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Freeview intermittent interference

When you get occasional sound loss or picture freezes

When you get occasional sound loss or picture freezes
Published on by on UK Free TV

There are several different types of interference that cause problems. This page deals with the situation where:

  • Freeview reception is perfect or near-perfect most of the time
  • The audio on TV and radio channels mutes momentarily a few times each minute
  • The picture on a Freeview channel freezes a few times each minute


There are two main causes of this type of intermittent interference:
  • 'Induction' interference
  • Mobile phone interference


Induction interference

Induction interference is caused by mains-powered household devices that contain a large motor, such as:
  • Washing machine;
  • Tumble dryer;
  • Central heating pump or combination boiler;
  • Fridge;
  • Freezer;
  • Power tools (drills, jigsaws etc)
  • Vacuum cleaners;
  • Water pumps;
  • Automatic doors


You can identify if one or more of these devices is causing the Freeview reception problem by powering off the devices.

If one of these devices is causing the problem, then the reception problem can usually be solved by using a mains filter device and use it on the Freeview boxes mains connection.



Such as device is this: Maplin: 6-Way Flat Screen and HDTV Surge Protector and Mains Filter.

Mobile phone interference

If you keep a mobile phone by your Freeview box or digital television, keep it further away!

This also applies to other transmitters such as baby monitors, video senders, walkie talkies, and portable phones.





Your comments: most recent posts are at the bottom

firstFirst comments prevEarlier comments  ◊  Later commentsnext Latest commentslast

Your comments are always welcome. Please use the form below to add your thoughts or questions to this page. We will get back to you as soon as we can.

Su Johnston
Sunday 25 March 2012 10:18PM Dorking
We share an aerial in this apartment block, and up until about 3 weeks ago, we could all receive all free channels perfectly. Now we regularly get breakup of the picture, No Signal messages etc. Even more annoying, it seems to be at the peak 9pm period and after. Suggest - the digital changeover? the high pressure (didn't happen before) - shere badness on someone's part?
karen
Sunday 25 March 2012 11:23PM Ware
Su Johnston: Hi

Your comments seem to be the same as what is happening with me. I was wondering for a while whether the new neighbour of 2 weeks was the cause, but reading on here... that seems unlikely. Just wondering if it means we have to suffer this until the swich over which for me starts 4th April. Its also strange that some channels are affected more than others, unless someone can explain some technical reason for that
KMJ,Derby
Monday 26 March 2012 12:22AM
karen: If you are receiving from Crystal Palace, after switchover the PSB muxes will use the frequencies vacated by the current analogue services. If you have good analogue reception now you should have good digital reception on those muxes after switchover. The COM muxes however will share frequencies with Rowridge, which could make them more susceptible to reception problems in overlap areas between the two transmitters. You ask why some frequencies are affected more than others by the weather conditions causing the inversion effect. Lets suppose that the conditions are causing signals from, for example, Belmont to travel further than normal into the London area. These signals will only cause problems on the frequencies that are common to both transmitters, which at present are Mux1, Mux2 and MuxB which are low power at CP and high power at Belmont, so these muxes at CP get swamped and give "No signal" The other common frequency is C30, which is at lower power from Belmont competing with high power analogue Channel 4, this would possibly cause slight "grain" on the CP picture. After switchover CP would probably be strong enough in its main service area to drown out the unwanted weaker signal on most occasions.
Jan Clay
Monday 26 March 2012 1:38PM
Steve: aerial points west and I think we should use the Talconeston transmitter. Spoke to Hughes in Kings Lynn & they have had a massive number of complaints this morning & say all area transmitters have been upgraded, but it should settle down soon. ....
Our area seems to have overlaps though and how do I know which 'region' showing on my Humax relates to th right transmitter?
Dave Lindsay
Monday 26 March 2012 2:10PM
Jan Clay: If you are receiving from Tacolneston you should select "Anglia".

There are perhaps some clues carried in the answers to these questions:

- What BBC and ITV regions do you normally watch?

