Digital switch-over problems
Brian Butterworth published on UK Free TV The Sutton Coldfield transmitter that serves Birmingham is having all the current analogue and digital services moved to a second temporary mast. This work was due to be completed last month, but the bad weather has not allowed the "air work" to be completed quickly.
With the power level reported to be about an eighth of normal, this has caused many people reception problems in second largest city in England.
Despite being close to the first digital switch-over in Whitehaven, it seems that people using the Bleach Green transmitter are unable to scan for Freeview services. However, they do work if the viewer manually tunes their box toC53, C57 and C60. "Digital UK says they are now working with Ofcom and the broadcasters to fix the problem".
Down in Cornwall, the Redruth transmitter is stuck in limbo. Cornish people can now watch digital TV from the transmitter and relays, but the commerical multiplexes are on the old power levels and old frequencies until 30 September 2009.
It would appear that the 30 September Freeview retune will be an important date nationwide.
5:17 AM
I have lost most of my channels in the last few days on Sharp lc 24le210e. I have checked the switchover map in my area and it says its not happening yet, however this morning i have turned off and on, retuned, facctory reset and tried to manually install the channels i know the missing numbers of to no avail. the tv is less than two months old. Also when trying to manually retune the channel numbers will not even display or if they do it says consistently no signal - example bbc1 and e4, although i have e4+1
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1:42 AM
i have lost a lot of freeview channels today. Switch over day. I have a freeview box and retuned and retuned. But have lost 2/3 of channels. I live in North Norfolk. Any help would be gratefully received. Also picture freezes and breaks up
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norman: Can you post your post code as it might assist?
I guess that your receiver might have tuned to Belmont transmitter.
What is the make and model of your device?
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12:45 PM
I have a Phillips Digital TV connected to a Sony HDD/DVD player/recorder. The aerial is input through the Sony and output to the TV. Since the switch over i keep losing the installed digital channels from the TV (this was not the case before the switch over it was fine). I used to record a programme via the HDMI connection between the Sony and TV, and then switch the TV over to the digital channel of the TV to watch another programme. This used to work perfectly well, but i now lose all the installed channels from the TV when it is turned off or put on standby. The channels installed on the Sony HDD/DVD are fine and have remained in place since switch over.
If i check the signal strengh/quality of the TV when connected to the Sony it shows no signal, but when the aerial is connected directly to the TV it shows a excellent signal.
However it does not seem to matter if the TV is connected directly to the aerial or via the Sony HDD/DVD as the installed channels will still vanish when TV turned off or on standby. i live in North Norfolk Post Code NR11
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5:36 PM
Ian W: Any equipment that loses channels when switched off is generally because an attempt is being made to store more channels than the memory chip can handle, hence when the equipment is unpowered they are lost.
You have to carry out a factory re-set (sometimes called default setting) on the device that's losing the channels followed by a normal auto-tune, as this usually cures the problem.
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5:40 PM
Ian W: Meant to add, it would also have been beneficial to have had knowledge of your post code for signal strength expected checking purposes.
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7:39 PM
Briantist: Since the change over we can not record anything through our video it was fine up til the time of the change over.We live in Lowestoft post code NR 32 1SP. THe type of video recorder/player is Panasonic
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7:52 PM
Bernard: Are you referring to a VHS video recorder? If so, most VCRs are only fitted with an analogue tuner, hence the internal tuner will no longer work after the analogue transmitters have been turned off. To record anything now you will need to connect a Freeview box to the scart socket on the VCR then select the A/V input before starting the recording. Selecting the channel you wish to record is done therefore on the Freeview box.
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