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An update

UK Free TV is being updated...

UK Free TV is being updated...
Published on by on UK Free TV
Hi,

Just to let you know that I'm updating UK Free TV, but there is not much in the way of new stories posted.

I'm down to 196 of your comments to read and reply to, I guess this is going to take a little more time!

I have looked at the mobile site, and I am just dealing with the code I need to detect different mobile devices and feed them with the correct sized pages.

Another thing coming in the next few days is a trawl of all the Freeview channels, with a screen-grab for each one.

I'm not sure about the 534 emails I have received, I will deal with these later.

There are a few 'bug fixes' here and there to fix too.

Also, there will be a Twitter interface sooner or later too.





Your comments: most recent posts are at the bottom


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.

stephen Phillips
Saturday 18 July 2009 4:17PM Llanrwst
Ist the photo you?

Interesting chain stitching atthe neck!
Briantist
Saturday 18 July 2009 4:18PM
stephen Phillips: It's silver.. I got it in LA!
Phil Robinson
Monday 20 July 2009 10:50AM Sandbach
Just bought Panasonic txlcdv10b and it refuses to pick up Freeview Channel 4 North west from Winter Hill. It does select Channel 4 Wales at half strength and below, all other stations are registering strength and quality 10 (full) Panasonic help wasn't very good. Other televisions ok aerial and cabling about 12months old. Signal passes through a SLX 8 way amplifier. Any ideas?
Briantist
Monday 20 July 2009 5:00PM
Phil Robinson: Can you please see, in the first instance, www.ukfree.tv link icon Single frequency interference | ukfree.tv - independent digital television and switchover advice, since 2002 - but it could be your amplifier.
Phil Robinson
Tuesday 21 July 2009 10:43PM Sandbach
Many thanks for your reply. At the time of setup the aerial lead went straight into the tv. after autosetup the tv declares that numerical 4 is an invalid channel. We have taken the bedroom tv and connected it to the " problem" lead and it works perfectly on Channel 4 numerical 4 .Panasonic have said that 'other television freeview decoders are too tolerant of a weak signal Panasonic have engineered the tv only to accept strong signals and to reject weak signals and your aerial alignment could be the problem.My amplifier is an SLX8 prtNoDMX10WB. Do I test the signal strength/direction or buy new amplifier?Sorry this Q is really in the wrong section. Do you know a good signal tester?
Many thanks and kind regards for having a great site.
stephen Phillips
Tuesday 21 July 2009 11:40PM Llanrwst
Phil - way off my knowledge area but I do know that some NW places can "see" Welsh TV over the water. Could be that the Welsh C4 is scanned first and "grabbing" the 4 slot. Have heard of people scannig with ae disconnected at the unwanted channel.

Talking of where to post, where here would I ask about my Wrekin analogue ITV3 for which the sound level is very low compared to other channels? Didn't used to be, and 2 TVs with different ae affected!
John Hall
Wednesday 22 July 2009 7:21AM
I live in Birmingham close to the Sutton Coldfield transmitter (about 3 miles) and have reloaded my digital decoder box several times since Friday 16th July as there appears to be a very weak signal or none at all. I can see above that it says no transmission problems but all in this area, except for sky users, seem to be having a problem, anyone any ideas?
Phil Robinson
Wednesday 22 July 2009 9:36AM Sandbach
Solved it and it was quite simple.Within Freeview there are unavailable numerical channels and normally the first one is channel 8. What Panasonic have done is made that numerical channel 4. Broadcast channel 4 from Winter Hill (C66) tries to get into numerical 4 and cant and is 'rejected',while very weak Welsh C4 gets into numerical 8.
Go into channel list, swap numerical 4 for 8; go to manual setup and C66,834MHz and store( Channel 4 Northwest is within this group of 8 channels. Done but Panasonic UK helpline couldn't tell me this there were all all manner of erroneous reasons, expensive equipment wise and this is the official technical help sevice. Thanks for now
Briantist
Wednesday 22 July 2009 4:54PM
John Hall: Can you see the Freeview on Sutton Coldfield TV transmitter | ukfree.tv - independent digital television and switchover advice, since 2002 where details of the Sutton Coldfield issue are. Services are being moved to the temporary mast (you can see it, I hope) and the power is reduced whilst this is being done.
Briantist
Wednesday 22 July 2009 4:56PM
Phil Robinson: This is how the box is supposed to operate in terms of channel allocations. However the operation to swap channels around like this is very box-specific, so it's not that surprising that a helpline wouldn't tell you that.
Briantist
Wednesday 22 July 2009 5:02PM
stephen Phillips: When Freeview boxes scan for channels they start at the lowest frequency and scan upwards looking for multiplexes.

