Two friends possess Sony 32" flat screen TV`s and they suffer loss of picture or break up I suspect it is the Aerial Connection, I have swapped cables that was not the answer however When moving the cable slightly the problem was apparent.Is this usual with the Sony TV and is it an expensive repair

if the pic breaks up due to signal loss a message will be displayed on the screen,(no signal)
if the signal is weak and not arriving at the aerial then there will be nothing to amplify
I would check that all connections from the back of the tv right up to the aerial are ok,check that you have line of site from your aerial to the transmitter ie-no trees in the way,is the aerial aimed in the correct direction,sometimes strong winds can turn an aerial
Have a look at your neighbours aerials ,how do they compare with yours,

I dont think you really need to install a fancy aerial for no real gain
Len...

There is some loose contacts to the connection wires inside the TV. If you are not familiar with electronics, do not attempt to repair. Whether you suffer fatal electric shock. Instead, contact any experienced service technician, or the nearest service center.

Probably not. Freeview signals are hundreds of times weaker than the old analogue signals, so will show up every single problem on a badly maintained, badly installed old external tv aerial.

In most areas, a tv set-top aerial is a waste of time and even a loft aerial may have problems. Any aerial system which is not direct from the external aerial to the tv can also suffer problems, as each Y-splitter and joint wastes an awful lot of signal.

Your fix is to get a proper modern aerial system fitted. If it's well designed and installed with the proper parts and cabling (does not necessarily mean most expensive) then it should last for another 30 or so years and ideally won't need signal amplifiers.

Note that although your neighbour gets reception, he probably suffers regular picture break-up, freezing and /or pixellation especially in poor weather unless the aerial was in top condition beforehand and was relatively modern.

Tune to a strong channel.
Go into the menu. Find the Channel or Antenna whatever your tv calls it. Set the signal strength display.
If the signal strength show good and your picture is lost then a problem may be in the tv.
More than likely the antenna is not picking up a strong signal. Try rotating it some.

You can go to www.tvfool.com to see what stations are in your reception area.

More than likely. There is no such thing as an HD aerial, there is no difference.
It is a sales description. Like Digital Ready and all that stuff.
The HD is your receiver, not the aerial.

If you are using the TV's tuner and an aerial, the aerial has a problem , (one of the reflectors/elements has come off or is bent) or the tuner unit has gone low gain at the lower frequencies.
Have a look outside at your aerial. Or there is a poor connection in the aerial system.
Hope that helps

Maybe you have an aerial fault. Try playing a video, if that is OK suspect the aerial or tuner unit in the set.
Hope that helps.

try to check your aerial connection at the back of your tv. also check your cable box connection.

try to check the all the connection of your tv, specially the aerial connection.

the end of the antenna wire will screw on a threaded antenna connection on the back of the tv
looks like this type of connection