Independent comparisons. We may earn from shop links. More info

Screened or unscreened TV socket: which joint to buy

Updated: 22 October 2026

You are choosing a screened or unscreened TV socket, and the amazon.co.uk title does not say which joint you are buying. By the end you should know what the metal case changes, what this set actually states, and when a cheap unscreened swap is still reasonable. Isolation is a different switch, on the [TV aerial wall socket buying guide](/hub/sockets-and-extension-leads/aerial-socket/sub/aerial-socket-buying-guide). Prices are on the [aerial socket comparison](/hub/sockets-and-extension-leads/aerial-socket). Peter F. used the listings and the EN 50083-2 foreword. Nobody measured a screening class. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

You are choosing a screened or unscreened TV socket, and the amazon.co.uk title does not say which joint you are buying.

Our top picks

Xiciki Xiciki TV FM socket

Best overall

Xiciki Xiciki TV FM socket
6.9/10about £4.09
View offer
British General BG Electrical 960-0J

Rank 2

British General BG Electrical 960-0J
9.6/10about £2.10
View offer
DRUT DRUT metal faceplate

Alternative

DRUT DRUT metal faceplate
7.2/10about £8.99
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.What screening changes
  2. 2.What the listings in this set actually say
  3. 3.When an unscreened plate is still a reasonable swap
  4. 4.When the listing must say screened

What screening changes

A screened plate puts a metal housing over the termination so the bare centre is not sitting in the room as a short aerial. An unscreened plate leaves that centre open. The braid surrounds the cable. It does not surround the joint. Professional Electrician’s guide says a bare centre acts as an aerial. SatCure says the joint both radiates and picks up interference, including from a phone nearby. That is trade experience, not a measured radius. Pixelation can be worse beside a phone or a mast, and it can be fine for years on a strong transmitter. EN 50083-2’s 2012 foreword recommends Class A for new networks. Hager’s UKCA declaration names that standard. BS 5733 and BS 3041 are not that claim.

What the listings in this set actually say

None of the twelve listings states EN 50083-2 or Class A. Flame-retardant plastic, a bronze core and a painted metal face are not screening sentences. The BG Electrical 960-0J is the top pick on the best TV aerial socket page, at about £2.10 with a 25 mm box. One UK review says that sample was not screened and had no internal ground point. BG’s page cites BS 3041 and BS 5733 inside a screened range. That does not prove the amazon unit is Class A. The DRUT review’s screen clamp is a braid clamp, not a published class. The Xiciki bronze core is a contact material. Screwfix lists a Knightsbridge screened euro module at £4.49 including VAT that needs 35 mm. It will not fold into a 25 mm box without a kink.
Xiciki Xiciki TV FM socket

Testsieger

Xiciki Xiciki TV FM socket
6.9/10about £4.09
View offer

When an unscreened plate is still a reasonable swap

An unscreened plate is a reasonable swap when you are copying a female IEC outlet on a house aerial that already gives a stable picture, and you are not chasing a new interference problem. The about £2.10 BG plate is that swap in this set, with screening unstated and one reviewer finding none. A cracked face in a strong-signal area is not a cable-network rebuild. SatCure’s advice to avoid unscreened plates is the cautious trade position, not a finding that every open joint wipes out Freeview.

When the listing must say screened

Choose a plate that states it is screened when the signal is already marginal, when a phone mast sits close to the set, or when a fitter has specified screened modules. The Knightsbridge module, or whatever matches the grid, is closer than any white square in this set. A new plate will not cure 700 MHz interference by itself. Ofcom treats a filter as the remedy, and Freeview points viewers to Restore TV on 0808 13 13 800. The check order is on the Freeview aerial socket no signal page. You cannot tell screening from the IEC hole. You tell it from the listing, or by taking the plate off.

Common questions

What does screened mean on a TV plate?
It means a metal housing over the place where the braid and the centre conductor are terminated, so the bare core is not open to the room. The cable’s own braid is not a substitute for that housing. Unscreened leaves the centre exposed behind the face. Trade guides say that exposed centre can pick up and radiate interference. They do not give a distance at which a phone will break the picture.
Is an unscreened plate always useless?
No. On a strong local signal, a like-for-like female IEC swap can work for years, which is why so many existing plates are plain moulded faces. It is a poor choice when the picture is already marginal or electrical noise sits next to the set. The cautious trade advice is to fit screened outlets, and that still needs a listing that says screened.
Does BS 5733 mean the plate is screened?
No. BS 5733 is a general accessory standard. BS 3041 is the coaxial outlet pattern makers cite. EN 50083-2 is the cable-network EMC standard, and the 2012 foreword recommends Class A for new networks. A maker page can mention BS 3041 and BS 5733 inside a screened range without the amazon listing stating Class A.
Why do screened plates need a deeper box?
The screened body and the clamp need room behind the face. The Knightsbridge module at £4.49 including VAT needs 35 mm. BG’s unscreened-or-unstated 960-0J states a 25 mm minimum, which is only just enough for a coax loop. Forcing a deep module into a shallow box kinks the cable. If you will not change the box, buy a plate that fits the depth you have.
Will a new plate fix 4G or 5G interference by itself?
Not as a filter. Ofcom’s 700 MHz guidance expects a filter for that coexistence problem, and Freeview sends viewers to Restore TV on 0808 13 13 800 for a filter related to mobile upgrades. A screened outlet can reduce what an open joint picks up. It does not replace the filter, and an unstated amazon plate does not do either job.
How can I tell from the front?
You cannot. A female IEC hole looks the same on a screened module and on a plain faceplate once the plate is screwed on. The listing, the packaging, or the metal shell you see with the plate off is the evidence. Flame retardant, metal finish and bronze core are not that evidence. If the page is silent, treat screening as unknown.

Related pages

How to fit a TV aerial socket

Aerial socket

Best TV aerial socket: the top pick and who should skip

TV aerial wall socket: which plate matches the cable

Freeview aerial socket no signal: what to check first

Sources

Sources taken from the research digest. Listings were scored on 22 October 2026. This page did not run a lab test. No plate here is claimed as EN 50083-2 Class A.

  1. Planning Portal — aerials and dishes (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  2. BG Electrical — 960-0J coaxial socket (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  3. MK — TV/FM outlet instructions (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  4. Hager — UKCA declaration (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  5. EN 50083-2:2012 foreword (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  6. Schneider Electric UK — isolated outlets (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  7. Ofcom — 700 MHz coexistence (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  8. Freeview — avoiding interference (retrieved 22.10.2026)