When you're tuning into TV through a UHF aerial or satellite dish, the quality of your antenna installation is paramount. You can enjoy great TV reception if your aerial or dish install is in good working order.

Why is your TV antenna important? 

Broadcast TV signal is sent over the air and is picked up by your TV antenna (be it a satellite dish or UHF aerial). The signal travels through the air and can sometimes be affected by atmospheric conditions such as rain or strong solar interference from the sun. 

An antenna in poor condition is very sensitive to any signal variation (however minor) and would fail to pick up all channels or deliver poor picture quality (think pixelated images or glitching video).

A good-quality antenna installation has higher tolerance for signal variations caused by atmospheric conditions, which means it can deliver great TV reception in any condition so you can enjoy all the channels with stable pictures and sound. 

What can affect TV reception? 

As your TV antenna is exposed to the elements, components can become corroded or damaged over time. For example: 

• a satellite dish in coastal areas can be more prone to corrosion by saltwater.
• strong wind gusts can push your antenna out of proper alignment.
• cables and connectors can become damaged through general wear and tear.
• Overgrown trees or new constructions nearby could cover parts of your antenna or block its line of sight to the transmitter.

When this happens, your antenna can no longer pick up a good signal and you may experience poor TV reception. This typically shows up as the loss of some or all channels, video glitches or pixelated pictures. They can appear from time to time or be particularly pronounced in certain weather conditions. 

What can you do to improve your TV reception?

While most viewers can enjoy reliable TV reception, it's possible to experience poor reception as your UHF aerial or satellite dish installations and AV equipment age. If you've experienced poor reception, follow these tips to first rule out causes that you can easily address, and if they don't bring about improvements, it's best to contact your local installers to check and improve your aerial or satellite dish setup.

Alternatively, with good internet access, you can stream live TV with the Freeview Streaming TV app. It's free and available to download on a wide range of Smart TVs.