Photo by Pkrul /CC BY With the advent of digital television and the dropping prices of television sets themselves, more homes have become multiple screen households. Having a television in your living room and getting the whole family in to..... Read More

Photo by Pkrul /CC BY

With the advent of digital television and the dropping prices of television sets themselves, more homes have become multiple screen households. Having a television in your living room and getting the whole family in to watch is no longer the only option, with many people now having televisions in their bedrooms, home offices and kitchens, but what if you only have a single antenna TV point?

The majority of newly built homes and apartments will have a shared antenna that feeds multiple connection points throughout premises to enable watching of different televisions from the same antenna. This works by having a large distribution box at the site of the antenna to feed the main coaxial cable into, and then depending on how many other connections that are needed and the length of the cabling required, the signal is boosted and then fed to various rooms.

Running cables

The cabling is fed on the outside of the house and then into a room where a small box is placed on the wall to house the connector to connect your television to. Using this method to install your very own TV output point is the best way to have an additional television in another room.

Digital television means that multiple channels are available for a single set price for a decoder or a new television with a digital tuner in it. This means that you won’t need new set top boxes for each television if they are digital ready. Using a small indoor antenna is only viable in places where the quality of the broadcasting signals is very high. In most cases, interference will render these indoor antennas useless.

Use only the best quality equipment

Using a proper antenna on the roof will ensure that you get great picture quality every time you use your television. The entire process doesn’t need to be expensive, and if you wish to simply add a single connection to another room, it can be done with minimal fuss and cost.

You will need the following tools and equipment to safely install a TV point in a room:

· Ladder
· Drill
· Wire cutters
· Screwdriver
· Signal booster (powered for best results)
· Cable distribution box
· Sealant gun
· Wall cable tacks
· Hammer

The simplest way to install additional TV aerial points is by unhooking the antenna from its cable and splitting the signal with a two-way distribution box. Simply add a length of high quality copper-core coaxial cable to a two-way splitter and run this cable along the outside of your home to the desired room. Drill a hole through the wall into the room and attach the cable to the all with the wall tacks.

Weather proof your work

Where the hole is drilled, attach the TV point box to the wall and attach the coaxial to the internal connections. Seal the holes in the wall on both the inside and outside with the sealant for a weather tight fit. Connect the faceplate to the wall point and you are good to go.

If you are in any doubt about the logistics involved in installing more TV points in your home, simply call a professional tv point installer to help you out. If you don’t have all of the necessary equipment such as a ladder, it would be wiser and cheaper to simply ask for a quote to get your job done.

Boost your television signal

TV signal boosters come in many different varieties, and many sold in the stores are for use on indoor antennas. Use a local electrical specialist store to find the correct external antenna signal booster that is plugged into the mains to give you the correct attenuation on your signal for the best results.

Purchasing the supplies necessary for installing one additional box may make it worthwhile to have multiple tv points installed around your home to save a bit of money. Spreading the costs over multiple outlets means that you’ve future proofed your home if you decide to swap rooms or turn that spare bedroom into a home theater, so plan ahead and you will save time and effort in the process.

Before the advent of digital television, many of us had to rely on moving our antenna in a particular way to get rid of the snowy picture or the ghosting that appeared on screen. We had to settle for a decent image that didn’t have too mu..... Read More

Before the advent of digital television, many of us had to rely on moving our antenna in a particular way to get rid of the snowy picture or the ghosting that appeared on screen. We had to settle for a decent image that didn’t have too much interference, but when we changed the channel, we had to restart the process all over get to get a good picture.

With digital television, the promise of crystal clear television reception is one that many jumped on and made us make the switch to digital television. The promise of no more snowy pictures, no more ghosting of the images and no longer having to tackle a television-top antenna to get a decent picture.

Well that was true to some extent, but still for many people getting a signal at all has been an issue whilst the broadcast system was still being implemented in small towns and rural areas. To date, there are a number of methods you can implement to get better TV reception and minimise your TV reception problems for good!

1. Upgrade your antenna

One of the best ways to get a solid picture on your digital television is to upgrade your antenna. Many people still use their old analogue antenna to receive their digital signals, so if you are having TV reception problems, an upgrade may be the answer.

There are a number of different types of digital television antennas you can purchase to ensure you get the very best picture for the area you live in. Wide band antennas are a good choice if you live in an area with poor signal quality.

