Integrated Freeview, not Picking Up All Channels?

[Brand86]

Basically, the freeview service which is integrated in my new TV isn't picking up all the channels. Most I don't care about, mainly just C4.

It's just weird as all the other channels display razor sharp, but then just a few missing - even tried rescanning automatically but still no joy

Checked through the analogue settings, and C4 is on that...so a bit confused.

Any ideas what the problem is, don't really want to manual scan if I can help it as could take ages!!!

 

[Vish]

Maybe your freeview reception isn't great in your area or a crap cable?

My cable needed a good jig and it found much more, 1st time it found nothing and I'd had an analogue TV working fine previous.

Changed cable and its a lot better now.

 

[Brand86]

Cable as in the aerial cable mate?

 

[Munson]

There have been some issues with certain antennas recently. Depening on your location.

Freeview is a funny thing. When I had my Virgin cable switched off (personal reasons) some years ago, I went to Freeview and got a standalone Sony box. The reception and channel pickup was terrible. I had an old signal booster kicking around and thought it was worth a shot, and it really did improve my signal. However, I still had a lot of problems.

Recently I've changed my TV and it has a tuner built-in. No problems at all. Very good signal and picture (for SD). Same source, vastly different reception. My dad has also experienced this between different tuners. I would once have thought that 'Sony' would have been good quality, but as is often the case, it was rubbish, just like their optical drives that fail after 366 days of use.

I digress, there does seem to be a difference between tuners, and unlike old school analogue telly, a signal booster (in my limited experience) does actually make a huge difference.

 

[Brand86]

Ah fair play mate, it's just weird that the signals I receive via Freeview are perfect quality, just others are missing. Is a little strange - and annoying - especially as it's a brand new TV.

 

[JJ!]

We had that problem, we could pick 1-4 up on normal, but not on digital. Our problem is that we are one of the last places that is being converted to digital so although we could pick up some channels, the signal strength was not strong enough for others.

We now have sky so its not an issue!

Have you checked your area coverage?

http://www.freeview.co.uk/availability

 

[Brand86]

Yeah got full coverage here...

 

[JJ!]

Is your aerial secure? It may need moving to face a different direction? People have had problems with aerials that are in the loft area as the roof linig stops a lot of sigal getting through.

 

[Vish]

^^ Some aerials aren't that great at picking up digital signals if they are old as well. Could try a high gain aerial if that is the problem.

Cable as in the aerial cable mate?

Yes mate. Changed mine to a short better one, with less kinks, and its much better.

 

[Brand86]

Cool will try picking up a better one then. Currys/ Dixons jobby, any particular brand or model I should look out for?

Not having C4 sucks!!

 

[Andy197]

Same problems here mate...

Got a TV with Freeview built in, set it up in my room with a signal booster and internal aerial... Got most of the channels bar ITV and C4

Had a play around moving the aerial, auto searched for channels and managed to get ITV and C4 but lost BBC 1 & 2!

Played around with it a few more times and i can never get all 4 channels together! Nightmare!

 

[Vish]

Cool will try picking up a better one then. Currys/ Dixons jobby, any particular brand or model I should look out for?

Not having C4 sucks!!

I went with a very inexpesive one I had lying around but never used. Its ok, my rooms not so bad.

The lounge used to be terrible, so we paid a bit more for gold plated cable and got a signal booster and it was ok but that's still running analogue as our plasma's quite old and doesn't have freeview.

Personally, I wouldn't go and buy a very expensive aerial cable just yet, would probably get a signal booster and decent cable. If still no improvement, then maybe buy a very good quality cable (sorry no idea on brands for these but google should help) or consider the new aerial route.

I'd be tempted to try another freeview box there (maybe tesco/argos jobbie and then return it) to check that the TV isn't the issue just incase.

 

[Rick]

Might just be a case of moving the aerial about. At my last house I could only pick up a few channels on freeview initially but after turning the aerial round through about 180 degrees I more than doubled the number of channels we got.

The place that I'm in now I don't get any of the ITV or 4 channels so need to go and piss about with the aerial again.

 

[Brand86]

Cool thanks for the advice guys, have a booster in my garage but it's an old crap one so not convinced it will work...will pop out to get a better aerial connection later though!

 

[Brand86]

Just plugged in the booster, now working perfectly. Cheers!