We had the following question in from Stacy:
“I live in a bad signal for Freeview. I brought an outside aerial. Only few channels I can watch, but not all of them. I can’t go with sky or virgin media so I’m a bit stuck and don’t know what to do about it.
It really annoys me if I can’t watch a good film.”
The are two options for Stacey – 1, to try to improve reception of Freeview, or 2. to find an alternative to Freeview
Improving Freeview Reception
First of all, it makes sense to check whether Freeview is available where you live – you can check with your neighbours to see what sort of Freeview signal they get, or use the Freeview Postcode Checker
If Freeview is available in your area, and those living near you can get Freeview, then there are some things you can do to improve your reception:
- You need a good quality outside TV aerial at a suitable height pointing at the correct transmitter. A local TV aerial firm can help if you don;t have a suitable TV aerial installation
- Your aerial, and the cable from the aerial to the TV should be in good condition and not damaged
- You need good quality aerial cabling to make sure the signal gets to the TV without interference
- Check that all of the connectors and splitters are undamaged and connected correctly
- In many situations, a signal booster can help (See Maplin Signal Boosters)
If you’re getting some channels but not others, see our entry: I get Interference on some Freeview channels, but not all
Still no Freeview?
If you can’t solve a Freeview problem yourself, then it might be worth talking to a professional aerial firm. They can check out your aerial and cabling, and do a number of things including:
- Fitting a better aerial
- Raising the height of your aerial
- Pointing your aerial at another transmitter
- Replacing poor aerial cabling
- Providing a booster
Alternatives to Freeview
Again, it’s worth checking with your neighbours to see how they get their TV!
If you really can’t get a good Freeview signal where you live, that leaves you with the following options:
- Satellite TV: Either on subscription with Sky, or Subscription-free with Freesat. 98% of the UK can get satellite TV
- Cable TV: Virgin Media supply TV over a cable connection (only available in some parts of the UK
- Internet TV: Watch TV shows or movies on your computer or on your TV set using one of the many Internet-based TV services on offer, such as BBC iPlayer, BT Vision, Apple TV, LOVEFiLM, etc