After the digital switch over there were millions of homes still using the old or now defunct analogue aerial. Many of which were still able to receive most if not all of the digital TV channels after the switch over. Depending on your location, the switchovers tended to happen between 2009 and 2012.
As TV Aerial installers in Lancaster we still plenty of households now receiving the new digital signal via their analogue aerial. There were millions now unable to get all of the channels being broadcast. Why was this? Well it is hard to say for every instance.
Signal Strength has an impact
One reason is that in areas where the signal strength isn’t that good and quality is limited, an analogue aerial would prove less effective in receiving the new signal being transmitted. Hence these homes may have received fewer channels than before or none at all.
Alternatively, for homes in areas where the signal strength was good such as Lancaster, having an analogue aerial didn’t make that much of a difference. It could be said that you could receive a signal via a wire coat hanger, but we don’t recommend this. Either way, in these areas an old analogue aerial would work with Freeview. So long as both signal strength and quality was good.
Signal Quality is also important
Along with the strength of a signal, the quality needs to be good to. In fact you can’t have one without the other if a good TV signal is desired. If the quality is poor, despite the signal strength, the picture on television would be unwatchable.
Many households with the old analogue aerials that seemed to get most of the channels sometimes would never get the HD channels. This was only rectified by installing a decent wideband or full band antenna that is designed to receive the digital signal.
New Aerials are designed for Filtering out Interference
One problem that would occur is the loss of a quality television picture due to interference. With the rise in popularity of Wi-Fi devices the analogue aerials struggled to cope with the interference. They would gradually become more and more compromised and the television picture would get worse and worse. The TV picture would become fractured at times to the point of a complete loss of signal all due to WIFI interference.
New Wide or Full band aerials designed for the digital signal have filters installed exactly for that reason. Also, the digital signal is less likely to be effected by WI-FI.
Conclusion
Although an old analogue TV aerial can work with the Freeview signal, it will depend on multiple elements. For trouble free viewing It is always best to get the proper equipment installed. For additional reading on the subject click here
Digitec Aerials
19 Wolseley Street
Lancaster, Lancashire, LA1 3PH
01524 489188