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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
Monday, 3 December 2012
Dave Lindsay
sentiment_very_satisfiedPlatinum

7:15 PM

Paul Lister: The reason may be because you still have a Group A aerial which was installed in the days of four-channel analogue and which, crucially, isn't as sensitive at the higher frequencies used by Film4 and some other channels. It may be something that is liveable and which doesn't necessitate replacement.


An aerial isn't bothered whether it's analogue or digital - it is the frequency that it is used at that matters. In the days of analogue, for The Wrekin Group A aerials would have been installed, Group A being the bottom third of the band of frequencies used for TV. So a Group A aerial is more sensitive on those frequencies (UHF channels) and drops off outside. BBC, ITV1, C4 and C5 are still on Group A channels.

Film4 from The Wrekin is higher up (on a higher frequency) in the middle third, hence your aerial may not pick it up as well and this may explain why the automatic tuning scan hasn't picked it up on occasions.

Had this been an analogue signal, then the picture would probably have been grainy (i.e. poorer picture). However, digital is an all or nothing system with little inbetween. So providing that you can receive the signal with good quality (no breakup in the picture), then if it is weaker than the others, it isn't an issue.

The reason I draw this distinction is because strength isn't so much an issue with digital. There is a lower threshold over which you need to get for your receiver to work. Once you are far enough over it, then the picture should be fine (assuming good quality).


If your receiver has a manual tune function, then you should manually scan UHF channel (frequency) 47 for Film4.

Once you have it stored, if it continues to be available, then I would leave it as it is.

Some receivers have in-built boosters (which can be used on particular channels) and you may be able to use this to increase the strength of Film4.

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Dave Lindsay's 5,724 posts GB flag
Tuesday, 4 December 2012
P
Paul Lister
11:33 AM
Shrewsbury

Thanks, Dave Lindsay, for your interesting information. Thank goodness it wasn't the volcano! I think our aerial must be twenty years old and it's in the attic. Somebody said that doesn't matter but I suspect it's time we had a new one with all new cabling, connections checked etc. So I'll look into that, after trying a manual retune. Thanks again.

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Paul Lister's 6 posts GB flag
Paul's: mapP's Freeview map terrainP's terrain plot wavesP's frequency data P's Freeview Detailed Coverage
Dave Lindsay
sentiment_very_satisfiedPlatinum

12:59 PM

Paul Lister: No, it's not a volcano. The green area is not that which is at risk of succuming to lava.

If you receive Film4 reliably, then you can probably leave it as it is. You may have to manually tune when you do an automatic retune again, but so long as it is present (once added manually), then there will be no improvement in its picture with a new aerial.


If you are considering replacing the aerial yourself, or sending someone you know into the loft, then see this page for information on an aerial:

The Wrekin

I think, certainly in the first instance, there is no real need to replace the cabling. Just fit another aerial.

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Dave Lindsay's 5,724 posts GB flag
Wednesday, 5 December 2012
P
Paul Lister
5:38 PM
Shrewsbury

Ah, but that's my whole problem. I *don't* get Film 4, not in any shape or form. But I USED to! This is what baffles me. My tv is the same, my aerial is the same but where I used to get it now I don't. So it must be the transmitter, right? So what kind of 'progress' is this? What rubs salt into the wound is that nobody tells you you're suddenly going to lose channels, it just happens. What kind of problem is it that channels come and go like this? As I said, we had these channels, then they disappeared, then they came back, now they're gone again and have been for weeks. It's all so loose around the edges, not at all 21st century, to my way of thinking. I've tried manually retuning but no joy. So I guess I'll just have to be patient and wait until they fix the transmitter. Thanks.

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Paul Lister's 6 posts GB flag
Paul's: mapP's Freeview map terrainP's terrain plot wavesP's frequency data P's Freeview Detailed Coverage
J
jb38
sentiment_very_satisfiedPlatinum

7:51 PM

Paul Lister: Just out of interest, are you able to view ITV4(24)? as that is on the same multiplex as Film 4.

If you cannot view ITV4 either, then that is inclined to indicate that when you did previously receive Film 4 that the signal was sitting at a level which was just above the reception cut off threshold for your receiver and no more, but has now dropped down to just under it hence no reception.

Next time you try a manual tune on mux Ch47 (Film 4) after entering the channel number do NOT press search or scan, as on most equipment (excl some Sony's) the strength the signal is being received at will be indicated, so note whatever it is and then try the same test again but this time enter mux Ch44, giving an update on the outcome.

