Blummin' Freeview!

Dukesy

So after finally caving in to buying a TV licence, having decided that watching catchup alone isn't quite all it's cracked up to be, we've had TV for about a month and now... No signal! None!

Is anyone else in the Herefordshire/Shropshire/Worcester area having issues? Reception has been poor for a couple of days and then channels began to disappear at around 6pm yesterday. Retuned the TV and got ITV West Country (not right for where I live) and a pretty decent complement of FRENCH TV channels!

Retuned it again and got a few channels, but now have absolutely nothing on both the retuned TV or any of the other TVs in the house. We have two aerials, so that can't be the problem.

Bloody Freeview!

Azari

Dukesy wrote: »

We have two aerials, so that can't be the problem.

Actually, that can be a serious problem.

If the scanning system finds channels from multiple transmitters it will do the best it can to allocate then sensibly but it cannot always get it right. (As it can have no way of knowing which of two channels competing for a slot you would prefer.)

However it sounds as if the underlying problem is one a poor basic signal combined with atmospheric conditions.

You need to ask others in your locality if this is a common problem. It may be that it's something that only happens a couple of times a year.

If it is a more frequent occurrence you best bet is to switch to Freesat which should get a signal nearly 100% of the time. (Torrential downpours and snow on the dish itself can temporarily interfere but this is unlikely to be a problem for more than a few seconds a year.)

aileth

Dukesy wrote: »

So after finally caving in to buying a TV licence, having decided that watching catchup alone isn't quite all it's cracked up to be

I thought you needed a tv licence to watch iplayer and the like?

Dukesy

Azari wrote: »

Actually, that can be a serious problem.

If the scanning system finds channels from multiple transmitters it will do the best it can to allocate then sensibly but it cannot always get it right. (As it can have no way of knowing which of two channels competing for a slot you would prefer.)

I actually have no idea what that means they're linked to different TVs (not linked together) and at different ends of the house, if that makes any difference.

However it sounds as if the underlying problem is one a poor basic signal combined with atmospheric conditions.

You need to ask others in your locality if this is a common problem. It may be that it's something that only happens a couple of times a year.

If it is a more frequent occurrence you best bet is to switch to Freesat which should get a signal nearly 100% of the time. (Torrential downpours and snow on the dish itself can temporarily interfere but this is unlikely to be a problem for more than a few seconds a year.)

Thanks for your post - we did have freeview for quite some time here before we decided to go LLF and never had an issue with it - occasional losses of signal, but only for a few minutes, never like this, so I don't think this qualifies as normal for the area. Also, I find it very strange that we were picking up french signals on the first retune!

Have actually just spoken to my parents, who live about 16 miles away and they had issues last night, so am wondering if there's some kind of transmitter issue?

Dukesy

aileth wrote: »

I thought you needed a tv licence to watch iplayer and the like?

No, you don't.

TV_Licensing wrote:

Exception: If you only watch catch-up services online, then you don’t need a licence. For example, you don’t need one to use BBC iPlayer, or ITV player, to catch up on programmes after they have been shown on TV.

Azari

Dukesy wrote: »

I actually have no idea what that means they're linked to different TVs (not linked together) and at different ends of the house, if that makes any difference.

OK, the dual aerials are definitely not the problem if they are not connected to the same TV.

Have actually just spoken to my parents, who live about 16 miles away and they had issues last night, so am wondering if there's some kind of transmitter issue?

Much more likely to be atmospheric conditions.

You don't usually get transmitter problems that make them more powerful.

I have seen continental channels suddenly appear when in Dover many years ago. (Analogue, of course, but the transmitted signal behaves the same for digital.)

peterx

I have got the same problem.Its every time there is high pressure.The H.D. channels work though.My transmitter is Sutton coldfield.Picture normally starts to break up about 8pm.

Dukesy

Azari wrote: »

Much more likely to be atmospheric conditions.

You don't usually get transmitter problems that make them more powerful.

I have seen continental channels suddenly appear when in Dover many years ago. (Analogue, of course, but the transmitted signal behaves the same for digital.)

Hah, no. All a bit odd, really! It was quite fun for a bit - like being on holiday or something

I was just assuming (as someone who knows nothing about TVs and signals and so on) that as I was getting signals from further afield, such as ITV West Country, it was something like my local transmitter was having issues and my TV was just picking up the next signal it found or something.

Azari

Dukesy wrote: »

I was just assuming (as someone who knows nothing about TVs and signals and so on) that as I was getting signals from further afield, such as ITV West Country, it was something like my local transmitter was having issues and my TV was just picking up the next signal it found or something.

I see what you mean. Yes, that is a possibility also. Generally, modern transmitters are extremely reliable and rarely have to go down for other than scheduled maintenance - but it's not unimaginable.

preable

Is there a way on your tv to see what the siganl strength is?

peter_the_piper

We have a signal amplifier along the aeriel lead as we would not get any TV at without it, have you one and is it working.