How to connect an antenna to a TV - detailed instructions for devices from different manufacturers

An indoor antenna has many advantages. It looks aesthetically pleasing, does not take up much space, and is relatively easy to install, without requiring anything to be installed on the roof or facade of the building.So you do not have to climb stairs and perform often dangerous maneuvers at height.

Such an antenna is not affected by external factors and weather conditions such as snow, wind or rain.

The antenna in the room is separated from the signal source by walls, windows and blinds. Thus, the signal first overcomes these obstacles before reaching the receiver.

Therefore, the correct installation of an indoor antenna is extremely important - the slightest movement of the equipment a few millimeters to the right or left can cause the signal to become weaker and cause interference.

In this article, we will explain in detail how to connect an indoor antenna and what is needed for this.

What is required to connect the antenna to the TV

Before proceeding with the installation of the antenna, make sure that you have all the necessary accessories and tools.

Let's start with the receiver. It can be a TV with a built-in tuner or an external set-top box (for example, like Tricolor) - there is not much difference.

To transmit the signal, you will need an antenna cable, which must be of the appropriate length. It is necessary to think in advance how to lay the cable in the apartment, and then carefully measure the distance from the receiver to the antenna installation site.

It is recommended to ensure a margin of at least 100 centimeters, so as not to face an unpleasant surprise later. Also consider the width of the walls through which you pass the cable.

When buying a cable, do not forget about the appropriate coaxial terminals. You will also need an antenna mount, which depends on the installation location. You can, for example, you can install it on a wall or railing.

Also on sale there are special masts that can be placed, for example, on the balcony. You can also prepare special holders for antennas stuck into the wall. Their use will allow you to hang the cable so that it is not even visible.

As for tools, you will definitely need a drill, a screwdriver and a ladder.

Choosing an Antenna Cable

Antenna cable (also known as coaxial cable) is a very important but overlooked element of an antenna installation. The quality of the TV signal, that is, the quality of the image that you see on the TV screen, depends, among other things, on the quality of workmanship and the durability of the equipment.

The antenna cable consists of several parts. Its central coaxial structure is an electrical conductor (called an inner conductor), usually made of copper or copper-plated steel. Optimum internal insulation is provided by a layer of plastic (so-called dielectric).

Another component of the antenna cable is a screen (aluminum or copper foil), a braid (a mesh of copper or aluminum wires) and an outer sheath that provides adequate protection of the cable from external factors and mechanical damage.

In the case of coaxial cables, the outer sheath is made of PE (polyethylene, highly resistant to UV radiation and extremely durable).

On the other hand, coaxial cables can be provided with a PVC (polyvinyl chloride) outer sheath, which is highly flexible but also less resistant to damage.

It is this type of cable that is most often used for internal connection, and therefore, it is this type of cable that is recommended to be purchased for installation in an apartment.

The most commonly used type of antenna cable today is the 2.5 GHz satellite cable.

There are two main types of coaxial cables:

1. Thin coaxial cable (0.25 inch thick, 10 Mbps bandwidth, 50 ohm impedance).
2. Thick coaxial cable (0.5 inch thick, 10 Mbps throughput, impedance 75 ohms).

Coaxial cable provides efficient transmission of a television signal from the antenna to the receiver (both satellite and cable). Not so long ago, this cable was also used to create local networks, but over time it was replaced by twisted pair.

The main parameters that you should definitely consider when buying a cable are:

• Attenuation - that is, the quality of the cable, taking into account the attenuation of the transmitted signal with increasing distance. The attenuation value of coaxial cables is typically 100m. The lower the attenuation, the better the quality of the antenna cable, which will provide a crisp and clear signal all the way to the receiver.
• Outer Insulation - The high strength of the outer sheath guarantees resistance to various types of mechanical damage that the cable may be exposed to. The plastic cover made of PVC or PE (depending on the cable) must not loosen under any circumstances.
• Shielding - allows you to run a large number of cables in parallel.This is especially important in large audio and video installations.
• Core type - the material used to make the inner core, and its thickness (recommended thickness is more than 1 mm) affects the signal attenuation in the cable. Antenna cables may have a copper or copper-clad steel core,
• Braid - the more wires in it and the denser they are located around the cable, the more effectively the signal will be protected (minimum 0.16 mm).

How to connect an antenna to a TV via cable

Step 1

The installation of an indoor antenna should begin with the choice of a place for its installation.

Make sure that the selected location of the equipment will not interfere with your daily life. The device must be kept out of the reach of children, who may accidentally knock it over or even break it during play. In addition, pets should not have access to the antenna.