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jb38's 7,179 posts GB flag
Thursday, 6 December 2012
P
Paul Lister
5:25 PM

Ok, I did that. Manual tune on mux Ch 47 gave a signal strength of 100%. And a Quality reading that jumped between 0%, 10% and 50%, then round again. I didn't press Search. Then a manual scan on mux Ch44. That gave me a signal of 100% and Quality 100%. I searched on that out of interest and got about 20 channels in which I had no interest, so didn't save. So where does that leave me?
PS You said "mux Ch47 (Film 4)" - are you saying that mux Ch47 is where I *should* find Film 4?

Thanks for your patience.

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Paul Lister's 6 posts GB flag
J
jb38
sentiment_very_satisfiedPlatinum

9:34 PM

Paul Lister: Yes! as both these programmes are on the same multiplex (ArqB / COM6) and which transmits on Ch47, and my reason for requesting that you also try a check on Mux Ch44 (ArqA / COM5) was so that a signal strength / quality comparison could be made between the reception of these two transmitters, as both operate on 10Kw.

With regards to the erratic quality witnessed on Mux Ch47, this has to be looked at with reference to what you have reported on Mux Ch44, insomuch that if Ch44 is indicating 100% in both strength and quality then the next stage up from an indication of 100% is the possible onset of instability in the tuner caused by an excessively high level of signal, the symptoms of this being "exactly" as you have reported on Mux Ch47, as even although Muxes may have the same power rating is not by any means the case that they will be received at the same strength as each other.

On the other hand, Muxes are not necessarily always received at the same strength because RF signals do not conform to any rigid sets of rules, and it may be the case that the main beam of Ch47 is not reaching you in a direct fashion by being reflected from some distant object, this being the type of situation that can result in large fluctuations in quality, but though the only way to find out which of the two situations applies is to take measures to reduce the signal reaching your TV, because "if" your problem is being caused by an excessively high level of signal then the massively fluctuating quality will "instantly" stabilise as soon as the signal strength is reduced.

However should the situation "not" improve any then unfortunately, and terrible as it might be to say, but there really isn't much that you can do about this with the exception of possibly trying experiments with the aerial in an alternative position, this meaning in the horizontal plane and not necessarily higher, as in most cases this does not really make much of a difference and in some instances can make matters worse, as the "higher the better" only really applies 100% of the time to an aerial used for transmission purposes.

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jb38's 7,179 posts GB flag
Friday, 7 December 2012
P
Paul Lister
4:34 PM

Thanks both of you for all your help and information. Armed with this, I intend to find a local transmitter/aerial expert who may be able to apply it, hopefully to improve the situation. Best regards.

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Paul Lister's 6 posts GB flag
J
Jenny
6:48 PM
Brandon

Hi
I was just watching Pick TV shortly after 6pm on Freeview channel 11 and the picture broke up and the station has now disappeared completley. I have retuned the TV (built in Freeview) but it now says invalid DVB channel if I put in 11 on the remote. This keeps happening. Nothing else is connected to the TV . Location is Lakenheath. Aerial on roof. Thanks.

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Jenny's 1 post GB flag
Jenny's: mapJ's Freeview map terrainJ's terrain plot wavesJ's frequency data J's Freeview Detailed Coverage
Sunday, 9 December 2012
L
Lesley
10:50 AM
Colne

Hi,
we are in BB8 7PL, Foulridge and have an aerial that points to Pendle Forest. We have an outdoor aerial that comes into the house and a booster box, 3 separate cables put 3 points into the house, 2 downstairs 1 upstairs.

We are getting lots of drop out and pixelation on mux 2. The aerial man has turned down the signal strength at the aerial end to rule out an overly strong signal but this has made the problem worse.
At the moment we have one outdoor aerial but notice that our neighbours have two - we think one pointing to Pendle Forest and one to Winter Hill.

The part of Foulridge we are in is the lower part of the village with trees in front of us too.

I am going to ring the aerial man and ask what sort of aerial we have (group A or a wideband), he is local and has been fitting aerials int he area for years, very well established and thought of.

The other thing is that our 32 sharp TV is not as good at keeping the signal as our smaller bush TV.

We are thinking of getting a set top digi box to see if that fixes the problem or the other answer we think is to have a second aerial fitted, as our neighbours.
Any help, suggestions greatly appreciated. its driving us mad!!!!

Thanks
Lesley.

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Lesley's 5 posts GB flag
Lesley's: mapL's Freeview map terrainL's terrain plot wavesL's frequency data L's Freeview Detailed Coverage
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