4 Key Considerations Not to Miss Before Opting for Digital TV Antenna Installation

When it comes to picking out the best digital antenna for your home, it might seem like you can’t really go wrong, as long as you purchase one that is good quality.

After all, the majority of antennas out there can pick up the digital signal just fine; in fact even old TV antennas have no problem doing so, despite the fact that the analogue signal has been turned off in Australia for a couple of years.

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However old antennas don’t last forever and it’s not uncommon to start seeing faults in the picture and sound quality over time - wear and tear takes its toll eventually. If you’re noticing this and believe the problem is with the antenna, here’s a few things you should consider as you look to upgrade.

Don’t Skimp Out On Price

In the case of most electrical goods, good quality antennas are a far and away worth the extra money that it costs to purchase them. A good antenna can last a number of decades in most cases and give you a greater chance of picking up a good signal for longer. If you’re purchasing the antenna yourself, make sure you do your research on the particular models and speak to your retailer to get their suggestions.

Think About Your Position

The antenna you purchase needs to be appropriate to the location of your home and its proximity to your closest TV broadcast tower. There are antennas on the market that are better suited to homes that are 75+ kilometers away from the tower and others that you’ll be fine with if you’re situated any closer.

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But the physical location where you place the antenna on your roof is also a contributing factor in determining the quality of the picture/sound that your digital TV picks up. Generally, you’ll be looking to place it in a straight line view of the tower on the side of your house.

If you live in the city however, chances are you don’t really need to worry about this. Tall buildings often reflect TV signals all over the place so unless you have the proper equipment, you won’t know where the signal is coming from. The negative approach of this is that sometimes they actually block the signal, meaning you might have to add TV antenna boosters and amplifiers. In such cases calling a professional is highly recommended.

Be Wary of DIY Dangers

The practical difficulties and potential dangers of installing an antenna on your roof should not be underestimated. For one thing, installing an outdoor antenna requires that you climb up on the roof and play with electrical wires. This is one of the leading causes of accidents in and around the home. Also keep in mind that if you’re anywhere near electrical wires, look out. Given that it is a conductor, the antenna will draw electricity and sadly there have been many fatalities around the world as a result of people not taking the necessary precautions.

Strongly Consider Going with a Professional

As you can see, there is a lot to consider when it comes to picking out and installing the proper antenna. There is no doubt that it is worth having a top-of-the-line antenna at your home, as the upside of enjoying all the wonders of digital TV is too much to miss out on! But it does take technical knowledge and practical skills that, quite frankly, very few people have both.

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If you are going to get the job done yourself, do your research and make sure you know what you’re doing. If you don’t feel confident enough of have lack of proper equipment, here in Ipswich Local Bloke Antenna Services is always prepared to save yourself from the stress. Give us a call for any digital TV antenna, TV point installation, MATV system or home theatre set up related query. Happy to help you always!

The Difference between Analogue and Digital Antennas

With the advent of digital television, much has been hyped about the multiple new services being offered, as well as the increase in picture quality and audio quality as well as interactive services and multiple channels. But whilst many people can enjoy all of these services, some people still have an old analogue style antenna that they need to upgrade. This article will talk about the advantages and disadvantages of both analogue and digital antennas.

Analogue antennas have been around for a very long time, with the popular type of Yagi antenna being around for well over 60 years. This type of antenna was made to pick up analogue signals to their best ability, as well as minimising on ghosting of the image and repeating of the image from various different sources.

Tuned To Receive Set Frequency Bands

Many of these antennas are tuned to receive a particular frequency band for receiving television signals, as well as some antennas which are capable of receiving radio signals. Analogue antennas were built without the future of digital television in mind, therefore much of the technology that goes into the broadcast of digital terrestrial television signals can cause issues.

Many analogue antennas are just simply too old to function properly as a high gain antenna, ready for receiving digital signals. In many cases, the type of cable coming from the antenna into the home is also too old and will need to be upgrading to fix reception issues coming from the installed system.

Say Goodbye to Poor Reception Issues

If you are suffering from poor reception and connection issues, instead of replacing your old copper cable and analogue antenna system with a new one, why not upgrade to the state of the art digital antenna and cabling system that will get you ready for the digital signals now being broadcast.

