September 30...........

[Shutpa]

.......was a bad day. Prior to then with a new aerial and booster we had most if not all Freeview channels. Since the changeover we have either lost most of them or the signal is too weak to provide a picture. My neighbour, who has just erected a new aerial tells me that he has also lost his favourite channels. If this question has been raised on another thread, could someone direct me to it. If it hasn't has onybody any idea as to how we can improve the reception?

 

[plugwash]

IIRC there wwas a major change in frequency allocations recently, did you remember to retune?

Assuming you did i've seen some suggestions to do a restore factory settings on the equipment then retune.

If it still doesn't work then it's time for some deeper research, e.g. is your aerial pointed at the right transmitter and do you have anything with a RF output that conflicts with one of your local freeview muxes.

 

[ericmark]

United Kingdom does not help you need to set to your area. Where I live in North Wales there is now a new transmitter which needs aerial turning to vertical for horizontal and about 15 degs to West of old one.

Since I use sky and to move aerial will mean disturbing sky dish I have not bothered but you may have something similar.

I did see my TV auto re-tuned when turned on but did not look at what it had found.

I will try computer now and see what card finds.

The card failed as I re-scanned so power must be down Looked Here and no reports of work going on. Just glad I use free to sat and sky.

 

[Shutpa]

Hi. Sorry for taking so long to reply but have been in touch with Freeview who tell me that I am in a very poor reception area and will be until 2012. They recommend that I install Freesat but am unsure what this is or what is involved in the installation.

 

[ericmark]

I have a free to air satellite receiver they cost from about £40 Aldi, Lidi Screwfix and a load more set them from time to time. Mine has built in finder and an audio scream can be set to move dish to best signal.
Around 250 channels and of them about 80 worth looking at. Approx double to freeview however there is no set order and you the user has to arrange as you want them. Same as freeview with a PC.

The electronic program guide varies a lot and some boxes are useless as far as program guide goes.

Also teletext is hit and miss some work OK and some are completely useless I think as not really designed for UK.

There are some channels that are encrypted as not allowed to be shown outside UK. The Freesat system will allow you to watch an extra few channels that are encrypted this way and also the EPG and Teletext will work better but because they use sky's EPG (You make one off payment) it also will only receive programs within their guide. There is one program which transmits Elvis 24/7 which you can't receive with box set to use Sky's EPG but all programs will be assigned Sky's numbers so easier to find.

However Sky boxes do not go into proper stand-by. With my free to air box even when set to auto switch on at pre-set time when in stand by my meter shows zero current use. However the X Sky and current Sky boxes use very little less in standby than they use when running and of course if you switch off they will not allow timed recordings.

As a Sky+ user then I have to accept the power usage as no option but using free to air against free to view there is so little difference I would use free to air and use less power and lose EPG as shown in papers as they are cheaper to buy and use less power plus can also be used on other satellites as well as astra.

The good ones can even have wired connection to rotator so it auto turns dish to other satellites.

Does that answer question?

 

[Shutpa]

It probably does mate but I will have to read it over again. Some of the terms are completely new to me so will have to get to grips with them. Free to air, audio scream, EPG are examples of terms I haven't come across before.

Still, am very grateful for the time you've taken to reply and will work on your advice.

 

[ericmark]

Freeview = Terrestrial TV needing no card.
Top-up = Terrestrial TV needing a card.
Free to air (Not freeview) Satellite system needing no card.
Free to view (Not freeview) Satellite system needing a card and a one off payment to prevent non UK residents receiving the signal you must have UK address.
Sky = A card system where you pay monthly to view encrypted programs.
EPG = Electronic program guide linked to Sky and only those using either Sky, ex-Sky boxes or Free to view boxes will get full use of this feature but it is also available to lesser extent with all digital transmissions in some cases just what is on now and next but in others you may get full weeks what's on for each channel but not what is on other channels. It is also linked to Sky's numbering system so 105 will only be channel 5 on Sky boxes or Free to Air boxes needing a card.

Free to air v Free to View at the moment there are about 10 programs which would can only get with Free to View but these are dropping no so long ago Channel 4 and Five were only Free to View but are now Free to Air at this time fiver is Free to view only. But 10 out of the 200 available is a very small number and free to air boxes do have some plus points as well.

1) You arrange order of programs so you can make the +1 right next to the normal time version of same program.
2) They can also receive some programs not available on old sky boxes 3) plus can control rotators so can receive programs not on Astra.
4) They use nearly nothing on standby.

Disadvantage
1) Harder to set automatic channel changing.
2) Can't receive encrypted programs.
3) EPG is not as good.

This difference between Free to Air and Free to View seems to confuse even those selling the systems so no wonder you are having problems. Free to View is forever being mixed up with freeview and you do need to be careful to find what the person your talking to calls them.

Personally I would not pay the same money for an ex Sky box as to proper free to air box and it seems ex Sky boxes cost around the £60 mark and brand new Free to Air boxes with the dish only cost £40 so I would get a free to air box every time.

However it you watch fiver and fiveUS unless you have an active card they will not work. When many channels were only free to view not free to air getting cards was easy from BBC but now it is a lot harder to get an active free to view card.

The same with Terrestrial TV the Top-Up card originally could be bought and fitted into any TV or set-top box with slot. Now you have to buy the set-top box with card in it they are no longer available on their own.

 

[Shutpa]

Thanks for a most informative reply. Called in at a local freesat installer yesterday and left completely bewildered! Your post has answered most if not all of the questions I needed answered.
I was very surprised at the cost of Freesat having had a quote of about £900 to get it on three TVs and including the cost of the dish. Today I got a leaflet through the post from Screwfix offering a Free-to-Air Satellite kit for £39.99! Any idea how easy these kits are to install?

 

[ericmark]

No info on that model but not found it too hard with astra only when aiming for the more exotic i.e. Turksat have we had any problems.