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Brian Butterworth published on UK Free TV For the last six years, I have answered many thousands of personal emails that you have sent to UK Free TV.
Sadly, I am unable to offer this personal service at the moment.
Until I can restore this service, please can you leave any questions you have on an appropriate page, where they will be answered as soon as possible, or below, if you can't figure out where to ask.
I look forward to your questions!
Help with TV/radio stations?
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Friday, 22 July 2011
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Nedbod10:15 AM
DONNYBOY : Most of the Freeview channels are free through an aerial with a box, and have been since 2002 in most parts of the country.
Even Rupert & James Murdoch can't stop this.
There are one or two extra scrambled channels on Freeview which you have to pay for, but most aren't worth bothering with.
If you are in a Freeview Lite region (normally served by a relay transmitter) you cannot receive these anyway, even after switchover. I have never paid the Murdoch's a bean for TV. Never bought ANY of their newspapers either. Can't believe how many politicians have sucked up to them over the years and gained little in return. Yet they've allowed SKY so many advantages over the rest of the broadcasting media. More capacity, sports rights etc. so the rest of us end up with the poorer quality end of the business. Totally unfair and I hope this will now change. Why should SKY be allowed to broadcast more BBC red button services than Freesat and Freeview when the BBC is paid for from the licence fee. Allow more capacity to the BBC on the other platforms instead of all the junk dear Government and stop protecting ex NotW detritus.
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andrew11:58 AM
Bangor
want to record freeview HD+ POSTCODE bt203tf not digital untill 2012,at present updated roof ariel to wideband. Do I need twin ariel cable to record, what does RF LOOP do, what freeview channels are available before switchover? and will 2012 mean HD. thru ariel. Really do appreciate your advice Thanks.
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andrew's: mapA's Freeview map terrainA's terrain plot wavesA's frequency data A's Freeview Detailed Coverage
andrew: You only need a single connection to a rooftop aerial, the double-connection is only required to a satellite dish.
"RF loop" means that the "RF in" is linked to the "RF out".
You will get multiplex 2 and D channels from the Divis transmitter. You will get the HD channels next year, but you will not have the strongest signal for the "commercial multiplexes".
All transmitters have Freeview HD after switchover.
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Paul7:07 PM
Hi, everytime I get a new neighbour upstairs my tv goes off the only way it will work is if they have a booster plugged in and switched on. The next tenant isn't moving in till the 6th and I don't have any tv channels. Why is it this happens and how can I fix it. Many thanks
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jb389:06 PM
Paul: This problem would suggest that whoever installed the aerial system cut corners and just looped the aerial feeds from one socket to another rather than running separate cables to each flat, and with each of the cables being fed from a multi-output powered splitter in the loft.
The most likely reason for your set going off being that the signal isn't particularly good wherever you are located, and because of this when the new neighbour plugs their set into the aerial socket it reduces the signal to under the reception threshold level on your set, this being why using a booster brings it back on again.
There isn't anything you can really do about that as its the landlords problem, although he should be told about it.
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anthony royle 11:14 PM
hi i have a problem with my freeview reception throughout the day my picture is fine then from 4pm everyday the picture breaks up alot i understand it may be electrical interference but could the fact that my aerial is in line with te local hospital about 1.5 miles away be a possible cause any ideas????
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Saturday, 23 July 2011
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jb388:47 AM
anthony royle: It could possibly be, but it depends of what strength you are receiving the Freeview signal at in the first place.
Another thing is whether or not your aerial in the loft? as although loft aerials work OK in many locations they are more vulnerable to picking up interference from mains cables etc, and especially if they are connected back to something like a thermostat / timer switch with faulty contacts, these devices used in all heating systems and electric hot water tanks.
Of course even outdoor aerials can still be affected by the aforementioned, but maybe you could clarify on the points mentioned.
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Sunday, 24 July 2011
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andy8:14 AM
i have the sky engineer baffled .... new installation and the signal is good and quality is good (all tested at the dish and output near the box) but on certain channels it breaks up .
If you check the signal strenth signal 1 has gone but signal 2 is fine . Even if you swap the feeds over on the box signal 1 drops every time .... Lnb swapped and sky box swapped and now just waiting for a new sky card to try :-)
The cable is one i fitted a few years back as its hidden in the coving ect but its proper shielded cable and as i said it's tested ok at the fly leads to the sky box
it just breaks up or "no signal" on certain music and film channels .
any pointers would be great
ATB
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jb389:22 AM
andy: When you say the signal is good when tested at the dish and near the box, what does it actually indicate when viewed in the box's set up menu? (services - 4 - 6) 75% of the scale being the average for standard LNB's with more than one output.
Should it prove to be around this figure (or more) then carry out a check on what's indicated using only the No1 input connection on the Sky box, making a note of what's seen, then take the cable out of No1's socket and put the "second" cable into the "same" No1 socket, once again noting what the second cable shows as, this is the only way of determining if both inputs from the dish are equal.
I know that you said the box has been changed, but it wouldn't go amiss to try exactly the same test again but this time using only the Sky boxes No2 input, you may get slight variations to the first test but the relationship between strength / quality should be roughly the same ratio.
You could maybe give an update on what you find.
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