- You say that your TV is tuned in correctly. Go to BBC One on the TV and then bring up the signal strength screen. It will say which UHF channel (frequency) it is tuned to. Do the same for ITV1.


If BBC One is on C55 and ITV1 on C59, then the TV is tuned to Tacolneston and you will be watching BBC East and ITV Angia. You need to select "Anglia". Tacolneston is south east from your location and your aerial will be horizontal (elements flat).

If BBC One is on C49 and ITV1 on C46, then the TV is tuned to King's Lynn transmitter which serves a small area. It is located at Sandringham and your aerial will be vertical (elements upwards). You need to select "Anglia" for this transmitter. King's Lynn does not broadcast all services, so you may be missing the Commercial channels, or they may be subject to poor reception.

If BBC One is on C22 and ITV1 on C25, then the TV is tuned to Belmont which is near Louth which is north west from you. You will receive BBC One Yorkshire (Look North from Hull) and ITV Yorkshire. You need to select "E Yorks & Lincs". Your aerial will be horizontal (elements flat).


I think it is unlikely that you will be served by the transmitters that identify themselves as "Cambridgeshire" and "Bedfordshire".
Mr T J Coates
Tuesday 27 March 2012 8:19AM
My digital TV was OK until the switch over (apart from seasonal slight deterioration on the BBC), but since then all channels have become useless as the intrmittent sound is occuring about twice per second. Stationary parts of picture OK but moving parts (e.g lips) get scattered. I have a cordless phone near by and a security system with a radio link - could they be responsible?
Why has this happened after switch over - I understood there would then be an improvement. I am having tha aerial checked but as I do'nt get a "no signal" message I guess that is not going to help.
Dave Lindsay
Tuesday 27 March 2012 11:07AM
Mr T J Coates: The first thing to confirm is that the TV is tuned to the correct transmitter.

When digital switchover occurs, signals become stronger and consequently carry further, causing areas of overlap. Maybe this is what has happened.

One reason may be that when your TV stores the channels when performing its automatic tuning scan, it goes with the first one of each that it finds. So if a neighbouring transmitter is found first (perhaps previously the signal was too weak to be available at your location), then it goes with that. Your local transmitter may be in the 800s.

Do you have programmes stored in the 800s? Do they appear to be stable?

In order to suggest a workaround, please can you let me know your location, preferably in the form of a post code (or perhaps nearby post code of a shop if you don't want to give yours) ?
Dave Lindsay
Tuesday 27 March 2012 11:09AM
Mr T J Coates: I'll just add that I asked for your location in order to work out what signals that could be picked up by your receiver.

Also, what transmitter does your aerial point to (or what direction is it pointing in)?
r. harvey
Tuesday 27 March 2012 12:07PM Nottingham
It is more or less that the reception is not
working on several channels got ITV on now ,no signal?
jb38
Tuesday 27 March 2012 1:18PM
r. harvey: It depends entirely where you are receiving your signal from, as you are predicted as only being able to receive Nottingham on a status of poor but good from Waltham or even Sutton Coldfield, although Walthams PSB transmitters are indicating to be being slightly down compared to normal although SDN (ITV3 etc) isnt.

Checked from near Peterborough.
M. Blake
Wednesday 28 March 2012 2:09PM Battle
Every day we get a prompt message to retune our digital box. We have been without ITV1 and C4 for over a week. On Sunday and last night we lost BBC1 and BBC2. We have a brand new roof aerial and we live in the Battle, E. Sussex area. Our analogue signal was perfect. We have had nothing but problems since having the digital box was installed. Is there anything we can do to improve our situation or is this what we have to look forward to in the future?
Dave Lindsay
Wednesday 28 March 2012 2:26PM
M. Blake: Where is your aerial pointing? To which transmitter? In which direction?

The transmitters that serve your area haven't switched over to full power digital yet, so the digital signals aren't as strong as the analogue ones.

Looking at the Digital UK Tradeview predictor, no transmitter is predicted as being great until switchover.
Brian Springthorpe
Wednesday 28 March 2012 5:26PM Colwyn Bay
My mum's TV/Freeview stopped working a couple of times over the last couple of days.

