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
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Friday, 10 May 2013
N
nic2:17 PM
nic: arqa arqb and d3 channels still missing despite several retunes. signal strenth has dropped to 56% though - not sure if that will impact?
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C
catherine3:30 PM
Hi jb38
The aeriel is horizontal and the TV is a Matsui M26DIGB19 (26" HD READY DIGITAL LCD TV) and yes I have the instrction manual.
I don't know how to do a signal check to note the mux number. When on ITV2+1 I press display on the remote and it comes up with the EPG channel number (ie 27), the signal strength and the title of the programme, but doesn't say the mxu channel.
Thanks again,
catherine
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Saturday, 11 May 2013
M
Matt9:41 PM
Hello
Have been having issues with Freeview in my apartment for about a week now. I have a 32inch LCD LG TV and a 21 inch Sony. Both have built in Freeview and for about a week now there has been a complete loss if ITV, C4, 5 etc. I receive the BBC Channels but BBC1 is very glitchy, Ie it jerks and cuts out.
My postcode is M15, Manchester. I have been living here for a year and never had any problems until now! Tried to rescan, retune, factory reset, unplug, plug back in etc - nothing seems to work! All I can find when I retune is 28 TV Channels and 12 radio channels.
I appreciate any response to help - if any more info is needed to help then please let me know.
Thanks in advance
Matt
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J
jb3811:59 PM
Matt: By mentioning apartment then that could suggest that you might be on a communal aerial system, if you are then have you checked with any of your neighbours to find out if they are also experiencing similar problems to yourself?
The other point being, that you are indicated as being extremely close to the Manchester Hulme relay which is a PSB only station, this making me wonder if you are tuned to this relay? i.e: you do NOT receive ITV3, Pick TV or Film4?
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Sunday, 12 May 2013
M
Matt12:23 PM
Morning JB - thanks for the response.
Yes as far as I know, I am on a communal aerial. I have asked the concierge in the building if anyone else has reported problems and nobody has so far.
At the minute I receive none of the ITV channels - I did used to though, as well as Film 4 etc. I get E4+1 but not E4! I am receiving Pick TV at the minute. My first few channels list as follows on the EPG:
1 - BBC1
2 - BBC2
7 - BBC3
11 - Pick TV
12 - Dave
17 - Really
29 - E4+1
32 - Movie Mix
and so on (all the rubbish channells like shopping ones).
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J
jb388:31 PM
Matt: What you have reported means that you are not receiving PSB2, COM4 or COM6.
You should carry out a manual tune check on these channels by going into the tuning menu / manual tune and entering mux Ch59 (ITV1 etc) into the box but NOT followed by pressing search or scan, because if a signal is being received its level should appear on the signal strength indicator.
If it does, note whatever it is then change the number in the box mux Ch58 (ITV3 etc) noting whatever seen, finally change the number to mux Ch55 (Film4 etc) and once again noting the level of anything seen and giving an update on results. It will though be interesting to find out if others in your block are also being similarly affected, because going by what you have reported I do have my doubts if they are.
Maybe you could also let me have the model number of your TV / box.
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M
Matt10:52 PM
Hi JB
I don't think my TV's give a signal strength indicator - but both 55 and 59 just say empty on a manual search.
The main TV in the flat is a LG 32LC56 i think. The other TV (Samsung) won't pick up any channels at all.
Just now, I'm even struggling to get anything on BBC too, the screen just flicking, from having a reception to black - very intermittent.
Just can't work out why everything has been fine for a year then all of a sudden I lose a load of channels! :(
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Monday, 13 May 2013
J
jb3812:11 AM
Matt: Maybe, but the point about the test was that you do NOT press search, as by not doing so makes the tuner act like a signal meter free of level restrictions whereas as soon as you press search its not, this being due to the reception threshold level circuitry taking over whereby a signal under a certain level will not be stored by the tuners memory.
By the way the signal check screen is accessed via: Menu / set up/ diagnostics, although LG menu systems when compared to say a Panasonic etc cannot in the very remotest sense be said to user friendly, quite the opposite!
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M
Matt10:15 PM
Hi JB
On the diagnostics screen only CH49 and CH50 come up.
Signal strength for 49 is 26% and quality 85%
Signal strength for 50 is 23% and quality 80%
If that helps in any way?
Many thanks for bearing with me!
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Tuesday, 14 May 2013
J
jb3812:30 AM
Matt: Ch49 is the transmitter used for such as Pick TV, Sky news, Dave etc whereas Ch50 is the BBC, but though going by your report with both these channels being received with a signal strength level that's liable to be hovering at around the lower cut off threshold level for your receivers tuner, but though with the other channels involved being significantly under it hence nothing is received, and although there is always a possibility of a fault having developed in the tuner, I do however feel that's its pointless to start altering anything before having verified as to whether or not the fault is also being experienced by others in your block.
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