ukfree.tv - 10 years of independent, free digital TV advice

Want to run a phase two local TV station? You can apply now

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 12:34:51 GMT

Ofcom is asking for bids to run 23 more local TV stations on Freeview - but not in Cambridge or Swansea.

I've got an HD TV ... why can't we have high definition channels in place of the

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 19:24:39 GMT

Freeview HD has them on 101, 102, 103 and 104. Sky has them on 141, 142, 178 and 230. On Freesat they are 108, 109, 119 and 126. Wouldn't it make sense for the public service channels to be in the "normal" place in the channel number list - why do they have to be on some seemingly random channel number?

Want faster mobile access to free TV information?

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 08:33:00 GMT

I have made a number of changes to the UK Free TV website to make it work better for the now quite large number of mobile devices that use the site.

Ofcom - UK Digital Terrestrial Television Transmitter Frequency and Site Data

Mon, 10 Jun 2013 05:58:15 GMT

A number of changes to the UK Free TV database have been made to match the most recent Ofcom publication

Is it time for justice for Monkey? Police probe OnDigital 'hack by Newscorp'

Sat, 08 Jun 2013 11:11:14 GMT

It has been long thought - by the people who worked there - that the hack into the system used for content protection by OnDigital (and later ITV Digital) had corporate backing from part of British Sky Broadcasting's parent company. Now it appears that, finally, the police are investigating.

Expecting 4G interference? Tests now show that you have a one in 300 chance

Thu, 06 Jun 2013 15:18:31 GMT

Remember the scare stories in the papers? Millions of homes will have problems when 4G starts... Even the Ofcom figures suggested 760,000 homes would have problems. The 4G tests suggest the just 90,000 homes will need to fit a filter.

5th June 2013 retunes for Devon and Cornwall

Tue, 04 Jun 2013 04:53:10 GMT

As part of a rolling programme in the regions that experienced the early digital switchovers, some viewers on the Cornwall, South Devon and parts of Dorset will need to retune on Wednesday. However, viewers of some relays must not retune.

Using Sky without a card? Let's call that Sky No Card

Sat, 01 Jun 2013 05:51:22 GMT

Since the launch of Freesat, UK Free TV has called the service you get with a Sky box and no viewing card (or an expired card) fSfS (for Freesat from Sky). To avoid confusion, a few changes have been made.

29th May 2013 retunes for Oxfordshire and East Midlands

Wed, 29 May 2013 08:02:59 GMT

As part of a rolling programme in the regions that experienced the early digital switchovers, some viewers on the Leicestershire, Derbyshire and Oxfordshire will need to retune on Wednesday. However, viewers of some relays must not retune.

Want to find the most up to date information? Introducing UK Free TV Live!

Tue, 28 May 2013 08:19:23 GMT

To help you find the information you want more quickly, the boxes on the right hand column of UK Free TV have been upgraded. In addition, there have been updates to the analogue and DAB radio pages to show transmitter faults, plus new ways of looking at the Freeview channels listings.

Want a clearer search or information about missing Freeview light channels?

Tue, 21 May 2013 06:39:16 GMT

A few updates and bug fixes have been provided on UK Free TV this week.

22nd May 2013 retunes for Devon and Carmarthenshire

Tue, 21 May 2013 06:02:12 GMT

As part of a rolling programme in the regions that experienced the early digital switchovers, some viewers on the Devon and Carmarthenshire will need to retune on Wednesday. However, viewers of some relays must not retune.

Apologies for UK Free down this morning

Thu, 16 May 2013 13:34:15 GMT

UK Free TV was off the air today for a few hours due to a hardware failure.

15th May 2013 retunes for Yorkshire coast and Dorset, Wiltshire, Isle Of Wight

Tue, 14 May 2013 22:18:52 GMT

As part of a rolling programme in the regions that experienced the early digital switchovers, some viewers on the Yorkshire coast and in part of Dorset, Wiltshire, and Isle of Wight will need to retune on Wednesday. However, viewers of most relays (other than Hunmanby and Ventnor) need not retune.

Want to see where a point on a line of sight on a map? Click on UK Free TV!

Mon, 13 May 2013 07:59:34 GMT

Here's another addition to the upgrade to the line-of-sight maps. You can now click on the terrain diagram at any point to see it mapped.

Want to better understand the current TV faults? See the all new UK Free TV page

Sun, 12 May 2013 12:05:42 GMT

The "All transmitters with faults and engineering" page has been upgraded to make it easier to understand where the current faults are on the Freeview transmitter network.

