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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 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.

Help with Freeview, aerials?
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In this section
Official aerial installers guide to the TV spectrum future1
Which free digital TV system will give me the most reliable reception?2
High pressure causing channel loss through "Inversion"3
Digital Region Overlap4
Freeview reception has changed?5
Two frequency interference 6

Comments
Saturday, 31 August 2013
L
Lizzie
8:57 PM
Bideford

Re-tuned after prompting on ch 15 to get film 4 on free view TV. Now only receive BBC 1 and 2 correctly.
Other channels intermittent, pixilated and clicking noise. Have tried retuning with aerial out and again when in situ with no change. Think I am on huntshaw receiver at EX39 3NX.
Any help please.

link to this comment
Lizzie's 1 post GB flag
Lizzie's: mapL's Freeview map terrainL's terrain plot wavesL's frequency data L's Freeview Detailed Coverage
Friday, 6 September 2013
Monday, 30 September 2013
C
Catherine W
10:34 AM

Last evening and this morning, all freeview channels are losing signal, sometimes every couple of minutes. We get a blank screen, sometimes the "no signal" message. Neighbours report the same problem but Huntshaw website says no problems. What is happening?

link to this comment
Catherine W's 1 post GB flag
A
Alex. Burnett
2:30 PM

Freeview channel 19 (Yesterday) keeps blacking out. All other channels are OK.

link to this comment
Alex. Burnett's 1 post GB flag
Thursday, 7 November 2013
H
Hoffmeister
10:59 PM

Please help, we have frequent breaking up of picture and 'no signal' messages on screen on channel 10 itv3 usually after10 pm. We have good reception on all other channels.
Our post code is So40 in the new forest.

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Hoffmeister's 1 post GB flag
Thursday, 21 November 2013
A
Alan Walton
1:52 PM

I have progressive picture and audio break-up on my kitchen TV, mainly BBC2 at about mid-day. No mobile phones or fridges/washing machines etc switched on. I switch off the on and all is then OK.

Could the cause be a microwave that is housed immediately under the TV? Only thing I can think of, but would this come under the "large motor" effect?

link to this comment
Alan Walton's 1 post GB flag
M
MikeB
sentiment_very_satisfiedPlatinum

9:04 PM

Alan Walton: There is one way to find out - try watching the TV while swiitching the microwave on!

Of course it might not be that at all. Check singal levels, etc (is the signal too strong?) - and a postcode is a help, since you can see if your in a marginal area, etc.

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MikeB's 2,579 posts GB flag
Sunday, 1 December 2013
E
Emma
10:34 AM

Hi,
We are having problems with our tv's at night more than at any other time....the signal strength fluctuates between 0 and 70% ish but the picture will freeze/go fuzzy with brightly coloured lines and marks across it before we give up and turn it off. We have 3 tv's that are affected and it is always at night....we have checked the ariel and bought a new booster but all seems fine and they work during the day??!!
Please help!

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Emma's 3 posts GB flag
J
jamie stevens
sentiment_satisfiedSilver

10:38 AM
Havant

Emma:

Your location postcode would be a good starting point.

Also where is the aerial fitted ie chimney, side of house, loft

regards

link to this comment
jamie stevens's 207 posts GB flag
jamie's: mapJ's Freeview map terrainJ's terrain plot wavesJ's frequency data J's Freeview Detailed Coverage
E
Emma
10:47 AM
Newton Abbot

Hi Jamie,
I've put the postcode into the site settings thing at the top of this page but it means nothing to me!! The ariel is in the loft attached to the chimney stack...it's been there forever tho so cant understand why it's only a problem in the evenings.....
Thank you

link to this comment
Emma's 3 posts GB flag
Emma's: mapE's Freeview map terrainE's terrain plot wavesE's frequency data E's Freeview Detailed Coverage
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