Who knows "stuff" about HD set top box's?

**walker** · 15th November 2007, 06:27 PM

I have just bought a HD PVR with twin HD tuners and 250Gig Hard drive.

Set it all up today and found that the reception is terrible. Picture and sound is all jumpy. Reception is fine using my SD srt top box.

From what I can work out, my signal strength may be too high, is this possible? When I look at signal strength, the bar is all the way to the top (Strong). When it flickers and pixleates the signal strength drops off. When I went to restet all the stations I could not even get chanel 10 at all, it just comes up no signal.

I am thinking I should have stuck with SD.

Anyone got any suggestions? I was hoping to fix it myself rather than getting someone in. What I dont understand is why reception is fine with my SD box but not with the HD box even when I look at SD channels???

**LandyAndy** · 15th November 2007, 06:36 PM

Bradtot fixed my mother in law up

Sorry Brad,

Bradtot fixed the MILs set top box issue.
Andrew

**Irish** · 15th November 2007, 07:41 PM

Knowing a "Little" on the subject;

If you are having trouble recieving Ch10 & above on the digital services, you may have an "older style antenna" which only goes up to Ch10?? A fix may be to buy a new VHF antenna that can recieve up to and including ch 12. (Which is where ch 10's digital sevices occupy up to; Ch's 10 -12).

Hills sell a good one. (If you are close to the transmitters there are varying types of antennas, metropolitan verions, up to fringe areas, though it sounds like up don't need one of those?).

And yes, you can have too much signal going into any reciever of any type and effectively overload the reciever.

I hope this helps, George.

**walker** · 15th November 2007, 07:51 PM

I can get Channel 10 fine with my old set top box, it is just with the new one that it does not work.

Not sure about old stule antenna, mine is about 6 years old. We are also close to the towers with direct line of site.
Sounds like I might have to get someone in to check signal strength. Probably cheaper to do this before buying a new antenna.

**waynep** · 15th November 2007, 07:56 PM

How far are you away from the transmitters eaxactly ???

If you're really close I could beleive you might have the problem of overloading the front end of the receiver but anything over say, 10km away shouldn't be a problem. To test if you are overloading just try a set of "rabbit ears" and see how they go.

I would suspect it is more to do with the particular brand of STB you have. Try begging /stealing/borrowing another brand of HD STB and try it ( doesn't need to be a PVR just a straight HD STB will prove it ).

**sclarke** · 15th November 2007, 09:00 PM

Walker...... we both have the same problem...

But the solution is simple.....

to drop the signal you need some Attenuators... you can get them at Jaycar and Dicksmith or an antenna dude...

BUT HD is only going to work on a HD compatable TV..... if you have a Non HD compatible TV then the pic will still be trash...

HD is 1024 and most TV's cant go that high, so its like trying to run a old VGA monitor at XGA res....

**walker** · 15th November 2007, 09:52 PM

Thanks Steve, that is what I was afraid of. It is not a HD compatible TV.

I knwo nothing about this stuff but a HD STB transmits SD as well doesn't it? So the SD chanels should work...but they don't.

Not sure how far away from the towers I am but I would imagine it is more than 10km as the crow flies. I am in Croydon. I did read about the attenuator, I just did not want to go out buying stuff if that was not the problem. I will try my box out on Dads TV (he is further away) and see how it goes.

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