Channel 16 has disappeared from my TV

[Mazza]

Has anyone else had this? My small TV in the bedroom (it is theoretically HD but not linked into an HD recorder) jumps from channel 15 to 17. I just retuned it and still no Q. The big TV downstairs is linked into a Humax HD recorder and that still has it. I know you need these recorders (for some obscure reason) to pick up certain non HD channels like some of the CBS Freeview channels but I never lost Q before. There has been a lot of work going on at Crystal Palace and time after time I have lost various channels including the likes of 5USA+1 and More4+1 but not any of the Q channels. Puzzling so I wondered if anyone else had the same thing.

 

[stratobuddy]

I get ch16 where I live, but my oh doesn't, nor 22, in fact, she only gets about 1/4 of the freeview channels as her local relay transmitter doesn't carry them, very unfair IMO

 

[Sazza]

Has anyone else had this? My small TV in the bedroom (it is theoretically HD but not linked into an HD recorder) jumps from channel 15 to 17. I just retuned it and still no Q. The big TV downstairs is linked into a Humax HD recorder and that still has it. I know you need these recorders (for some obscure reason) to pick up certain non HD channels like some of the CBS Freeview channels but I never lost Q before. There has been a lot of work going on at Crystal Palace and time after time I have lost various channels including the likes of 5USA+1 and More4+1 but not any of the Q channels. Puzzling so I wondered if anyone else had the same thing.

Try the signal checker

https://www.freeview.co.uk/channels-at-your-address#63FLDABoicevFp1X.97

 

[Mazza]

Hmm. Well I can get it downstairs but not upstairs so it seems like some Freeview change is afoot to me. As I live in South London I rather expect to get all channels with little problem, unlike some rural areas but it seems as if Crystal Palace has been all over the place since this 5G (is it) band reallocation started.

Not to worry, I don't often use the one uostairs. It's more for backup purposes.

 

[AndiK]

I had a problem last year (or 2017) where I was getting a message "no signal" on some channels, including number 16. I contacted Freeview and they were very user-friendly. They told me to unplug the aerial at the back of the tv set, perform a channel search (or setup/installation as it's called on my Panasonic). Of course, it didn't find any digital stations but then I had to plug the aerial back in and do the search again. Sounds unlikely to work, I know, but it did. In fact, the problem has recurred a couple of times (not for ages now, though) and this method works every time.

Give that a go and if not, try contacting Freeview. I can't remember if I called or emailed but seem to think I called and got straight through: 03456 505050

https://www.freeview.co.uk/#g7s47ZKfEebjslgV.97

 

[shopperholic]

I have Sky, but I’m sure I’ve read that every now again you need to retune a freeview box.

 

[AndiK]

I have Sky, but I’m sure I’ve read that every now again you need to retune a freeview box.

It would make sense and clearly my tv benefited from the reset.

 

[Mazza]

Thanks Andi. I shall give it a go tomorrow. But I don't understand how you can get a Tv to respond if it doesn't have an aerial plugged in. It just has a blank screen or that snow effect doesn't it?

I have just remembered that I was listening to BBC Radio London the other day on the digital radio in the kitchen. When I went upstairs I tried to continue listening to it on the one in my bedroom and it doesn't have the station! I must be on the digital border line.

 

[AndiK]

Thanks Andi. I shall give it a go tomorrow. But I don't understand how you can get a Tv to respond if it doesn't have an aerial plugged in. It just has a blank screen or that snow effect doesn't it?

I have just remembered that I was listening to BBC Radio London the other day on the digital radio in the kitchen. When I went upstairs I tried to continue listening to it on the one in my bedroom and it doesn't have the station! I must be on the digital border line.

Ha, the digital border line must be on your stairs!

Yes, it seems odd, but on my telly when I unplug the aerial, from memory I get the snow but as it’s still plugged in to the power, the menu button on the remote works, and that allows me to access the setup menu to do the installation / channel search. It says something about being unable to scan for digital signals but it still looks for analogue. I just humour it and go ahead with the search. Them when it has finished and says nothing found or whatever, I exit the menu and plug the aerial back in.

