Are you using Freeview?
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Freeview is digital TV using a normal TV aerial (not a satellite dish or cable TV). Freeview boxes are marked one of these: 'Freeview', 'ITV Digital', 'ONdigital' or 'DVB-T'.
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caesarstorm@hotmail.co.ukSaturday 14 July 2012 10:08PM
i have a panasonic TV with freeview built in and for some strange reason a lot of my channels go fuzzy but this only happens at night from 9pm onward. during the day the tv channels are perfect so i cant understand why this only happens at a certain time.
i have spoke to the tv licencing people and they gave me a number to contact who couldnt help, so i have ran out of answers.
i cant watch any films at 9pm no more!!
can anyone help please?
thanx J
jb38Saturday 14 July 2012 11:11PM
Plus of course it would also be of assistance if it was known what your aerial arrangements are, insomuch of being in the loft, outdoors or communal. J
Jane CorbettMonday 16 July 2012 9:29PM
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jb38Monday 16 July 2012 11:44PM
Further info dependant on reply. P
Paula WatkinsTuesday 17 July 2012 5:55PM
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Margaret ChadwickSunday 22 July 2012 7:27PM
Margaret Chadwick.Unless you leave a full postcode or a nearby location as such,we cannot be of valuable help to you. J
J. LiningtonMonday 23 July 2012 10:54AM
Tonbridge
On retuning, ITV/Ch 4 channels seem to be London-based and moved to Ch.334 on, rather than 3, 4 etc.
Now have added problem - twice so far on turning on TV am being forced to do full set up (as though TV new) before I can get any channels...on installing, all channels are in the right place, but then tv freezes and it reverts to channels 334/335/336 etc...pattern keeps repeating!
We have an external aerial but I don't know what transmitter it's facing (common sense would say Tunbridge Wells, but who knows).
Any advice would be welcome.J
john patrickMonday 23 July 2012 3:45PM
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JusFriday 27 July 2012 7:39AM
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JenniieFriday 27 July 2012 8:39PM
Jenniie.Unless you leave a full postcode or nearby location as such,we cannot be of assistance to you ! Z
ZahraaSaturday 28 July 2012 12:51PM
LondonA
Alan MaxtedMonday 6 August 2012 10:11AM
Stockport
My previous tv worked fine from Winter Hill and I also got reasonable pictures from Wales.
I do have an aerial Amplifier fitted by an aerial man which has been ok for last 12 months.
I live in SK6 3AP
But now when I am invite to select England, North West region, It prioritises Wales and I have to search for BBC North west and Granada and then the picture if either broken, pixilated or just goes off.
Any help would be appreciated
Regards
AlanD
David AustinSaturday 11 August 2012 3:56PM
SouthwoldJ
jb38Saturday 11 August 2012 5:04PM
Have a look in the set up screen (or manual if you have one) and check if you see the aforementioned choice mentioned, although from memory I don't think that it will be.J
jb38Saturday 11 August 2012 5:28PM
Winter Hill's channels being: 62(BBC) - 59(ITV) - 54(HD) - 58 - 61 - 55
The Welsh transmitter Moel Y Parc (@ 52 miles / 255 degrees) using: 45(BBC) - 49(ITV) - 42(HD) - 51 - 52 - 48.D
david mcnallyThursday 23 August 2012 9:34PM
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jb38Thursday 23 August 2012 11:39PM
You could also try carrying out a "factory reset" on your TV (called "default setting" on some models) before carrying out another auto tune, this action getting rid of any corrupted data in the memory, although I have a suspicion that the signal you receive from mux Ch47 "might" not be sitting at a level high enough above the cut off threshold of your TV's tuner, and that the problem could be caused by the signal dropping under it.
It would also be of assistance to know what model of JVC is being referred to? Any idea why every timethe weather is too hot or too cold and raining why I can't receive any of the BBC channels or yesterday? It's been going on for so long it is beginning to get on my nerves. L
Lisa MillerThursday 30 August 2012 9:14PM
BorehamwoodP
Paul MillardSaturday 1 September 2012 11:26AM
Les NicolSunday 2 September 2012 8:10AM
Paul It sounds like it could be the LNB from what you describe, although ultimately could be a problem with the dish alignment or your receiver. I would replace the LNB with a Quad model rather the twin you appear to have,- as a first step to resolvement. These are in-expensive and can be had for around £10 to £15 - You need to make sure the replacement matches the dish arm fixing at the end of the boom. Next step would be to check your dish alignment. It still giving you problems then it could a problem with failing capacitors in the receiver.Les NicolSunday 2 September 2012 8:14AM
P>S> make sure that you have used Satellite grade cable and that your terminations don't see the braiding screening fouling on the copper centre wire as this will short!M
MelSunday 9 September 2012 4:31PM
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KMJ,DerbySunday 9 September 2012 4:59PM
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Janet GrossoSunday 9 September 2012 6:35PM
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jb38Sunday 9 September 2012 8:21PM
You should carry out a signal strength / quality check on one of the programmes that's prone to being troublesome and observe the indication levels for a couple of minutes or so to see if they (especially quality) are widely fluctuating, as if they are then the problem could be out with your control, and so rather than spending time trying experiments as far as retuning etc is concerned its by far the best policy to first of all make an enquiry with a neighbour just to verify (or not as the case may be) if the problem is also being experienced by other people.
