Boost Saorview reception for UK channels?

toby2111

Just re-tuned my TV,delighted to get BBC,UTV,Ch 4 and a nice few extra channels.But Film 4,Sky News and some others are glitchy and pixelated.Is there any way of boosting the reception so they're not as choppy?I'm in Louth.

lucernarian

toby2111 wrote: »

Just re-tuned my TV,delighted to get BBC,UTV,Ch 4 and a nice few extra channels.But Film 4,Sky News and some others are glitchy and pixelated.Is there any way of boosting the reception so they're not as choppy?I'm in Louth.

Short answer: get an installer out.

Some easier things that you might be able to do is to replace cable with high quality double-screened cable if the cable there isn't already. Cable, especially over 15 years old, tends to just have the single copper braid without an added foil screen.

Also, the shorter the cable from aerial to TV, the better. Fewer joins etc also and what's particularly important is that any joins in cable must be made properly using special connectors (which are very cheap to buy too). There are online guides showing how to join coaxial properly.

The fly leads that can be bought in argos or general retail shops are of terrible quality. Avoid at all costs.

I've even seen reception improvements by replacing a 1 metre fly lead that came with a VCR, with a metre length of cable as used for aerial installations along with putting a coaxial plug on either end.

Peter Rhea

toby2111 wrote: »

Just re-tuned my TV,delighted to get BBC,UTV,Ch 4 and a nice few extra channels.But Film 4,Sky News and some others are glitchy and pixelated.Is there any way of boosting the reception so they're not as choppy?I'm in Louth.

Film 4, Sky News etc. are carried on the commercial (com.) multiplexes. These are only available from the main transmitters. Your aerial might be set up for a relay site, such as Kilkeel, which only carries the public service (PSB) multiplexes & so any signal you get from a main transmitter will just be incidental & would need to be optimised with the right aerial setup.

Even if you are set up for a main transmitter (Divis in Belfast most likely), the com. muxes are on lower power than the PSBs.

toby2111

The TV in kitchen gets lots of channels(all the +1 channels etc) but the TV in bedroom only gets BBC 1,2,3 and 4.No UTV,Channel 4,E4,Film 4,Sky News.I presume thats because the signal has further to travel to the bedroom,as was suggested by TBC?
I'm not very tech minded but if there was a cheap and relatively easy way to boost the signal,I'd give it a try.May be best to get someone who knows what they're doing though!

FREETV

toby2111 wrote: »

The TV in kitchen gets lots of channels(all the +1 channels etc) but the TV in bedroom only gets BBC 1,2,3 and 4.No UTV,Channel 4,E4,Film 4,Sky News.I presume thats because the signal has further to travel to the bedroom,as was suggested by TBC?
I'm not very tech minded but if there was a cheap and relatively easy way to boost the signal,I'd give it a try.May be best to get someone who knows what they're doing though!

A proper variable gain low noise distribution amp should do the trick for you. If you only require one to two outputs then a very low noise variable high gain masthead amp would work even better. FTE Maximal or Triax, Global are good. Very easy to diy.

formerly scottish paddy

Boost Saorview reception for UK channels?

Eh, what's Saorview got to do with this

Peter Rhea

toby2111 wrote: »

I'm not very tech minded but if there was a cheap and relatively easy way to boost the signal,I'd give it a try.May be best to get someone who knows what they're doing though!

Your system may already include a distribution amplifier, or an external masthead amp. feeding a splitter. Before you go trying anything, it would be worth trying to find out how the system is configured & which transmitter it's set up to receive from.

lucernarian

Peter Rhea wrote: »

Film 4, Sky News etc. are carried on the commercial (com.) multiplexes. These are only available from the main transmitters. Your aerial might be set up for a relay site, such as Kilkeel, which only carries the public service (PSB) multiplexes & so any signal you get from a main transmitter will just be incidental & would need to be optimised with the right aerial setup.

Even if you are set up for a main transmitter (Divis in Belfast most likely), the com. muxes are on lower power than the PSBs.

Would anyone in Louth even pull in the COM muxes on a vertically polarised grid aimed at Kilkeel? I'd suspect it's more a case of the PSB stations from Divis being barely good enough and the COM stations being that bit weaker.

toby2111

Peter Rhea wrote: »

Your system may already include a distribution amplifier, or an external masthead amp. feeding a splitter. Before you go trying anything, it would be worth trying to find out how the system is configured & which transmitter it's set up to receive from.

Both TV's have built in Saorview receivers,one is a Walker 26",the other a Toshiba 19".How do I find out how system is configured and which transmitter I'm receiving from?

Peter Rhea

To_be_confirmed wrote: »

Would anyone in Louth even pull in the COM muxes on a vertically polarised grid aimed at Kilkeel? I'd suspect it's more a case of the PSB stations from Divis being barely good enough and the COM stations being that bit weaker.

You're more than likely right. A more precise location from the OP or a photo of the aerial would make things clearer.

toby2111 wrote: »

Both TV's have built in Saorview receivers,one is a Walker 26",the other a Toshiba 19".How do I find out how system is configured and which transmitter I'm receiving from?

As above: a photo of your aerial would be helpful. Also what part of Louth are you in?

toby2111

I'm in Blackrock.I'll take photo of aerial tomorrow, too dark now.Thanks for the advice so far.

toby2111

Here's a pic of my aerial if it helps!

Peter Rhea

From your location, I would think Divis is the only option for NI terrestrial & the horizontally polarised grid on top of the mast would be receiving from there.

This wouldn't be considered a high gain aerial, so you might see improvements with something better endowed in this respect.

What was analogue reception like with this setup?

toby2111

Peter Rhea wrote: »

What was analogue reception like with this setup?

UK channels were poor through analogue,UTV was unwatchable.
So, would you recommend I replace the aerial?Is that an expensive job?

toby2111

Guys,gonna bump this.Anyone know why I can only get all Saorview channels plus BBC 1,2,3,4,cbbc,bbc news on one TV in bedroom yet I get all the above plus ITV,sky news,e4 etc on TV in kitchen?Both are Saorview compatible but one in TV also has a Freeview sticker on it.I'm Louth so I thought all Saorview TV's would get digital spillover from UK yet bedroom TV only gets the BBC's.

Ronnie Raygun

Get the aerial system checked out, as already advised.

Johnboy1951

Have you tried moving the bedroom TV to the other location and then tuning there to see if you get all the channels?

If so it would appear to be a cabling issue ...... especially if the difference in the cable lengths are similar.

I also suggest you get a local installer to check out the system and advise you.

FREETV

Maybe someone who lives near Blackrock who has enough knowledge and a proper meter could oblige him by helping Toby out if Toby wanted them to have a look possibly?

toby2111

Yeh,I'd be up for anyone near me to help out.