You could always try calling Freeview to check.

 

[Lemonpop]

We had a message on the TV that we needed to retune on 8th January . We cancelled Virgin and freeview is pretty dire. We have got a month free on TV Play on Amazon Firestick. This seems to have the main programmes we want to watch so will be subscribing , a lot cheaper.

 

[shopperholic]

We had a message on the TV that we needed to retune on 8th January . We cancelled Virgin and freeview is pretty dire. We have got a month free on TV Play on Amazon Firestick. This seems to have the main programmes we want to watch so will be subscribing , a lot cheaper.

We used to have the full package from Sky costing over a hundred, didn't watch a fraction of it so cancelled it to the entertainment package to keep the box, we already had Netflix so added Amazon Prime, and I'll be honest if I had to chose one Tv subscription it would be Amazon, as well as the telly, you get next day delivery for free on and books, best £8 a month I've ever spent.

 

[donna255]

I had to retune a friend's TV for her yesterday. I call around on Sundays and she mentioned she had lost quite a few channels getting the message to retune. Neither Jack(her partner) or she had any idea how to actually do it?? A neighbour who has moved away used to do it for her.

It was a first for me as I have Virgin and Netflix. On the Moneysaving site, a woman had a thread about giving up Sky TV but her husband loved the sports channels and those were the main channels watched. They went on holiday and got a taste of using just Freeview, let's say she was shocked at the lack of sports or rather none on Freeview. She decided to stay with Sky because of this.

 

[Mazza]

Ha, the digital border line must be on your stairs!

Yes, it seems odd, but on my telly when I unplug the aerial, from memory I get the snow but as it’s still plugged in to the power, the menu button on the remote works, and that allows me to access the setup menu to do the installation / channel search. It says something about being unable to scan for digital signals but it still looks for analogue. I just humour it and go ahead with the search. Them when it has finished and says nothing found or whatever, I exit the menu and plug the aerial back in.

You could always try calling Freeview to check.

Andi, you technological genius!!!!! I just tried this, first thing done today. And IT WORKED! I went from having 100 stations without Q to 144 including Q (I have more on the TV downstairs with the HD recorder.) It still doesn't have 5USA+1 or More4+1 but they are really tricky stations round here because of signal quality. (NOt that I'm obsessive but when I first came across that issue I went and asked people in the block and it seems absolutely no one was getting the exact same Freeview channels!). One thing I did spot was that BBC Radio London is now on that TV so I could have listened to the programme I wanted to finish on that, lol. Well that's enough technology for me for a while I hope. Great tip to remember though.

 

[AndiK]

We used to have the full package from Sky costing over a hundred, didn't watch a fraction of it so cancelled it to the entertainment package to keep the box, we already had Netflix so added Amazon Prime, and I'll be honest if I had to chose one Tv subscription it would be Amazon, as well as the telly, you get next day delivery for free on and books, best £8 a month I've ever spent.

Sky is soooo expensive now! I didn’t know you could pay that much. I know a lot of people think nothing of it because the sport, films or series are so important to them and they can afford it but I think many who have grown up with it see it as a staple so forgo other things to afford it. It sounds like you have found a happy medium. I watch a fair bit of TV but I find Freeview, Amazon and the catch-up apps on the Fire stick already have more than I could ever watch. I have a list of programmes and shows to watch on iPlayer and All4 which would take me 4 hours a night to get through by summer. Then there are recordings I’ve made and DVDs ....

I agree about Prime, by the way. Is the watchable content better on Netflix, though? I’m not thinking of getting it for the reasons above but curious.

