Forumite Members › General Topics › Tech › Other Tech › Freeview Retune & New aerial
- This topic has 32 replies, 9 voices, and was last updated 7 years, 11 months ago by
Bob Williams.
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March 23, 2018 at 12:01 pm #18020
We had a freeview change in my area (Crystal Palace transmitter) and as a result I no longer get a few Freeview HD channels – and annoyingly C4+1 HD which I watch a lot. I’ve retuned all TVs and STBs but they don’t get these channels which have been moved to national UHF channel 55. My STB has RF and Satellite tuners but double- annoyingly C4+1HD is not on FreeSat
Turns out my freeview aerial is not up to it – its probably the original 1950s aerial (looks like a flat fishbone) and I need a wideband aerial for the missing channels.
In the post-sky world I want these channels back so am happy to pay out – wondering if any one has experience of good/bad aerials, the ease/difficulty of DIY or what I should expect to pay it getting a pro in is a better bet. I’ve installed and set up Sky systems before but not normal telly.
Ta!
March 23, 2018 at 1:54 pm #18024I have had not encountered that issue with the first two boxes I retuned. However I installed a new box after lunch today in a different part of the house and this lacks the channels others can receive access. I suspect that it could be a distribution amp problem or perhaps even a wiring issue, but not an aerial problem. The aerial is about 26 years old multi band or wide band aerials have been about for a long time, so I would be surprised if an unsuitable device could remain on the market for very long.
I think I now have my afternoon planned out and will let you know what I find.
March 23, 2018 at 2:18 pm #18025Cheers Richard – I’ve gone straight from aerial input to TV and STB with same result (so bypassing all amps, splitters etc) – same result. On the STB I can shoose a UHF channel to scan manually and scanning UHF 55 finds nothing. The freeview update for my area shows the little icon saying “aerial upgrade may be required” – my aerial is a lot older than yours. thanks
March 23, 2018 at 2:46 pm #18026BL, the plot gets thicker, a setup that has a number of channels that the new one does not also show channel 55 as not being active, are you sure that you need 55? I am not looking to find where the missing channels live.
March 23, 2018 at 3:08 pm #18027The channels I am missing are these;
56 5USA+1 Entertainment COM7 HD
57 5Spike+1 Entertainment COM7 HD
56 5USA+1 Entertainment COM7 HD
57 5Spike+1 Entertainment COM7 HD
64 CBS Action+1 Entertainment COM7 HD
67 CBS Reality +1 Entertainment COM7 HD
82 Vintage TV Entertainment COM7 HD
84 Quest Red+1 Entertainment COM7 HD
87 Keep It Country Entertainment COM7 HD
97 Pick+1 Entertainment COM7 HD
107 BBC NEWS HD HD COM7 HD
108 Al Jazeera Eng HD HD COM7 HD
109 Channel 4+1 HD HD COM7 HD
110 4seven HD HD COM7 HD
113 RT HD HD COM7 HD
272 Bollywood HD Streamed Channels COM7 HD
733 Trans World Radio Radio COM7 HD
CBS Action+1 EntertainmentCOM7 HD
67 CBS Reality +1 Entertainment COM7 HD
82 Vintage TV Entertainment COM7 HD
84 Quest Red+1 Entertainment COM7 HD
87 Keep It Country Entertainment COM7 HD
97 Pick+1 Entertainment COM7 HD
107 BBC NEWS HD HD COM7 HD
108 Al Jazeera Eng HD HD COM7 HD
109 Channel 4+1 HD HD COM7 HD
110 4seven HD HD COM7 HD
113 RT HD HD COM7 HD
272 Bollywood HD Streamed Channels COM7 HD
733 Trans World Radio Radio COM7 HD
As you can see all are on COM7, I am now suspecting that the new box asked me to select where is was and that it may have used and incorrect location code so missed the COM7 allocations for this area. I will try changing the set up to select another location and let you know what happens.
March 23, 2018 at 3:21 pm #18028Richard 55 is the UHF channel/band number – not an “actual” channel number – its more like a band (I might even be calling it wrong) with several individual actual channels in it – the channels used to live in channels 23,30, 37 and a couple of others, but the missing ones have been moved to a new national band/channel (55) which I don’t seem to get.