When a multiplex is found each channel identifier in the table has the channel name, the video, audio and interactive identification numbers are decoded as is the LCN ("logical channel number").

If the channel can be allocated to the LCN, this is done. If not, the box will attempt to use 800+LCN.

Channel 4 in Wales has a LCN of 8, in England 4, with S4C on 4 in Wales.

This means that if you scan a Welsh mux 2 then an English mux 2, you will get

3-> ITV1 Wales
4 -> S4C
8 -> C4 (Wales)
803-> ITV1 (England)
804 -> C4 (England)

The other way around, you get:

3-> ITV1 (England)
4-> C4 (England)
8-> S4C
803-> ITV1 Wales
804-> S4
stephen Phillips
Wednesday 22 July 2009 9:44PM Llanrwst
Thanks Brian - seems a system certain to cause problems at boundaries, or where there is easy long distance propagation as over Morcambe Bay?

Incidentally just noticed your reply as to neck chain. I can't help wondering what your recreational preferences are - but it really does not matter here!

Cheers

Steve

PS I live in Wales but at the midlands side of the hill so can't get S4C ddim o gwbl.

PPS Any ideas on my ANALOGUE ITV C3 low sound?
Briantist
Thursday 23 July 2009 1:27PM
stephen Phillips: It does cause problems for some people, but it is very hard to predict as your exact position matters, as does any other reception conditions.

It should be less of a problem after switchover.

Re the chain, I'm allergic to gold so I wear solid silver...
stephen Phillips
Thursday 23 July 2009 4:31PM Llanrwst
It was more the choice of a chunky neck chain at all that made me wonder what you fastened it to!
Lesley
Thursday 23 July 2009 7:12PM Sleaford
We have built in Freeview on our Plasma TV and it has worked fine for months. Day before yesterday, it has lost all its channels and when I have tried to auto set up, its not finding any programmes at all. An anologue TV is working fine and they are on the same aerial. Should I reset system to factory settings (I am not technical at all so don't want to cause greater problems). Is it possible something has happened with transmitter that would have affected signal? Any suggestions would be much appreciated.
Garrif
Friday 24 July 2009 9:15AM
Try unplugging it from the wall for a bit then plug it back in again ;)
Briantist
Friday 24 July 2009 9:47AM
Lesley: You should not be having reception problems at your location. Try scanning first without the aerial in, then with it in, or as you suggest the "factory settings" option.

Also, I would check it's not a cable that has been accidentally damaged.
Briantist
Friday 24 July 2009 9:49AM
stephen Phillips: Not much point attaching it to anything, Silver is a bit soft...
DONALD
Wednesday 23 September 2009 3:10PM Cupar
I hsve a bush freeview box with reception problems would switching it off at the socket then retuning help or is it because i have a poor signal from durris transmitter
would a philexslx32dw digital 32 element wideband ariel help and would getting my signal from angus transmitter improve signal
just had a quick look round outside and some ariels are pointing to craigkelly/durris others to angus
trouble is my house is at foot of a hill even though it sits up high and has always had signal problems so am unsure whether a £22 quid digital ariel from argos would improve or worsen the problem
Iain Davies
Wednesday 23 September 2009 7:55PM Kingsbridge
If you use Craigkelly a Wideband aerial will be needed, if you are goung to use Durris a group A aerial should be used and for Angus a C/D aerial should be used. Wideband aerials for Durris and Angus will not be as good as grouped aerials.
Malcolm
Wednesday 28 November 2012 9:30AM Eastbourne
No joy with the manual re-tune you suggested. I suppose I shall just have to live with it. Thank you for your help.

