Aerial for Freeview

[DIYspanner]

What are the recommended aerials types to receive Freeview TV?

I'm presuming HD channels are available on Freeview.

 

[Wayners]

Copy your neighbours. See what is working for them and point in same direction.

 

[SJRSJR]

Any use?

Do I need an aerial?

Yes, you need an aerial to get Freeview through your TV. Check your current one to see if it's working properly – if not, it's best to get advice from a qualified installer.

www.freeview.co.uk

 

[JBR]

Not necessarily. We receive Freeview via t'Internet.

 

[Lucid]

What are the recommended aerials types to receive Freeview TV?

I'm presuming HD channels are available on Freeview.

Yes, Freeview carries HD channels. The same aerial that receives the standard def channels also picks up the HD ones. No special 'HD' version required. Your TV or receiver box will need a HD compatible tuner though (DVB-T2 tuner). Most TVs above 23" sold within the past decade should fit the mould, but there's bound to be the odd exception somewhere. Check your manual.

As for aerials, the correct type for your home might be different to what I use, or what others in this forum use. Much depends on the signal strength (the field strength) where you live.

Have a look at your neighbour roofs if the aerials are visible. If you know that someone is picking up Freeview with something that looks like it has been up 50 years because of how corroded it looks, then chances are that the field strength is fairly healthy. If that's the case, then a Log Periodic will probably do just fine. Where you're seeing lots of aerials on tall masts - 20ft of so - or satellite dishes rather than aerials, then reception may be trickier. Forum member @ericmark will tell you what it's like living in the Welsh hills and valleys and how that affects Freeviw reception.

If you wish, try the Freeview reception checker for your postcode and house number. https://www.freeview.co.uk/corporate/detailed-transmitter-information

Where reception is a little marginal, have a look at the ATV site. They give a lot of useful info as well as selling vert well-made aerials. https://www.aerialsandtv.com/product-category/tv-fm-dab-aerials-plus-aerial-install-kits

 

[Murdochcat]

Use a fire stick?

 

[Sid1968]

If your neighbors have rooftop aerials for Freeview it’s likely all you need for a similar setup. All you need to do is make sure that your TV has a DVB-T2 tuner, and you’ll get HD channels. That Freeview’s postcode tool can also give you a signal coverage check for your area!

 

[foxhole]

Your neighbours may not always have it right most of mine point their aerial off towards Ipswich which is many miles away while we have a transmitter less than a mile from us in the opposite direction.
So check location of your nearest transmitter.

 

[DIYspanner]

Thanks All!

 

[ericmark]

Not necessarily. We receive Freeview via t'Internet.

Is that "Freeview" I get TV, and to be frank not a clue how it gets to the TV, as my SkyQ box decides on that. Some is satellite and some internet, some is free, some is part of my package, most of the time I don't need a password, and I really don't care how it arrives at my TV as long as it does.

We have "Freeview" for what it is worth, and we also have "Freesat" and "Free to Air" the latter also satellite, but without the program guide which is part of "Freesat" and two very different internet services, one broadcast and the other peer to peer, the only difference to me is one requires a TV licence the other does not, but since I have a licence I don't care which it is.

There are some programs where it asks if you have a licence, but there was an internet provider called catch up TV which was broadcast not peer to peer.

As to actual "Freeview" it can be more to do with not receiving as receiving in some areas. I did live in North Wales, on a hill overlooking the Wirral there were repeaters, and two main transmitters, Winter Hill, and Moel-y-Parc, and an ariel high up would pick them all up, even Midlands TV at times, and the TV was forever asking for a retune and also cross channel interference.

So my aerial was very small, and mounted on the garage wall, so it would only pick up Moel-y-parc, and the house shielded the signal from Winter Hill, I could get Winter Hill using my HB9CV which was designed for the 2-meter band ham radio, the signal was that strong.

Here I can get Moel-y-Sant, but a bit pointless, as half the channels are missing, can't see the point in fixing the aerial, and a satellite can be mounted much lower, so easy access, so simply not worth putting an aerial up.

But it is so dependent on where you live, even when I lived in Suffolk, not a hill in sight, still there were problems with isotropic propagation, and getting Dutch TV instead of English. The problem in that case was the transmitter's aerial was too high.

There is no one system suits all, and copy neighbours is likely best advice.

 

[JBR]

freeview app - Google Search

 

[Koolpc]

I plug my tv into this as it gives a fantastic signal. Pictures look really clean too: