My ITV/C4 Freeview channels have disappeared - what can I do? Is it my SCART ca
Brian Butterworth published on UK Free TV It is a feature of television signals that they can be effected by the weather. Aside from the obvious damaged that can be caused by wind or torrential rain, the onset of summer can cause a more intriguing problem called "inversion".
Basically, when the sun heats up the land, the hot air can get trapped below cold air at high level. This creates an "inversion layer" which acts like a polished mirror to TV signals. This causes two problems: you can receive both the original and a reflected signal from your own transmitter (on analogue TV this appears as "ghosting") or interference from TV transmitters that are normally too far distant.
The ITV/C4 multiplex of channels (ITV-1, ITV-2, ITV-3, ITV-4, CITV, C4, More4, E4, Quizcall) use a transmission "mode" called 64QAM, and it is sadly much more prone to these problems.
So, whilst a loft-mounted aerial will provide reception at some time, it will fail at others. The only real solution is to mount the aerial (or a new Class I aerial) outside on a pole, but some people report that changing the cable from the aerial to the set-top box to the high-grade satellite cable can also help.
The SCART connection, by the way, only carries a single TV picture, not the Freeview transmission multiplexes, so if this is disconnected it will result in degradation to every channel at once.
All questions
In this section
Sunday, 10 June 2012
N
Nickie1:26 PM
Plymouth
Just purchased a Samsung smart tv with built in freeview hd but am unable to get itv 4. Live in Plymouth pl1 3qp and all the other TV in the house get this channel using the same aerial. Any suggestions please?
| link to this comment |
Nickie's: ...
J
jb383:39 PM
Nickie: Is Yesterday(12) also missing? as its on the same mux transmitter, if it is then go into your TV's tuning menu / manual tune and enter Ch56 into the box then press search or scan, or whatever your TV calls it.
By the way Ch56 is for reception from Plympton proper, not the North road relay which does not transmit commercial muxes, if though you receive your signal from Caradon Hill then the channel number required would be 27.
If you still have a problem then select ITV4 on the TV can receive it and carry out a signal strength check, as the mux channel number its picking it up from will be seen along with the signal strength.
| link to this comment |
K
karen10:14 PM
Burnley
BB12 0HG have bought a new tv with freeview and had a new aerial put up on the roof. tv is working but after scanning for stations comes up as " no stations found"
| link to this comment |
karen's: mapK's Freeview map terrainK's terrain plot wavesK's frequency data K's Freeview Detailed Coverage
J
jb3811:18 PM
karen: Unless a fault exists with your new aerial (not exactly impossible!) then you should beware in case you are receiving and excessively high level of signal from your local Pendle Forrest transmitter, and so if you can borrow a set top aerial from someone try that, giving your TV a retune once its plugged in.
You could even try using a short piece of wire (12 / 18") connected into the inner part of the aerial socket giving an update on results.
| link to this comment |
M
Mark Fletcher11:26 PM
Halifax
Karen,Burnley.Is your new aerial polarised horizontally receiving transmissions from the Winter Hill mast,or is it polarised vertically receiving transmissions from the Pendle Forest major relay instead.Also tomorrow preferably (too dark now) check the colour tips of your aerial as well.As you are located in Claremont Street i assume in the Ightenhill or Tim Bobbin area of Burnley off Padiham Road,looking at street view on Google Maps most external aerials are vertical facing Pendle Forest relay while a few are horizontal facing Winter Hill itself.I used to reside in Burnley myself so i do have a wee bit of knowledge of the town itself.
