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An admission: by now
GaGu is pretty far
detached from over-the-air
TV. After his roof aerial went on the
wonk some 15 years ago, and the
ever-prognosticating Mrs Guru
cleverly predicted that any trip to
the roof would mean a subsequent
trip to the hospital, it’s been all
cable and streaming in Guru Towers.
That said, many of the classic
principles remain relevant. A good
aerial pointed in the right direction
is the first step. If you’re on
Android, try the app Digital TV
Antennas (free) which maps out
where your local transmitters are
and tells you where your aerialshould be pointed; there are fancy
AR apps, too, though few that seem
happy with modern phones.
A powered aerial, one capable of
amplifying and smoothing out the
signal it receives, is an absolute
must; if you’re just jamming a coat
hanger into that ever more
irrelevant RF input in the back of
your TV, you deserve everythingyou get. Look for high signal gain,
look for automatic gain control, and
look for RF shielding that helps the
aerial pick out the signals it needs
without other radio devices in your
home shouting over them. The cable,
too, is just as important as the
aerial. If you’re piping a signal along
a hacked up and bent old strand of
coax, bad times are coming.
Get the One for All SV9494,
which should set you back about
£90. That’s a lot for an aerial, yes,
but the SV9494 is a futuristic orb
without a wire prong in sight. It’s an
aesthetic delight, and crams in all
of the core features HD and even
4K OTA signals demand.How do I improve my TV reception?
GRAHAM WHEATMAN, HOVE
If you’re jamming a coat hanger
into that ever more irrelevant
RF input in the back of your TV,
you deserve everything you get
22 T3 AUGUST 2020Horizon
T3’s telegenic whizzkid
broadcasts more top tech advice
ABOVE
If you had to set
up more dishes
than SETI, you
may have cocked
up somewhere