I keep loosing digital signal with both my digital tv's, I have a digital aerial fitted 18 months ago. what is the problem?

This is probably due to poor quality cable or connections from the aerial. Digital TV needs better quality in both (F connectors and quad shield cable) than analogue TV did.

If all that is good then you may need a better aerial or even a signal amp.

This could be too much signal thanks to the Freeview retunes going on. Your aerial is more sensitive at some frequencies, so there's more signal power higher up the frequency range. The signals for BBC and ITV are among the strongest ones broadcast. If they are now at a point on the aerial's range where they are too strong for the TV then the tuner will over-saturate. The result is the same as no signal.

A simple and inexpensive diagnosis tool is a variable attenuator. The MA1620 on this page is perfect for that job:
Splitters amplified splitters and attenuators

It will give you a way to reduce the signal level at one TV without affecting the other TVs in the house.

I'm unfamiliar with that precise brand, but if you go into the set-up menu then you should first try to re-install the digital channels from scratch.

If that fails, then the fault is with the transmitter or the reception, not the tv. If you know that the transmission is fine, then check how the tv gets the signal from the aerial. Is the aerial pointing in the correct direction? Are there as few in line splitters and joints as possible in the cable from the aerial to the tv? Have all co-axial connectors been fitted correctly? Digital signals are hundreds of times weaker than the old analogue signals, so it doesn't take much to cause reception problems if your equipment has any faults.

Do you have an indoor or outdoor aerial?
Indoor aerials will not have the strength to pick up television broadcast signal.
Double check your connections, as you could have a loose wire or connection somewhere.
You might need to speak to someone who, can take a look at your aerial to see if it is configured correctly.
Also to make sure it isn't a problem with the aerial, do you have another TV that you can try using on the aerial. to see if you can get signal?

Hi,

The first thing you should do, is connect the Samsung TV to one of the working aerial inputs upstairs, and then run the auto-setup / digital channel scan. If it works, it's most likely a localised problem with the aerial cable - or you accidentally selected a different external input.

Try this simple test first and then post back with the results. I will then try to assist you further.

You are suffering from a poor signal. Digital TVs will display 'blocking' (partial freezing of the picture in square or rectangular blocks) or total freezing of the picture, when the signal is too weak.

You don't say if this is a recent problem on a set that has been working correctly - that info. would be helpful. However, things to check include:

Has the aerial moved (wind?)
Are you using a new extension coax cable? If so try another one, as connections may be faulty.
If this a new TV, and you have not used digital previously, your aerial may not be high enough gain for a digital signal, but that is unlikely unless it's a nery old aerial.

You will have to retune the TV to the incoming signal, if you have tried this & still get "no signal" then you will need to check the incoming aerial connection & if there is a good aerial fitted for the flat.

You may need a digital booster when sharing 1 aerial.
They are quite cheap (£5 on e-bay is the cheapest I've seen) and easy to fit.
Also the coaxial cable can make a differance, you really need shielded and with as few joints as possible.
I hope this helps.
P.S. try tuning with just the problem set connected to the aerial direct.

It may well be your aerial despite the success with your DVD recorder.

Digital signals are very much weaker than analogue ones, and when multiple devices share a single aerial you can get this kind of problem. You also lose about 60% of the signal at each point in your aerial cable where there are signal splitters.

There are a number of possible solutions:-

First, look at every bit of coaxial cable you have between the aerial and each appliance. Check especially at the aerial end for corrosion or poor shielding/installation and especially for evidence of rain water penetration. If the aerial is on the roof then it will cost almost as much to get the aerial inspected as it will to have it replaced, so skip to the next option. But otherwise, check along every bit of the cable for any cuts or splits in the insulation and properly remake every junction or joint if there are any doubts about them. If the cable is in poor condition then consider option three instead.

The second is to try to see if you get a better digital signal from another transmitter, this will involve trying different aerial positions so is impractical if your aerial is roof mounted but is worth trying if it's in the loft instead. It doesn't always follow that your best digital signal will be from the transmitter which you used for analogue transmissions.

Thirdly, if you're still using the same aerial as you have done for years then it's worth upgrading to one optimised for digital reception. When doing this it's foolish not to replace the cabling as well as you need it to be as good as possible. With analogue, many installers got away with using cheaper cable intended only for very short cable runs from the wall socket to the tv.

The fourth option is the budget option but can work as well as the third option: fit an additional analogue style aerials and run a separate cable down to each appliance. If these are fitted in the loft and you have the space, then there's no aesthetic or planning concerns. Normally the extra cables can run partway down through the house alongside existing cables, but for best signal quality keep them separate and ensure that the cable runs as as short as possible.

One further thing which you may want to try before all else: connect your digital box directly to the aerial cable which currently feeds your dvd recorder. Leave all other tv devices disconnected from the aerial. If the box retunes correctly then it's definitely a supply of signal issue as outlined above and if not then you should add the exact make and model of your digibox as a comment to this answer as there are a large number of earlier digibox models which cannot retune correctly due to evolving standards.

Your area TV stations may have already switched to digital. If that's the case you will need a digital converter box. I'd check with your local stations to find out.