As for your text itself is your aerial connected to the TV,and is your TV itself Freeview incorporated as you stated.Also as for your new aerial does it have new cabling and co-ax aerial plug.Are you using any signal boosters.What is the model of your TV itself.One possibility if your aerial is vertical polarised and aimed at Pendle Forest relay is that if your aerial has black coloured tips denoting a group W wideband aerial then it is the wrong aerial to use as the 100w (0.1kw) Pendle Forest relay is an all group A mast.Even more so if the aerial is an inferior contract type group W wideband aerial which on the lowest frequencies especially on an all group A relay/main transmitter in rare cases no signals are picked up as such.
| link to this comment |
Mark's: mapM's Freeview map terrainM's terrain plot wavesM's frequency data M's Freeview Detailed Coverage
Thursday, 14 June 2012
K
Karen Furley9:15 AM
Canterbury
Hi.Switchover to digital happened yesterday in Elham, Kent. After re-tuning, I only pick up BBC channels for TV and radio. I've seem to lost ITV and Channel 4. Aerial is on the roof above chimney and tv is a Sony digital hd ready and I don't use a setop box. Do ITV and Channel 4 come at a later date?
| link to this comment |
Karen's: mapK's Freeview map terrainK's terrain plot wavesK's frequency data K's Freeview Detailed Coverage
Karen Furley: The rest of the channels come on 27th of this month.
That's the good news. There's two "buts"...
1. ...But "HD Ready" means that the set will not receive HD programmes over the air (via Freeview). I don't know whether you're aware of this as it catches a lot of people out (and which is probably why the marketeers like the phrase). All it means is that the TV can show HD pictures, but that they must come from another source, usually a set-top box.
2. ...But you may or may not be able to receive the full complement of Freeview channels.
The Public Service Broadcaster (PSB) channels are BBC, ITV1, ITV1+1, ITV2, Channel 4, Channel 4+1, E4, More 4, Channel 5 and the four HD channels. The rest are the Commercial (or "COM") broadcasters and they include ITV3, Pick TV, Yesterday, Film 4, Dave and many others.
If your aerial is directed to the Elham relay transmitter then you should be aware that it will carry only PSB channels. The aerial will be pointing north-easterly and will be vertical (elements up/down).
If your aerial is directed to the Dover transmitter, then you may be able to receive the COMs (it transmits PSBs and COMs). Dover is a little clockwise of east and your aerial will be horizontal.
The COMs cover 90% of the population whereas the PSBs cover about 98.5% of the population. The reason for the difference being that the COMs work on a profit-making basis selling advertising to show to viewers which they wish to aquire at lowest cost to themselves.
The COMs broadcast from the 81 largest (by viewer population) and achieve their 90% coverage. There are nearly 1,100 small "filler-in" transmitters like Elham and the cost for them to transmit from these is roughly equal to the amount it costs them for the 81 they have. When considered that the relays would only add 8.5% population to the potential viewer-base, it's not surprising that they're not interested.
The PSBs have a "Public Service" obligation, as the name implies, and the COMs don't.
The other main free-to-air service is Freesat and this may be particularly attractive for those not able to receive the Freeview COMs.
| link to this comment |
Friday, 15 June 2012
T
Trish Stygle 9:01 AM
Hi, we have just put up a new wide band aerial pointing towards the Chartham Transmitter. We do not get any of the ITV programmes, is there anything we can do.
| link to this comment |
Trish Stygle: The Chartham transmitter currently carries only BBC services, which is what happens at the first stage of switchover.
At the second and final stage on 27th, the rest come on air. Until then, ITV and Channel 4 continue to be available in analogue, as does BBC One.
The bad news is that Chartham will only carry Public Service channels which are BBC, ITV1, ITV1+1, ITV2, Channel 4, Channel 4+1, E4, More 4, Channel 5 and the four HD services. Furthermore, aerials installed for Chartham which are Group A ones will be expected to work fine for digital and therefore a wideband aerial is unnecessary.
To get more channels, you will have to investigate how likely you might be able to receive from another transmitter that carries them, such as Dover.
| link to this comment |
Sunday, 17 June 2012
J
John Bean2:37 PM
We have samsung smart tv. We have lost all itv channels, 14th June 2012. I have retuned TV but still nothing, Can you help
| link to this comment |
Select more comments
Your comment please