Professional antenna
installers use a range of gadgets that can test the signal in your area
check the optimum direction of your aerial and offer a repair or service to
your existing antenna setup that often solves the majority of reception
problems. But it pays to understand a little about your TV and what problems it
can have. In this article, we look at some of the most common problems a
television could encounter.
Common faults
With the majority of modern televisions being the flat panel HDTV
variety, the common causes of problems and issues associated with them can
vary. For instance, checking the televisions internal fuses for any signs that
they have blown, as well as checking the power cord can often be overlooked as
a possible cause.
If your television set is one of the first generations of LCD TVs,
then the natural life expectancy of those devices manufactured 5-10 years ago
is currently expiring. LCD display technology has improved greatly in the last
five years, and early models of HDTV often have a 5-10 year panel life cycle
that cannot be overlooked.
In these instances where the LCD panel of the television has come to
the end of its life, it is often the case that replacing the television may end
up cheaper than a repair job. If it is the LCD backlight that has died, then again
depending on the model of television you have, a new HDTV may be the cheaper
option.
Fuses are often the first port of call when you first notice that
your television doesn’t turn on. Replacing one of these internal fuses can be
relatively inexpensive. Internal power supply units are prone to
malfunctioning, but can easily be replaced by a qualified technician at a low
price.
TV Antenna repairs
Your local antenna technician will be able to sort out just about
any issue you have regarding your reception issues. They will follow the trail
from the antenna itself to your
television and through any affected equipment you may have hooked up. Let’s
take a look at some of the common causes of TV reception problems and how to
address them.
One of the biggest issues is obviously with the antenna itself. Most
modern antennas don’t need weekly services and are built to withstand the
elements on your roof. But sometimes a breeze can reposition the antenna, water
can slowly seep into the coaxial cabling attached, and even rust can erode
important parts of the unit.
If your aerial is heavily rusted and weathered, it may need
replacing, otherwise an engineer will be able to replace the connecting cable
box and rewire the aerial the way you want it. To test for cable problems, the
engineer will test the signal strength and diagnose. The majority of TV reception problems are either caused by
the antenna or the cable not feeding the signal properly.
Other possible problems include bad positioning of the antennae,
which can cause reception outages and being prone to interference. In
situations where a replacement or repositioning of the antennae is
inappropriate (such as a shared antenna in an apartment building) you can
purchase signal boosters to enhance your signal. These are simply placed
‘in-line’ of your antennae cable and often use a low-powered power-pack to
boost and amplify the signal.
