Freeview

[frostbite]

I am just about (weather dependant) able to get some of the Freeview channels.

I bought two basic and secondhand boxes - an Alba and a Sagem.

The Alba works fine but nearly every time I switch on the Sagem it declares that it has 'Found new channels on the flow' (it hasn't) and asks if I want to scan the frequencies. The only option given is 'OK' !

If I try the exit button when it's started it then insists on it being a new installation and I still have to go through the scanning process !

I have missed the start of more programmes than I care to think about.

Any ideas for a way round this?

[green granite]

Backup battery flat? Probably not user serviceable, leave switched on.

[tony draper]

Have trouble with mine of a different kind,it keeps losing either the vision or the sound for no reason,or the remote wont work ,ie it stays frozen on one channel,I have found you have to disconnect it from the power supply(the PSU is separate in mine) power it down altogether, ie pull the mains plug then plug it back in switch it on and do a first time installation if it has that option available.
They all ask if you want to scan for updated software but it generaly happens about 2 am,so its only us insomniacs that see that message.
:rolleyes:

[ShyTorque]

I had Freeview until last tuesday, although the video reception kept pixellating three nights out of four. As well as a digi-box it cost me £200 for a more powerful aerial and booster system in an attempt to get better reception; not very successful although slightly more reliable.

I had "Top-up TV" until a few months ago when they sent me details of a "special offer" where I had to buy a recorder to save channels that I don't watch or couldn't receive. Meanwhile the channels I did watch were removed from the network. Not forgetting the price per month was also going up, whether I took the new package or not.

We have Sky; I finally cracked to family pressure. More money but it was working within 2 hours of the engineer arriving. Perfect picture, massive choice of programmes.

My Freeview box is going to get a free view of the inside of the nearest skip. :(

[west lakes]

Possiblty worth bearing in mind that in most areas the digital channel transmitter outputs are being restricted to prevent interferance with the analog signal.

We started the pilot scheme to go all digital here last Thurs which involves switching off the analogs as the digitals go to full power.

See this

http://www.digitaluk.co.uk/en/what/faq.html#why-cant-digital-signals-be-boosted-or-a-new-transmitter-built-to-serve-my-area-now

[frostbite]

My neighbour is a keen carpenter with all the usual power tools, lathes, etc..

None of which affect the analogue signal but totally wreck the digital one!

Isn't progress wonderful.

[spekesoftly]

We live in an area where terrestrial TV reception is relatively poor. A reasonable solution for analogue has been an accurately aligned aerial with a mast-head amplifier, and this has worked well for many years.
About a year ago we bought a Sony Bravia IDTV to replace a faithful old analogue TV that had finally failed. I've been very pleasantly surprised at how well the Sony receives both the analogue and especially the digital programmes, still using the original aerial set-up. We had anticipated the digital reception to be very poor until the digital transmitters go to full power in a year or so, but the mast-head amp seems to do the trick.