Non-motoring > TV problem Miscellaneous
Thread Author: Ted Replies: 30
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 Wed 10 Apr 13 23:03 
 TV problem - Ted

Well, today was the big day. Over the past coupla weeks messages have been springing up on the screens of our DTV tellys to say some work was being carried out and sets may have to be programmed again on the 10th......today. Don't ask me who or what was involved and I don't know if it was just round here or nationwide.

Anyway, seemples ! The main telly is cable so that wasn't affected. The telly I use as a monitor and the one in the other bedroom both just ran through the setup and worked fine.

However, the kitchen/diner telly pixilated badly on BBC channels.....all others were fine. After several attempts to re-programme I got the same result every time. Now, we've only had this set a week and it's been fine. It's a 19 inch Tosh with DVD. We changed from a 15 inch set 'cos the DVD in that one had failed. We used it for films in the caravan or CD playing in the house as well as viewing tv.

Not expecting too much, I put the old set back thinking it would pixilate it's nuts off and.....amazing.......it brought all channels up as if new.

Does any expert here know why the new one won't behave or what they've done at t'other end. Have they messed about with signal strength and who are ' they ' ? I'm assuming it was more to do with the Beeb as only their channels have been off during today.

Ted
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 Wed 10 Apr 13 23:17 
 TV problem - Zero
One of two things

1/ Its got a poor receiver and is not picking up the lower signal strength of the BBC channels

or more likely

2/ Its tuning into the wrong transmitter. Is it using an external aerial feed or an indoor aerial?
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 Wed 10 Apr 13 23:23 
 TV problem - Ted

External, Z. The same one as the old set is now using ok. It's been fine on that aerial for the week up to today. I wonder if the new set is more sensitive and the Beeb have altered their signal.

It fires it at us from Winter Hill, high up on the West Pennine moors about15 miles away.

Ted
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 Wed 10 Apr 13 23:42 
 TV problem - CGNorwich
www.ukfree.tv/txdetail.php?a=SD660144&PGSTART=600

Are you sure you have done a full reset i.e installation as new?
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 Thu 11 Apr 13 08:52 
 TV problem - Roger.
In our area we have two transmitting masts we could use. The signals are nearly of equal strength.
The auto set up on our bedroom Samsung, using the terrestrial aerial picked up the slightly weaker signal first and locked into that.
Pixelating did happen occasionally, so when we had a TV chappie in to sort out our rather complicated coaxial cabling indoors, including the fitting of a terrestrial aerial booster, so our new all-singing, all-dancing TV could receive HD freeview,he did an expert's re-tune of the upstairs TV too and now it's fine.
I had run the set up standard program a few times myself, without curing the problem.

BTW, it's a decent set-up know, as I can watch a program on freeview via the TV's tuner and at the same time record two programs via freesat on out Humax box.
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 Thu 11 Apr 13 10:48 
 TV problem - Fursty Ferret
You're not in one of the areas where they're testing 4G, are you? Apparently they've just started a new test to see if the 800MHz transmissions will interfere with Freeview broadcasts.
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 Thu 11 Apr 13 10:57 
 TV problem - Zero
Test is a bit misleading. They know its going to, and regardless of the outcome they are going to do it anyway.
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 Thu 11 Apr 13 11:49 
 TV problem - rtj70
I doubt Ted's in an area they are testing this as (a) his other TV plugged into the same aerial works, (b) the mast he'll be tuning to covers a very large area and they will initially test (and break) the TV signal in quieter areas. Winter Hill covers a very large area.

The only surprise with the 4G 'test' is it interfered with the signal for fewer people than expected.
Last edited by: rtj70 on Thu 11 Apr 13 at 11:49
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 Thu 11 Apr 13 12:22 
 TV problem - AnotherJohnH
According to
www.digitaluk.co.uk/mytvregion/granada
the 10th April retune was Winter Hill, and dependents.

