All posts by Michael Perry
Below are all of Michael Perry's postings, with the most recent are at the bottom of the page.
MikeB:
Just for your information, Freeserve was the name of the service arm of Thorn UK Rentals until it ceased trading several years ago.
Patrick Mcdermott:
Further to that said by MikeB, make sure any TV set you buy has a DVB-T2 tuner, many 'HD Ready' TV serts do not have that tuner and cannot get many Freeview services. That is especially important as more channels afre being transferred to the more efficient DVB-T2 format and if the TV does not have that you will be losing out. It is also worth ensuring you have a Smart TV, not just because you could then watch catch-up TV but there are discussions about transferring all TV services onto the Internet and closing the Freeview transmitter eventually. Some year away yet but wise to be equipped and ready for such changes when they happen. You will need a decently fast internet service and have that connected to the TV.
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Asad:
We need a full post code, not a partial. Only then can we determine which transmitter you should be using and what the reception conditions are like. Indoor aerials are rarely good enought for full reception unless you are very close to the transmitter.
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m Flanagan:
Try switching off the Sky box at the mains supply and removing that mains supply plug from the wall socket. Wait 5 minutes and plug it back in again and turn on. When the box has reset, see if you get any channels. If you do then there is a fault developing in the box. If you don't then there may a fault in the cables from your dish to the box or in the LNB on the dish (though such faults are rare).
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david dobbs:
We need a full postcode to help determine reception conditions and which transmitter is best. Indoor aerials are rarely much good, only being suitable if you are very close to the transmitter and have no obstructions in the way. The aerial must be placed where it has clear sight of the transmitter aerial mast and has nothing obstructing the line of sight. People moving in the room or nearby will affect reception, which is why an external or loft aerial is preferable.
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Andrew Cooper:
Your location is poorly served by any transmitter (see Freeview reception at SP61E S), you being in the valley, though the 'preferred' one is Rowridge, either vertical or horizontal or both. Retuning at such times will make no difference at all but may result in the loss of some services. The cause may be the mass of trees forming the New Forest which is between you and Rowridge.
Have you checked the signal strength and quality at times when reception is poor and when it is good? What resulkts do you get? If the strength is greater than about 80% you have too string a signals, if it is less than 50% then you r signal is too weak. In that case you might try an external aerial mounted higher than currently. If it is too strong then an attenutaor should be tried.
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M Flanagan:
Then it seems you have either a faulty box or a faulty LNB. If the former then Sky are the ones to contact, especially if you have taken out the insurance cover. Or you could try buying an 'inexpensive' Sky or Freesat box on line to try. If that works then the LNB is OK. Otherwise, talk to a local TV retailer and/or aerial contractor as the LNB or leads may need replacing.
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Al Bonici:
Freeview services are not transmitted via satellite, they are provided via terrestrial transmitters only.
You may be able to receive some UK television channels via satellite, as Sky and Freesat signals may be available with your large dish. It will need to be aimed towards the orbital position 28.2 degrees East, the actual azimuth and elevation setting of the dish will need to be found by using one of the many on-line dish aiming websites and entering your location as coordinates (x degrees East or West and x degrees North).
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Alan D:
Freeview is not available via satellite, Freesat and Sky services are. A sky box does not need a viewing card top receive the Freesat services, it only acts as a form of filter to show the localised services for the area where the card is registered. If no card is inserted you will get all the services, local ones being in the 800 range of LCNs.
You do not give any information about the dish size nor where it is aimed. You will need a dish of at least 1.8m diameter, possibly larger if you are towards the southern end of the Costa. It must be aimed directly at the satellites which are position in an orbit above the Equator at a point 28.2 and 28.5 degrees East of the Greenwich Meridian. The aim of the dish is best calculated using one of the on-line satellite dish aiming calculators - niote that it does not point 28 degrees east at your location. You need to get the azimuth abd elevation values from the chosen website and adjust the dish to those angles, allowing for the use of an offset arm with the LNB. Only then might you get some signals.
You might consider a non-Sky satellite box designed for use with Freesat instead. That will put the prgorammes onto the correct LCNs. The dish considerations above still apply.
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Dave Haughton:
The information you require is given in the blue blocks below your posting. They suggest Winter Hill is likely to be your best source, though Saddleworth may an alternative if there are large building obstructing your view of Winter Hill. This information found on the digitaluk trade block and the terrain plot block mentioned.
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Tuesday 29 December 2015 6:11PM
Val:
Then we need to know the exact make and model of your TV set so we can look up in the User Manual - which you should already have or have looked for on-line.