 

[AndiK]

Andi, you technological genius!!!!! I just tried this, first thing done today. And IT WORKED! I went from having 100 stations without Q to 144 including Q (I have more on the TV downstairs with the HD recorder.) It still doesn't have 5USA+1 or More4+1 but they are really tricky stations round here because of signal quality. (NOt that I'm obsessive but when I first came across that issue I went and asked people in the block and it seems absolutely no one was getting the exact same Freeview channels!). One thing I did spot was that BBC Radio London is now on that TV so I could have listened to the programme I wanted to finish on that, lol. Well that's enough technology for me for a while I hope. Great tip to remember though.

Ah, I am so pleased to have helped. I think it stuck in my mind for its simplicity and efficacy! Definitely worth remembering. Also, I have had occasional problems with certain channels pixelating and breaking up. I hate that, even when it’s only minor. The aforementioned method fixes it (unless there’s an area-wide problem).

I sometimes get a message when I first put the tv on that there are new stations, and to press OK to scan for them, whereupon it does the channel search and reset we’ve been talking about. It also makes sure you have all the stations which have moved number, as they quite often do.

By the way, I gather that although I am on the outskirts of North London, we are served by Crystal Palace as well. I didn’t know there was a More4 +1. What number is/was it?

 

[AndiK]

Ah, I am so pleased to have helped. I think it stuck in my mind for its simplicity and efficacy! Definitely worth remembering. Also, I have had occasional problems with certain channels pixelating and breaking up. I hate that, even when it’s only minor. The aforementioned method fixes it (unless there’s an area-wide problem).

I sometimes get a message when I first put the tv on that there are new stations, and to press OK to scan for them, whereupon it does the channel search and reset we’ve been talking about. It also makes sure you have all the stations which have moved number, as they quite often do.

By the way, I gather that although I am on the outskirts of North London, we are served by Crystal Palace as well. I didn’t know there was a More4 +1. What number is/was it?

Don’t worry, I just looked it up and suspect my tv is not new enough.

“12 Jan 2017 This time around, More4+1 has been added to channel 86, but can only be accessed by viewers using newer DVB-T2 compatible Freeview devices, or via the Freeview tuner in YouView, EE TV and Now TV Smart boxes. Reception is subject to coverage, with the signal reaching around three quarters of UK households.”

 

[Mazza]

Andi, at a risk of boring everyone I shall just add that the Tv channels come through in bundles so if you can't get one in the bundle you usually can't get any.
The problem bundles for me were 55 and 56.
55 includes channels 110, 57, 109 and 97 (these are just the channels I watch out if the list). Also in it were 56, 108, 107, 272, 67, 87, 84, 113, 82.
56 includes 106 and 86. So I never set the recorder for BBC4HD for instance in case it vanishes. Also in it are 205, 96, 95, 111, 112, 94, 93.

I said it was boring!!!!! But I have now stopped watching some of these plus 1 options because I never know if they are going to vanish or not. And quite a few times I set the recorder for BBC4HD only to find it hadn't recorded anything so I only ever use channel 9 now. And the way they change channel frequencies eff it is hard to keep track of what channel is in what bundle! For anyone else suffring, the website www.digitaluk.co.uk gives engineering updates which shows if your transmitter is likely to be playing up and www.a516digital.com gives a lot of news about channel changes.

I have ZERO interest in all this so was jolly fed up to have to find all this out! I just expect to plug something in and get full coverage, LOL.

 

[AndiK]

Likewise, Mazza. I like just to plug and go. That’s why I have always loved my Apple desktop computers. I usually only become an expert when something goes wrong because then I have to inform myself! And it’s not boring and if it’s useful!

 

[shopperholic]

Andi I think the content on both Amazon and Netflix is good, I think it depends what you like watching, they’re both good for watching entire series on, like “Stranger Things” which is brilliant.

 

[AndiK]

Andi I think the content on both Amazon and Netflix is good, I think it depends what you like watching, they’re both good for watching entire series on, like “Stranger Things” which is brilliant.

Yes, I love the exclusive series on Amazon but haven't perused Netflix. I would take a trial subscription if I didn't already have enough stuff to watch and catch up on, as mentioned. I've an idea if I tried it, though, I'd have to have it! Thanks for the recommendation!