Picture breaking up

BARRYBWFC

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Hi can anyone please help, i bought a hitachi 42" LCD freeview TV back in june, however everytime it rains or gets windy some of the channels are totally unwatchable like ch 3-4-5-6 and a few others the picture just breaks up really bad and is unwatchable... but others are ok and are no problem, it's like i said only when it's windy or raining like now.
I also have a 500GB luxor freeview recorder connected on the same aerial which is totally unaffected, can anyone tell me is this an aerial problem or the hitachi tv, i called argos today where i bought the tv. and they said if i take it back they will take a look at it, but i just wanted to make sure it is the tv first ?
Thanks for any help or advise, o'h by the way i am in the winter hill region, BOLTON, LANCS.
 
All freeview TV and set top boxes have diffirent strength tuners. Your TV possibly has a lower sensitivity tuner.
In most cases it is the aerial which is the weakest link.
 
All freeview TV and set top boxes have diffirent strength tuners. Your TV possibly has a lower sensitivity tuner.
In most cases it is the aerial which is the weakest link.

Hi thanks for the reply, i looked in the signal meter in the tv tuner, and it says channnel number 59 signal quality GOOD and signal level is about 75% on the progress bar indicator. (but it moves backwards and forwards from good to medium) but if i select 55 its says VERY GOOD and indicator says 100% .... Any more advise please.
 
If your aerial is affected by wind and rain you have a problem. Does your aerial have anyform of amplification? Not the rubbish ones that fit down by the TV.
Check your requirements by inserting your post code via this link.
UK digital TV reception predictor
 
If your aerial is affected by wind and rain you have a problem. Does your aerial have anyform of amplification? Not the rubbish ones that fit down by the TV.
Check your requirements by inserting your post code via this link.
UK digital TV reception predictor
No form of amplication, but the aerial is one of those hi gain ones, and thanks for the link but i put my postcode in and i've not a clue what to make of the results BL3 4AB
But why is my LUXOR 500GB FREEVIEW RECORDER not affected in any way ? could it be that in bad weather the tv is just to sensitive to it, only saying this as i'm not to good at stuff like this.
 
The answer is in the last column. AMPLIFIED extra high gain..

If your aerial cable passes through the loft you could fit (keep very close to the aerial) a distribution amp like this Labgear MSA263LP/S Remote Power Distribution Amp 6-Way | Screwfix.com. Then you can add many other TV's with no problems. Note this amp is excellent if you have no power in the loft.

Otherwise fit what is called a masthead amp but this will mean climbing up by the aerial.
 
But why is my LUXOR 500GB FREEVIEW RECORDER not affected in any way

Most likely has a more sensitive tuner.

Your should aim for a 90% signal strength.
 
The answer is in the last column. AMPLIFIED extra high gain..

If your aerial cable passes through the loft you could fit (keep very close to the aerial) a distribution amp like this Labgear MSA263LP/S Remote Power Distribution Amp 6-Way | Screwfix.com. Then you can add many other TV's with no problems. Note this amp is excellent if you have no power in the loft.

Otherwise fit what is called a masthead amp but this will mean climbing up by the aerial.
The aerial is on the chimney and the wire runs down the outside wall down through the window still.
 
The official prediction tool Digital UK - Postcode checker seems unwilling to work for any Bolton postcodes at the moment but:
Wolfbane: 1) it doesn't give any predictions for Winter Hill at your postcode 2) it is hopelessly pessimistic in it's suggestions 'amplified high gain' being suggested where it is usually not needed.

Presumably your aerial is pointing through trees (conifers?) towards Winter Hill?

Have you tried plugging the aerial lead into the TV direct (rather than looping through the Luxor) to see if it is better then?

Have you checked all the plugs are made off properly and tried a different cable from any wall-socket to the devices and also a different aerial lead from the Luxor to the TV? A kinked cable or stray whisker of outer screen close to/touching the centre conductor of an aerial cable can give very odd results - sometimes on one frequency only.

Is the Luxor connected via hdmi - or is any other device connected via hdmi and switched on when you have this problem? (If so remove the hdmi cables - temporarily - to see if it helps. Use scart instead on the Luxor.)

Does the Luxor show signal strength and quality readings? If so, what does that give?
 
The official prediction tool Digital UK - Postcode checker seems unwilling to work for any Bolton postcodes at the moment but:
Wolfbane: 1) it doesn't give any predictions for Winter Hill at your postcode 2) it is hopelessly pessimistic in it's suggestions 'amplified high gain' being suggested where it is usually not needed.

Presumably your aerial is pointing through trees (conifers?) towards Winter Hill?

Have you tried plugging the aerial lead into the TV direct (rather than looping through the Luxor) to see if it is better then?

Have you checked all the plugs are made off properly and tried a different cable from any wall-socket to the devices and also a different aerial lead from the Luxor to the TV? A kinked cable or stray whisker of outer screen close to/touching the centre conductor of an aerial cable can give very odd results - sometimes on one frequency only.

