What do I need to get Digital Channels

The Scop · 2 Jan 2011 at 02:04

Hi there, I recently bought a new tv (the Sony KDL 32EX403), its a great tv, I play my ps3 on it and sometimes connect my pc up to it. The problem is my TV is in my room upstairs (I live with my parents atm), meaning the outside aerial is connected to the family tv in the living room, this means my tv obviously can't get any digital channels (Freeview). Basically what I wanted to know is what do I need to get to get digital channels, obviously I can't buy an external aerial so it would have to be an internal digital antenna thing, just wondered if you guys knew what to get/ had some recommendations.

Many Thanks

The Scop

lucid · 2 Jan 2011 at 02:36

Indoor set top aerials are always a bit dodgy. If you are in a strong signal area and your bedroom window faces the same direction as all the local TV aerials point then one of these might work brilliantly. If you're not so lucky though then you might struggle to get any picture at all despite the aerials claim of having signal boosters etc. You'll only know if you try.

A sure fire way to get a decent picture is to take a second feed direct off the existing aerial. This might be a job for the local aerial guy but it'll be worth it.

A second option is an indoor loft aerial - assuming you have a loft. With the right type of aerial and a bit of patience you'll get a pretty decent result.

Third is to split the feed at the back of the lounge TV and run a wire upstairs. It's the answer that many people think of first, but it does involve a lot of messing about with wire and the end result can be pretty ropey. When you split the signal at the TV end then you're about as far away from the aerial as it's possible to get in your house, so the signal at that point is the lowest quality. You then go on to divide it in two - halving the strength - and feed this weak signal through a long length of cheap coax to another TV. It's a bad way of doing things. The only option that's worse is.... a set top aerial

The Scop · 2 Jan 2011 at 11:25

Thanks you v.much, from what your saying I reckon probably best if I can some how get it hooked up to the outside aerial, I'm pretty sure my bedroom window faces away from the direction the outside aerial is pointing.

lucid · 2 Jan 2011 at 11:52

Yeah. I install aerials as part of my home cinema business, so I see what works and what doesn't.

Like I said, I'm not ruling out a set top aerial, but you have to be lucky with where you live and the direction the room faces to get a reasonable result. The old analogue system we had before Freeview switchover was more forgiving. You could get away with a weak result; the picture would just be snowy. But with Digital it's kind of all-or-nothing as there's a minimum signal level required. So rather than a snowy picture on a weak signal you get pixelation, freezing and signal disruption; that's just useless and frustrating.

Haze · 2 Jan 2011 at 12:37

+1 with getting a feed off the current outdoor arial,, indoor ones r pretty sucky most of the time