I’ve rung a local aerial firm who are coming round this evening and I’ll see what they say.
For me all the missing channels are now in UHF channel/band 55. I’ll let you know what the bloke says when he’s had a gander, and if the upgrade is not too much (£150 seems to be par according to the freeview website) I’ll probably get it done.
Stay tuned!
March 23, 2018 at 3:54 pm #18032I think that the correct term is multiplex 55, and it on a frequency band in the 71000 sort of range, (memory is not perfect). I have checked with a device that is receiving all of the COM7 channels and that is showing no signal in multiplex 55) at this time even though all the channels such as the one you want (C4+1 HD) are being received.
March 23, 2018 at 4:06 pm #18033You are probably right Richard (terminology) – I think the changes are being rolled out at different times across the country – starting in the south – looks like the rest of the country has up till 2020. I know my chnnels went when they did the Crystal Palace cutover, and no devices will retune the missing channels since. Where are you based out of interest?
March 23, 2018 at 4:09 pm #18034Channel 4 and All4, have left Freesat HD BL:
I got notification from Humax a couple of weeks ago. “Vanilla” Ch.4 is still OK.
Extract: ” This followed the notification by Freesat of major changes to its charging structure, significantly increasing Channel 4’s costs, which ultimately takes funding away from our investment in British programmes. To reduce the overall burden of these costs and make internal savings, we have withdrawn All 4 and Channel 4HD while we consider our long term relationship with Freesat. ”
So they are indulging in the usual British practice of Blame Each Other, with the PBC* in the middle, as always. I will take a look at Freeview channels later on this desktop HD tuner, as Freesat is on lounge TV. Off to pick up N0.2 Gson from work now.
*Poor Bloody Customer.
When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.March 23, 2018 at 4:25 pm #18036Yeah the grief is with Freeview (no Sat) Bob – sorry for any confusion – got one tuner of each on my STB and the grief is with the terrestrial Freeview channels that moved (here) 21st March
C4+1HD was never on FreeSat – shame as if it was i could have lived without it on Freeview. I suspect the channel shake up means a new aerial will be a good idea in any case – don’t suppose they’ll stop b*ggering about!
March 23, 2018 at 4:51 pm #18037Right, I have had a little help from the supplier and have now cracked the problem. It is nothing to do with my aerial or wiring but to do with the transmission standard. The missing HD channels are DVB-T2. When doing your manual search it is necessary to search for DVB and if there is nothing then change the transmission being sought to DVB-T2 and see if anything comes up. For some reason some boxes are not detecting the difference and so not tuning the right way. I now have all the missing channels, while I was playing I was also able to set up the Wi Fi so obviating the need to rush out for some (more) powerline adaptors tonight. So success attended my efforts — in the end. I am to the north of London in East Hertfordshire, not to far from Bishops Stortford.
March 23, 2018 at 5:00 pm #18039Cheers Richard – yeah I’m searching for DVB-T2 (T=terrestrial and 2=HD I think) and getting nowt. I definitely got all these channels before 21st and nothing since. Aerial man is due by 6 but said they’d ring so not holding my breath.
March 23, 2018 at 5:39 pm #18042I had to do manual tuning and channel (multiplex) by channel (multiplex) and I repeated it all a couple of times. It has been a boring and frustrating while. The stupid thing was that the first time I had the ones on the BBC B multiplex including channel 4 ‘normal’, then I lost them but did get the COM7 -HD ones. Another trip round the houses got all of them back. One issue I had was that the signal display took more time to appear than I was allowing, a mistake I only found by accident when I saw something come up behind a screen I was about to use. It probably only took a couple of seconds, but they were seconds I had not always allowed.
March 23, 2018 at 6:06 pm #18043Bloke’s just been – needs a new aerial – wanted £250 + vat (so £300) so left it alone for now (will shop around). Its not desperate, but I’ll get it done. I’ve a feeling I’ve got a relative or in-law in this game but can’t remember who it is….will have to scratch my brains. I reckon my aerial is probably at least 50 years old.
March 23, 2018 at 6:18 pm #18044Well that was interesting.