She lives in Rhos on Sea in North Wales and I understand her main transmitter is Winter Hill.

As anyone else had similar problems?
Dave Lindsay
Wednesday 28 March 2012 5:40PM
Brian Springthorpe: You have previously posted on this site about the fact that your mum can receive from Llanddona and Winter Hill, the aerial pointing in the direction of the former.

If this is the case and it is Winter Hill reception that failed, then this is probably a result of the aerial facing the wrong way.

There has been high pressure which is causing signals to travel much further than normal, so this could be the cause, not helped by the fact that the signal being received isn't from the direction to which the aerial faces (and which it is most sensitive).
Brian Springthorpe
Thursday 29 March 2012 5:44PM Colwyn Bay
Dave Lindsay: Its actually pointing in the Winter Hill direction. Everything seems to go down.

We fully understand and realise that the programs that are received from the Llandonna mast are a bonus, (these are the BBC Wales versions of BBC1 and ITV1). The supposedly best signal which gives BBC Northwest and Granada is still poor.

Mum lives in a complex of flats and having spoken to several other of the residents some say they have no problem others seem to be experiencing the same.

I am going round on Monday with my signal meter and see what I find.

The Llandonna signal is prone to "bounce" at certain times of day, (usually coinciding with changes in tides). Is the Winterhill signal also prone? It has to come over the sea at some point I would have thought.

When I left this afternoon, the Freeview signal was showing poor with extreme pixellation.

I wih we could find a solution to this - she is 86 and only watches TV a few times a week, mainly Corrie, Pointless and Casualty/Holby City.

She seems totally bu**ered at the moment and installing FreeSat or Sky is not an option.
Mazbar
Thursday 29 March 2012 6:44PM
Brian a simple solution could be the lead from the wall to the tv. Try a lead that has been made up not pre made use the best coax you can and good plugs if the plugs have a small screw in it remove it and dont use it. Finaly the outside of the coax the brade doesnt touch the inside copper core this could solve your problems
Glenn
Friday 30 March 2012 7:44PM
I have a problem with a neighbours petrol lawn mower he lives 2 houses away from me, when he is cutting the grass it causes interference on all my tv's (digital) signal.

The lawn mower is some years old but this has only started over the last 18 months, I have spoken to him about this problem and he has changed the spark plug to a resistive type but it is still happening.

I have replaced the arial and used double screen coxial cable though out the installation connecting to a distribution amplifier in the loft, our change over starts on the 04-04-12.

I will be grateful for any advice given.
Mazbar
Friday 30 March 2012 8:21PM
Glenn your amplifier could be faulty some new amplifiers are better screened plus try a log periodic aerial they surpress implus noise very well hope this helps
jb38
Friday 30 March 2012 11:31PM
Glenn: And just in addition to what Mazbar has said, with queries such as yours you should really indicate your location (pref; post code) this being essential to be able to assess the signal strength expected at your location, as the source of the problem suggests that you could possibly be in a low signal strength area and which is always worse for picking up interference.
Brian Springthorpe
Saturday 31 March 2012 7:30PM Colwyn Bay
I am getting answers that aren't helping from the management people of this complex of flats where my Mum lives.

They are saying that there is a conflict of 3 quite strong signals which coupled with high pressure weather causes problems.

What the hell do I do to get around that then?
Brian Springthorpe
Sunday 1 April 2012 7:59PM Colwyn Bay
Its worse than first realised!

There's 5 different signals!

Any ideas?

I've sent a strong letter to Freeview, but I doubt it will be any good.
Mazbar
Sunday 1 April 2012 8:34PM
Brian do you know what transmitter it should be? If so can the the tv or freeview box be manualy tuned in it, if it can and it is on winter hill as you say first unplug the aerial and do a auto tune or first time instlation so it tunes in and you get no channels. Next go to manual tune and use the numbers 55, 58, 59, 61, 62 this should tune in winter hill only this wont work on a sony tv though in that case do the reinstall with the aerial unpluged and put it back in when it gets to 69% this will also install winter hill. one last thing if it has any auto update switch it to off this will stop the tv retuning itself hope this helps.
Nikki
Thursday 5 April 2012 7:31PM
Who said it is only connecting the box!!!!??
My aerial is pointing to Reigate, any idea if the signal there is ok?
Brian Springthorpe
Saturday 7 April 2012 2:20PM Colwyn Bay
Mazbar - I have had a response from a guy at Digital UK.

