No TV during bad weather - despite numerous BT EE engineer visits - being fobbed off

[Ruth1963]

Now at the end of my tether. I have been unable to watch all the TV channels I pay for since the start of the year although the problem is older. The problems with BT EE are not new and something has been wrong from the start in 2022 but we've soldiered on. Enough is enough. We had signal problems watching TV in 2024. An engineer was booked (sub-contracted) to come and look at the aerial as apparently not all the TV stations were through Broadband (??). A young lad turned up with no ladders on a dark night. He asked to use our ladders but seemed nervous. I stopped him (my day job is as a Health & Safety Officer) and recommended he returned with his own ladders during daylight. I had to take the time off work for this re-appointment. 

Now since early January the TV reception has become far worse. Certainly when it rains we are limited what channels we can watch. I call BT EE. A woman (who was hard to understand - I had to keep saying 'Can you repeat that?') did diagnostics at distance and told me I had 11 devices connected to the hub which was too many. I said there are only 2 of us in the house and we don't have 11 devices between us. She decided to book us an engineer (there is an additional cost for this). This man (sub-contractor again) duly arrived yesterday. I had to be at work so my other half dealt with it. The engineer replaced a component in the aerial cable which goes into the back of the TV and said that had fixed it. There was no attempt to check the aerial on the roof and he said diagnostics showed a 100% connection. Funny old thing but its raining again tonight and the screen is pixilated again. Most channels are hard or impossible to watch.

Am I being made a fool of? This is the 21st century. Time to leave BT EE.

[pddco]

I may be wrong but I’m pretty sure BT don’t mess around with domestic TV aerials. So my immediate suggestion is to get an aerial installer in to check the aerial etc..

I’m not sure which BT TV box you have but generally all the Freeview channels come through the aerial and additional subscription ones through your broadband service. The latest Pro box can receive a reduced set of “Freeview Channels”  also through the broadband service so, if you were happy with those channels - no aerial would be needed. 

[pddco]

Does the picture still suffer if the aerial is plugged straight into the TV? If not, with the aerial plugged into the BT box again , have you tried retuning  the BT TV box ( under settings > TV Channels). You can also check the signal quality under settings too. 

[Kodikid]

If it only happens when it's raining then water is somehow getting into the  aerial cable.

Maybe time to get a aerial firm out to get on the roof to inspect/replace the aerial. 

[Ruth1963]

Thank you all. Yes, the left hand doesn't speak to the right. We gad a BT engineer here several times over the past couple of years. He tells us to book a call with the aerial 'experts' (experts my **bleep**) who turn up but find excuses not to physically check the aerial on the roof. They fiddle around the back of the TV and leave.

Its all a sham. Moving to Virgin soon. Had enough of the BT cowboys and the inept sub contractors who charge extra for failure. A prize example of Broken Britain. Call handlers or guides who can't speak clear English and tecnicians trained by the cartoons on the back of a cereal packet. 

[pddco]

Why not just get the aerial sorted?

Or if you’d rather not rely on an aerial on the roof at all, see if you can get an upgrade to a BT/ EE Pro box and set it for TV via Ethernet rather than aerial?

Maybe if you explain the situation about the TV and your imminent move to Virgin or whatever EE/BT may send you a Pro box. Admittedly you may not get all the Freeview channels that are available over an aerial. And you can ask them which ones you’ll get. But just a thought…

[Ruth1963]

That was what I paid for yesterday. An additional payment on to of the monthly BT payment. But no, he said he didn't need to go on the roof. Its all a scam. And BT aren't getting a penny more out of me. I booked a sub-contractor recommended by BT. He was paid to replace the aerial but said he didn't need to go on the roof. More like he didn't want to I suspect.

Its a risk adverse world now regarding ladders. I get it. But don't charge me for a service that didn't happen. 

I am returning to Virgin Media. Never had this pantomime when I was with them. I moved because they became more expensive but it was worth it in hindsight. Everything with BT has been a bit-bob oddjob shambles.

[iniltous]

So much of this just doesn’t ring true , BT/EE TV although it can work with IP TV , generally needs an aerial for the terrestrial TV ( just like your TV , which presumably you use to watch your BT/EE TV service on ) , when BT/EE TV is originally ordered , if no aerial is already at the property, BT/EE could  (and I presume still do ) arrange a subsidised aerial installation, but as you say this has been an issue for 4 years your TV aerial is no longer anyone’s problem but yours …..if you got an Openreach visit it was not for the aerial.

[zulu17]

HI  @Ruth1963 

Looking at

https://www.bt.com/help/tv/set-up-bt-tv/aerial

Is this the service that you have used ?

lf so were you charged £30 on each ocassion  they came out  ?

It says

Aerial appointments are available to EE TV customers for £30 (including 20% VAT). An engineer will come out and ensure that an aerial is up and working. That might mean fixing an existing one, or fitting a new one.

TSG provide a 12-month warranty for the equipment and parts used.

[gomezz]

My advice would be to look for a good local aerial installer as recommended by others in the area (ie on the local Facebook group) and get them to sort out your aerial system.