Monday 21 April 2008

I Want My (ANY) TV...

So, was out yesterday and came in to watch Swordfish...now, ever since I've moved in, I've had problems with my TV reception (whereas it was flawless previously). The internal communal aerial didn't seem to work and I had to get a new external aerial and loop it through my window vent to get it in the TV!. Terrestrial reception was ever so slightly snowy but not enough to distract you from whatever you were watching, but digital has been temperamental at best: I can only get half the channels and at night most of those fizz and pop enough that they're largely unwatchable.

So imagine my consternation when I woke up this morning to find that for some reason, I had lost all reception whatsoever. My aerial connection had inexplicably worked loose from the digi box and I couldn't receive any channel at all, terrestrial or digital. My TV works fine and so does the digi box, as the digi logo comes up and proudly proclaims "No signal."

Now I had already toyed with the idea of Sky but hated it for various reasons, so I remained calm and made a lunchtime trip to Dixons to get some new aerial sockets---still no joy. So, I'm currently without a TV but I'm gonna have to return to Dixons tomorrow to spend MORE cash I don't really have on an internal aerial and a double male lead to try a few things tomorrow. If that fails, then I'm gonna have to give in and get the dreaded Sky: again, more cash I can't afford to flutter away.

The ironic thing is, I don't even watch much TV but right now Dr Who and My Name is Earl are back on, Pushing Daisies is till a worthwhile diversion and joy upon joy, Heroes is back...but if I miss this, I WILL be agitated! I can't even ask anybody to tape it for me as that's a whole OTHER issue...

5 comments:

Unknown said...

No TV, that's my worst nightmare. And Dave's. Your aerial came loose overnight? You sure Magneto wasn't mincing around your gaffe last night? I'd check the connections on both ends and try plugging the aerial directly into your telly rather than through the digibox.

If you need Heroes or anything else taped, give us a shout, I've got a DVD recorder. Presuming your DVD player still works :)

Nige Lowrey said...

I tried the aerial into both the digibox and the tv directly with no results. I'll be buying an indoor digital aerial today (but I'll have to be careful as I've noticed some are only for use in strong signal areas, which I'm obviously not in!) so I'll have another try tonight. The only thing I'm REALLY bothered about missing is Heroes, although I'd like to see Dr Who too. Shall have a look tonight...

Rol said...

I'd be wary of the indoor aerial, because in my experience they're not strong enough to pick up a digital signal.

I'd offer to video you Heroes too, but seeing as the BBC foolishly put it on at the same time as House, I think Season 2 just lost another viewer.

Nige Lowrey said...

Bought the new aerial today, got it home and TA-DAH!! Sod all. Digi serched for signal, no signal found. Plugged the aerial direct into the tv, nothing.

Manoman, it's gonn have to be Sky and even THAT is going to be a mission as I have to deal with another communications company first before I can approach Sky.

And the ironic thing is, I'll finally get theSky installed five episodes into Heroes and will say "Season one was bettter"...

Rol, while I like Hugh Laurie, I just can't take to House. I just see Hugh putting on an accent instead of a real character and the one or two eps I've seen havehardly been rewarding viewing...but then I hate all medical dramas like you wouldn't believe (although I didn't mind Chicago Hope or that ep of ER with Clooney down a well). I can't invest in many shows now, even Shark and Boston Legal (for Woods and Shatner, two great actors) so it has to be something really good to hold my interest...although dunno how that explains Dr Who...

Rol said...

Like you, I have to really be into a show to stick with it at the moment - or even give it a shot in the first place. (That said, I'm enjoying Smallville 6 more than I expected to.)

Thing with House for me is, I don't even think of it as Laurie - I just think of him as the best written character on TV. The fact that he's a doc is irrelevant - he could be a cop or a fireman or a clown for all I care. But each to their own... I hear some people even like Torchwood. ;-)