Malcolm
jb38
Wednesday 28 November 2012 5:50PM
Malcolm: Just out of curiosity, when you say that you can receive most other channels well does these channels referred to include ITV3(10) or Pick TV(11)? because if as Dave Lindsay has mentioned you do reside in the block with garages under the residential area, then the roof mounted aerial does indeed point in a Northerly direction towards Heathfield.

The other point is, that when you were carrying out the manual tune did you see the signal strength being indicated "before" you pressed search or scan, because on most TV's / boxes you can, and is something which gives a good idea if the signal is actually there but is sitting at just under the reception threshold, as in most cases where this situation applies then its usually cured by the addition of a booster in line with the TV or boxes aerial socket.
tony maynard
Wednesday 20 February 2013 7:41AM Belvedere
question. Why is it I can get program 12 some days and not others? I have a brand new tv with freeview built in.
Dave Lindsay
Wednesday 20 February 2013 11:31AM
tony maynard: Which transmitter is your aerial pointing to? I looked on Streetview and saw some aerials on Crystal Palace and some on the Woolwich relay.

They are only about 30 degrees apart, but for Crystal Palace your aerial will be horizontal and for Woolwich it will be vertical. Woolwich only carries PSB channels.

Logical channel number 12 (Dave) is carried on COM5 and is therefore not broadcast by Woolwich, so if your aerial points to it, you must be receiving it from elsewhere: the likely answer is Crystal Palace, and this will be so for all COM channels (which carry ITV3, ITV4, Pick TV, Film4 etc).

See here for a full list of Freeview services by multiplex (PSB/COM):

www.dtg.org.uk link icon DTG :: DTT Services by Multiplex
Mr J M Carter
Thursday 21 March 2013 4:18PM Hexham
Many thanks.I have tried manual tuning to channel 39 but can't get any stations on this channel. The signal strength indicator stays static at about 1. Is it possible that the areal amplifier has failed for this frequency band? Humshaugh is not the usual transmitter for Wall village but the aerial in my house roof cannot be placed to get a clear "view" of the Warden Mast, Because of the roof structure and trees. However, my present arrangement was OK before. Any suggestions please?
jb38
Thursday 21 March 2013 7:49PM
Mr J M Carter: An aerial amplifier will boost all channels from Ch21 to Ch69 and so if defective would affect all channels, but though it would be of assistance to know what level Humshaugh's mux Ch42(ITV1) is being received at, because Ch42 and the missing Ch39 should not have been that terribly different from each other.

As far as your aerial is concerned, if its facing Humshaugh (@ 207 degrees) then it should be vertically mounted, whereas the Wall transmitter (@ 330 degrees) requires a horizontally mounted aerial, and so maybe you could confirm (or not) that your aerial is facing Humshaugh and likewise is mounted vertically.

Should it be found not to be, then try a manual test tune (do not press scan) on Wall's mux Ch52 (BBC1) and see if anything is being indicated strength wise.
J.M.Carter
Friday 22 March 2013 11:23AM Hexham
Thanks Again. My aerial is vertical and pointing correctly for Humshaugh. I shall try moving it to another site in the loft and training it horizontally on Warden and re-tuning. This should be a slitely better site than previously tried by the installer.
J.M.Carter
Friday 22 March 2013 4:07PM Hexham
J.M.Carter:
I have now re-located my aerial and tuned it to Wall(High Warden) transmitter. Good results with signal strength about 6/10. I trust it will remain OK when the trees come into leaf.
Many thanks for your help.
jb38
Friday 22 March 2013 4:53PM
J.M.Carter: Thanks for your update as I was just in the process of typing out a reply with one or two bits of advice with regards to the best procedure to use for the tests.

However, pleased to hear that you have been successful with the test, and even if your signal does take a dive late spring though partial signal blockage being caused by tree foliage it should be relatively easy to rectify by the aerial being mounted in the loft, although I would always advise anyone carrying aerial position tests to leave their TV on the manual tune signal test screen (as previously described) because by using this procedure the TV's tuner then acts just like a signal meter enabling levels right down to zero to be seen, far in a way more accurate than these low cost (under £25.00) signal level indicators that's designed to be placed in line with an aerial.
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