[mythtv-users] Signal strength, DVB-T

[George Mari]

Bruce Richardson wrote:
> MythTV typically reports a 30% to 35% signal strength - sometimes as low
> as 26% for Mux C - on the DVB-T channels I get (Nova-TD, external
> aerial, Crystal Palace transmitter.)  This doesn't seem to be a problem
> for the picture quality but is it very low?  Should I be buying a signal
> amplifier?
> 

I'm not sure about across the pond, but here in the states, that would 
be low for OTA reception, in general, and depending on how recent your 
receiver's chipset is, would probably result in the occasional signal 
dropout.

The conventional wisdom on whether a signal amplifier would help is 
specific to your particular situation - how far you are from the 
transmitter, sources of radio noise at your location, density of trees 
and/or tall buildings between your antenna (aerial?) and the 
transmitter, and whether your antenna is mounted outdoors or in the attic.

I use an amplifier in my setup, but only because:

1. my antenna is in the attic, and the building materials the signals 
pass through lower the signal strength
2. There is a particularly low/powered station I would like to receive.

Your best bet is to seek out other people in your area either in person 
or on-line, and ask what works for them.  For those of us in the US, 
there are several active threads for OTA reception at avfsorum.com, but 
I don't know of anything similar for overseas locations.