I had my new DVB-T2 Hauppage tuner in this desktop, working with the WinTV setup, including their EPG. This had lost most of the channels you indicated Richard. I played with the EPG for a while, but TBH it is a real mess. Before I installed the DVB-T2 tuner card, I had used the previous (DVB) tuner card with WMP and that was a much better EPG.
I uninstalled WinTV and installed WMP. All the channels came back and I can use WMP’s EPG much more easily. However, they are not displaying programme data on HD channels, which is not a serious problem.
Hope all these acronyms are understandable!
BL: with that aerial, you can probably get “The Lone Ranger”, original black and white “Superman”, “Champion the Wonder Horse” and Muffin The Mule on “Children’s Hour”. ???
When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.March 23, 2018 at 6:35 pm #18046That is a lot, it sounds a bit like he thought you were a ransom purchaser, I am still not confident that he really knew what the issue was, just the pound signs. I had a look on Screwfix for (named) items you could be looking at as much as £20 up to about twice that for the aerial itself, do any of them look like your old one?
Chuck in a bit of cable some cleats and the skill to find your gaff and get up to the roof, that sounds like a high cost. A local chap did a bit of work on the perished cable last year, the first time(s) he charged nothing, but then the fault became clearer and he did the work for a very reasonable charge though I cannot now remember what it was perhaps in the £50~£60 range. I do not ‘do’ roof work! He came with all the correct kit which made me happy to let him loose, I have seen some skipping characters about on local roofs with nothing more than wet plimsolls.
March 23, 2018 at 6:52 pm #18049Yep, he was trying it on at that price. Half of that is more like it, plus the London tax.
March 23, 2018 at 6:57 pm #18051yeah I make you right – the freeview site suggests £150 ballpark – their own site said typically £129 + vat (so £156) – but he said – “yeah but your aerial’s on a chimney, heights, health and safety blah blah…..” – as opposed to most aerials on the ground floor I suppose……mine’s about as bog standard as you can get.
In any case I’m not in a rush – but I’ll need a new aerial at some point if I want to get the missing HD channels back…..SD will do for now though and the “big 5” free channels are all still there in HD.
I’m not great with heights but have done a few Sky dishes, and have a mate who’s a roofer, so will see if I can get a better price and then consider DIY (with help!).
March 23, 2018 at 8:52 pm #18058Make sure the installer uses the black, screened Co Ax BL. One herbert around here is still using the old brown stuff. I think he’s had the stuff for years, caught him at a neighbour’s with it. We have a reception problem here: below the Wolds and lots of trees. We all have tall aerials, he was trying to say neighbour doesn’t need it high and wanted to put it in the loft. One short 3-way conversation later, he was off. My son bought the aerial, cable and kit, as aerial erecting was one of the many jobs he did after redundancy in the 90’s. As he still has a tuning meter, he installed the aerial and neighbour is happy.
When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.March 24, 2018 at 1:33 pm #18171Well that was interesting. I had my new DVB-T2 Hauppage tuner in this desktop, working with the WinTV setup, including their EPG. This had lost most of the channels you indicated Richard. I played with the EPG for a while, but TBH it is a real mess. Before I installed the DVB-T2 tuner card, I had used the previous (DVB) tuner card with WMP and that was a much better EPG. I uninstalled WinTV and installed WMP. All the channels came back and I can use WMP’s EPG much more easily. However, they are not displaying programme data on HD channels, which is not a serious problem. Hope all these acronyms are understandable! BL: with that aerial, you can probably get “The Lone Ranger”, original black and white “Superman”, “Champion the Wonder Horse” and Muffin The Mule on “Children’s Hour”. ???
I have used the WinTv tuners for some years in several PCs (apart for one that I based on a magazine review, within a year that company disappeared). My tuners are only SD and a bit long in the tooth now but the Hauppauge software has two issues, it can be unstable and fall over unpredictably and scheduled recordings cannot put the PC to sleep after the recording. It sets something that causes constant reawakening – perhaps I should try your software idea of WMP.
Update: a clarification to the bit about my old tuners and I corrected the I can be unstable, (which is probably correct) but I was talking about the software at the time…
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