More TVs = Worse Freeview signal?

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• David (2) Posts: 20,632

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  13/05/15 - 10:50 #2

  It's to do with how the signal from a single aerial is split. A basic splitter will reduce the amount of signal going to each room, but if the ambient signal in the air where u live is strong then the reduction caused by the splitter won't be enough to cause a prob.
  
  Where the signal in the air is weaker, and a splitter reduces the strength to a low level which leads to pic & sound break up (or even channel loss in more severe examples) a different device is needed. Those are called multi way amplifiers, these are signal boosters plugged into the mains which take a single aerial feed and provide multiple outlets - but the amplifier should compensate for any loss.

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• Nigel Goodwin Posts: 58,506

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  13/05/15 - 12:31 #3

  Kargo wrote: »

  I've heard this quite a bit but I wasn't sure if it was a myth or not. If there are too many TVs in a house, preferably larger models of 32"+ and they are all using the Freeview tuner, that it can possibly affect the quality of the signal on some of the sets due to the crossover?
  
  Does anyone know if there's any truth in this?

  
  No there's not - assuming the aerial system is done correctly. For a very strong signal area a suitable passive splitter would work, otherwise an active one (which amplifies the signal before it splits, giving slightly more signal to each set than the original) would be better.
  
  The size of the TV would also not make the slightest bit of difference either (even if the aerial system was a complete bodge).

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• grimtales1 Posts: 46,695

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  13/05/15 - 13:20 #4

  Thats interesting about passive v active splitters. I'd like to check which one I have and see if I cant boost my freeview signal a little at source (dont mean to hijack the thread).

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• Nigel Goodwin Posts: 58,506

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  13/05/15 - 13:33 #5

  grimtales1 wrote: »

  Thats interesting about passive v active splitters. I'd like to check which one I have and see if I cant boost my freeview signal a little at source (dont mean to hijack the thread).

  
  Does your splitter have a mains lead?, or a PSU connected to it (although many aerial splitters are line powered from Sky boxes these days as well).
  
  There's a LOT of misleading posts on here about active splitters and strong signals, in the VAST majority of cases there won't be any problem - as active splitters will accept far higher signals than TV's will, and only give minimal gain to each output.
  
  Generally, if you were wiring a house you'd fit an active splitter (distribution amplifier to be more correct) in the loft, and use that to distribute TV all round the house. It would be VERY rare if this caused problems, and if it did you simply insert an attenuator in the input of the amplifier to lower it's input.
  
  Many of these systems will also distribute satellite signals down the same wires as well.

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• dazn12 Posts: 6,912

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  13/05/15 - 14:32 #6

  What about if you use an indoor aerial on all TVs?

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• Nigel Goodwin Posts: 58,506

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  13/05/15 - 17:24 #7

  Kargo wrote: »

  What about if you use an indoor aerial on all TVs?

  
  What do you mean by an 'indoor' aerial? - assuming you mean one in the loft, then it's works identically to an external one - but a LOT weaker.

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