The home is a precious place – a place of rest, solace, personality, hope, entertainment, family, pets, keepsakes, memories and comfort. Guard it well!

The Neighbours
A recent national survey found around 65% of UK residents aren’t familiar enough with their neighbours to say “hi”, never mind telling them they’ll be on holiday for two weeks. Informing neighbours of trips away, planned parties, new pets etc is a great way to create a mutually beneficial situation whereby more watchful eyes are on the lookout for crime.

Security Lighting
Exterior lighting highlights criminals. Simple. Easily triggered, bright security lights often irritate even their owners. Although a huge range of motion activated lights are available, a growing number of people are opting for constant, subtle exterior lights instead. Homes are bathed from dusk to dawn within an unobtrusive glow, bright enough to deter criminals, dull enough to sleep through.

Home security specialists recommend utilising indoor light timers throughout the year. The majority of people make use of lighting timers during vacation periods, however sporadic general use can go a long way to creating an unpredictable (and there for undesirable) target for thieves.

Exterior Accessories
TV aerials, cat flaps, sheds, ornamental features etc – they should all be checked as to the security risk they could present. TV aerials for example, unless affixed by TV aerial installation experts, unsecured wires could present a criminal with an access tool (albeit a dangerous one!) TV aerial installation experts tend to be almost encyclopaedic on related security measures!

Doors and Windows
It’s shocking how many front doors can be opened by feeding a stick through the letter box, and then manipulating the latch open! An overhaul of locks, latches and window fastenings could be incredibly beneficial.

Alarms
A recent survey of a hundred Saturday shoppers revealed only thirty-three had set their house alarm before leaving that day. House alarms are simple, highly effective and perhaps one of the most essential home security tools on the market today.

With so many folks investing in new systems to fall in step with the digital switch, TV aerial installers certainly enjoy packed schedules these days. The digital switchover has led to a huge number of folks giving their old TVs an overhaul… and maybe investing in new TV aerials…and speakers…and surround sound… and multiroom viewing….etc…etc…! The point being, with all this wonderful technology flying around knocking their socks off with 3D nature shows and surround sound battle soundtracks, a thought should be spared for how all this new gear will fit into the domestic environment.

Modular Media Centres
Modern life is all about modular and bespoke options. Leading suppliers like IKEA, Habitat and Muji are fantastic places to source well-made, highly adaptable modular TV furniture options. Always make sure wires are adequately catered for; it’s not exactly stealthy, stylish or safe to leave a tangle of wires about the place. Make a plan before shopping – take measurements, do some sketches or take photographs.

Wall Mounting
By far one of the most popular space-saving options – de-clutter, save money on TV stand furniture and free up floor space. Wall mounting a flatscreen TV can be a tough job. Many TV aerial installers are happy to wall-mount TVs when visiting to fit TV aerials.

Textiles
One for the thriftily minded – curtains, fabric drapes or a handmade cover can be a great way to hide a TV set. Whether the intention is to protect the TV from dust build-up, screen it from view or protect it from breakage, textile covers are perhaps the easiest option.

Remote Control Covers
These can be pretty pricey, but the fact remains that a remote control cover is a seriously stylish way to hide the TV!

Living in a state of potential couch potato fear is something modern folks are used to and learn to accept early on. TV aerials, silhouetted against the night sky, make up an accepted element of the urban horizon. And these days, aerial installers enjoy a heavy workload.

When returning from a day of hard work, average folk can’t wait to flop down in front of the telly. And why shouldn’t they?

Relaxation
Making the time to relax is important in order for the brain to process the day’s events, log away information and reboot for the next round! The modern world is loud, busy and stressful for the average person. Surveys by brand leading aerial installers cite “R&R” (rest and recuperation) as the number one reason individuals and families alike invest in new TV aerials.

Communication and Information
Clear communication has been the aspiration of civilisations throughout history. The modern world wields the perfect communication sword of television and, although using it recklessly at times (political propaganda, slander etc), most folks are willing to take the bad along with the good e.g. weather forecasts, global news, school revision shows, interviews, discussion panels, David Attenborough and so on.

