Television | Marketta Ripati’s TV viewing is running into problems – even Digita’s advice hasn’t helped

Market Ripati is facing a problem. After the spring of next year, she and her husband may no longer be able to watch television almost at all at his address in Kustav.

Ripatti officially lives in Espoo, but her husband is enrolled in Kustavi.

Their television does not display a high-definition or HD image properly. When they try to watch an HD picture on their TV, its functionality is practically a lottery.

“Sometimes the image comes out normally, but sometimes it goes dark or becomes pixelated. Sometimes the sound and picture stop. It makes watching a high-definition picture impossible,” says Ripatti.

Ripatti can watch SD picture quality channels normally. Likewise, for example, the Yle Areena streaming service works without problems.

However, soon Ripatti will not be able to watch SD channels, as they will stop operating next year. SD broadcasts will end on Yle’s channels on the last day of March next year, and on other TV channels on the last day of June.

The reason for the problems with Ripati’s TV is probably the antenna in the apartment, which cannot receive the HD image properly.

Finland Digita, which manages terrestrial radio and TV networks, has heard of individual cases where the current antenna cannot properly receive HD broadcasts, says Digita’s business manager Jani Saari.

“These individual cases have been observed from different parts of Finland. Our best guess is that they are located at the edges of the antenna network’s coverage areas. In those areas and in otherwise difficult reception conditions, the antenna system must be more efficient and the antenna better directed,” says Saari to Helsingin Sanomat.

Saari urges consumers to ask a professional antenna installer to check the condition of the antenna system. The installer can also assess whether the household’s antenna system needs to be refurbished.

According to Saari, those suffering from possible antenna problems should contact Digita’s consumer service Digita Infowhich helps consumers with questions related to tuning and visibility of TV receivers.

The antenna system is the property’s responsibility.

I ripped the apartment’s antenna is from 2014. In addition, a professional installer checked the antenna again just a few years ago.

“The installer put the highest possible antenna in our apartment on the ridge of the house. In addition, the antenna has an amplifier. The antenna is also aligned for the best possible signal,” says Ripatti.

The situation saddens Ripatti. She worries whether she and her husband will become ex-TV viewers after SD broadcasts end next year.

“Yes, this situation is worrying. Especially when important news and alerts can come on TV, which can then go unseen or unheard.”