TV problem

Tringa

Tringa

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Dave
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Grateful for views on a TV reception problem.

My MiL wanted a second TV for her bedroom. She already had a Toshiba so bought another one but the reception was poor – the vision and sound breaking up on quite a few channels - 19, 31, 80, for example. Me and Mrs Tringa thought the problem could be that MiL was using a long aerial lead - she only has one TV aerial socket, in her living room, so needed a long lead for a TV in the bedroom.

However, swapping the old and new TVs around we found the old TV worked perfectly in both the living room and the bedroom, while reception on the new TV broke up in both rooms. Both TVs were used with the same aerial socket and the same aerial leads.
We thought the problem was with the new TV so exchanged it, but had the same problem with the replacement. In the last few days we have tried four different TVs (Toshiba and LG) and all have shown the same breaking up. The chances of getting four faulty TVs must be very low and one of these four TVs was ours which works perfectly in our house.

This suggests MiL has an aerial/signal problem, but her old TV works without any problems.

Do tuners/amplifiers (don't know if these are the correct terms) in TVs vary so much in quality that would allow one TV to work well while others don't? If so, is there anyway of knowing which TVs have a good tuner/amplifier?

My MiL has only a basic TV setup - just ordinary aerial socket, no satellite dish - and lives in east London which as far as I know is a good signal area.

Dave
 
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Has the airial been twisted by large birds landing on it.

Trevor
 
Try her new TV at your place & see what the reception there is like.
 
With digital TV the gap between working fine and completely useless is very narrow. I'd get a variable booster so you can make sure it is set at just the right level. Some tvs don't like very strong signals either. What does the new TV say the signal strength and quality is? What does old one report it as?

If there isn't a proper socket in the bedroom then the best thing to do is to get an aerial installer to redo the aerial and fit new down leads and put a new socket in the bedroom. This way the signal will be the best possible.
 
Thanks for replies all: will try a booster. MiL is in a small block of flats and the aerial is communal and unfortunately others aren't allowed. My MiL has asked some of the other folks in the block but they do not have problems, which suggests it is a problem with the signal to here flat, but her other TV works perfectly.


Dave
 
An amplifier might work but it might also be just the opposite of what she needs. In a block of flats it's pretty certain that the signal is already amplified up in the roof space (or wherever the junction for the tv aerial system is) and it might be too strong. It's still worth trying one, maybe from Argos or somewhere you can return it if it doesn't work. If that fails then get her to call an aerial rigger/installer to come and check it out.
 
Steep said:
An amplifier might work but it might also be just the opposite of what she needs. In a block of flats it's pretty certain that the signal is already amplified up in the roof space (or wherever the junction for the tv aerial system is) and it might be too strong. It's still worth trying one, maybe from Argos or somewhere you can return it if it doesn't work. If that fails then get her to call an aerial rigger/installer to come and check it out.
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True.
It could be something as simple as a bad connection in the roof space.
Be careful opening the packaging if you go down that road.
 
I had a similar problem with two TV's when I was in a block of flats. I even tried the 'bad' TV in a couple of the neighbours flats and it worked fine in theirs. My problem only occurred when I had both sets on at the same time but only ever had poor reception on one set. It turned out to be a bad connection to the main shared aerial. The cable was damaged leading to my flat and was only receiving a strong enough signal for one TV. I contacted the council owners and they had the repair done and only took about 10 minutes.
 
Thanks for the comments, Stuart. MiL only ever has one TV on at a time and the whole cable run from aerial to socket to either of the TVs is identical. One TV (in either location) always works, the others don't. Looks like one TV is better a picking up the signal but seems odd that we managed to find four other TVs that cannot.

Dave
 
Before spending cash on amplifiers etc, try a manual retune. I had a similar problem with one of my sets, it would pixilate and suffer sound loss quite badly. I then read an article which said my problem could be due a conflict between two transmitters. I did a manual retune, which solved the problem. Do a google for "manual retune" and you will find a link to instructions how to do this, including the necessary channels for your MIL's post code area.

Addendum:- Try the link below, enter the postcode etc in the box provided and it will given you the most likely transmitter for that area.

http://www.digitaluk.co.uk/howtoretune/retuning_instructions
 
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Tringa said:
Thanks for replies all: will try a booster. MiL is in a small block of flats and the aerial is communal and unfortunately others aren't allowed. My MiL has asked some of the other folks in the block but they do not have problems, which suggests it is a problem with the signal to here flat, but her other TV works perfectly.


Dave
Click to expand...
It may be worth contacting the company that manages the flats and ask them to get it checked out, no reason she should have to pay for a potential issue with supplied cabling :)
 
neil_g said:
It may be worth contacting the company that manages the flats and ask them to get it checked out, no reason she should have to pay for a potential issue with supplied cabling :)
Click to expand...

If one set is working OK, I doubt the management company would want to help. It is most likely a tuning issue and not the reception to the flats.
 
killwilly said:
If one set is working OK, I doubt the management company would want to help. It is most likely a tuning issue and not the reception to the flats.
Click to expand...
if the supplied signal is out of spec for the new tv id expect them to resolve it. it could be something as simple as turning the gain down on the distributor splitter/amp. they should at least get someone to come and take a look.
 
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killwilly said:
If one set is working OK, I doubt the management company would want to help. It is most likely a tuning issue and not the reception to the flats.
Click to expand...

Just tell them your MIL has a new TV that can't get a signal......
 
Thanks for the further suggestions all.

Dave
 
In this case a booster might help because it sounds like there is adequate signal but one TV is slightly less sensitive.
You might gain a bit more signal in a more elegant way by ensuring any coax cable is as good as can be, you need "low loss coax" - if what you have dates back to before digital TV it probably could be better.

With analogue, borderline signal made the pic slightly snowy and we blamed the weather or something.
With digital you get near perfect pic and sound or it breaks up into squares, and is almost unwatchable.
 
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