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UK TV Aerial & Freeview Guides

Technical, plain-spoken, vendor-neutral guides. Read these before booking an engineer — a 15-minute DIY fix beats a £100 call-out.

  • Best TV Aerial for Weak Signal Areas: What Actually Works

    How to fix Freeview reception in a fringe or weak-signal area. Why a bigger aerial isn't always the answer, when a masthead amplifier helps, and the order to try things in.

    · weak-signalfringehigh-gainaerialsmasthead-amplifier

  • TV Aerial Polarisation Explained: Horizontal vs Vertical

    What aerial polarisation means, how to tell horizontal from vertical at a glance, why getting it wrong costs you around 20dB, and which UK transmitters use which.

    · polarisationaerialsinstallationtransmittersalignment

  • CAI Registered Aerial Installer: What It Means and How to Check

    What CAI membership actually guarantees, how to verify a member number, what the Registered Digital Installer scheme is, and the questions that separate a competent aerial installer from a cheap one.

    · caiaccreditationchoosing-an-installerguaranteesconsumer-advice

  • Freeview Play vs Freeview HD vs Freeview: What's the Difference?

    The three Freeview tiers explained. Freeview is the base service, Freeview HD adds DVB-T2 high definition, and Freeview Play adds catch-up and on-demand over broadband. Which you need, and where Freely fits in.

    · freeviewfreeview-playhddvb-t2streamingequipment

  • Freeview Multiplexes Explained: Which MUX Carries Which Channels

    The six UK Freeview multiplexes — BBC A, D3&4, BBC B, SDN, ARQ A and ARQ B — what each carries, why three reach 98% of the UK and three don't, and how to use MUX knowledge to diagnose missing channels.

    · multiplexmuxfreeviewchannelstransmitters

  • Switching From Sky to Freesat: The Complete Guide

    How to move from Sky to Freesat without a new dish, what you keep and lose, whether your existing LNB and cabling work, what it costs, and the Sky cancellation traps to avoid.

    · freesatskysatelliteswitchingcost

  • TV Aerial and Satellite Dish Planning Permission in the UK

    When you need planning permission for an aerial or satellite dish: permitted development limits for houses, why flats and listed buildings are different, conservation area rules, and what leases add on top.

    · planningregulationssatelliteconservation-arealisted-buildinglandlords

  • DAB Radio Aerial vs TV Aerial: Can One Do Both?

    Why a TV aerial makes a poor DAB aerial and vice versa, what Band III actually is, how to add DAB to an existing aerial system with a diplexer, and what it costs.

    · dabradioband-iiiaerialsinstallation

  • Will an Old Analogue Aerial Work for Freeview?

    Old UHF aerials usually do still work for Freeview, with three big exceptions: wrong channel group after the 700MHz clearance, physical decay, and the VHF relics that never received Freeview at all.

    · analogueold-aerialsfreeviewupgradehistory

  • Caravan, Motorhome and Boat TV Aerial Guide

    TV aerials for touring caravans, motorhomes, static caravans and boats: omnidirectional vs directional, 12V power, satellite domes, retuning as you travel, and what actually works at a UK campsite.

    · caravanmotorhomeboattouring12vsatellite

  • The Future of Freeview: Is Terrestrial TV Being Switched Off?

    Freeview is guaranteed until at least the end of 2034, and the two options under government consultation are a full IP switchover or a reduced three-multiplex service to 2044. What that means before you buy an aerial.

    · freeviewpolicydttswitch-offfuturestreaming

  • £50 TV Aerial Installation: Why It's a Myth

    Why £50 TV aerial installation offers are a myth: what a legitimate UK install costs, the corners cheap outfits cut, and how to spot a cowboy quote.

    · pricingcowboysbuying-guideinstallation

  • Do I Need a New Aerial for 4K or HD TV?

    No such thing as an HD or 4K aerial — aerials care about frequency, not resolution. When an old aerial genuinely needs replacing, and the sales tactics to avoid.

    · 4khdfreeviewmyth-busting

  • Do I Need an Aerial for a TV with Built-in Freeview?

    Yes — built-in Freeview means a built-in tuner, not a built-in signal. What the tuner does, when indoor aerials work, loft vs rooftop, and the Freely exception.

    · freeviewaerialssmart-tvtuning

  • How High Should a TV Aerial Be Mounted?

    How high a TV aerial really needs to be: typical mast heights, UK planning rules, wind loading, when extra height makes reception worse, and the alternatives.

    · installationmountingplanningmast-height

  • Storm-Damaged TV Aerial: What to Do (and Who Pays)

    Storm knocked out your TV? How to spot aerial storm damage safely, whether home insurance covers it, landlord vs tenant responsibility, and repair costs.

    · storm-damagerepairinsurancesafety

  • Sky vs Freesat: Same Dish, Very Different Deals

    Sky and Freesat use the same Astra 28.2°E dish but the costs differ by over £1,000 across 24 months. Channels, recording, hardware and dish reuse compared.

    · comparisonskyfreesatsatellite

  • Loft Aerial vs Roof Aerial: Which Should You Choose?

    Loft aerial or roof aerial? How much signal a roof really blocks, when a loft install works, mounting options compared, and how an installer decides.

    · installationloft-aerialroof-aerialcomparison

  • TV Aerial Repair Costs in the UK (2026)

    UK TV aerial repair prices for 2026: call-out and diagnosis £60–£100, realignment £60–£120, mast re-fix £80–£150, plus when replacement beats repair.

    · costrepairpricingaerial

  • How to Check TV Aerial Signal Strength

    How to check TV aerial signal strength using your TV's built-in meter: where to find it, what strength and quality readings mean, and when to call an installer.

    · signal-strengthtroubleshootingfreeview

  • TV Coaxial Cable Guide: Why Cable Quality Matters

    WF100 vs cheap contract coax, why 'HD cable' marketing is misleading, F-connectors vs Belling-Lee, attenuation over long runs, and when re-cabling fixes reception.

    · coaxcablingwf100interferenceinstallation

  • What TV Aerial Do I Need in My Area?

    How to choose the right TV aerial for your area: find your transmitter by postcode, grouped vs wideband, Yagi vs log-periodic vs high-gain, loft vs rooftop.

    · aerialsbuying-guidetransmittersreception

  • Which Way Should My TV Aerial Point?

    Your TV aerial should point at your local Freeview transmitter. How to find yours by postcode, read polarisation from neighbours' aerials, and check alignment.

    · aerial-alignmenttransmittersfreeviewtroubleshooting

  • Why Won't My TV Aerial Work? Fault-Finding Guide

    Step-by-step fault-finding for a TV aerial that won't work: inputs, retuning, flyleads, splitters, amplifier power, weather, transmitter faults and damage.

    · troubleshootingreceptionrepair