Is the Luxor connected via hdmi - or is any other device connected via hdmi and switched on when you have this problem? (If so remove the hdmi cables - temporarily - to see if it helps. Use scart instead on the Luxor.)

Does the Luxor show signal strength and quality readings? If so, what does that give?

1. No trees or conifers in sight, i am very high up on a hill and apart from a row of terraced houses 50 yards away its all open skyline, i can see the transmitter fom the window.
2. I have tried just plugging the aerial directlly into the tv but still get the same problem.
3. no stray whiskers of outer screen in the end going into the tv, although i would near to go on the roof when it's dry to check that end.
4. the luxor has always been connected via a scart lead, and i have unplugged that a few times but still the same results when it's either windy or raining.
5. signal strength on the luxor as follows ....
tuner 1 strength 8 quality 8
tuner 2 strength 8 quality 8 and in the green colour zone which is fine... they both have a limit of ten on the scale.
thanks
 
OK.
I'd estimate you're only 6-7km from Winter Hill and with direct line of sight and a high gain aerial you may have too much signal. In the wet it may see stronger reflections off of the ground and/or buildings which are causing corruption of the data.

Signal strength per se is unimportant. You are aiming for 100% (10/10) and steady quality readings.

As perverse as it might sound I'm going to suggest you try attenuating the signal into both devices to see if the quality improves. If you have an aerial splitter - even the white Y-shaped variety - try that. If you have to buy one then VHF/UHF Variable Attenuator | Screwfix.com is an example of a variable one.

A 2-way splitter loses just over half the signal (-3dB to -4dB usually) and 6dB is a quarter. Variable is useful as we don't know how much you may need.
 
OK.
I'd estimate you're only 6-7km from Winter Hill and with direct line of sight and a high gain aerial you may have too much signal. In the wet it may see stronger reflections off of the ground and/or buildings which are causing corruption of the data.

Signal strength per se is unimportant. You are aiming for 100% (10/10) and steady quality readings.

As perverse as it might sound I'm going to suggest you try attenuating the signal into both devices to see if the quality improves. If you have an aerial splitter - even the white Y-shaped variety - try that. If you have to buy one then VHF/UHF Variable Attenuator | Screwfix.com is an example of a variable one.

A 2-way splitter loses just over half the signal (-3dB to -4dB usually) and 6dB is a quarter. Variable is useful as we don't know how much you may need.

Ok thanks for that, i do have y-shaped splitter somewhere, but can you explain what attenuating the signal into both devices means, do you mean just plug the y-splitter into the tv then just plug the aerial into that and then try the same in the freeview recorder, sorry but i'm new at all this.
 
Ok thanks for that, i do have y-shaped splitter somewhere, but can you explain what attenuating the signal into both devices means, do you mean just plug the y-splitter into the tv then just plug the aerial into that and then try the same in the freeview recorder, sorry but i'm new at all this.
Don't worry I believe in the saying "There's no such thing as a stupid question - just stupid answers." It's always best to ask if unsure or when something isn't explained clearly enough. :thumbsup:

With the Y-shaped splitter: Ideally you connect the long leg to the aerial downlead lead (you will need a 'joiner' similar to Labgear Plastic Coax Couplers Pack of 10 | Screwfix.com to do that. Then you plug a cable to the TV set into one socket and a cable to the PVR into the other. The splitter will reduce (or attenuate) the signal to both devices by just over half.

With a plug-in attenuator the aerial plugs into one end, the other end would go to your PVR aerial input and the RF out from the PVR would go, by another cable, to the TV set's aerial input as it normally would. Because the attenuator is between the aerial and the first device it automatically reduces it to both.

[If you don't have a joiner you could - as you described - just plug it into the aerial input of the PVR and the aerial into one of the two sockets on the splitter. It may do the job OK... but, technically, the other socket ought to have a 75ohm resistor across it - to simulate another device - or you can get odd effects. It must be worth a try if you don't have the bits to do it correctly, though!]
 
Ive just have a brand new digital aerial put up on my mothers house shes got a new freeview box and its total rubbish freeview is just not upto the job the signal sucks something terrible some boxes are just too rubbish to be sold the picture freezes the sound goes out of sync arrrgh FREESAT here i come
 
Did the freeview box work OK with the old aerial?
 
Ive just have a brand new digital aerial put up on my mothers house shes got a new freeview box and its total rubbish freeview is just not upto the job the signal sucks something terrible some boxes are just too rubbish to be sold the picture freezes the sound goes out of sync arrrgh FREESAT here i come

Welcome to the Forum. :)

The Freeview system is fine, especially after DSO, provided you use proper equipment, particularly a properly installed and located aerial.

Please ensure your satellite dish is properly installed and aligned, or you'll have similar feelings about Freesat!

Good luck. :smashin:
 

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