OTA Signal Diagnostics

Signal Metrics Explained

The HDHomeRun tuner reports three primary signal metrics.
Each one tells you something different about reception quality.

• Signal Strength – How strong the antenna signal is.
• Signal Quality – How clean the signal is after decoding.
• Transport Quality – Indicates whether the digital stream contains errors.

These metrics appear in the DisplayHUB Now Playing panel when an HDHomeRun
source is being used.

Screenshot: Example signal diagnostics in Now Playing

How Signal Strength Affects Video

Over-the-air television is transmitted digitally. Unlike analog signals,
digital reception tends to work perfectly until the signal becomes too weak
or corrupted. When that happens, the picture may suddenly degrade.

Common symptoms of poor reception include:

• Pixelation or blocky video
• Audio dropouts
• Frozen video frames
• Short interruptions in playback
• Complete signal loss

If the signal drops too low, the HDHomeRun may stop delivering a usable
transport stream entirely.

How Signal Quality Affects DisplayHUB

DisplayHUB does not modify or repair the incoming broadcast signal.
It simply encodes and distributes the stream received from the tuner.

Because of this, poor OTA reception can cause the following issues
within DisplayHUB:

• Video artifacts appearing on all displays
• Brief pauses or dropped frames
• Stream instability
• Decoder playback interruptions

If a signal problem occurs, every display connected to that encoder will
show the same issue because they are all receiving the same stream.

Understanding the Signal Colors

DisplayHUB color-codes signal diagnostics to help you quickly determine
the health of your OTA reception.

• Green – Signal is strong and healthy. No action required.
• Yellow – Signal is marginal. Occasional issues may occur.
• Red – Signal is poor and may cause video problems.

When the signal is yellow or red, a help icon will appear that links
to this page for troubleshooting guidance.

Improving OTA Signal Reception

If signal levels are low or unstable, several adjustments can improve
reception quality.

• Reposition the antenna for a clearer line of sight
• Move the antenna closer to a window or higher location
• Avoid placing antennas near electronics or metal surfaces
• Use a higher-gain outdoor antenna if reception is weak
• Check all coax connections for loose or damaged cables
• Use a signal amplifier if the antenna cable run is long

Small changes in antenna placement can significantly improve reception.
It is often helpful to experiment with different positions.

Recommended Equipment

If your OTA signal is weak or inconsistent, upgrading or improving your
antenna setup can significantly improve reception quality.

Antennas

The antenna is the most important part of any OTA setup. Indoor antennas
may work in strong signal areas, but outdoor antennas generally provide
the best reliability.

• Indoor flat antennas for strong urban signals
• Attic-mounted antennas for moderate reception areas
• Outdoor directional antennas for long-distance reception
• Multi-directional antennas when towers are located in multiple directions

Signal Amplifiers

Amplifiers can help improve signal strength in some situations,
especially when using long cable runs or when splitting the signal
to multiple devices.

• Mast-mounted pre-amplifiers for weak signal areas
• Distribution amplifiers when splitting signals to several tuners

Note that amplifiers cannot fix a poor-quality signal. They only
increase the strength of the signal that is already present.

Coaxial Cable

Using quality coaxial cable helps maintain signal integrity between
the antenna and tuner.

• Use RG6 coaxial cable for best performance
• Avoid excessively long cable runs when possible
• Replace damaged or very old cables
• Use compression-style connectors for reliable connections

Signal Splitters

If multiple tuners or televisions share a single antenna, use a
high-quality splitter designed for OTA frequencies.

• Use low-loss splitters rated for 5–1000 MHz or higher
• Minimize unnecessary signal splits
• Consider a distribution amplifier when splitting to several devices