If you can suggest a method by which I can forward this email to you, I would like you to have look at it.

Let me know.
dave evans
Monday 9 April 2012 2:52PM
i bought a DGM 40" tv off ebay.it had to go back because the sound dips just for a second about 6 times when watcing in an evening.they sent it back saying they couldnt find anything wrong.when i watched it i am still getting the same problem.any ideas.dave.by the way i live in north wales.
Jules
Monday 9 April 2012 9:48PM London
Since the London switchover on my humax pvr I'm having to press 814 for bbc1 and 815 for bbc2. Channels 1, 2 and all hd channels are totally dead. Is this normal?
Briantist
Monday 9 April 2012 10:11PM
Jules: No. You should have done a "first time install" or "reset to factory settings" or this - www.ukfree.tv link icon My Freeview box has no EPG, is blank on FIVE, ITV3, ITV4, ITV2+1, has no sound or the channel line up is wrong | ukfree.tv - independent free digital TV advice - to clear out the channel list.
Derek
Saturday 21 April 2012 10:01AM Gatwick
Since the DSO on the 18th April the Frequencies C60 and C57 have become jittery (not like this before) the other Frequencies C27,C24,C21 much better than before DSO.My aerial is a wideband DAT 75 located in he loft pointing towards Reigate Hill.The digital box signal strength on C27,24,and 21 is 10/10 but on C60 and C57 only 6/10 anyone else got problems from Reigate Hill transmitter.
Dave Lindsay
Saturday 21 April 2012 11:34AM
Derek: I wonder if it could be too much signal:

www.ukfree.tv link icon Freeview signals: too much of a good thing is bad for you | ukfree.tv - independent free digital TV advice

Wideband aerials have much less gain at Group A frequencies (of which 21, 24 and 27 are). See these traces:

www.aerialsandtv.com link icon Gain (curves), Again

This is what makes me think that your problem could be overload on C57 and C60.
Derek
Saturday 21 April 2012 12:23PM Gatwick
Dave, Thanks for your comments regarding too much signal,I looked at the spec of this aerial
yesterday and like you say gain curve is highest up the top end where my problems exists.Have read the article and wondered if a attenuator would help my problem.
Frank
Tuesday 24 April 2012 11:10AM
We receive Freeview from Winter Hill. Reception on the HD channels (C54?)is extrenmely good but at the highest channel numbers (C61 & 62) it is poor and at times we get a No Signal notification. i understand C61 & 62 wu=ill be replaced in 2013. Is that correct? Howevre what can I do in the meantime?


Mazbar
Tuesday 24 April 2012 4:21PM
Hi frank there are no problems with winter hill so you might have a problem with your tv aerial but without knowing where you live it is hard to say.
Rob Smith
Tuesday 24 April 2012 10:40PM St. Albans
Hi everyone
Id be interested in your opinions on this problem. Ive read on this very informative site about inversion interferance during high pressure. However Im noticing problems while its raining. I have Freeview and Im in St Albans AL1 getting signal from Crystal Palace. We are in a dip so I have a very tall ariel and need a mast top signal booster to pick up any signal. In the last few weeks Ive noticed that during heavy rain I seem to get picture break up on most channels, and total loss of signal on BBC channels. Most of the time picture is fine.