2. Television signal boosters

Television signal boosters are a great addition to any television system where an antenna is involved. These booster systems comprise of a small unit that sits between your antenna and your television and allow you to plug it directly into the coaxial cable.

The signal booster adds a small amount of power, usually 3v to the cable which in turn allows the signal to travel better down the cable and not be susceptible to interference or signal loss compared to a regular, non-boosted antenna cable.

3. Upgrade your home’s cabling

Whilst many people may have upgraded their television in recent years to something a little more modern, and others may have upgraded their antenna, many people overlook the necessity to have high quality coaxial cables running from their antenna to their television.

An upgrade to a high quality copper core coaxial cable with oxygen-free shielding offers a robust solution to a long-term cabling system for your home that will last a good 15-30 years if looked after properly.

4. Invest in a professionally installed cable routing system for your home

Homes with multiple televisions are not a rare sight in the modern age, and whilst many people have a single main television where the antennas feeds the signal to, a lot of people are still using a mini television top antenna to receive signals for use in other rooms around the home.

If you hire a professional to install a cable routing system in your home, you will be able to minimise poor TV reception problems and is one of the sure-fire ways in how to fix TV reception problems in an instant.

5. Upgrade your set-top box or television

It may be a last resort, but upgrading your set-top box or television may be the way to go if you want to get better reception and services. The latest televisions on the market offer much better quality digital tuners that are more sensitive and are made for specific issues that many people face.
Add to that the possibility of having dual digital tuners in many set-top boxes which allow you to watch one channel whilst recording another and you will quickly see the benefits involved!

If you follow these simple tips for better digital TV reception you may quickly stumble upon the specific issues associated with your setup. If you are ever in doubt as to what is causing your television reception problems, call a professional antenna specialist who can guide you to finding a resolution and you will be well on your way to enjoying reception-problem-free television watching from now on!

Now that we have so many different ways of watching television, the old debate whether television is any good for us is back on the agenda. Not too long ago, we only had one way to watch television and a few channels to watch, television pl..... Read More

Now that we have so many different ways of watching television, the old debate whether television is any good for us is back on the agenda. Not too long ago, we only had one way to watch television and a few channels to watch, television played a small part in our daily lives. But today it is estimated that the average Australian watches around a month of television per year, let’s look at some of the good and bad things about television in the modern age.

The Good

One of the great things about television in the modern age is that we have so much of it to entertain us. Regular cable and satellite television viewers have access to hundreds of channels from main entertainment channels, dedicated music channels and even equestrianism and farming channels that cater to each and every specific audience possible.

The cost of creating and running a television channels has come down thanks to digital television, with broadcasters able to fill their electronic programming guide to offer a huge range of programming. Digital terrestrial television has given the old antenna a new boost with access to many diverse stations for a one-off payment for digital antenna installation.

The many ways of watching television

The different ways we now have access to television has not only increased, but has fundamentally changed the way we watch television too. Now television channels can be broadcast from satellite, cable, digital antennas, on the internet and even over 4G mobile signals. With easier access to television, more people are watching their favourite programmes on the go, on trains, busses and outdoors.

The way we watch television has also increased the features offered by broadcasters. We now have access to television on-demand, so we can choose the episodes we want to watch whenever we want to watch it. With online services such as Netflix, we can now have access to an entire series to watch in a single go and has become so popular; the term “binge television” has entered the national lexicon.

The Bad

Too much of a good thing can have bad effects on just about anything in life, and television is no different. Many people have argued that watching too much television is bad for you, and in some sense this is true. For the average viewer, a few hours of television per day will not change their lives, but some people are so devoted to their television that it has taken over their free time.

Whilst television can inspire, entertain and inform, too much television can sometimes be a bad influence on habits, as well as giving a false perspective of the world based on how real lives are presented to the viewer.

Use television as an educational tool for children

There have been many studies on whether television can have a negative effect on children in particular, as many of us worry about how much television our children watch. There is some great educational programming for children, but unsupervised viewing could expose children to negative lifestyles, swearing, aggression and other content not suitable for children.

Television also curbs physical activity in children, as an individual activity sitting in front of the television takes away from important outside activities such as playing, interacting with other children and engaging in sports and other physical activities.

Television can be a great source of information, entertainment and enjoyment for the whole family, but like many things in life, moderation is the key to success. There is no harm in enjoying your favourite programme, or sitting with the kids in front of the television for an hour or two a day - so long as it is followed by other activities and that television does not replace or take over your free time.