Answered Freeview tuning

JBRobinson

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Yet again, I find I am having to re-tune Freeview channels on my two BD/DVD recorders.
The recent event was necessitated by my sudden loss of Sky News signal (Channel 233), so I did a complete re-tune on both units and found several channels had had their numbers changed. Sky News had completely disappeared!

My question: why is it necessary to re-tune Freeview channels every few months?

Surely, it should be possible to leave all unaffected channels as they are, on their assigned channel numbers. I realise that new channels keep appearing and, at the same time, some old channels are discontinued (these are almost invariably the 'rubbish' channels that very few people watch anyway).

Would it not be more sensible, and less disruptive, to leave the 'more permanent' (Sky News, for example) and most popular channels where they are and either add new channels to newly created channel numbers or, alternatively, add new channels to those channel numbers vacated by discontinued services?

Perhaps there is a reason for these wholesale changes, but I cannot think what it might be.
 
Over the next two years there's a need for re-tuning based on major transmitter works and the freeing up of more radio frequencies from TV broadcast use to alternative (mobile/mobile data). Digital UK | 700MHz clearance

Depending on where you live that may have been the reason for your need to retune? {Check your transmitter reception predictions in detailed view - tick the box - via Digital UK - Coverage checker and it gives more info on such retune events.}

TV channels are occasionally added or removed from the Freeview platform and, rarely, the EPG logical channel numbers are updated. This is not done lightly by Freeview in association with the Broadcasters because of the inevitable viewer disruption it can cause. But a rant directed at Freeview via their contact centre and/or social media would maybe let them know your displeasure if such an event occurred recently?

However, the fact that you have now lost Sky News on 233 permanently after your latest re-tune is indicative of a TV reception issue - probably an aerial or aerial connection but it may also be related to the 700MHz clearance work for some viewers. We'd need to know more about your location (transmitter) and aerial system to help more.

{Sky News is carried on the Arqiva A (COM 5) multiplex of channels and you will probably be missing others, including: 11 pick, 12 Dave, 17 Really, 29 E4 +1, 32 Sony Movie Ch, 38 Quest Red, 41 Food Network, 46 Challenge, 48 Movies4Men, 60 Sony Crime Channel 2 as a result.}
 
Thanks for your response, Rodders.
I can understand why these people sell off frequencies for their own financial benefit, though I don't agree with it. The love of money is, indeed, the root of all evil.
I have now re-tuned again, and find that Sky News is back. I wonder whether the problem was that I last re-tuned late last night, though I'm not sure why that should be a problem.
I have now gone through all the, very many, channels on both of my units and unchecked the 'rubbish'! I am left with only 22 channels which I am likely to watch, and that includes the first five non-HD ones which I kept 'just in case'.
I did, actually, e-mail Freeview yesterday, although being a nice polite gentleman I didn't rant! Depending upon their response, should they make one, perhaps I might yet rant!
 
I can understand why these people sell off frequencies for their own financial benefit, though I don't agree with it.
= Ofcom = the UK Government *** They ain't getting the megabucks they got in the earliest days of auctioning off frequencies for mobile phone use for any of these ex-TV frequencies, though.

*** = you and me and everyone else

BTW unless your loss was from re-tuning early in the day, with restoration by tuning later (early evening) on the day of any engineering planned work changes it may still be pointing to borderline reception problems... aka the 'digital cliff edge'.
 
Since the need to retune this week I've lost Multiplexes COM6 and COM7.
 
Is that just a statement of fact, or are you trying to do something about it?:rotfl:
 
Since the need to retune this week I've lost Multiplexes COM6 and COM7.
You should really start your own thread on this; with details of your location, transmitter, aerial system etc.,. to avoid hijacking / confusing the original thread if the OP need to revisit it.
First check your predictions (detailed view) at Digital UK - Coverage checker as it may explain the loss?
 
You should really start your own thread on this; with details of your location, transmitter, aerial system etc.,. to avoid hijacking / confusing the original thread if the OP need to revisit it.
First check your predictions (detailed view) at Digital UK - Coverage checker as it may explain the loss?
Actually, that's interesting and helpful. Thank you. I shall be having to re-tune again in the first quarter of 2020 AND in the second quarter of 2020. What fun!
 
Thanks for your response, Rodders.
I can understand why these people sell off frequencies for their own financial benefit, though I don't agree with it. The love of money is, indeed, the root of all evil.
I have now re-tuned again, and find that Sky News is back. I wonder whether the problem was that I last re-tuned late last night, though I'm not sure why that should be a problem.
I have now gone through all the, very many, channels on both of my units and unchecked the 'rubbish'! I am left with only 22 channels which I am likely to watch, and that includes the first five non-HD ones which I kept 'just in case'.
I did, actually, e-mail Freeview yesterday, although being a nice polite gentleman I didn't rant! Depending upon their response, should they make one, perhaps I might yet rant!

Since the big engineering re-jig last Wednesday (Crystal Palace transmitter) I lost a load of channels. I did a rescan from scratch - no change - and a manual check on the frequencies, but 55 and 56 were still missing. Not getting any signal for those groups of channels, so the culprit was my 20 year old aerial. I called up Freeview and went through the whole thing, and they sent out an engineer to replace my aerial free of charge with a wideband one, which the cell phone companies are paying for, as they've caused the problem. The bloke left about 30 minutes ago, all rescanned and present.