Want EVEN better ADVANCED aerial to Freeview transmitter terrain plots?

Wed, 08 May 2013 15:22:53 GMT

Following on from yesterday, I have added an "advanced mode" to the new UK Free terrain plots. You can now choose the aerial height above ground level, and see the transmitters you can't get a signal from.

Want better aerial to Freeview transmitter terrain plots? Check out UK Free TV!

Tue, 07 May 2013 13:20:09 GMT

UK Free TV now has improved terrain plots, which show the line-of-sight between the aerial on the roof and the digital television transmitter. In addition to this, there are several other bug fixes.

Brighton to be the fourth at800 test area from mid-May 2013

Thu, 02 May 2013 09:19:17 GMT

At800, the people who are going to stop interference from the new mobile internet services (4G) when they start in the old analogue TV frequencies (called the 800MHz band) are performing a fourth test in the city of Brighton and Hove.

Want to compare channels on all free TV services easily?

Thu, 02 May 2013 09:01:42 GMT

UK Free TV has a new page today that provides a quick and easy overview of which free TV channels are on which system.

New channel coming to Freeview - Drama from 8 July

Thu, 02 May 2013 08:31:46 GMT

It's back-to-the-future time for UKTV. Once there was a channel called UKTV Drama, but it chanced its name to Alibi back in 2008. But from 8th July 2013, there will be a new Freeview channel called Drama.

Freesat is "fastest growing TV platform" and "outgrows Pay-TV"

Wed, 01 May 2013 14:52:39 GMT

Freesat publish today their 2012/13 results - after five years the service is now in 1.7 million UK homes.

1st May 2013 retunes for Norfolk and Suffolk using Tacolneston and Kings Lynn

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 11:35:46 GMT

As part of a rolling programme in the regions that experienced the early digital switchovers, some viewers in Norfolk and Suffolk will need to retune on Wednesday. However, viewers of relays (other than Kings Lynn) will lose Freeview HD channels during the daytime but are best advised not to retune.

Why have I been sent a filter for my Freeview?

Fri, 19 Apr 2013 14:46:55 GMT

Starting 29th April 2013, the third phase test for the at800 interference to Freeview is taking place. For this test, filters are being sent out to all homes at risk before the test starts. The area chosen for this third test is West London, including Isleworth - the home of satellite pay broadcaster, British Sky Broadcasting.

How many Freeview, Freesat, Sky and cable homes are there in the UK?

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 15:56:13 GMT

Ever wondered how many homes in the UK use the various different free-to-air and pay-TV platforms? Are there really four times as many Freeview-only homes as Sky-only ones?

Improving the 4G-at-800 information on UK Free TV

Sun, 14 Apr 2013 21:06:59 GMT

I have looked at the information I was providing to illustrate the potential problems for Freeview homes from 4G-at-800 transmission, and I have made some changes - in particular the move to a new "higher risk" (C21, C22, C23, C30, C59 and C60) range of channels for transmitter highlighting.

Freeview interference from 4G-at-800 London tests start Monday 15th April 2013

Sun, 14 Apr 2013 16:47:18 GMT

Following on from the recent pilot test area in the West Midlands, produced many fewer problems than expected, a larger test in south east London - specifically Southwark, Lewisham, Greenwich and Tower Hamlets - will test to see if the new 4G broadband signals prevent Freeview reception.

17th April 2013 retunes for Scotland from Angus, Rosneath and Selkirk

Sun, 14 Apr 2013 12:42:13 GMT

As part of a rolling programme in the regions that experienced the early digital switchovers, some viewers in central and southern Scotland will need to retune on Wednesday. However, viewers of certain relays will lose some channels during the daytime but are best advised not to retune.

10th April 2013 retune for Winter Hill, Keighley transmitters and relays

Fri, 05 Apr 2013 09:12:35 GMT

To allow for the launch later this year of 4G mobile broadband, changes are being made to some digital TV transmitters. Many viewers in the North West of England (as well as parts of Yorkshire and the Midlands) will have to retune after 6am on 10th April 2013 to continue to receive certain Freeview TV and radio channels.

4G interference much less than expected in the Midlands test area

Thu, 04 Apr 2013 14:21:11 GMT

at800 has completed its first live test to help assess the extent to which Freeview could be impacted when new 4G mobile services at 800 MHz are launched later this year.