Any TV/aerial experts ? Advice needed

[Dave7]

In our extension we have a bog standard flat screen ie not sky or virgin etc.
Its reasonably modern.....maybe 6/7 years old. A Sony 40".
The arial is approx 20+ years old.
The TV has suddenly started to give us problems on 2 channels..... 3 & 5. It crackles and is pixelating.
I have tried re-tuning several times with no success.
My gut feeling is aerial problems (no idea why or how).
Any thoughts/advice ???

 

[vickster]

Try connecting another TV to rule that out? Change the aerial cabling?

 

[Ian H]

I had a mysterious problem with my parents' TV. Eventually traced it to the free cable running to the set. Over many years the copper core had work-hardened and broken into pieces, which made for an erratic connection to the aerial.

 

[Deleted member 26715]

Try connecting another TV to rule that out? Change the aerial cabling?

Or take the TV to another room & try it on the aerial in there, if it's only on 2 channels & the others are fine it's unlikely to be the cabling

 

[NorthernDave]

As above, the aerial cables can break down over time, which is fairly easy to check / rule out.
Is there anything outside that might have affected it? New building, trees growing, aerial moving, etc?

 

[TissoT]

I suspect after 20 yrs its time for a new aerial. If the cable is externally mounted the coaxe cable tends to fill with rain water after time.

 

[Dave7]

I had a mysterious problem with my parents' TV. Eventually traced it to the free cable running to the set. Over many years the copper core had work-hardened and broken into pieces, which made for an erratic connection to the aerial.

Do you mean the piece that comes from the wall to the TV?

 

[Dave7]

As above, the aerial cables can break down over time, which is fairly easy to check / rule out.
Is there anything outside that might have affected it? New building, trees growing, aerial moving, etc?

Aerial may have moved but dont know how. Nothing much else has changed.

 

[Deleted member 26715]

Do you mean the piece that comes from the wall to the TV?

But if it's only on 2 channels it's unlikely to be that, it's more like the aerial has moved, is it pointing exactly the same way as your neighbours?

 

[Dave7]

I suspect after 20 yrs its time for a new aerial. If the cable is externally mounted the coaxe cable tends to fill with rain water after time.

Thanks
Possibly.
If I knew that was the problem I would gladly fork out but would like to be reasonably certain first

 

[Dave7]

But if it's only on 2 channels it's unlikely to be that, it's more like the aerial has moved, is it pointing exactly the same way as your neighbours?

All our neighbours seem to have sky. We have virgin cable for the house but plain tv for the extension.
And before anyone suggests it......Mrs Dave claims that room for when I am watching sport and she WILL NOT have virgin.... ..she wants channels 1-5 only.

 

[User6179]

All our neighbours seem to have sky. We have virgin cable for the house but plain tv for the extension.
And before anyone suggests it......Mrs Dave claims that room for when I am watching sport and she WILL NOT have virgin.... ..she wants channels 1-5 only.

If you have Wifi you could get an android box for the extension for £20 and do away with the aerial.

 

[Smokin Joe]

Get a Freesat box. Digital through an arial is pants.

 

[simonali]

This site is a wealth of info. http://www.aerialsandtv.com/index.html

 

[Dave7]

This site is a wealth of info. http://www.aerialsandtv.com/index.html

WoW......and there was me thinking an aerial was an aerial. How complex is that web site!