By the way you are indicated as being roughly just under 16 miles from the Crystal Palace transmitter, and are possibly using a communal aerial system?
Maybe you could give an update on the points raised, ie: signal strength / aerial system being used. J
jb38Sunday 9 September 2012 9:06PM
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Alan McGregorThursday 13 September 2012 11:28AM
Previous aerial/booster seemed to work well to send signal to other TV’s in the house but now I’ve lost the signals to all but the main TV. I've also read on here that signal boosters aren't required/don't work with Freeview ? Anyway, any suggestions ?Alan McGregor: As this query is about reception, knowledge of your location is imperative so as to get a prediction of the signals available in your area. A postcode is best, or a postcode of a nearby location such as a shop.
Signal boosters or amplifiers make signals bigger. They are not "bad" per se, but can have a negative impact if not used appropriately.
Making a poor quality small signal bigger using an amplifier will yield a bigger poor quality signal - so the amp will be of no benefit. Or a signal that is of a great enough magnitude for the receiver may be made too big with an amplifier - here the amp will have a negative impact.
In the case of an amp that is used for distribution (has multiple outputs), the main function is to increase the level of the signal and therefore counteract any reduction caused by splitting it.
If it is an amplifier with one output, then really this is best at the aerial end of the cable, if indeed it is needed.
There is no such thing as a "digital aerial" other than, perhaps that one might refer to one's aerial as a "digital" one because that is the only type of signals that it is used to receive. Aerials work based on the frequency of the signals that the attached receiver is tuned to.
In some cases, after switchover, a replacement aerial is required to provide a full service and this is because the UHF channels (frequencies) that some of the new digital signals are on are outside of the "group" used for former analogue and hence outside of the aerial's range (where the aerial is one which is best for a particular "group" or portion of the TV frequency band).
Prior to switchover, whilst the weaker signals will be adequate for those closer to the transmitter, those a bit further away may find that their aerial is not sufficient to pick up those signals (but is likely to be sufficient after switchover). Alan McGregor: To add, the first thing that I always confirm is that the receiver is tuned to the signals from the transmitter for which the aerial is installed/faces. These automatic tuning functions are in no way fool-proof and do sometimes result in signals from another transmitter being selected as the "main" ones. A
Alan McGregorThursday 13 September 2012 2:33PM
My postcode is G66.
Anyway, the point is, I had no problems whatsoever prior to having my aerial replaced about 2 weeks ago. I had a signal splitter/booster which, together with the old roof aerial, worked perfectly to provide a digital signal/picture on the main television in the living room and three other televisions throughout the house.
In short, it is only since I had the aerial replaced that I have lost the signals to the three other televisions. The signal to the main TV in the living room, via a digital recorder box, works fine. I wondered whether it was the type of booster I was using, that it was not compatible with the new aerial. However, from what you are saying, that is not the problem ? If not, what can I narrow it down to ?A
Alan McGregorThursday 13 September 2012 4:43PM
GlasgowK
KayThursday 13 September 2012 6:54PM
Hertford
I am pointing at Crystal Palace which I understanding undergoing engineering works - could this be it? J
jb38Thursday 13 September 2012 9:33PM
If you can access the booster you should try by passing it by connecting the input from the aerial directly onto the feed for one of the TV's that isn't working, then carry out a rescan on the TV.
Of course if you can borrow a set top aerial you could connect that up and give the TV an auto-tune and see if anything comes up, as it doesn't really matter what like the picture might be as you are only really interested if anything shows at all.
By the way you are located at just under 12 miles away from Blackhill.
J
jb38Friday 14 September 2012 12:35AM
If the strength / quality is around the 60 / 70% or slightly more then press "search" or "scan" storing the results.
The other channels used by Blackhill are 43 (ITV) - 40 (HD) - 41 (10: ITV3 etc) - 44 (11: Pick TV) - 47 (12: Yesterday) Alan McGregor: As per jb38's posting, the first thing I suggest that you do is confirm that your receivers are correctly tuned to Black Hill (assuming that is the transmitter to which the aerial faces).
If the aerial installer either simply replaced the aerial or replaced the aerial and the cable up to the booster (and played no part in installing the booster), then you need to prove whether the part he installed is at fault or not. Obviously any warranty he may provide is not likely to cover parts of the wiring that you've added.
So connect the TV or box directly to the aerial (having confirmed that it is tuned correctly). You could even connect the feed from the aerial directly to each room feed in turn. (I assume here that you have access to the booster's location.)
