trouble with my freeview aerial

[gino_76ph]

hi. ive had my outside aerial installed by a CAI-approved installer a year ago now. but since then i have bought a new hi-def 1080p Sony LCD. my friends can't help noticing that my freeview is "not that clear" like theirs. i don't know if it's because theirs is cable or a smaller tv that means "clearer" picture. i don't know. for me it's "ok". would it be my aerial needs re-adjusting or the cable needs changing to a gold-plated one or whatever. pls i need advice.

[Mousemat]

When you say " theirs is cable" do you mean that they're not getting their digital channels through an aerial? If that's the case the that is the reason why their displays are clearer. Another thing to take into account is that freeview transmissions aren't hi-def and so your tv will have to upscale the picture to fit. Each tv manufacturer has a different method of doing this upscale calculation and it depends on the quality of the image processor they've produced.

[Funkstar]

Generally speaking, you either get a Freeview Signal or you don't. If it is poor, you can get break up of the picture and sound can cut out, but thats about it. You should be able to check the signal levels in the setup of the TV (set top boxes let you do this, so i would assume if it is built into a TV you should also be able to do it).

As long as the signals aren't marinal, then there isn't anything you can do about it, it's just the TV being poor at scaling the image.

[bigblue]

What screens are your fiends watching their freeview on ? If it's CRT's that would explain a lot.

I'd agree with the others and wager what you're seeing is simply the effect of stretching an SD signal to 40"/1080 lines

[gino_76ph]

is it worth having my signal checked again? or maybe changing the cabling into copper or something "better"? im one of the BBC HD trialist 2 years ago and im already using the Humax 1080i Freeview receiver and my freinds think pictures are good but not great. what do you think guys?

[Funkstar]

No, there isn't any point.

If you were a trialist, i would expect your ariel and cabling is perfectly cabable to recieve a signal strong enough not to casue any problems.

The problem lies with the upscaling to the HD resolution of your screen. Whatever device is doing it (the built in DVB decoder in the set or the humax box) isn't doing it very well. No amount of messing with the ariel or RF cabling it going to change that.

[bigblue]

The only other thing I can think of that may cause poor pictures is leaving the set on factory settings.

It being a Sony, you don't have it on "dynamic" or something do you ? With noise reduction on, contrast, colour and brightness freakishly high ?

Might be worth having a shot at calibrating it to an extent. If you've any THX DVD's that'd be a good place to start

[Persephone]

I had no end of trouble when I had Freeview. I live in a bit of a valley so I couldn't get a brilliant signal, which affected my picture too. Are there any electricity pylons or anything close to you that might be affecting your receiver?