I can well believe mast top signal boster is old and needs replacing - its 12 years old. However it seems a few other people have had similar problems post switchover, so wondering if there is anything else I can do Thanks in advance Rob
Mark Fletcher
Tuesday 24 April 2012 11:09PM Halifax
Frank.One possibility is your aerial cable could be deteriorating if your antenna is mounted externally.If it is,then what you described could be water ingressing into your aerial cable in rain/wet conditions,and the higher frequencies are the most worst affected as such.If that is the scenario then your aerial cable needs replacing.
Lindsey
Wednesday 25 April 2012 12:44AM Hove
My tv with built in freeview keeps freezing and sound keeps going. It has been happening often since dso but over the last few days its everyday and most of the day. My signal comes from Whitehawk Hill and I live in Hove. My tv reception was perfect before dso and it only froze on very rare occasions. I live in a block of flats with one aerial for everyone. What can I do about it please?
Lindsey
Wednesday 25 April 2012 8:07AM Hove
Lindsey: Sorry I forgot to mention my tv picture breaks up in to segments everyday and most of the day over the last few days as well as freezing and losing sound. Is there a problem with signal from the Whitehawk Hill aerial? As I said previously my tv picture and sound were perfect before DSO
T. J. Coates
Friday 27 April 2012 10:32AM Godalming
My Aerial points to Midhurst and the signal strength checked perfect.
Problem overcome by changing the digital set top box from Micostb238 to a Goodmans box.
It has been suggested that the Mico box could not work with the increased power that came with the switchover/
jb38
Friday 27 April 2012 12:31PM
Lindsey: Although I realise that you are using a communal aerial, but for a test if you can get hold of one try using a set top aerial just in case the signal level from the communal aerial is a fraction too high for your TV's tuner, if a set top aerial is found to work then you will have to purchase an attenuator to place in line with your TV's aerial socket, these costing around £4.00 or so.
Peter
Monday 30 April 2012 10:07AM
I am still getting intermittent imnterference on my television downstairs although uptsairs seems unaffected and I can switch on my DVD recorder and channels play ok and record through that. Could it be the tv?
Wayne Ritchie
Saturday 5 May 2012 5:38AM Exeter
I have a toshiba tv with built in freeview hd. I keep getting No Signal on the hd channels even though the sd channels are fine. I'm on the Stockland hill transmitter and the signal strength on the sd channels are excellent all the time. Sometimes the hd channels show up but more often than not they don't. Could it be a faulty receiver? I rang toshiba but they have no clue about freeview hd and told me i probably can't get it due to where i live, even though i pointed out that it comes on sometimes.
jb38
Saturday 5 May 2012 7:25AM
Wayne Ritchie: Although you have stated that the SD channels are fine its still a case of checking the signal levels being received on both SD and HD channels, as although you are located at 18 miles away from Stockland Hill its difficult to assess any possible causes of your problem without knowledge of the strength of signal you receive, the problem being that if a signal is verging on being too strong HD will be first to suffer from intermittent spells of cutting out through tuner overloading during the slight variations in level received over any given period, whereas on the other hand reception can also intermittently cut out if its running too close to the lower reception threshold level.

If on checking the level you find that "SD" is touching near to 100% in strength then that could benefit from being slightly reduced, the reason I say SD being that in overload situations any strength indications seen on HD can be totally inaccurate, so should you be using any type of booster try a test with it being by-passed.
Nigel Shepherd
Sunday 13 May 2012 1:20PM
Been having poor reception for the past 2 days 11th and 12th May 2012, mainly on BBC1 and BBC2. ITV is ok.Freeview picture breaks up. Havent had problems before. Is this caused by the weather or maybe a reduced power transmission from Winter Hill, or something else? Post Code PR2. The pictures are normally ok but we do have very big trees close to the house which have just come into leaf.
gillian wilson
Monday 21 May 2012 1:13PM
freeview built in tv perfect but i have digital recorder and picture breaks up and loud clicking noise especially on playback
Stuart Whellans
Wednesday 23 May 2012 2:23PM
Our daughter's mobile is badly interfering with the TV in our front room. Any mobile will interfere with it if it is being used in the front room. Our daughters interferes with it when used in her bedroom, directly above the front room. In a neighbouring bedroom it is ok. Our daughter has a TV in her room which does not get any interference from any phone. Both TV's are fed from the main aerial in the loft, the front room via the wall and the daughters directly. We do have a lot of trees around so possibly a low signal but all was fine before she got a new mobile! We're in the TD5 area and I think are fed from the Selkirk transmitter. Any ideas? This is driving us crazy and we're considering a TV in our son's room which would be split from our daughter's
K Cooper
Thursday 7 June 2012 7:23PM
I live in Kent with signal from Dover and in the last few weeks the BBC signal has been getting worse. All the other channels are good, I have retuned a number of times, sometimes it is better other times the same it freezes and breaks up, the sound stops for and also breaks up as well. The aerial is about 4 years old and nothing has changed with the installation.
Dave Lindsay
Thursday 7 June 2012 7:40PM
K Cooper: Dover is one of a few transmitters that, for its pre-switchover digital, broadcasts some multiplexes on different channels in different directions.

