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Digital Freeview box problem
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MoneyMiser
Posts: 571 Forumite
in Techie Stuff
Hi All,
Does anyone know what I'm doing wrong?
I have just got a new freeview box and tried setting it up. Unfortunately it cannot find any channels, everything seems to be plugged i.e Ariel and Scart lead. Any ideas?
Does anyone know what I'm doing wrong?
I have just got a new freeview box and tried setting it up. Unfortunately it cannot find any channels, everything seems to be plugged i.e Ariel and Scart lead. Any ideas?

0
Comments
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Hi,
Things to try...
Is your freeview box working - can you see the channel list or setup etc?
Is there a troubleshooting section in your manual? Try that.
Is there a software reset on the freeview box? Try that.
Is there a master reset on the freeview box? Try that.
Have you checked you are in a freeview reception area? Google how.
Have you tried changing the position of your aerial?0 -
MoneyMiser wrote: »Unfortunately it cannot find any channels, everything seems to be plugged i.e Ariel and Scart lead.
Ah, there's your problem! "Ariel" is a brand of washing powder. You need to plug an "aerial" into it.
And the aerial needs to be suitable for Freeview.
Useful help page here: http://www.!!!!!!.uk/tech/freeview_problems.htm0 -
Hi, I understand your frustration - I have seen "NO CHANNELS FOUND" message in at least 4 different UK locations on occasions! I have solved two out of four:-) ... not a very good record! Actually I will have another try this weekend at one of the failed two - it is a campsite near the coast in east Norfolk, and I am not sure that full coverage was rolled out there last summer. The Freeview site tells me that for that location "The good news is you can get some of the Freeview TV channels and radio stations in your area, but not the full line up."
I have used four different Freeview boxes, and they all have different software which makes some more easy to troubleshoot than others, and I feel that some are better at handling a poor signal than others also.
If you manage to find one or two channels, then some Freeview boxes enable you to delve deep in the menu and see the individual channel signal strength on a scale of 1 to 10, so you can improve the bearing of your aerial while someone calls the signal strength.
horsenailbucket lists a fair enough systematic approach, especially the reset (actually if no reset, I would certainly try unplugging the Freeview box power for 15 secs and restarting it. But in my experience, apart from that, if you are connected up right, and if your postcode checks out ok on https://www.freeview.co.uk, and you can actually see the whole abortive channel search process on screen it all boils down to the aerial type, the quality of the aerial cable and its connections (even one extra connection between aerial and freeview box can reduce signal strength considerably), and aerial position/direction.
I have no doubt that if you are anywhere near the edge of a transmission area or don't have an uncluttered line of sight to the transmission mast, then a modern terestrial digital aerial with the two 45 degree angle panels at the back (the size of tea trays) is usually an improvement.
Older aerials can pick up digital, but often seem to be extremely direction sensitive when it comes to picking up digital for which they were not designed, and I think the aerial must be perfectly horizontal too to give you the best chance.
Anyway, hope you have more luck without spending money at the moment...I have spent hours fiddling and the two most important locations are solved, one with £35 spent on a new aerial.
I will definitely be taking note of that problemsolver page that Moneymaker provided above if I don't start having more success in the motorhome.0 -
I have just done a postcode check and it says I can get some of the channels but not the full lineup, ie I can get E4+1 but not E4 or More4. There are quite a few others missing as well.
Does anyone know why this is?0 -
Does anyone know what a reasonable price for a new aerial and cable is? I've been quoted £300 which seems a bit steep.
Dave0 -
Does anyone know what a reasonable price for a new aerial and cable is? I've been quoted £300 which seems a bit steep.
Dave0 -
I have just done a postcode check and it says I can get some of the channels but not the full lineup, ie I can get E4+1 but not E4 or More4. There are quite a few others missing as well.
Does anyone know why this is?
Because the postcode checker assumes you have a standard 12dB aerial at a height of 10 metres. To get the full story you should put your postcode in here:
http://www.wolfbane.com/cgi-bin/tvd.exe?DX0 -
£300 is a rip-off big style.
I had a guy quote me about £30 and he was an aerial company.
Sounds like your guy is 'At it'. Try getting a few more quotes. It only takes a few phone calls to the numbers you find in the local paper!0 -
Well, I just ran these bits through the SatCure shopping cart:
Televés DAT45 Aerial with M.R.D. £39.95
Televes 8203 100ma 12V PSU 2 F output £14.95
H109F50BL WC100 50m Black reel £15.95
Delivery £9.50
Order Total £80.35
VAT @ 17.5% £14.06
Total £94.41
That doesn't include bracket, mast, bolts or connectors or labour.
Labour will typically be £50 - £100 plus an additional £50 - £100 if it involves climbing up a roof. As a maximum, that comes close to the quoted £300.0 -
Moneymaker wrote: »Well, I just ran these bits through the SatCure shopping cart:
Televés DAT45 Aerial with M.R.D. £39.95
Televes 8203 100ma 12V PSU 2 F output £14.95
H109F50BL WC100 50m Black reel £15.95
Delivery £9.50
Order Total £80.35
VAT @ 17.5% £14.06
Total £94.41
That doesn't include bracket, mast, bolts or connectors or labour.
Labour will typically be £50 - £100 plus an additional £50 - £100 if it involves climbing up a roof. As a maximum, that comes close to the quoted £300.0
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