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.
4:18 PM
Plymouth
I have a Panasonic DVD recorder DMR EX75 which has given no problems with either receipt of programmes or recording since the switchover of the Caradon Hill transmitter to digital until this last week. I have an indoor aerial which gives strength 5 on the listed channels.
Following an automatic update of channels (21) I lost the connection to BBC1, 2 & 3 although I now discover BBC on channel 901. ITV programmes are unaffected. I have retuned the recorder several times and once I did recover the missing programmes although they were missing the next day. I have a separate t/V with tuner operating from an indoor set top aerial which works correctly.
Can you please advise how I can recover full service.
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Michael's: mapM's Freeview map terrainM's terrain plot wavesM's frequency data M's Freeview Detailed Coverage
11:57 PM
Kidlington
Just lost ITV and C4 channels. Signal check suggests 90% receiption which is the same for BBC channels, but the signal is very glitchy with blocks. This just started this week and I have not found a solution rescanning has not helped. BBC displays without issue.
OX5 1ES
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Tez's: mapT's Freeview map terrainT's terrain plot wavesT's frequency data T's Freeview Detailed Coverage
Tez: Looking at your close proximity it could be caused by the strength of the signal overloading your receiver. See:
Freeview signals: too much of a good thing is bad for you | Digital switchover | ukfree.tv - 10 years of independent, free digital TV advice
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10:54 PM
Willenhall
We have just lost itv4, film4 and all our radio stations tried retuning twice, the menu says we have 14 radio but there are none once scan has finished. We had all on a respectable 80% strenght. Postcode WV13 2LG
Grateful for any clues ?
Thanks
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Helen's: mapH's Freeview map terrainH's terrain plot wavesH's frequency data H's Freeview Detailed Coverage
12:50 PM
Caerphilly
We lost ITV and Channel Four aswell as their associated channels last week. The weather seemed to be affecting them. Yesterday we retuned the television and we now have lost the above channels completely. Our aerial is on the roof. Our digital radio is also affected by the weather - I don't know if that is relevant.
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Judith's: mapJ's Freeview map terrainJ's terrain plot wavesJ's frequency data J's Freeview Detailed Coverage
11:22 PM
Hello
We live in York, receiving all Freeview channels from Emley Moor. Tonight all the channels on PSB2, COM4 and COM6 say "no signal". I tried re-scanning and now those channels have disappeared completely from menu, as the scan didn't detect them.
Is the problem with Emley Moor, or is it possible for something to go wrong with an aerial (on roof) that leaves it capable of picking up some muxes but not others?
Thanks in advance!
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2:05 PM
I think we've found the problem - our aerial has bent - probably as a result of a big fat woodpigeon perching on it! It was old and rusty so can't really blame the bird.
Must have enough ability to pick up three of the muxes but not the other three.
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9:13 PM
Weymouth
aerial is in loft. local tv aerial supplier says that itv4 is not available in this area.Is that accurate?
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a.blumenfeld's: mapA's Freeview map terrainA's terrain plot wavesA's frequency data A's Freeview Detailed Coverage
9:44 PM
a.blumenfeld: Basically yes! because your local Weymouth transmitter is a PSB only station that does not transmit commercial programmes, and with the reception predictor indicating a mixture of variable to poor as far as reception from the main Rowridge station is concerned.
Although I would be inclined to accept what your local aerial installer has said as after all he knows the area, it might still be prudent to make one or two local enquiries just to verify what you have been told, although it must always be remembered that when receiving a signal in situations such as yours its not necessarily the case that a signal that can be received at one location will be at another, even when relatively nearby such as 30 yards or so, and sometimes much less.
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5:27 PM
Film 4 is no longer available on our TV I have retuned several times but channel 15 (Film 4) does not appear. My postcode is CF355HL
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