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My Freeview box has no EPG, is blank on FIVE, ITV3, ITV4, ITV2+1, has no sound o

My Freeview box has no EPG, is blank on FIVE, ITV3, ITV4, ITV2+1, has no sound or the channel line up is wrong

My Freeview box has no EPG, is blank on FIVE, ITV3, ITV4, ITV2+
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.



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Comments
Tuesday, 5 July 2011
J
Joe
5:42 PM
Glasgow

my TV aerial is in my loft and all channels worked well before switchover.Now all BBC channels are distorted.

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Joe's 1 post GB flag
Joe's: mapJ's Freeview map terrainJ's terrain plot wavesJ's frequency data J's Freeview Detailed Coverage
D
darral
6:41 PM

hi im in south wales CF39 and using an alba tv with built in freeview off an indoor bedroom ariel. i lost all bbc tv and radio channels about a week ago. tried resetting and retuning so yesterday plugged in an old alba freeview box and though the bbc channels signal strength was around 50%(others were around 80%) i got good picture and sound. today the bbc signal had dropped to 40% and was no picture, so i reset box and hey presto the bbc channels vanished altogether. freeview recorder (hitatchi) running in kitchen off loft ariel has had no problems at all. dont know much about this stuff but is it safe to conclude that its the ariel thats the problem and if so what to i need to get to fix this as we only get around half the freeview channels in this area anyway, which is a disgrace IMO and with no bbc and especially no Cbeebies upstairs i need some urgent help please. any suggestions greatly appreciated

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darral's 1 post GB flag
P
P O'DONNELL
10:40 PM

I have no frequency at all, neither have neighbours in three separate buildings. we are in pollokshaws and are served by the cathcart/blackhill transmitter. are there any problems that we should know about?

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P O'DONNELL's 1 post GB flag
Wednesday, 6 July 2011
R
Robert Turney
12:43 PM
Maldon

Hello,
I have just digitally re-tuned a Samsung tv for two elderly relatives.
This works well but they cannot get ITV1, which is their favourite channel.
Their postcode is CM95DP and I think that the aerial is pointing towards Sudbury.
They have a roof aerial and I can get ITV1 digitally
Help is apreciated.
Regards,
Bob Turney


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Robert Turney's 1 post GB flag
Robert's: mapR's Freeview map terrainR's terrain plot wavesR's frequency data R's Freeview Detailed Coverage
M
Mike Dimmick
sentiment_very_satisfiedPlatinum

1:46 PM

Robert Turney: ITV1 analogue is still available from Sudbury for the next two weeks. After that, the power level for the D3&4 multiplex will match that for BBC A, so you should expect to get equally good results. However, Digital UK's predictor doesn't offer any prediction for Sudbury at that location.

From today, BBC A is also broadcast from the Rouncefall transmitter, which shows a good chance of reliable reception now. Rouncefall and Sudbury use the same frequencies and work together to provide coverage, there is a contribution from both transmitters. Again, in two weeks it starts broadcasting D3&4 at high power. However, Rouncefall will not provide the commercial multiplexes (mux A/SDN, C/ArqA and D/ArqB shown above).

The predictor shows a good chance of reliable reception for most multiplexes from both Crystal Palace and Dover after they complete switchover next year (April for CP, June for Dover).

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Mike Dimmick's 2,486 posts GB flag
M
Mike Dimmick
sentiment_very_satisfiedPlatinum

2:00 PM

P O'Donnell: For you, Cathcart, Black Hill and Netherton Brae should all provide a good chance of reliable reception. Make sure that your box is tuned to the correct frequencies for the transmitter your aerial points to.

Cathcart and Netherton Brae transmit on vertical polarization, requiring the aerial elements to go up-and-down rather than side-to-side. If your box stores the first version it finds rather than the strongest/best quality, it may have chosen to store Netherton Brae as this uses the lowest frequencies out of all these transmitters. Cathcart is at 48° east of north, so close to north-east, while Netherton Brae is at 131°, roughly south-east.

Black Hill requires a horizontally-polarized aerial, elements running side-to-side, and it is on a bearing of 80°, a little north of due east. Only Black Hill provides the three commercial multiplexes.

For completeness, Digital UK also reckons that you could get a signal from the Glasgow West Central transmitter, but there's a poor chance of reliable reception.

If you think your box is tuning into the wrong transmissions, see Digital Region Overlap for ideas on how to fix it.

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Mike Dimmick's 2,486 posts GB flag
M
Mike Dimmick
sentiment_very_satisfiedPlatinum

2:03 PM

Joe: Digital UK's postcode checker shows a good chance of reception from Black Hill, Craigkelly and Darvel. It's possible that your box has tuned into the wrong transmitter. See Digital Region Overlap for suggestions on how to fix this.

It could also be that signals from Black Hill are now too strong. If you have a booster, try removing it.

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Mike Dimmick's 2,486 posts GB flag
M
Mike Dimmick
sentiment_very_satisfiedPlatinum

2:05 PM

el: Can you provide a full postcode, please, so we can see where you are and what the prediction is for that location.

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Mike Dimmick's 2,486 posts GB flag
M
Mike Dimmick
sentiment_very_satisfiedPlatinum

2:12 PM

darral: You will usually get better results from a rooftop aerial than a loft aerial, and from a loft aerial than an indoor one. The height of the aerial is important, as the signals are severely reduced by adjacent buildings. The signal propogation - travel - is also affected by surrounding objects, particularly metal ones.

In addition, indoor aerials are typically too small. Aerials work best if the elements are the right size, typically about one-half of the wavelength they're trying to pick up. For mid-band channels that means about 25cm. Because they're too small, or designed more for appearance than function, they usually don't have any useful amount of gain.

If you provide a full postcode, I can check whether you might be able to get a full service from any transmitter, although the terrain of South Wales does make it difficult.

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Mike Dimmick's 2,486 posts GB flag
M
Mike Dimmick
sentiment_very_satisfiedPlatinum

2:14 PM

jack: If you have suddenly lost all channels, it's most likely that a cable has become disconnected, or that the aerial has been dislodged. Check for any loose or broken cables.

If this has happened, I would expect that analogue channels have also become very snowy or unwatchable.

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Mike Dimmick's 2,486 posts GB flag
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