My Freeview box has no EPG, is blank on FIVE, ITV3, ITV4, ITV2+1, has no sound o
Brian Butterworth published on UK Free TV To deal with the problem you must clear the channel list completely and then rescan - if your box has it in the menus, please the 'installation menu' to do an initial scan or a reset to factory settings or First Time Installation. You MUST delete the entire existing list of channels. On most boxes this technique can be also be used:
Try this:
1) unplug your Freeview box (or idTV) from the mains;
2) unplug the aerial from the Freeview box by disconnecting the cable from the 'RF in' socket;
3) wait 30 seconds;
4) plug Freeview box (or idTV) mains back in;
5) do a complete scan for channels - it will fail without the aerial. (This may be in the installation or initialization menu, and is distinct from any 'add channels option'). Once this is done your channel line up should be empty;
6) reinsert aerial by reconnecting to the 'RF in' connection;
7) do a complete scan for channels again.
The Freeview channel line-up provided by six "multiplexes" - each of which carry five or more TV channels, radio channels, text services and EPG data. In this diagram each ROW represents a multiplex. If you are still missing a whole multiplex (ie everything on the row) you may need to replace your aerial with a wideband type, purchase a larger aerial or you may have interference from a VCR, games console, Sky Digibox or similar.
All questions
In this section
Wednesday, 28 December 2011
M
Mike Dimmick2:55 PM
Chris B: The Hannington transmitter has restricted digital coverage to the east. A whole area from Wokingham down to Basingstoke is effectively not covered, or only covered poorly. This is because Hannington uses the same frequencies for digital services as Guildford does for analogue services, and the analogue services had priority when digital was introduced. Digital UK's postcode checker suggests that you are affected, though less severely than if you were further south.
This restriction will start to be lifted from switchover, matching current analogue coverage: 8 February for the BBC channels, 22 February for ITV1, ITV1+1, ITV2, Channel 4, C4+1, E4, More4 and Channel 5. The remaining channels have to remain restricted until Guildford completes switchover on 18 April 2012.
You must retune on both 8 and 22 February as services move to different frequencies - taking over some of the old analogue frequencies. You may need to retune on 18 April if some services aren't picked up.
Loft aerials are unlikely to become damaged due to weather, unless of course your roof leaks! Also, you still might have trouble if the cable runs outside, particularly if there are any junction boxes. However, signal strength is reduced when passing through the roof or walls, and there's a greater chance of signals from elsewhere being picked up, due to reflections off other surfaces.
A wideband is not necessary for reception from Hannington - all transmissions before and after switchover are in the analogue group, Group E. Future changes might change this, but no changes are expected for at least two years.
There is a deliberate moratorium on works over the Christmas period. Engineering generally is carried out from February to November, the weather isn't suitable for any mast works in winter. No faults have been reported. Signal propogation - how well the signal travels from the transmitter to your aerial - does vary with weather conditions, and these can either increase or reduce signal strength or interference, and can do so differently on different frequencies.
As you have recently retuned, your TV may have decided to tune in another transmitter, such as Crystal Palace, rather than Hannington. If so, see Digital Regional Overlap for thoughts on how to fix this.
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Jim c7:41 PM
Thanks
Typing on my iPhone so spelling even worse then usual.
Itv etc
Signal quality is verry good
Signal level one bar from top
Channel 46
Bbc
Signal quality verry good
Signal level : one off top
Channel 43
If I do a manual tune on 46 the channels come back but go again on reboot or over night.
Tv in other room is ok from same ariel. It's a modern small samunng. These are on the same channel numbers.
It the same aeial with a Passave split
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Friday, 30 December 2011
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Darren12:39 PM
Hi wonder if anybody can help
had an alba dvb set top box for many years sat in bed side drawer over the xmas fianlly connected up to aerial in the loft to get tv sorted in out bedroom.
so set it up working lovely
done a first installation ( told me updateing software )
fine
went throu process not a problem
told me all done
then i done a check for new channels done that told me 32 new channels
then told me 17 new channels
so my problem is
i get most channels but all the new ones ( dave 5* etc etc ) have new in green but wont play the signal strength is good on all the channels that play ?
so im thinking as the aerial been in loft for countless years is that the problem ?
or is it to do with epg ?
or would it be something else ? many thanks for any help ?
