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Freeview intermittent interference

When you get occasional sound loss or picture freezes

When you get occasional sound loss or picture freezes
published on UK Free TV

There are several different types of interference that cause problems. This page deals with the situation where:

  • Freeview reception is perfect or near-perfect most of the time
  • The audio on TV and radio channels mutes momentarily a few times each minute
  • The picture on a Freeview channel freezes a few times each minute


There are two main causes of this type of intermittent interference:
  • 'Induction' interference
  • Mobile phone interference


Induction interference

Induction interference is caused by mains-powered household devices that contain a large motor, such as:
  • Washing machine;
  • Tumble dryer;
  • Central heating pump or combination boiler;
  • Fridge;
  • Freezer;
  • Power tools (drills, jigsaws etc)
  • Vacuum cleaners;
  • Water pumps;
  • Automatic doors


You can identify if one or more of these devices is causing the Freeview reception problem by powering off the devices.

If one of these devices is causing the problem, then the reception problem can usually be solved by using a mains filter device and use it on the Freeview boxes mains connection.



Such as device is this: Maplin: 6-Way Flat Screen and HDTV Surge Protector and Mains Filter.

Mobile phone interference

If you keep a mobile phone by your Freeview box or digital television, keep it further away!

This also applies to other transmitters such as baby monitors, video senders, walkie talkies, and portable phones.

Help with Freeview, aerials?
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In this section
Official aerial installers guide to the TV spectrum future1
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High pressure causing channel loss through "Inversion"3
Digital Region Overlap4
Freeview reception has changed?5
Two frequency interference 6

Comments
Tuesday, 22 September 2015
B
Ben
8:56 PM

jb38: ok, thanks mate, I'll give that a go.

link to this comment
Ben's 2 posts GB flag
Friday, 2 October 2015
A
Alan Lyall
5:59 AM

Www are experiencing intermittent pixelation on HD channels. This happened about 2 months ago, but the cleared. We have free view through a.talktalk box.
We.live in Weston super Mare.
thanks

link to this comment
Alan Lyall's 1 post GB flag
Tuesday, 6 October 2015
E
Eric Tripp
12:52 PM

Getting intermittant tv interference with bad pixellation. Comes & goes since yesterday. Started again today at 1.30pm.
Poole town area. Receive from Rowridge.

link to this comment
Eric Tripp's 2 posts GB flag
Wednesday, 4 November 2015
G
Guy
2:01 PM

We get tv signal drop out so have no tv as it looks as if we live in a poor signal area . It is intermittent , but happens in the evenings . Any remedies known please?

link to this comment
Guy's 1 post GB flag
Thursday, 5 November 2015
M
MikeP
sentiment_satisfiedSilver

12:31 PM
Trowbridge

Guy, Eric, Alan, et all:

It has been suggested that the recent warm days have given rise to atmospheric conditions that can disrupt TV reception. As there are many similar reports from around the southern part of the UK, that would seem to be quite likely. Do NOT retune your TV set under such situation.

link to this comment
MikeP's 215 posts GB flag
MikeP's: mapM's Freeview map terrainM's terrain plot wavesM's frequency data M's Freeview Detailed Coverage
Tuesday, 10 November 2015
S
Sheila Lane
11:04 AM

Why can't I get channel 82

link to this comment
Sheila Lane's 1 post GB flag
Wednesday, 11 November 2015
A
alan fletcher
8:07 PM

i live in braunton and the sound is out of sync with the picture. this only happens on the hd channels
on freeview sd all the other sd channels are ok. awaiting your reply
regards
mr alan fletcher

link to this comment
alan fletcher's 3 posts GB flag
Monday, 30 November 2015
E
Elizabeth Driver
7:00 PM

For about one month we have had pixillated reception from time to time - we also get breaks in radio programmes. We live near the centre of Hemel Hempstead. We have followed the instructions regarding returning to factory settings deleted all channels and started again as per the instructions on this site but there is no improvement. All advide welcome.

link to this comment
Elizabeth Driver's 1 post GB flag
Tuesday, 1 December 2015
M
MikeP
sentiment_satisfiedSilver

2:34 PM
Trowbridge

Elizabeth Driver:

To assist with this type of problem contributors need to know your location more accurately as Hemel Hempstead is a large area. Do this by providing a post code (or that of a close by shop or post office) so we can then examine which transmitter would likely be best for you and whether there are any known problems with that. Also whether there are any reception problems due to hills, buildings, etc.

Have you asked your neighbours who also use Freeview whether they are having the same problems? If they are not then you may have a problem with your aerial system, the cabling or the TV set itself.


link to this comment
MikeP's 215 posts GB flag
MikeP's: mapM's Freeview map terrainM's terrain plot wavesM's frequency data M's Freeview Detailed Coverage
Wednesday, 9 December 2015
S
Sally Stanwell
3:17 PM

I can no longer find radio programmes, channels 700 on Freeview. Anything I can do to get them back. I have rerun the installation. They show up when searching but not there when installation finished.


link to this comment
Sally Stanwell's 2 posts GB flag
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