A slightly perplexing....

[Rossian]

problem. I'm sure there's someone here who KNOWS - there usually is.

I have a small TV in each of 2 bedrooms,the kitchen and this study. They are all fed by a "splitter type box" downstairs which is connected to an external aerial.

This AM we bought a new small flat screen TV with built in Freeview for one room upstairs (if we like it we'll do the same in the other bedroom.)
The TV in here is an LG about 5 years old. The TV in the kitchen is a Grundig about 7 years old.

When setting up the new TV all the main channels were OK, but the other odd channels (ITV3 Dave Pick etc) were all pixilated and the sound was crap.
Radio4 was OK too.
I came down here and checked through all the channels on the LG and they were all OK.
I checked in the kitchen on the Grundig and all the main channels are OK but the minor ones have the same crap problem as upstairs with the addition that Radio4 says "this channel is not available" WTF?

I've taken them through the autotune process twice with no change.

The aerial is common, the splitter box is common it has (I think) to be something on the TVs - but what? And how can I fix it? Granted that I don't watch the shopping channels OR Gay Rabbit Chat so I won't miss them but the fact that I can't sort it - niggles. I used to be good at fault finding. Sigh.

Anyone got any ideas?

The Ancient Mariner

[terrain safe]

I would suggest getting a booster so that the signal is stronger for all TVs.

I have had the same problem with TVs and I out it down to different chipsets in different TVs. I have had a new TV not work as you describe, take it back to the store, get a different make and get a perfect picture. That's the only thing I can think of. I'm sure there is a better explanation coming from someone who actually knows though.

[TWT]

Not all TV's have the same sensitivity on the input stage.

If the splitter you have is a passive resistive type then your problem can be solved by installing a masthead amplifier to increase the signal level from the antenna.There are some with fixed gain,some with switchable fixed gain,and others with continuously variable gain via a pot.I'd try and get one that has at least 9dB of gain to start with.Masthead amplifiers are relatively cheap and access is needed to the antenna to install the amplifier box.
mmmm
mmmm
mmmm
mmmmm

[dazdaz1]

Just a thought....Has 4g (mobile) been introduced in your area? Web reports say it's playing havoc on some freeview tv reception. The good news is a free filter can be obtained. I'm sure other posters will give a link/more info.

[Rossian]

....yes, 4G is a recent arrival in Morayshire. Where does one get free filters?

I've pondered aerial amplifiers but all the main channels are beautifully clear.
I'll maybe get out the guy who did the original aerial installations for freeview and ...sat and get him to check out the signal strengths.

The Ancient Mariner

[FullOppositeRudder]

I would suggest that it's time for either a mast head amplifier or an amplified signal splitter to replace the current passive one. There may be other factors which can only be identified with the benefit of local knowledge.

I'm a bit puzzled by the possible suggestion that installing the new set has suddenly produced problems in the previous set(s) which were not apparent up to that point, but I may have mistaken your description (still morning here and the coffee has yet to kick in).

Getting a specialist in might be the best option, but watch out for over-servicing ie a complete new system which may or may not be warranted.

FOR

[BEagle]

When I bought a cheap HD receiver for the kitchen TV, although it allegedly 'looped through' the main RF feed from the antenna to the TV, insertion loss was just sufficient to cause pixellation. So, for about £25 from currysdigitaldixonscomet (or whatever it's now called), I bought a One-For-All SV9542 amplied signal splitter which has a variable gain control and 4 independent aerial outputs, which did the trick.

This link https://at800.tv/ may confirm whether or not 4G interference is likely at your location.

[Ancient Observer]

Thanks to all contributors.
A very helpful thread. Especially the Beagle url.
AO

[gemma10]

Living in E Sussex, which can be particularly windy I found pixelation occured quite frequently on Freeview, so as my TV has a Freesat input as well, I have changed over the installation to all TV`s. Problem as I see it now is that mass produced TV`s are less likely to have a Freesat tuner. Had a look at the J Lewis website, and very few sets now have Freesat. Why is this, and whats the future for freesat.

[dazdaz1]

gemma10

Corrr your posh..." Had a look at the J Lewis website"

I imagine it's manufacturing cost related. There are a large number of Freesat boxes in the retail market. I have a sneaky suspicion tv manufactures are now turning their attention to the 4k/super hd market. I believe LG has one on the market that upgrades Blue-ray DVDs:ooh:

[Ancient Observer]

I suspect that freesat is today's equivalent of beta max, or 8-track sound.

TV Pictures around here are average. We have an outside aerial, so I put a powered/amplified multi-way splitter up in the loft, and it has worked away well for some years now.

[Rossian]

....I replied to the point that FOR made higher up yesterday. But it seems to have disappeared.

The faults that I noticed in the other TVs were not BECAUSE of the new TV, it was just that having discovered faults in the new I went and looked anew at ALL the channels on the older TVs. This took me into areas I'd never gone to before - Gay Rabbit Chat?? who knew? I sure as hell didn't.

Anyway I'm getting the original installer to come and do an end to end check from the antenna to the screen(s). He's a really dour Scot** but he's good at his job. I will report back. So thankyou to those who replied. One always learns something new in PPrune - almost every day.

The Ancient Mariner

** and before anyone who knows me jumps in - so am I.

[Rossian]

.....prior to calling out my man mentioned above, I thought I'd go round the sets so that I can brief him accurately so he doesn't spend a lot of (expensive) time diagnosing.

Started at the new TV upstairs and, stone me, it was perfect all through all the channels. Yesterday, 50% of the channels were crap!

Why would that be? Modern tech is not like fine wine that needs to settle after a journey to a new place - is it? Nothing in its environment has changed - but it now works. Baffled in Morayshire.

The Ancient Mariner

[Keef]

Lots of possible causes:
Weather can affect the signal if you're a long way from the transmitter.
There may be several transmitters providing the signals you're watching, some "head on" to the aerial, some off the side.
Some transmitters run more power than others.

A splitter without an amplifier shares the signal between all the sets. When you add a new TV, you reduce the signal going to all the others.

If the aerial's in good condition and pointing the right way, then a masthead preamplifier is the way to go. I installed a new aerial here when we had the house repairs done. I included a preamp.
We get perfect TV on all 99 channels, not there's much on any of them that I watch.

[gemma10]

For the uninformed, Freesat decoders take the free to air channels from the Sky satellite. How that can be equated as being likened to Betamax is a bit rich. The digital signal on HD is every bit as good as Freeview. Betamax my a*se.

[spekesoftly]

Some interesting comments here about the relative merits of Freeview v Freesat. We live in an area with relatively poor digital terrestrial reception, but with a masthead amplifier Freeview is acceptable most of the time. We can also watch Freesat via a Humax Foxsat HDR fed by a very old original Sky analogue dish (when things went digital I realigned the dish and fitted a new LNB). Freesat reception is rock solid, irrespective of weather etc., and the EPG is totally reliable, unlike the Freeview EPG which is often very slow to load. Likewise the red button feature on Freesat works fine, on Freeview it often refuses to load some pages. I also like the fact that I never have to retune the Humax - providing it is left in standby it automatically looks for any updates at 3am each morning and sorts itself out.

I agree that it doesn't make financial sense for manufacturers to include a Freesat receiver in all their TVs, but I see that J Lewis are currently selling 21 TVs that do.