I’ve got an oldish non-digital but flat screen tv attached to a Samsung hard disk recorder and digital whatsit which acts as the “set top box”. Recently (a week or so ago) the picture started “blocking” and has become much worse over the past week. I thought it might be the reception or aerial and retuned several times, choosing different regions (outer London, Hampshire and Berkshire etc.) But to no avail. Then I tried viewing London Live and it’s fine. All the others are unwatchable.

If it’s the Samsung recorder box thing up the chute I’ll just go and buy a new telly but I don’t want to find that it is the aerial or something else. The fact that London Live is fine is very odd.

Any ideas?

Plug another, working, Digital TV into your aerial and see if it works.

Then you’ll know if it’s the aerial or not.

Thanks pp. Just got to find another TV!

I know this sounds odd but lift up your HDR and shake it. There might be water in there! The cable from the aerial/dish can crack and let water in, this runs down the inside of the cable and collects in the first unit it’s attached to. We had an old CRT TV that this happened to, it would drift out of tune within a couple of minutes eventually becoming simple white noise.

Macro-blocking is usually a sign of a poor signal such that the MPEG decoder in the receiver can’t figure out what to do with it. There should be a menu option/screen that shows the signal strength and quality.

I’ll give it a shake first thing when I get home. That’s my kind of fixing. Cheers 🙂

Not Rachel

Just got to find another TV!

Borrow one for 5 mins.

Friend, Neighbour, Family, local chines takeaway?

Someone you know must have a working small digital tv?

If not then take your box to someoene elses house and try it on their aerial. Then you’ll know if it’s the box or not.

4g interference? Might need a filter, which you could get free