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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?
In this section
Sunday, 30 December 2012
J
June9:53 PM
Swansea
Hi, I cancelled my virgin subscription a few months ago as I could no longer afford it, but really miss their recording feature. I have freeview built-in on my TV with excellent reception. and was wondering if there is any way to record programmes using my VCR? I've connected it up using 2 scart leads and can play old recordings so I know that it's working OK. But not knowing very much about what I'm doing it's purely guess-work. My common sense can't see how it could possibly work as there's no signal going through the VCR so I'm looking for some expert advice please? I'm not able to spend money on an alternative yet either, but I do have an old 'Pace' box, and the satellite dish is still in place from 14 years ago...Would I be able to utilise them to record from 'Freesat' instead maybe?
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June's: mapJ's Freeview map terrainJ's terrain plot wavesJ's frequency data J's Freeview Detailed Coverage
Monday, 31 December 2012
J
jb388:08 AM
June: Being able to record from the TV depends entirely on what brand model of TV you have and so maybe you could mention what it is, but the main problem with doing things this way is that you can only record what you are presently viewing, or if not actually viewing anything the TV has still have to be left switched on if you want to record anything.
You would be much better using your old Pace box and recording from Sky's Free to view channels, and which apart from the very odd exception are very similar to Freesat and with a viewing card not really being necessary except to view an odd channel here and there, the only downside of not using a
card being that your local news "might" not actually be local but from a wider area.
As far as connections are concerned, as you are only intending to use the Pace box for recording from, then your VCR's AV2 scart socket (might be marked decoder) would be coupled into the Sky boxes AV2 (usually marked VCR) and with the VCR's AV1 going into the TV's scart socket, and which it might already be connected into.
In operation as far as the VCR is concerned, the VCR would operate exactly as you are presently using it, but if you wish to record from the Pace box then you would select EXT or AV2 on the VCR's input select menu and that would enable the Sky box (if not in standby) to be viewed on the TV through the VCR, because unless you selected EXT or AV2 on the VCR it would be trying to view or record via its own internal tuner, which of course would result in nothing being recorded as analogue TV is no longer in use.
Another point to note being, that you do not require any connections to be made to the aerial socket on the VCR as it doesn't really serve any purpose, and if you are going to record from the Pace box then after you have set the VCR's timer you can, as would usually be done, put the VCR in standby but NOT the Pace box, other wise nothing would be recorded.
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J
jb388:19 AM
June: Small addition to "in operation", remember that when setting the VCR's timer for recording to always select EXT or AV2 on it rather than a channel number, as you are using the external input on a permanent basis.
VCR's recording set up menu systems can differ depending on the brand model, but the external input must always be set as such and never a channel number.
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Tuesday, 1 January 2013
M
MIKE2:30 PM
Hi i have sky reciever when i put on all channells there are arrows on some channells how do i get these of when ipress to go on station there OK just cant get rid arrows once again thanx
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J
john thompson10:29 PM
the epg on my freeview plus box has completely disappeared i have tried all the reset actions retuned it everything but i carnt get them back any suggestions
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Wednesday, 2 January 2013
A
ALAN PEACHEY12:11 PM
Anyone know what the new channel is on ASTRA 11623H? It says NO SERVICE, but on the info bar it says various NEWS programmes. Thanks.
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J
John7:15 PM
Just an update regarding my situation - moved the aerial slightly higher and replaced the standard coaxial cable with satellite grade cable. Finally got 64% signal and channels! Thankyou very much for all of your advice! (54.9589,-1.5866)
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J
jb388:15 PM
John: Many thanks for the update! and I'm please to hear that you have been successful in sorting the problem out, although I do suspect that its the new cable / terminations on that has played the biggest part in rectifying the fault, albeit the situation having been further improved by you having moved the aerial, a device that is deceptively good for its size as I use various types of these log aerials in conjunction with variable boosters on fault finding missions in difficult (and sometimes distant) reception areas.
Pleased to have been of assistance!
Regards / JB.
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Thursday, 3 January 2013
B
Bill W8:46 AM
In the past I was able to display a Test Card (a bit old fashioned but useful for checking display characteristics) by selecting Freeview channel 105 followed by a keypad selection routine. Recently, I've been unable to do this, mainly because channel 105 no longer exists in the line up.
Why is this, and/or is there any other route to achieving the Test Card?
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