What to do when the television reception is poor?
Blank screen or poor picture on your TV may result from
- incorrect tuning or other failure in the TV set
- problems in the antenna system
- maintenance or other interruptions in the distribution network
- interference from an outside source, e.g. an electrical device or radio equipment
- adverse effects caused by atmospheric phenomena, i.e. radio propagation conditions
How do I get help?
- If you have problems with your TV set or digital set-top box or questions about the basic installation of the devices, contact the seller, manufacturer or importer of the device.
- See also general channel search instructions
- The terrestrial network operator can help you with questions about:
- distribution network
- antenna systems
- coverage areas, and
- reception problems
For more information about disturbances in the distribution networks, visit the terrestrial TV network operators’ websites:
Digita's disturbance notifications (External link) (in Finnish)
Radio propagation conditions
You cannot prepare for poor radio propagation conditions or avoid related problems. Typically, they emerge without warning during high-pressure periods and appear in early or late summer. Poor radio propagation conditions last from a couple of hours to several days. During radio propagation conditions, radio waves travel much farther than normally. Therefore, radio waves from far away may also adversely affect your reception and cause problems. High-quality antenna systems usually resist the adverse effects of poor radio propagation conditions. Terrestrial network operators inform customers on radio propagation conditions.
Watch Digita’s video on radio propagation conditions (External link) (in Finnish)
Solving reception problems
Ask your neighbours if they are experiencing similar problems. If not, the problem is likely to be in your device.
Make sure that you have the right kind of TV set and set-top box.
For terrestrial TV broadcasts, you need a device with a DVB-T or DVB-T2 tuner. The DVB-T2 tuner enables the reception of high-definition (HD) broadcasts.
Try restarting your TV set.
Check that the set-top box is correctly connected to the TV set and antenna socket.
Check that all devices are plugged into sockets.
Check that the connectors and leads connected to the TV set and set-top box are intact and the leads are not sharply bent in tight spaces.
If your set-top box or TV set displays the incoming signal information, make sure that the signal strength on all multiplexes is at least 70- 80% or the colour green.
Sometimes retuning the channels may help.
Check that the channel you are trying to watch is available through the transmitter station at which the receiving antenna is aimed.
If the problem persists despite the instructions above:
Solving reception problems in apartment buildings
If other residents have similar problems in terrestrial TV reception, the problem may be in the master antenna system of the building. If you live in an apartment building, contact your property manager.
Solving reception problems in single-family houses
If you live in a detached or semidetached house, contact an antenna specialist who knows the conditions in the region. Ask the specialist whether the antenna system needs maintenance and how the terrestrial TV reception could be improved. You may also want to request a preliminary estimate of the costs of repairing or replacing the antenna system. The antenna specialist has to visit the site to be able to give a detailed cost estimate.
If the specialist finds that a reception of sufficient quality is not possible, he or she will report the shadow area to Digita. If necessary, Digita will provide you with a Canal Digital satellite receiver and a viewing card that allows you to watch the channels free of charge. This satellite package contains Yle’s public service TV channels as well as so-called public interest channels, which currently include MTV3.
List of local antenna specialists: Satelliitti- ja antenniliitto SANT ry (External link)
See also: Terrestrial television in single-family houses (External link).
Free Frequency Help (Taajuustalkoot) is a joint service of network operators that eliminates 4G interference to terrestrial TV.
In recent years, some of the frequency ranges previously occupied by television have been allocated to 4G networks. This affects the frequencies in the reception band of consumers’ TV antennas. This is why new 4G networks may cause problems in TV reception. DNA, Telia and Elisa provide Free Frequency Help (External link) (in Finnish), which examines TV disruptions caused by 4G base stations.
How does Free Frequency Help work?
If you experience disruption to your TV reception, you can report the problem online or by calling +358 20 411 7676. Free Frequency Help needs your address to examine whether the problem results from a 4G base station. If this is the case, Free Frequency Help sends an antenna specialist to your address. The service is free of charge.
In most cases, the antenna specialist prevents the interference by fitting a filter to the antenna, which blocks 4G signals and prevents them from affecting the amplifier and the TV set. In some cases, even the filter does not cut out interference and the specialist has to find other solutions to restore the picture.
Even though the coverage of 4G networks is already extensive, new base stations are continuously introduced. Therefore, 4G interference to TV is still possible. Free Frequency Help continues to help viewers as long as new base stations are introduced.