6 Tips to Get the Best TV Reception with a Digital TV Antenna
People today once again turn to TV antennas as an excellent solution to achieving a superb TV viewing experience. In fact, this is an important asset and alternative if you wish to cut your pay TV.
Most modern antennas come in stylish designs and the range of reception has grown widely from the previous version. With a reliable digital TV antenna, you can enjoy watching live sporting events, award-winning TV shows, blockbuster movies, and educational programs for free.
But despite having the right digital TV antenna, you may still suffer from poor TV reception, and this can be frustrating if you’re in the middle of watching your favourite show or movie.
It’s a good thing that there are ways to make sure that you enjoy have an excellent TV viewing experience, every time. Here are six things that can be done to achieve this:
1. Direct the antenna towards the broadcast tower
Ideally, before purchasing a digital TV antenna, you should know where the broadcast tower is located. This will help you better understand what type of antenna to choose for so it can pick up the different stations you wish to watch.
To get a good reception, the antenna must be directed towards the nearest broadcast tower. In fact, you can even pick up some subchannels when it is aimed at the correct direction.
2. Adjust the location of the antenna
In addition to antenna direction, the height of your digital TV antenna matters as well. As such, it would be better if you opt for an outdoor TV antenna. Obstructions like tall buildings, hedges and trees can weaken the signal strength. But if the antenna is adjusted higher, the signal can become stronger.
3. Reduce electronic interference
Taking your digital TV antenna higher will reduce the physical interference, but this won’t minimise the electronic interference. Wireless gears like Wi-Fi routers can cause more traffic in the air, which degrades the signal and causes your TV reception to become poor.
The best way to test if these devices are ruining your TV’s image and sound quality is to switch them off and check your reception. Still, it is highly recommended that you move these potentially interfering devices far from your antenna and television.
In addition, keep your antenna away from metal surfaces because this will not just cause interference with the signal, but will also block the reception. So if you have metal roofs, put your antenna up higher – at least 1.83 metres (6 feet) is ideal.
4. Replace and add more coaxial cable
Antennas come with a cable, which connects what it receives to what you watch. But often, this cable is a generic one. Experts recommend replacing it with a higher quality cable. Thicker cables are more capable of delivering a stronger signal between your antenna and TV. This will also discourage rodents from chewing on the cables, which can lead to no signal at all.
In addition to cable replacement, you should also add more coaxial cable (but only when necessary). This will allow you to take the antenna higher to receive a stronger signal.
5. Consider an antenna booster
An antenna booster can help improve the signal, especially if your antenna is receiving a weak signal. Make sure though to use a compatible one to prevent it from amplifying other signals. And this can add to interferences, leading to poor TV reception.
6. Hire an antenna specialist
A digital TV antenna can only provide a clear image and sound quality if it is installed professionally. So unless you have the right expertise and tools, you must call an antenna specialist to install your antenna. In fact, they can even help you choose an antenna that works best in your area.
Antenna specialists are experts when it comes to TV aerial installations. Thus, they will make sure that all the cables are installed correctly and are ready for excellent TV viewing. Also, they know how to properly position your antenna so it can receive all the possible free channels in your area. They can even suggest solutions to prevent blurry viewing later on.
Moreover, antenna installation specialists can install your new digital TV for convenience and safety. For instance, they can tune your stations, hide all the unsightly cables, and put up brackets.
Nothing beats watching the latest shows or your favourite athletes winning a live game after a long, busy day at work. Don’t let poor reception ruin these happy moments; make sure to have your antenna installed professionally. Keep the phone number of a trusted company in your contact list so you have someone to call when the signal suddenly gets interrupted or when you need antenna repairs or replacement.