If this appears OK, then maybe the signal going into the booster is higher than it was before (owing to the change of aerial) and that the net effect of adding the amplifier is that the signals coming out of it are too high for the receivers to cope with. The solution here is to turn down the level of amplification (if there is a variable control on it) or add an attenuator at the input of the amplifier so as to bring down the level of the signal going in.
Variable attenuators (20dB) are available from sources such as eBay from £3 to £4. An attenuator acts to reduce the level of the signal whereas an amplifier increases it. A
Alan McGregorFriday 14 September 2012 9:53AM
BTW, as a matter of interest, I can virtually see the Blackhill transmitter from my house and I've never had any problems with signal in the past. Alan McGregor: The term "digital" does not mean that it is more suited to the task than something that doesn't say "digital" on the box.
If there are two sets of receivers (the one in the living and the one elsewhere), then by all means try an unpowered splitter. If you haven't already bought a splitter, then get an all metal one like that shown in the top right of the photograph here:
Television Aerial Boosters / Amplifiers, Splitters, Diplexers & Triplexers
By "two sets of receivers" I'm referring to the receivers in two different locations. So if you have your Humax recorder and TV in your living room, then that is one "set" as it only requires one feed due to the Humax being daisy-chained. Alan McGregor: If you have already bought a plastic splitter, then don't be too concerned. The metal one is fully-screened which the plastic one is not. J
jb38Saturday 15 September 2012 8:34AM
By the way I only added my second (12:35am) "might be" posting simply because that a few years ago I used to travel along the A803 from the West en-route to the M80 and site on the hills to the left of the M80 / M9 junction that I was involved with servicing at, and l couldn't quite remember whether or not Kirkintilloch was slightly screened from the Blackhill transmitter in a similar way as is the Cumbernauld Village area, and the reason why a relay was necessary to fill in the RF dead spots that existed there.
However, going by what you have said you are obviously not! A
Alan McGregorMonday 24 September 2012 1:10PM
By a process of elimination then the installation of the new aerial is the problem. The signal for some reason is now weaker than it was with the previous aerial AND when i was using an amplifier which was probably not doing any good. It's clear to me that the aerial which was fitted isn't as functional as the previous one. It may need to be raised.
Thanks again for your help on this. Please feel free to comment on what I've said above. J
jb38Monday 24 September 2012 3:03PM
Humax tuners are one of the best around for overall sensitivity as well as stabilty, and I would be interested to know what the signal strength / quality indications are shown as with the aerial connected into the box via the splitter compared to when its fed directly from the aerial.? A
Alan McGregorMonday 24 September 2012 8:05PM
With my preious aerial, I fed the aerial directly into the booster then split the signal between the Humax and the other room televisions. This worked perfectly for all the TVs.
After the new aerial was fitted, only the main television worked. I then replaced the booster with a simple splitter as suggested on here and I now get some channels but not all and no bbc. J
jb38Monday 24 September 2012 8:51PM
If any of your other TV's allows manual tuning I would like you go into the tuning menu / manual tune and enter Ch46 but do NOT scan it, because on most devices as soon as the channel number is entered the strength / quality of the signal being received is indicated, giving an update on the result.
One thing you could try for an experiment is to connect the main aerial into the non-amplified splitter and feed one of its outputs to the Humax, then feed another of its outputs into the "amplified" splitter and feed its outputs into the other rooms.
The idea being to boost the other rooms but not the Humax which you report as being OK.
By the way the other rooms boost will not be quite so powerful as before as the amplified splitter is being feed via a slightly reduced signal from the non-amplified splitter.A
Alan McGregorTuesday 25 September 2012 3:35PM
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Alan McGregorWednesday 26 September 2012 8:30PM
Going back again, prior to having my aerial replaced, I fed the aerial directly into the booster then split the signal between the Humax and the other room televisions. This worked perfectly for all the TVs.
After the new aerial was fitted, only the main television worked. I then replaced the booster with a simple splitter as suggested on here and I now get some channels but not all and no bbc.
It's clear then that the advice on here that I was splitting a poor signal when using the booster is correct because when I switched to a simple splitter, i got better results.
It's also clear that your conclusion that the signal level is just on the verge of being good enough is also correct.
My remaining issue is - why would this be ? ALL of the televisions worked before the old aerial was replaced - and with a signal booster.
As I've said before, by a process of elimination then the installation of the new aerial is the problem. The signal for some reason is now weaker than it was with the previous aerial. It's clear to me that, assuming it has been installed correctly, the new aerial which was fitted isn't as functional as the previous one. It may need to be raised - i.e. put on a longer pole. This may take the signal from not being good enough to being good enough.
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Helen BerrySunday 30 September 2012 12:17PM
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KMJ,DerbySunday 30 September 2012 4:40PM
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Kevin Monday 1 October 2012 3:39PM
WokingJ
Julian MarrinerTuesday 2 October 2012 5:26PM
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