal strength will increase by over 25 times the current one. Looking at the Transmitter info there is work on going on that Transmitter so the signal could be problematic until Switchover.