The digital terrestrial television or DTT It remains one of the main entertainment alternatives for homes in Spain, although we often complained that the quality of its broadcasts was questionable both in terms of content and also in the technical aspect of image and sound, with many channels still in low definition.
But enjoying DTT can become even more complicated in the summer, since in addition to the usual classic tuning problems, there is another additional inconvenience called “effect fading“ which further worsens signal reception.
Why DTT looks worse when it’s very hot
The word fading comes from English and means fading or weakeningsomething that happens precisely in the DTT signal in some areas of Spain during the summer season, and especially when there is a heat wave spanning many days.
High temperatures have a clear impact on large bodies of water, such as seas and oceans, causing More salt water evaporates and condenses in the atmosphereespecially during the central hours when it is hotter and the sun shines perpendicularly.
This increased condensation causes a variation in the propagation of electromagnetic signals and therefore also of DTT, which can now reach greater distances, interfering in areas of other repeaters and thus producing interference.
GigaTV HD250 T DTT receiver with Euroconnector (SCART), HDMI, antenna socket output and digital optical audio output. Image: GigaTV
As the amounts of evaporated water change throughout the day, the levels of interference and changes in propagation conditions are also different at different times, something that produces pixelations, small cuts or that some DTT channels cannot be tuned in.
It is something that, as explained in specialized forums, usually happens in some areas of coastal regions in provinces such as Barcelona, Alicante, Castellon, Cadiz or Malaga and that had been happening since the days of analogue television, although in that case the result was an image with some fog or double images that were less intrusive than with DTT.
At night, When temperatures drop Evaporation decreases and with it interference is reduced, allowing us to enjoy all the stations as before.
In addition, another additional problem caused by high temperatures can occur when extreme heat negatively affects the operation of the receiving antenna dipole, something that also contributes to us having reception problems and failures in the image or sound.
What can we do to avoid or minimize the problem? For example, try to reorient the antenna with his back to the sea to point to a DTT transmitter that does not send the signal over water, something that depending on the position of our antenna on the roof will probably have to be done by a professional.
We can also try to buy a more powerful external receiver to replace the one that comes built into the TV, or opt for a more directive antenna that targets the sender more precisely and even as a last resort to do without DTT broadcasts via antenna and access through the Internet, as we have already mentioned in previous articles.
More information | Professional DTT | SatCesc
Cover image | PXHere and Wikipedia
At Xataka Smart Home | HD DTT tuners to continue watching TV from February 14: what to look for when buying one and featured models