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My ITV/C4 Freeview channels have disappeared - what can I do? Is it my SCART ca

My ITV/C4 Freeview channels have disappeared - what can I do? Is it my SCART cable?

My ITV/C4 Freeview channels have disappeared - what can I do?
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.



All questions
BBC Three Linear channel re-opens1
Removing all barriers to communication between diverse cultures2
How do I get a test card with Freeview3
What can I do when my Sky Digibox says 'No Signal' or 'Technical fau4
Can I receive UK TV in Ghana?5
In this section
My Freeview box has no EPG, is blank on FIVE, ITV3, ITV4, ITV2+1, has no sound o1
I have now lost all signal can you tell me what the problem might be?2
I have a Durabrand cg5660-m and I need the lock key code!3
What is the Inversion Effect and why does it effect my Freeview TV reception? 4
My high gain aerial can't get all the Freeview channels I expected5
What are the aerial types about? Are they high-gain?6

Comments
Saturday, 19 January 2019
K
Kathryn Davies
10:57 PM

Our ITV channels and 5 channels have pixelated with no signal messages but all the BBC channels and some others are working fine so I'm assuming it's not my Ariel, this happened a few weeks back too then came back a few days later but it's a nuisance when we watch mostly itv and 5 channels....why is this happening?

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Kathryn Davies's 1 post GB flag
Sunday, 20 January 2019
S
StevensOnln1
sentiment_very_satisfiedPlatinum

10:53 AM

Kathryn Davies: You haven't said where you are or which transmitter you're using so we can't check for any reported problems, but the most likely explanation is that you have a fault in your aerial system such as a loose or damaged cable or connection somewhere. Start by unplugging, checking and refitting the aerial lead behind your TV, then work your way back as far as you can safely access toward the aerial.

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StevensOnln1's 3,604 posts GB flag
Sunday, 27 January 2019
H
Helen Fitz-Harris
10:41 AM

Some of my Freeview channels are missing. and I am getting the Welsh version of Channel 4! What can I do to restore my channels?

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Helen Fitz-Harris's 1 post GB flag
S
StevensOnln1
sentiment_very_satisfiedPlatinum

10:56 AM

Helen Fitz-Harris: That sounds like your TV has retuned and picked up a Welsh transmitter (I assume you mean you're receiving S4C which is completely separate to Channel 4). If your provide a full postcode or can tell us which transmitter you normally receive, we can advise how to manually retune your TV back to the correct region. It's also worth checked that you don't have any loose or damaged cables or connections behind the TV which may cause the signal from your usual transmitter to be weaker than normal.

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StevensOnln1's 3,604 posts GB flag
Thursday, 28 March 2019
R
Ray chapman
9:06 AM

Hi. I have. Retuned my Sony android tv again to try to get free view forces tv. I have unplug the tv and taken the aerial out. Then set the tv back to factory settings. But still the same I have got 143 channels. But still not get forces tv. This is the only at the moment I know I cannot get can you help. Thank you

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Ray chapman's 1 post US flag
S
StevensOnln1
sentiment_very_satisfiedPlatinum

10:18 AM

Ray chapman: Which transmitter are you receiving? Forces TV is carried on the COM8 multiplex which is only broadcast from 29 transmitters (along with BBC Four HD). Please provide a full postcode so that we can see which transmitter you're using, where you are in relation to it and your predicted signal strength etc.

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StevensOnln1's 3,604 posts GB flag
Tuesday, 16 April 2019
P
Pamela W Stevens
8:37 PM

Our aerial at Plympton was changed recently and our TV stopped working. We retuned and now the picture keeps pixilation great.
We were due to buy a bigger tv and so did. But it has a very poor signal strength and we cannot get BBC 1, 2 4 and many other channels.
The man on the Curry's phone told me to watch things on Freeview but then we need to pay more on the internet? Do we need a new aerial?

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Pamela W Stevens's 1 post GB flag
S
StevensOnln1
sentiment_very_satisfiedPlatinum

10:23 PM

Pamela W Stevens: Do you mean that you've been having problems since the Plympton transmitter changed frequencies recently? Or do you mean that you've had a new aerial fitted and are having problems with it? If the former applies, you should contact the Freeview Advice Line (see link below) who can arrange for a replacement wideband aerial to be fitted free of charge (if you don't have satellite or cable). If you've already had a new aerial fitted then you should contact whoever fitted it and ask them to rectify the problem.

Important changes to Freeview TV signals | Freeview

I'm not sure what you mean by Currys telling you to watch things on Freeview, as it sounds like that's what you're already doing. Freeview is not broadcast over the internet, so I'm not sure what you mean by having to pay more on the internet?

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StevensOnln1's 3,604 posts GB flag
Friday, 28 June 2019
B
bob
9:47 PM

over the last few weeks the sandy heath ch 24 multiplex has been breaking up. Today several times it has lost signal completely, luckily it was channel 5 so we watched it on 5+1 which is a different multiplex.
But both ITV and ITV+1 are affected.
The channel says very poor signal and is down in the red next to zero.
We have done the reset, checked the aerial and connections, retuned both TV and DVR box with no change.
Is Sandy Heath having problems? what do we check now if not?

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bob's 1 post GB flag
Saturday, 29 June 2019
MikeP
sentiment_very_satisfiedPlatinum

7:56 PM

Bob:

It is likely to be due to the very hot weather we are currently experiencing. There is no cure as it is not a fault and DO NOT RETUNE.



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MikeP's 3,056 posts GB flag
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