Digital TV - diy test of signal quality

Its not locked if you log in - just for anonymous edits...

I'd be skeptical about this. We can get perfectly reasonable analogue reception but freeview is too poor to receive at all.

It often depends on the area. In my area, for example, the analogue and digital signals are in different bands. This means that, if you have a band-tuned aerial to maximise analogue reception, you will/may have to replace it with a wide-band aerial to receive both. In other areas the two are in the same band so the problem doesn't arise and an aerial replacement should be unnecessary.

Yes, it's a rough and ready guide, but by no means definitive. If you tell me what transmitter your aerial is pointing at, I might be able to tell you why your digital reception is poor, and make a prognosis as to what it will be like after analogue switch-off.

What does the digital tv postcode checker say for your area?

Also, few transmitters carry Freeview; your aerial may (just) need to be repositioned.

A reasonable indicator of what to expect is available from the following URL:

The FreeView Muxes are like another channel(s) and in some areas can lie outside the band pass of the existing aerial. They're also at lower power than they will be after analogue is switched off.

The test indicates what Freeview reception is likely to be like *after* analogue switch off.

clearly it cant

NT

It is only a guide, but the BBC have published a quite comprehensive paper detailing the accuracy of the teletext test.

been said, ie that it cant produce an accurate report since it neglects some of the issues.

NT

I check this first and I had a wide band aeriel fitted before I started. It did not enable me to receive freeview.

Ridge Hill.

"As long as your rooftop aerial is in good condition you can get Freeview now."

:-(

Well, my point was that that would be the first requirement in such an area. It would normally be the case that, in such an area, where analogue reception was good and digital was offered, the use of a wide band aerial should be enough. I would check that your neighbours are receiving Freeview OK and what aerials they have and where they are pointing, first. If all looks the same then there must be something wrong with your installation.

On Fri, 20 Mar 2009 16:12:16 -0000 someone who may be "Bob Mannix" wrote this:-

It is worth adding that even in areas where a wideband aerial is currently necessary to receive all the digital channels this will mostly not be the case after the analogue signals are turned off. Only six main transmitters will be transmitting out of their original group after the end of analogue signals.

"As we`ve been saying for years * the great majority of transmitters are reverting to their original groups and unsurprisingly this includes all of the ?Big Five? which cover about 30 million of us. In fact all the existing Digital transmitters will broadcast the main three MUXES (the so called PSBs) within band, i.e. those of us who are quite satisfied with the ?basic? five channels, will almost certainly get them with the aerial we already have !

"As for the other three MUXES, 24 of the 81 transmitters will be broadcasting between one and three of the other 3 MUXES out of their original group. Fortunately seven of these will be transmitting the new frequencies below the existing group, meaning that those in reasonable signal areas will still have a good chance of picking up the signal OK.

"That leaves 17 out of 81 transmitters, and of these only six are ?main? transmitters, these being Belmont, Bilsdale, Craigkelly, Sandy, Sudbury and The Wrekin. It must be admitted that for these ?Dirty (half) Dozen? an aerial change will almost certainly be required in order to receive all the digital transmissions, as opposed to just the PSBs which will be available from your existing antenna in the vast majority of cases.

"For the great majority, when the DSO occurs many of those who haven`t yet ?upgraded? to a wideband should then pick up the Digital signal OK. Furthermore many of those who live in fringe areas can, if required, then take advantage of the superior gain of grouped aerials to improve their signal.

"* There aren`t many others who have been telling people about this because there are so many vested interests who would rather the Great British Public didn`t know this little snippet of information, i.e. that the vast majority of locations will get all the Digital channels without an ?upgrade? if they just wait till DSO.

"Think about it. The aerial installers don`t want to publicise it because they`ll lose work.

"The aerial manufacturers and retailers don`t want to publicise it because they`ll lose sales.

"Even the BBC don`t want to publicise it because it`s part of their remit to increase the uptake of Digital now, not at (or after) DSO.

"It`ll be interesting to see how many others come clean about this vital piece of information now that it`s confirmed. Unless I`ve missed something the ?Digital Television Group? didn`t even put this highly significant piece of information on their ?Latest News?, just remember, we`ve always been up front about it !"

Most people have satellite TV around here so it's not an issue for them.

I had my aeriel professionally installed. I'm not sure what could be wrong with my installation that would not be obvious.

For me (with the same problem as Mark) it is Crystal Palace.