Inspiration
The ability to easily glimpse diverse cultures, remote landscapes, lost arts, historical figures, future environmental effects, and to visualise theories and hypothetical situations is surely something nobody would give up? To be inspired – by any means – is something that shouldn’t be taken for granted.

Marred by the “trash” reputation of modern television, it’s all too easy to focus on the negatives rather than embrace the positives with common sense, objectivity and, above all, a sharp mind.

TV aerials are struggling to work for a few homeowners in Grimsby due to recent construction work being carried out in the local area.

Those living in the Roundway area claim their TV aerials cannot pick up any signal since work began on the development of the Grimsby Institute University centre.

Aerial installations expert, Mike Harvey who has owned TV aerials company Immingham Aerials for over forty years has admitted he feels sympathy for the people living in the area as they cannot watch any television.

Speaking to This is Grimsby he said: “ It is certainly a problem for them and one which will be difficult to resolve.

“My suggestion would be for them to be given ‘Free Sat’ which is relatively cheap and will not be affected by the building work at the institute.”

This is one suggestion that would be greatly welcomed by the residents of Roundway who cannot afford the luxury of enjoying a night in watching the TV.

Some residents such as Mervyn and Maureen Cooper had initially thought it was a problem with their aerial that was causing the disruption to their viewing.

However after forking out £130 for a new one, they realised the problem was being caused by the multimillion pound development being constructed close to their home.

Also speaking to This is Grimsby, Mervyn said: “To be totally frank it’s just not on.

“They have built up this 50 foot blooming monstrosity on our doorstep and now we can’t even watch the television programmes we like.”

A spokesperson for the Grimsby Institute has apologised to the residents for any disruption and has stated that there are a number of technical advisors currently working to resolve the problem.  The institute is hoping to meet with residents shortly to discuss possible solutions to the problem.

TV aerials will soon be able to pick up remote broadband in Australia thanks to new technology that will be launched over the next few years.

This new technology does not need new digital TV aerials either as it uses traditional analogue TV aerials to connect to the internet.

Thanks to these TV aerials, The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation now says that even those people living in very remote parts of Australia will be able to connect to the internet using a broadband connection.

And the internet connection will be as fast and reliable as broadband internet picked up in other parts of the country meaning people will be able to keep in touch with friends and family and this could also have wider implications for industry and business.

Known as Ngara, this new system will see analogue TV aerials used to transmit signals, which will allow people to use broadband internet.

It is now hoped that even the most isolated Australians could have internet access within the next two years.

Dr Ian Oppermann from CSIRO said: “We are really trying to address townships that have less than 1000 homes, those specifically which are targeted to not get fibre so going beyond where the fibre will be laid out.”

By using the existing aerial towers and infrastructure, it is also hoped that costs to get broadband out to more homes will be kept as low as possible.

The CSIRO is a national science agency in Australia and is one of the largest agencies of its type in the world. It was set up in the wake of the First World War when in 1916, the Australia Government set up the Advisory Council of Science and Industry. Later in 1926, the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research was set up to carry out research in the farming, manufacturing and mining sectors.

Many people believed that the introduction of digital television as the common way for television to be received in Britain would be the end to subscription based satellite TV. However, satellite TV has continued to live side by side, which has caused many to ask which exactly will be the best for them.

Ultimately the answer lies in just how much TV you watch and also how much speciality channels matter to you. Subscription satellite providers still offer a far greater range of channels than Freeview, whilst also being very popular with people who are particularly big fans of sport or films. There are also many more specialist channels that can please people who have tastes that vary a little from the mainstream.

That being said, there are obviously payments involved with this type of television, whilst Freeview offers a number of channels at very little cost. In many places, people will be able to receive Freeview through their normal TV aerials, although some will have to pay the small fee necessary in updating to digital TV aerials. For those whose existing TV aerials are all that is needed, the only expense incurred will be in buying the set top box, or a TV that has Freeview included.

However, even with digital TV aerials some areas may still not be able to receive a good enough signal to make Freeview a valid option, and in these cases the more recently released Freesat or subscription satellite TV may be the only answer. However, for those in areas with good reception, who simply want a fairly good range of channels to watch without any specialist interests, Freeview will most likely cover all the bases they need.

Like most things in life, at the end of the day, it will almost all come down to personal preference.