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jb385:12 PM
Darren: In order to be able to assess the signal level expected at your location you will have to provide a post code, as the programmes you refer to are only transmitted on low power in many areas and so its important to know if this situation applies in your case.
The other thing that would help is knowing the model number of your Alba box, as even although you might well see the signal being indicated as good, its not always necessarily the case that its quite good enough to resolve a picture on boxes such as the type you mention.
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Darren7:34 PM
jb38
thanks for reply
post code is PL21 ( Ivybridge Devon )
and the model is
Alba dvb-t set top box STB8
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jb388:40 PM
Darren: On checking the spec of the STB8 plus details of the stations shown as covering your area, indications are that the programmes you are having difficulty with are not transmitted from either of your two local transmitting stations, namely Ivybridge and Modbury which are both Freeview "light" PSB only stations.
This being the case you could be picking these programmes up from a few stations, e.g:- Plympton @ 7mls / 269 degrees - Beacon Hill @ 14mls / 74 degrees - Caradon Hill @ 24 mls / 292 degrees, that said Caradon Hill is shown as being the most likely place on the DRG trade view predictor, the problem with Caradon being that its indicated as being permanently poor for reception across all of its six multiplexes at
your "approximate" location, approximate because I used Ivybridge post office (Glanvilles Mill) as a test code.
By the way the aerial has to be horizontally mounted for all of these stations, its only Ivybridge and Modbury that requires it sitting vertically. (elements up and down)
With regards to your box, the problems are likely caused by it only being able to store 40 Freeview channels and 20 radio ones, this somewhat limited number basically because its a very basic device of an older design, this meaning that if it receives more than it can store it will just drop them when switched off.
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Darren8:51 PM
jb38
thank you for help
aerial is horizontal
i did wonder if might be the box
might well be worth putting hand in pocket and investing in new set top box me thinks ?
do you think i would find that this might sort problem ?
seems likes of qvc sky news ( funny itv 1 and 2 work but not 3 ! )
i did wonder if was the box
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jb389:03 PM
Darren: Yes! as I think that you would be continually struggling with such a limited device as the STB8, but with regards to ITV1 / 2 but not 3, this could simply because you are possibly picking ITV1 / 2 up from your local Ivybridge station and ITV3 from one of the others, which of course it would have to be as its not transmitted from a Freeview light station.
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Darren9:08 PM
jb38
again thank you so much for help
any advice on a cheap and simple but yet good set top box for me to buy ?
thanks again
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Saturday, 31 December 2011
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jb3811:08 AM
Darren: Well, as an engineer I find it a bit difficult to recommend anything in the category of cheap, as "you get what you pay for" is always at the back of my mind, and so I would normally be pointing anyone making a request such as yours in the direction of a Humax device, basically because they are reliable boxes with excellent tuners coupled with good back up facilities from the manufacturers, however as the box you have is undeniably the most basic that can be had then practically anything (within reason!) would be better for you, and so a Bush device seen advertised in the Argos catalogue page 574 item No 532-2068 would I feel be an advancement to what you are presently using, as at least it has (or should!) use up to date software.
I would suggest though that you spend some time trying tests with your aerial in different positions within the loft, as in practically every case large differences in signal levels will be found whilst doing this, and because of the channel span involved between the various stations you should really be using a wideband aerial, if you don't already have one.
Channels used by stations reasonably within range.
Caradon: 28 - 25 - 21 - 24 - 27. (Rec / poor)
Plympton: 54 - 61 - 42 - 45 - 56. (Rec / poor)
Ivybridge: 52 - 49. (Rec / good)
Modbury: 62 - 59. (Rec / good).
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