Not only are digital antennas tuned for the correct frequencies that digital terrestrial television is broadcast on, but they also offer a number of newer advantages over their analogue counterparts. High band antennas have been specially constructed to offer the best possible signal to noise ratio compared with analogue antennas, and help reduce signal interference, multiplex doubling and other digital signal issues.

Overcome Signal Issues and Poor Reception

The latest wide band antennas are for use in areas where the digital signal is split into two overlapping zones. This is where two broadcast tower signals overlap and are broadcasting the same channel multiplexes but at different frequencies. What you will see in your channel list is a doubling of channels, as well as some channels possibly not appearing at all.

In these instances you will need a wide band antenna that is specially designed to cope with multiple signals and getting different channel multiplexes from other sources. In most cases you can block out a certain broadcast tower and focus on the closer one to give you a great signal level.

Check Your Signal Noise Level and Signal Quality Simply

The ability of digital set top boxes to help you see the noise level and signal quality on each box is a great feature that was simply missing from analogue systems. With a new digital antenna you can enjoy the latest television in high definition and stereo sound, unlike the previous set of analogue broadcasts.

Because a digital channel can be compressed into a smaller size, more television channels and radio stations can be fit into a single analogue channel. This is what is known as a multiplex.

The digital terrestrial television service is made up of many different multiplexes that contain several television stations, radio stations and interactive services and other information such as MHEG data.

Digital Television Is Here To Stay

In this sense, analogue television is well and truly dead, and the future of digital television looks bright. With the addition of interactive services to the digital television platform, the need for upgrading your analogue antenna for a brand new, high gain high signal quality digital antenna is great.

Consult your local antenna specialist for more information about how the installation process is carried out, and how you can benefit from a new digital antenna in your area.

Resolving Your Digital Antenna Issues

Having problems with your television reception? Not being able to pick up channels you should be receiving? If these are the kind of issues you are having with your television antenna, then not to worry, there are a host of options available to solve your issues. Narrowing down the faults in your system may seem like a headache to undertake, but with a little patience and with the aid of a professional, you will have your television up and running in no time. 

Since the big switch off of analogue signals went national late last year, many people have yet to catch up with the different technology involved with digital terrestrial television. Whilst the premise is still the same, the technology has moved on and brought with it a whole host of new problems. One of the main problems people suffer from is through loss of signal.

Common reception issues 

In the past where a poor antenna signal results in a snowy or fuzzy picture, digital television is an all or nothing service in which if your television reception is too poor you will not even see a picture. This can be especially annoying to viewers considering digital television has meant that multiple television stations reside within a frequency that took the place of a single analogue channel. This can mean a loss of multiple channels with just a simple fault.

A professional digital antenna installation engineer will be able to direct you in the right direction, with a host of problem solving options to choose from. You may need to upgrade your antenna to a digitally approved digital antenna to receive a good picture,  or you may have to upgrade old caballing around your home. If you live in an area where reception is an issue due to environmental factors, then you may need to upgrade to a wide band antenna to achieve a great signal.

A digital antenna installation professional will be able to go through your personal set up and find faults in a matter of no time at all. By ticking off all the necessary points of common issues along your television signal route, an installer will be able to point you in the right direction to get your television back up and running.

It could be more than bad equipment

Environmental factors can come into play depending on your location. Most built up cities will be able to offer great reception to all, but with all perfect reception, comes certain black spots on the reception map. These can be found behind large office buildings, near radio masts, hills and other natural features that will block your signal. In these instances, signal boosters can be applied to your existing system at a moderate cost to further improve your reception.

In some instances, you may be receiving your digital television signal from multiple broadcast locations which is a common problem for those who live on the outskirts of town. Choosing a high gain or wideband antenna may help to solve your issues, along with signal boosters to help achieve a greater overall signal. The benefits of digital terrestrial television far outweigh the analogue option of before, and with so many channels and rich content featured from your favourite broadcasters, it’s time to resolve your signal problems.

A digital antenna installation professional will be able to point you in the right location when it comes to boosting your signal, upgrading your existing antenna to a high gain version as well as giving you advice on cable routing around your home. If it is jargon-free advice, a high quality installation and a professional finish you are after from your installer, ask for a quote today and you can start to enjoy your favourite shows with a perfect signal again.

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