An indoor antenna is best placed at the height of an adult's head near a window. The higher you place it, the better.

In multi-family buildings, an indoor antenna will work more efficiently on higher floors because the signal needs to overcome fewer obstacles.

Step 2

The antenna must be installed on a stable, fixed surface to minimize the risk of its displacement and, as a result, interference with signal reception. The equipment can be permanently attached to a piece of furniture or a wall, effectively eliminating the risk of moving it.

For assembly, you can use dowels or glue. However, many even use double-sided tape.

Step 3

The signal antenna should be located as close as possible to the nearest transmitter and should not be located more than 10 km from your home. There are special applications that, when entering an address, will show you a list of nearby transmitters, as well as their signal strength.

The signal from the transmitter in the selected location must be strong and provide the best reception quality. You can try to find such a point yourself, by trial and error, using a signal strength meter (sometimes built into the TV) for this, or hire a specialist for this.

Step 4

Place the antenna as far left or right as possible, and then move it millimeter by millimeter in the opposite direction. When a signal appears, try moving the antenna carefully to see if the TV loses connection with the slightest movement.

Step 5

Once you find the desired position of the antenna, in which the signal is stable, and the image on the TV is clear and free of distortion, carefully fix the device using special holders, masts or ordinary brackets.

Cable connection without plug

If you need to connect an antenna cable to your TV and don't have a plug handy, you can try a workaround.

It is necessary to take the cable, remove the sheath by about five centimeters, then unscrew the shielding film and remove the insulation from the cable core, and bend the core itself into a loop so that the loop hole is slightly wider than the hole in the central socket of the connector.

After that, you need to wrap the central contact with a special insulating tube and insert a loop into it, and then insert the braid into the connector.At the same time, be careful not to touch the central core of the cable with the braid.

Connecting a splitter

An antenna splitter or splitter is a small device that is mainly used by people who want to have access to television from several televisions located in different parts of the house or apartment. Many splitters can also connect set-top boxes or TV cards.

The more signal receivers connected to the splitter, the weaker the signal will be. If you plan to connect more than two TVs at different distances, the best solution for you is to buy an active splitter with an adjustable amplifier. With two TVs, a cheaper passive splitter is sufficient.

Also check the frequency of the splitter. 5-10,000 MHz is enough for regular TV, while satellite will need 2450 GHz.

It is also important to check before purchasing whether the antenna you are using is a community or individual antenna and whether it has a built-in amplifier. First of all, check the signal level at the antenna socket (collective antennas have a range of about 64 - 83 dB).

When connecting a splitter, a lot depends on how many receivers you want to distribute the signal to and where exactly they are located, including the distance from the antenna socket in the wall.

Do I need an antenna amplifier

Even in large cities where the telecommunications infrastructure is very well developed, dead zones and areas with poor coverage can occur.

Similar problems are also often encountered in the daily life of residents of small towns and villages, in dachas, where the distances to the nearest transmitters can be very large. In such situations, it is worth considering the use of an antenna amplifier.

An antenna amplifier is, as the name implies, a device whose task is to amplify the antenna signal.

As we already mentioned, the signal quality deteriorates with increasing distance from the antenna to the receiver. Therefore, in situations where the TV input signal is weak, an antenna amplifier can be used.

It may be indicated by image problems such as banding, single coloring of the image, or a no signal message. With the right amplifier, you can improve the signal quality of terrestrial, digital and satellite television.

But this problem rarely affects urban residents, so in most cases the use of an antenna amplifier in apartments is not required.

How to tune channels on the TV after connecting the antenna

First of all, you need to make sure that the antenna cable that provides the TV signal is in the correct socket on the TV - this is one of the most common mistakes that cause the user to have problems setting up the TV.

After that, you need to turn on the TV and start the channel search menu. Regardless of the model, the TV should have an option to “Auto tune” TV channels. When it is activated, a message about searching for channels will appear on the TV screen. By default, they should all be automatically detected in a matter of minutes.

Modern TVs Samsung, Lg and others work in this way, user participation is not required.

But if automatic tuning does not work for some reason, you may need to manually configure the channels.

To do this, do the following:

1. Go to RTRS service.
2. Select the desired locality.
3. Record the values ​​of the TV towers at this point.
4. Open the settings in the TV menu and select the signal source (antenna).
5. Select "Manual Channel Tuning".
6. Fill in the corresponding field with the frequency MHz and the recorded number of the multiplex.
7. Press "Search".

If manual tuning does not help, then most likely you simply did not install the antenna correctly.

Useful video

For information on how to properly connect the antenna to the TV, see the video: