Can I use an indoor TV aerial to watch Freeview?

 

At the moment, Freeview is not operating on full power in all parts of the UK, so Freeview signals are generally running at lower power than standard analogue TV signals.

 

This means that many set-top indoor aerials are currently unable to pull in a decent Freeview signal to feed a Freeview TV set or set-top box unless you're in a strong signal area.

 

If you're fairly close to your nearest digital TV transmitter, and your existing reception of analogue TV via an indoor aerial is excellent, you may find that a decent indoor aerial will be able to pull in a good Freeview signal.

 

One way of telling, is to enter your postcode into the Wolfbane Digital TV Predictor and see how far away from a digital transmitter you are - Go to http://www.wolfbane.com/cgi-bin/tvd.exe , enter your postcode, and look at the last column, "Antenna (suggestion)". If the recommended aerial type says "Amplified extra high-gain aerial", you can forget an indoor aerial.

 

Getting an indoor aerial

If you want to try out an indoor aerial, you'll want to try one with the best chance of getting a decent signal. Look for one with a mains-powered amplifier - there's a range at Argos and maplin.co.uk.

 

We prefer not to make recommendations, but one indoor TV aerial has recently come out top in independent testing as offering a decent performance. At the time of writing, this aerial is available from Argos for under £20 - the Philex Amplified indoor aerial

 

 

 

 

No luck with an indoor aerial?

 

If you're not able to get a decent signal from an indoor aerial, here are some notes:

 

The situation with reduced power Freeview should improve as your TV region gets closer to the Digital Switchover, so if you're not able to get Freeview via a set-top aerial yet, you either need to wait for your local transmitter to be upgraded, or consider connecting your TV to a rooftop aerial.

 

Alternatively, look at one of the other digital TV options, such as satellite or cable.

 

 

 

 

Other links:

 

• Freeview Reception help: FrequencyCast Freeview Advice
• TV in other rooms: Other Rooms FAQ
• Freeview and Digital Aerials

 

Answer unclear? Let us know!