For example, Mux 1, which carries BBC One, BBC Two and some other BBC services, is on C68 and C45. It is not known which faces it radiates each, but I guess that one side will put it out on one channel and the other on the other channel.

There may be overlap, so you may be picking up the one that isn't quite as good for you.

Bluebell Hill uses C45 at the moment, so I would hazard a guess that C68 may be best for you.

What I suggest that you do is go to BBC One and bring up the signal strength screen. See if it tells you whether you are tuned to C68 or C45. Then do a signal check of the other (that you aren't tuned to). How you do this may vary depending on the device. You may have manual tuning or the signal strength screen may allow you to change the UHF channel number so as to "look" a different one. Or you may have to look in the 800s for another BBC One that is coming from Dover. Of course, they may not be one if you are in an area where there is no overlap.

It would also perhaps be useful to know what UHF channels ITV1 and Pick TV are coming in on as they have a similar dual-channel arrangement, them being 61/42 and 62/39 respectively.
Dave Lindsay
Thursday 7 June 2012 7:44PM
K Cooper: If you find that the other is better, then you will need to get them swapped. If you would like some help, then let us know which is best for BBC, and also which ITV1 and Pick TV seem to be the best as well.

It should be possible to have the aerial unplugged for part of the scan to avoid picking up the one you don't want.
Deb
Saturday 9 June 2012 2:47PM Hastings
I have two television, one brand new,one a few years old, neither will pick up ITV1 or channel 4 clearly upstairs. The new television will pick up a very poor picture if I tune to the "Kent" option, rather than "East Sussex". I ve taken the television from downstairs (e.g a 3rd television) which is about 8 months old, and this will pick up ITV1 and channel 4 clearly when upstairs. I ve tried bringing both televisions downstairs, and again they won't receive those channels. This can not be a fault with the aerial. I thought it might be a problem with the television, but how can two televisions have the same fault. Very puzzled - any one help! TN35
Dave Lindsay
Saturday 9 June 2012 6:09PM
Deb: You posted the same message five days ago to which I posted a response:

My ITV/C4 Freeview channels have disappeared - what can I do? Is it my SCART cable? | ukfree.tv - independent free digital TV advice
Euan Wallace
Saturday 9 June 2012 9:56PM
Are there any problems with transmitters in west central Scotland today? Blackhill Transmitter. My Tv's were working fine until about 6pm tonight and now most of the channels have disappeared . BBC 1 and the 24hr news channel are jsut about watchable but badly pixilated. I have a six way signal amplifier/ booster which seems to be powered up OK. can't understand how thsi should happen out ofe the blue . Any suggestions?
peter bingham
Saturday 30 June 2012 11:08AM Hyde
I live in sk14 3lp postcode does anybody know how my tv will be affected by 4g when it comes in next year i have 3 tv's 1 outside aireal and 2 inside
Dave Lindsay
Saturday 30 June 2012 1:31PM
peter bingham: Assuming that you are receiving from Winter Hill, then there is a retune scheduled for next April when PSB1 (BBC standard definition services) changes from C62 to C50 and COM5 (Pick TV etc) changes from C61 to C49.

This is connected with the clearing of channels 61 to 69 for 4G mobile services. I don't know whether there will be likely to be any further changes necessary.



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