wireless tv reception?

February 19, 2005 6:53 AM

The (rented) property I'm about to move into only has a cable to the external aerial in what I'm going to be using as the bedroom. This is no good to me - I need tv reception in the living room. I don't want to have to run a cable through the house and I've tried amplified indoor aerials elsewhere with disheartening results. So is there some sort of wireless device I can plug into the back of my tv and into the aerial socket in the bedroom that'll give me decent reception?
posted by john-paul to Technology (4 answers total)

Yes. Go to Maplin and ask them. It does depend on the distance and the nature of the walls. You may loose some signal quality. Pity I've moved (to South Africa), I'd sell you mine, which I haven't used in quite awhile.
posted by Goofyy at 6:58 AM on February 19, 2005

Not that I'm aware of. The kind of devices Maplin sells can only transmit a video signal, so you'd need a tuner (a TV or VCR) in your bedroom between the socket and the transmitter, and even then you'd still only be transmitting one channel at a time.

I think your only elegant option is cable. Either find somewhere clever to route it where it's not in the way, or speak to your landlord about a more permanent solution.
posted by cillit bang at 8:15 AM on February 19, 2005

Oy, Cillit bang is right, it only sends the current signal. However, if you get a Freeview digital box (Highly recommended) that functions as a tuner (for in the bedroom). You only miss a little bit of stuff that way. I seem to recall these transmitters also send back the remote control signals.
posted by Goofyy at 8:32 AM on February 19, 2005

Right, freeview box. That'll work. Video senders are under £40 these days, as are freeview boxes. I'm not sure which end you'd want to put a VCR though, if you have one.
posted by cillit bang at 11:44 AM on February 19, 2005