The switch from analog to digital television is old news. However, as many have found, digital television is prone to its own set of technical glitches. The most common of these is signal interference. Instead of displaying a snowy picture, as analog does, a digital broadcast produces a blank screen in the event of signal interference.
Signal Proximity
If a user is too far away from the source, he will get a weak signal. In the case of digital television the source is the broadcasting station, which is usually located in a downtown metropolitan area. Digital antennas are supposed to prevent most interference, but they do not solve proximity issues. For example, if a user lives in a valley, or there are a lot of large trees between the source and his antenna, she will not receive an optimal signal. Even those who live fairly close to a signal tower can experience signal interference.
Reflection Interference
If a user lives close to a building or house that is considerably larger and taller than his, then reflection interference is probably the cause of signal interference. Reflection interference is caused by the signal being reflected off the building and directed towards the user's antenna in addition to the original signal being sent directly from the source tower to the antenna. With analog television, this concept produced what was called "ghosting." Two images appeared on the screen, but the reflected signal produced an image that was a bit late and resembled a "ghost" of the original image. Since digital television has become common, ghosting no longer occurs. With digital television, both images do not appear but rather cancel each other out in a way that gives the receiving antenna a weak or non-existent signal. You can prevent reflection interference by investing in a directional antenna that will only receive a signal from one direction, instead of multiple directions.
Mobile Device Interference
Another common symptom of signal interference is the use of mobile devices within the signal range. As the signal travels through what is referred to as the "television spectrum," it is not intended to encounter other signals. So when it does, the television signal becomes jumbled and does not reach the antenna in its intended manner. This creates interference zones, otherwise known as "white spaces." The real problem lies in the use of unlicensed devices within the television spectrum. Since these devices are unlicensed, they cannot be tracked down to the source, which makes it difficult to outlaw.
Tags: digital television, signal interference, devices within, from source, interference Reflection, reflection interference, signal being