Freeview

[lisap]

Anyone know whats up with my freeview box....Sometimes the pictures roll, sometimes its loads of squares jumbled up and jumping around. Is it faulty or is it interference? Anyone else get these problems. Its really annoying when you want to watch 'Most Haunted'!!

 

[breezer]

have you tried un plugging it for 5 mins?

 

[masona]

Yes I do because my postcode is not ready for it yet but I can get 95% channel without any problem or you may have a fault. Is your postcode in a acceptable area to pick up the signal ? You can check this on their website. Sometime a very windy day can do this to ours.

 

[securespark]

First thing to check is aerial. Get an aerial guy to meter yours and see if it is up for the job. Mine drops out occasionally, and I miss some subtitles, so think mine isn't 100%, either.

 

[masona]

Mine drops out occasionally, and I miss some subtitles,

I has this problem and move the aerial on the other side of my bungalow and been very good since then. I was told the reason could be the tree on the other side of my road blocking the signal !

 

[securespark]

While we're on this topic, I also get no response from the red button: is this usual?

 

[mildmanneredjanitor]

Its really annoying when you want to watch 'Most Haunted'!!

Isn't that camera effects then???

While we're on this topic, I also get no response from the red button: is this usual?

Yes, that's the Sky remote...

Seriously tho, how old is the aerial? It might be worth replacing the aerial (and coax) especially with digital as it needs a stronger signal otherwise you get that pixelated picture. Analogue is more forgiving.

If you do it yourself, you need to find out what 'band' you need (aerials are usually colour coded on the end) and are tuned to a particular frequency.

If the aerial is in the loft it will make it a doddle!

 

[securespark]

The aerial was inst. 18m ago specif. for Freeview. Guess I'll have it upgraded. Won't do it myself as I don't want to make an antipodean bird "fatherless"!!

 

[AdamW]

The thing with Freeview is, when it is good it is good. When it isn't, it's bl**dy irritating!

I tried installing an aerial in my loft (no existing aerial here, pretty much every property in town is wired for cable due to anti-aerial planning laws). This didn't help as I am in an area not covered by Freeview according to postcode.

So, I climbed up to the apex of my roof and bolted a mast on. Fitted that very same aerial and now the Freeview works. It gets blocky every time a moped goes past, the (RF) noisy little bu**ers.

1) Try the postcode search at http://www.freeview.co.uk/.
2) Consider an external aerial if you don't have one already
3) Try borrowing someone else's box of a different make (my box won't pick up at my grandad's house, but my brother's did so he bought one of them)
4) If it gets to the stage where you need to pay a guy to come round and sort an aerial, consider Sky as it may not be any more expensive over a year or two.

 

[lisap]

I think it might be a build up of static or something. We had a power cut yesterday and since the electric came back on its been fine. Does this seem normal?! I think next time it stars i will turn off the power and see if it clears again.

 

[IanDB]

Well, depending where you live it may actually be due to the weather. If you live a fair distance from your transmitter then you are prone to variations in reception due to atmospherics. On a standard analogue TV this results in fuzziness in the picture but with whizzo digital the synchronisation gets screwed up and you loads of squares.

In my area they reduced the power output of the transmitter on analogue when they started digital transmission and I had to increase the height of my aerial - still didn't improve things that much. But just to rub salt into the wound the digital signal isn't strong enough either. My neighbours turned on to Sky to get round the problems. Me, I'm just b*****y obstinate and will stick with analogue until it all switches off. I'll then probably ditch the TV as well! After all you can always go down the pub to watch the footy. Who scored? Mine's a pint!

 

[masona]

This didn't help as I am in an area not covered by Freeview according to postcode.

You can buy one from Dixon's to see if it works, if not they will refund your money within 7 days providing it's not damaged.
I'm not in the postcode area but receiving all channels at the moment !

 

[AdamW]

Ah, mine is a box from the onDigital days (yes, someone had to subscribe to it )

Back then I found out something interesting: if you bought a box from Dixons and didn't get reception, there was no refund (even if you were listed in an onDigital postcode). However, if you rung onDigital and said "I have a communal aerial" they would sell you the same package, for the same price, deliver it to the door and if it didn't work would pick it up again. Seemed like it was a bit of a legal grey area for Dixons, dunno how statutory rights would have come into it.

I went for digital satellite but no-one should be effectively forced into it. I don't think buying a TV licence gives you any minimum service level as it isn't practical to say that you will get good reception everywhere. They certainly shouldn't be reducing signal strength though, that is naughty.

In 10-20 years we will all wonder what the fuss was about. How many people got the wind up 'em when Channel 5 came about? And who cares about it now?

 

[IanDB]

when Channel 5 came about

Another sore point as I live on the part of the south coast where you can't get Cannel 5 'cos it intereferes with the French stations. Merde!

 

[masona]

Seemed like it was a bit of a legal grey area for Dixons, dunno how statutory rights would have come into it.

Dixon's has written it into the warranty agreement providing you return it within 7 days, maybe a selling point !
It even tell you on the till receipt as well !