Anyone having problems should ring Freeview. It has to be your own aerial (not a communal one you feed off) and if you have satellite or cable they won't do it either. In other words, if all you have is Freeview, and it's your aerial, they'll change it for free.
 
Thanks, Johngerard. That's useful to know.

TJT1, I suppose a satellite dish might be a bit of a giveaway!
 
That's twice you said that.:D
Just because you have a sat dish it does not necessarily mean you have a sat receiver at the other end of the feeder.:facepalm:
 
It is indeed. I assure you, I only typed it once!

You are perfectly correct about the satellite dish too. In fact, we have one that came with the house when we bought it about 15 years ago. There's also an outlet on the wall just behind our telly. I have no idea whether it would still work and I don't even know what service it would connect to either.

EDIT:
There's something wrong with this site. I posted this response last night, and when I came back here it was still waiting to be posted!

Perhaps this has posted itself twice now!
 
And how would they know?:D
They have to go in your house to look at the TV and your kit, and they do the rescan (insisted on it). I guess you could take it all out. But I think the dish on the house would give it away...:)

He had a good look at all the stuff coming in from outside to make sure I wasn't hiding a cable installation.
 
Thanks, Johngerard. That's useful to know.

TJT1, I suppose a satellite dish might be a bit of a giveaway!
Offer only for two months from last Wednesday, they said. Two aerial companies doing the whole of London (whoever claims it, that is, and qualifies).
 
It is indeed. I assure you, I only typed it once!



EDIT:
There's something wrong with this site. I posted this response last night, and when I came back here it was still waiting to be posted!

Perhaps this has posted itself twice now!

You did actually post twice yesterday - There were two separate posts 1 minute apart... and the second had an edit in it, so it was not the same post duplicated.

Such difficulties are often due to browser problems.
In the event of problems, try refreshing your browser.
 
No problem
 
It happens to me occasionally, but when it does, I delete the duplicate using the delete message button.:D
 
I am ta Peterborough, moved over here on 2010. Installed a loft aerial, pointing to Sandy Heath mast. I have an LG 42LS570T model TV, I think 2011 model. When I first got the TV I was getting over 100 channels (TV,Data,radio).
Back in 2017 I upgraded the aerial, still in the loft and put a Labgear 6 way splitter. Signal improved on all 2 TVs I had in the house.
In 2015 I got a Blaupunkt TV for the bedroom. I tuned the BL tv and never got more than 60 channels. This TV had installed new cable and was closer to the aerial than the LG that was on the ground floor with an older external cable.
Then in 2017 or 2018, when they done the last major update on freeview everything was messed up.
LG TV from over 100 channels gone down to about 60 and the BL tv gone up to about 80 channels.
The BL also in the evenings gets bad reception interference, or even loose signal on some channels all together, since the last freeview update. In the day all channels have max signal with no loss at all.
The LG TV loose signal some times that comes up after 1-2 minutes on BBC channels only.
No other issue than this.
I took it that the LG TV was older, so maybe the freeview transceiver that is in the TV has something to do with this.
After yesterday's upgrade now both TVs show only about 50-60 channels. Some of the channels I lost are Blaze, Horror, Quest.
But I see all the HD channels, and most important all the ADULT channels (sarcastic). So it means that the Freeview bosses think is more important to provide as with the Gay and lesbian channels than the normal ones.
Aerial, cables and splitter have not been changed so no issue on this.
Because of the last years or so update I have lost half the channels on the LG TV and after yesterday's update lost the same channels on the Blaupaunkt TV it seems UK government has changed their attitude, they force the freeview signals to change all the time so you spent money to upgrade your equipment every year they forcing the updates. They must getting lessons from Microsoft or Apple.
I dont understand why they dont move around the Adult, Christian, shopping channels, that been watched by few, instead of moving the normal TV channels that most of the people watching?
 
Regarding the constant changing of channels, I have to say that I haven't noticed any recent changes myself. I suppose, though, that I have removed the vast majority of channels from my 'favourite' list as they are of no interest to me, being mostly repeats or crap that I would never watch.
For example, ITV3 (which I did have on my list) was on Channel 10 but, for some reason, disappeared. I understand that it is still on Channel 10, but that the frequency for that channel changed. Rather than bother to retune, I just removed Channel 10 from my list because I found that I never watched ITV3 (or ITV2 for that matter), so they can change the channels/tuning as much as they want as long as my favourite channels, sixteen at most, remain the same!
 
There have been no transmit frequency changes at Sandy Heath recently and none due until next year.
Digital UK | Clearance events in 2019
Issues described in Peterborough are due to inadequate aerial install and passive splitting in my estimation.
Occasional channel moves from multiplex to multiplex will occur, needing a retune; and if on a dodgy frequency for that inadequate install will mean add/loss of some services. Attention to the aerial install should get all available channels.
Not certain anything has occurred very recently, though?
 
Have a look at this recent LCN change list. Courtesy user prpr @ hummy.tv
 

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