menuMENU    UK Free TV logo Help!

 

 

Click to see updates

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
Thursday, 23 August 2012
D
Dennis
1:33 PM

Mark Fletcher: Thanks for your help,also did a quick google last night and found out what Dave Lindsay has said,typical though,they start work jyst as I had set reminder for somet.hing

link to this comment
Dennis's 2 posts GB flag
Monday, 27 August 2012
J
Jo Pollard
11:00 AM

I had a new Rooftop Ariel fitted before the switchover with connection to all bedrooms.
My sons service is fine, on my bedroom TV ITV and BBC keep breaking up most of the other stations or fine, have tried several times to Autotune it but nothing works, In my spare bedroom no Signal at all. can you help please

link to this comment
Jo Pollard's 1 post GB flag
Wednesday, 12 September 2012
E
Ed
5:52 PM

I have four TV's around our house. Three are receiving signals OK but one only picks up signals on channel 26.
The signal to our TV's is distributed via an amplifier and for this reason I do not understand why one TV is having these problems.
The signal strength measured on one of the "good" tv's is 100%.
What can I try next?

link to this comment
Ed's 2 posts GB flag
J
jb38
sentiment_very_satisfiedPlatinum

6:09 PM

Ed: As you have failed to mention your location this makes it impossible to make any detailed assessment of your situation, but 100% signal strength might well be OK for the majority of TV's but it can represent a slightly too powerful signal for some and as such will block reception on the channels that are "slightly" too powerful.

Of course the other scenario could apply whereby the TV can only pick up the most powerful signal because there is a problem with its aerial input feed, but a more precise answer can only be given with knowledge of your post code or at least one from nearby, such as a shop etc, as this would enable access to the reception predictor.

link to this comment
jb38's 7,179 posts GB flag
E
Ed
11:26 PM
Harrogate

Hi again and thanks jb38 for responding.

In reply to your comments -I live in Harrogate - postcode HG1 and I understand that the transmitter for our area is Bilsdale.

If it helps - the 'faulty' tv can still pick up ITV on the analogue signal but I know this will be turned of in the near future.

Does this help?


link to this comment
Ed's 2 posts GB flag
Ed's: mapE's Freeview map terrainE's terrain plot wavesE's frequency data E's Freeview Detailed Coverage
Thursday, 13 September 2012
J
jb38
sentiment_very_satisfiedPlatinum

6:39 AM

Ed: As you are receiving your signal from Bilsdale then the problem TV is indeed only picking up the high powered channel, and so if the other TV's are actually picking up the other channels from Bilsdale and not somewhere else, then the quickest way to verify if the feed from the splitter to the problem TV is OK or not is to temporarily try the problem set on one of the other TV's aerial feeds and carry out another rescan.

If its found that the situation hasnt changed any after trying this test I would like you go into the problem TV's tuning menu / manual tune and enter Ch21 (ITV) but do not press scan or search, because on most equipment as soon as you enter the channel number the strength / quality of the signal being received should immediately be indicated, also try the same test but using Ch31 (ITV3).

Make a note of whats seen and giving an update on results, plus the model of TV in question as it could be a sensitivity issue whereby a powerful signal is desensitizing the sets tuner to other weaker signals, because if you normally receive Bilsdales channels OK you must be in a good position as they are quite low powered of mostly 6kw except Ch42 (12:Yesterday) on 1.6kw, whereas the BBC is now on 100kw.




link to this comment
jb38's 7,179 posts GB flag
Monday, 17 September 2012
C
Catherine O'Malley
9:04 PM

After allowing new programmes into our television this evening, I find Yesterday at NO 12 is missing, but it is now at 804. The reception here is abysmal and the screen picture breaks up into all kinds of shapes etc. and the sound is awful. Why weren't we warned, and what can be done.
Reception here in Southwell, Notts can be bad at the best of times.

This is one of my favourite programmes especially Last of the Summer wine. You have spoilt my tv watching.

link to this comment
Catherine O'Malley's 1 post GB flag
Tuesday, 18 September 2012
M
Mike Dimmick
sentiment_very_satisfiedPlatinum

10:54 PM

Catherine O'Malley: Chances are that the conditions were right to receive a strong enough signal to be detected, and that your equipment is one of those that stores the first version of a service it finds, rather than the best available.

The Freeview guide is being updated tomorrow lunchtime to move some channels around, to make more space for the future, and change the prominence of some channels. Yesterday is swapping with Dave, moving down to number 19. I suggest you retune again after midday. You should use the same retuning process you used at switchover - see TV Re-tune for manuals and retuning guides for selected equipment.

link to this comment
Mike Dimmick's 2,486 posts GB flag
Thursday, 20 September 2012
F
fiona miller
9:18 AM
Market Drayton

hi my ch 4,e4,ch5,itv1,etc etc has suddenly stopped working. e4+1 bbc channels. shopping channels all working/ whats going on?

link to this comment
fiona miller's 1 post GB flag
fiona's: mapF's Freeview map terrainF's terrain plot wavesF's frequency data F's Freeview Detailed Coverage
A
alfiemalfie
9:24 AM

fiona miller:

went off in Atherstone area too.

has come back on now - digitaluk site informs of transmitter work this week.

link to this comment
alfiemalfie's 1 post GB flag
Select more comments

Your comment please
Please post a question, answer or commentUK Free TV is here to help people. If you are rude or disrespectful all of your posts will be deleted and you will be banned.







Privacy policy: UK Free Privacy policy.