Feedback
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
Wednesday, 11 September 2013
A
ash4:51 PM
i now only can recieve.sky news and picktv/owned by sky/perfect.nothing else...!!!!!!
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MikeP
7:42 PM
7:42 PM
Ian from Notts
Updates for the firmware that runs the boxes is normally downloaded at night via the satellite. I understand that there can be other update information made available at night as well. So if the box is not in standby or 'on' then these updates will be missed and they are not normally available at other times. For a Sky box, the actual operation is controlled by Sky, generally using the telephone link to instigate the download - but not exclusively.
By telling people to turn the Sky box, and certain other equipments, off at night means they will miss out on the updates as they are only available for a short period.
The main reason people used to switch everything off at night was because of the fear of the equipment failing and the consequent fire risk. Some people not only used the on/off switch on the equipment but also turned the socket off and even unplugged the mains cable/wire from the wall socket as well! Some even pulled out the aerial connections at the same time! (Lose connections caused by this action was a common problem for service engineers!)
None of these actions are needed, generally, with good quality modern electronic equipment. They are designed and tested to have a low power consumption, frequently less than 1 Watt, in standby mode. Some equipment does not have a 'back up' battery to retain settings and relies on the availability of power to preserve the user settings and even the time setting for the clock!
Having said all that, it is wise to disconnect any equipment that uses a significant amount of power, such as electric room heaters, cookers, kettles, etc. The manufacturer fitted on/off switch is adequate for that on good, well designed and well made equipment that is properly used and maintained, but care should be taken with 'cheap' products.
The user, as always, is responsible for the care and maintenance of all their products and should ensure that the equipment they use is safe and well maintained. I am only able to advise and take no responsibility for any consequences of how any user cares for and uses their own equipment.
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Thursday, 12 September 2013
H
Helen Belcham5:14 PM
I am thinking of stopping my subscription to Sky. I can see from the above comments that I would still be able to use the Sky box for certain channels. What about recording and watching back? No-one has mentioned this. Would I be better buying a system such as Humax and not bothering with my Sky box.
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Helen Belcham:
Once you stop being a customer of sky you will NOT be able to use the record functions.
You can either apply to sky for a Freesat card for your box which is about £30, however you need to buy these whenever they change the setup! :)
Or, your best option would be to buy a Freesat recorder box, ie HUMAX and be totally free from any company.
regards
Jamie Stevens
Jays Cabling Services
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jamie's: mapJ's Freeview map terrainJ's terrain plot wavesJ's frequency data J's Freeview Detailed Coverage
Monday, 16 September 2013
P
Paul10:56 PM
Lytham St. Annes
I have a tv amplifier with three TVs on it. I have just tried to tune each tv to digital with no channels at all. Will it be the amplifier which is 10 years old or the aerial which is the same age.
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Paul's: mapP's Freeview map terrainP's terrain plot wavesP's frequency data P's Freeview Detailed Coverage
M
Michael11:06 PM
Paul: More than likely the amplifier, if possible try taking a TV to the location where the aerial cable comes into the house and connecting it up to see if the aerial is ok.
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Tuesday, 17 September 2013
B
Bill W8:35 PM
Milton Keynes
There have been a number of issues tabled in recent months (years?) where multiple TVs are connected to a single aerial via some sort of splitter. Although the following comments may be regarded as as purist (or even pedantic!), they are worth bearing in mind if you have reception problems, particularly on channels widely spaced in the TV spectrum.
Be very careful of the type of splitter you're using. It is essential that all ports are correctly terminated (usually 75 ohms, ie, a TV set or a 75 ohms "dummy load". This is to ensure that "standing waves" do not occur on the feeder/s which can, if the relevant output feeder length corresponds to a quarter wavelength at the frequency in question, will result in the equivalent of a short circuit in signal terms if left unterminated. This is particularly the case with simple "Y" splitters which usually contain only a couple of resistors as a feeble attempt at matching the "load/s" to the "aerial". Such splitters are best avoided.
Even amplified splitters may have less than ideal output matching characteristics and all unused outlets should be correctly terminated at all times. Beware leaving coaxial feeders unplugged from TVs in any rooms; they should always be terminated.
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Bill's: mapB's Freeview map terrainB's terrain plot wavesB's frequency data B's Freeview Detailed Coverage
Wednesday, 18 September 2013
S
Steve 6:07 PM
Hi when I record on my freeview box and try to watch another channel it displays a message saying no signal check your antenna
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S
Steve P6:58 PM
Steve how are you trying to do this?
I'm guessing that you are recording on the box and trying to watch TV live using a built in Freeview Tuner, or a Freeview Box. In either case you need a jump lead to connect from the RF Out or similar socket in the Freeview recorder on to the TV/other box. Or alternatively a separate aerial feed. With neither there will indeed be "no signal"
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S
Steve P7:01 PM
Paul do you have access to the amplifier? If so, connect the input lead to one output lead and see if it works.
Do you know how it is powered?
Is it a new setup with the TVs, or has something that used to work stopped?
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