The trick for Ted might be to see which BBC local news he gets (provided there's enough to see through the pixellation) - Money's on Moell y Parc from the top right hand corner of Wales - Then to see what manual tuning options the problem telly has... or call the "advice line" mentioned in the above link.

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 Thu 11 Apr 13 14:06 
 TV problem - Ted

Good idea, I'll try that at 1830. Thanks for all replies. I did several installation attempts with no luck last night.

Useful to have the helpline number now as well.

Ted
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 Thu 11 Apr 13 15:09 
 TV problem - Robbie34
If you go to the link that has been given for Digital UK, and enter your postcode, you will get the channels for your area. Do a manual channel search, rather than automatic, and that will install the updated channels.

I have problems with the Welsh transmitter so a manual tune solves the problem.
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 Thu 11 Apr 13 18:47 
 TV problem - Ted

Thanks Robbie...will have a go after dinner.

Ted
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 Thu 11 Apr 13 22:12 
 TV problem - RattleandSmoke
I haven't read this thread as I assumed it was a problem I have looked at before and wasn't able to help Ted with. Anyway I spent 20 minutes today trying to fix problems with the co-ax connectors going into boosters etc!!! Turned out the problem was the one of the multiplexes needed tuning. I mentioned to my mother is the TV upstairs working, she then didn't get the messages! No.

My wonderful PVR has not told me to retune.

I feel like an idiot now.
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 Thu 18 Apr 13 10:51 
 TV problem - AnotherJohnH
>> ...will have a go after dinner.

?
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 Thu 18 Apr 13 14:30 
 TV problem - Ted

Sorry, forgot to come back.

It looks as though the aerial may have been playing some part in this problem, co-incidentally. Perhaps the BBC work has weakened the signal a bit and it's not up to it.

I tried the new telly on the aerial that works the TV/monitor on my desk and it's perfect. I got the window cleaner to have a fiddle with the aerial but it's rusted up and he couldn't turn it.

I've organised the SiL to bring the long ladders, the aerial is at the apex of the front gable, and remove it. He'll fit a new one and I'll trade him with a new cat for his Megane. He'll have to fit that, though. I'll advise how from a garden chair ! Not ready for undercar activity yet !

Ted
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 Thu 18 Apr 13 15:12 
 TV problem - AnotherJohnH
Thanks for the update. I did wonder what had happened.
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 Thu 18 Apr 13 16:01 
 TV problem - Stuartli
The BBC programmes were switched to Channel 49 (IIRC) during the work; I doubt it has affected the signal strength being transmitted as Winter Hill serves as far south as Staffordshire as well as across to North Wales.

If your set picks up Welsh channels during a re-tune, then a decent TV will normally filter them out and leave only those required.
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 Wed 1 May 13 08:49 
 TV problem - TeeCee
>> I'll trade him with a new cat for his Megane.
>>

Some people will take just about anything to get shot of a Renault......
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 Wed 1 May 13 08:59 
 TV problem - Dog
>>Some people will take just about anything to get shot of a Renault

www.expatforum.com/expats/cyprus-expat-forum-expats-living-cyprus/152838-auto-electricians.html

:-(
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 Thu 18 Apr 13 15:55 
 TV problem - Stuartli
>> If you go to the link that has been given for Digital UK, and enter your postcode, you will get the channels for your area.>>

Surely you are thinking of Freesat? Freeview doesn't normally require entering post codes...:-)
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 Thu 18 Apr 13 16:03 
 TV problem - Stuartli
Apologies. Just had a look at the link and realise why you've mentioned a post code...:-)
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 Mon 29 Apr 13 22:50 
 TV problem - Ted

Just a final update on my original problem.

Nothing I did to re-tune sorted out the loss of the BBC channels. I committed us to replacing the aerial as a last resort...it was only a tenner. Fitted to the front gable facing Winter Hill due to the chimbley having been removed 4 years ago, it seemed a good place, although not at the apex like the removed one.

