Freeview Digital - Sudden loss in signal

[sifowler]

Hi,

I live in Doncaster and my aerial points to Emley Moor transmitter. Last October I bought a Freeview box which I installed without problem, no picture break-up or pixelation. Suddenly, around Xmas, all channels started to break up badly.

Also, around the same time, my analogue picture quality showed bad ghosting. I spoke to a couple of neighbours who were experiencing the same thing.

We spoke to an aerial guy who said that loads of people who live in our area of Doncaster are having the same problems and he said its due to a big new factory building that has gone up close by (probably 1.5 miles as the crow flies).

He said the ghosting is due to a 'second' signal being reflected from the building. He also said that a more expensive aerial positioned higher on the house is not guaranteed to solve the problem.

I wonder if anyone has experienced these sorts of problems where they live. Also, is it feasible that a building over a mile away can cause this ?

At the moment my £100 freeview box is a waste of money !

[Chris Muriel]

This is definitely possible.
There was a well-publicised case a few years ago when a large bulding in Docklands (Canary Wharf ? ) caused loads of problems for many North London residents.
If the analogue signal quality degrades, then the digital (terrestrial) will probably be worse.
I bounce signals (admittedly at 10 Ghz rather than the 450-850 MHz of Band4/5 UHF TV) off a tower block over 1 mile away in order to send (amateur) TV signals to someone with whom I have had no sucess with the direct path at all.
Chris Muriel

[Fernsehman]

The Freeview signals are supposed to be fairly robust when it comes to reflected signals so a slight realignment of your aerial may cure your problems.

As Chris says, signals can be bounced off buildings deliberately and sometimes it's possible to get a better signal by aiming your aerial AT the building!

Fman