I booked SiL to bring the big ladders round and he duly fitted it, using the same cable and junked the old one. It was worse, now I got no signal on Beeb channels..at least I got some pixilated pics before !

Bums ! What haven't I tried ? I'll have a look in the aerial socket in the room next. Unscrewed it from it's back box, couldn't see anything wrong although it did seem to have a small PCB in there. I've got a few in the workshop so I thought I'd change it for a new one...............

....................Perfect! After another re-tune of the set, all channels behaving properly up to now.

I can only think that the Beeb has reduced the signal strength and a small problem in the wall socket hasn't been able to cope with it.

Ted
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 Tue 30 Apr 13 07:45 
 TV problem - Dog
I live in a weak digi signal area (don't ask me about the DAB reception!) but I use Freesat to get a purrfect piccie.

T'other day when I was on Freeview I noticed that the Beeb channels were cracking up but, Jasmine on More4
(A plaice in the sun) was mighty fine which I thought was a tad weird as I believed the Beeb channels always had the strongest signal.
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 Tue 30 Apr 13 10:58 
 TV problem - AnotherJohnH
>> ....................Perfect! After another re-tune of the set, all channels behaving properly up to now.

pleased to hear it's finally sorted.

>> I can only think that the Beeb has reduced the signal strength..

According to the stuff I can find the transmitter power is unchanged (owned/run by Arqiva these days.)

Perhaps your grumpy wall socket doesn't have a flat frequency response, and the change from 802 MHz down to 706 MHz was the problem.
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 Tue 30 Apr 13 21:09 
 TV problem - Robbie34
>>
>> I can only think that the Beeb has reduced the signal strength and a small
>> problem in the wall socket hasn't been able to cope with it.
>>
>> Ted
At digital switchover all digital signals were increased. Unfortunately, for many receiving Winter Hill, they got the Welsh channels on 1, 2, 3, and 4, whilst the local BBC and commercial channels were confined to the 800s.
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 Tue 30 Apr 13 22:17 
 TV problem - Stuartli
>>At digital switchover all digital signals were increased. Unfortunately, for many receiving Winter Hill, they got the Welsh channels on 1, 2, 3, and 4, whilst the local BBC and commercial channels were confined to the 800s. >>

The digital transmissions are now much more powerful than before 2009 (when the changeover was done). BBC channels are now on Channel 49 IIRC, but a decent TV should filter out the Welsh channels; certainly my Panasonic does.
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 Wed 1 May 13 08:37 
 TV problem - AnotherJohnH
>> At digital switchover all digital signals were increased.

DSO at Winter Hill was ages ago - November 2009? - Ted's problem relates to the frequency change in April this year.

The power is unchanged.
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 Wed 1 May 13 08:57 
 TV problem - sherlock47
Long shot-
Could have been a bad termination on the socket (hi-res? discontinuity) combined with an unfortunate cable length resulting in signal cancelling reflections in the cable that would be very frequency specific. We must have an RF engineer here somewhere:)
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 Wed 1 May 13 11:09 
 TV problem - Robbie34
>> >> At digital switchover all digital signals were increased.
>>
>> DSO at Winter Hill was ages ago - November 2009? - Ted's problem relates to
>> the frequency change in April this year.
>>
>> The power is unchanged.

We know that, but when the frequency was changed the old problem reappeared. This was widely reported on BBC North West.
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 Wed 1 May 13 17:18 
 TV problem - AnotherJohnH
>> We know that, but when the frequency was changed the old problem reappeared.
>> This was widely reported on BBC North West.

Which in no way explains why changing a wall socket fixed the problem for Ted.
Last edited by: AnotherJohnH on Wed 1 May 13 at 17:19
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 Wed 1 May 13 22:54 
 TV problem - Ted

All this is a complete mystery to me..... but I'm grateful for all your interest, guys.

Baffled of Manchester
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