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[TV] Freeview- advice required



twowheelsbest

Well-known member
Nov 1, 2009
489
Brighton
We have recently cancelled our Sky TV contract ( various reasons- Murdoch, cost, betting ads etc) and are using Freeview much more. We have a decent Panasonic (other makes are available), smart TV but have a problem with BBC south east (channel 1) as picture constantly breaks up. All HD channels are fine, but as Mrs Twowheels likes her bit of local news she is getting a tad frustrated.
I am thinking of buying a freeview box. Does anyone know if this would remedy things? What’s a good one to get.
We’re in a flat, so on a communal aerial.
 




schmunk

"Members"
Jan 19, 2018
9,405
Mid mid mid Sussex
The best value is a BT Freeview recorder from EBay. They're basically the same innards as the top spec Humax box (as they're made by Humax) in a smaller casing.

I don't recommend the 4K BT box as they seem to run hot and the fan's always on.
 


twowheelsbest

Well-known member
Nov 1, 2009
489
Brighton
Can't you still watch stuff eg. local Beeb through the Sky Box? Should still work for basic channels even without a contract.
That would work, except we have to return the box to Sky, otherwise they charge us for it
 


Cheshire Cat

The most curious thing..
Ask the freeholder/landlord if the aerial needs realigning. Digital signals can be quite temperamental if it doesn't point in exactly the right direction.
 






CheeseRolls

Well-known member
NSC Patreon
Jan 27, 2009
5,922
Shoreham Beach
I have a Panasonic TV with Freeview and have no problem with the picture in Shoreham-By-Sea. Both BBC One HD and BBC One South-East show a picture quality of 10 and a signal strength of around 7. You can check this under DVB Menu signal condition, whilst you are on the specific channel.

I would suggest you focus on the condition and position of your aerial. Are you in a particularly hilly part of Brighton?
Does Mrs Twowheels have a particularly strong affinity with Kent? Last time I caught something local on the local news, it seemed like the reporter had taken a wrong turning somewhere. I can't remember the last time I bothered to watch.
 






dolphins

Well-known member
Jan 26, 2012
5,137
BN1, in GOSBTS
I'm in Patcham and due to the hilly nature of the area, the far stronger signal is from the IOW rather than the Whitehawk transmitter, and looking around, most aerials are aimed in that direction because of this. I've got more than one telly, and I tend to tune them in setting the principal region as South, rather than South East. You will normally find it also tunes in the BBC One South East channel variant, but the channel number will be in the 800s.

Then, renumber the channel so BBC One South gets dumped into the 800s into a spare slot, then BBC One South East I change the number to channel 1. Sorted.

That way you have the strongest signal for all the channels, but BBC One is the South East variant, so you get the "correct" local news rather than stuff about Oxford and the Thames Valley, and football reports about the Cherries and whatnot. If you have Freeview HD, BBC One HD will be the stronger BBC One South version, but as NO local news is broadcast in HD on the beeb (thank goodness, looking at some of their reporters) it won't matter.

Hope that makes sense, and isn't a BG type post!
 


happypig

Staring at the rude boys
May 23, 2009
7,935
Eastbourne
I know it sounds counterintuitive but if your freeview signal is too strong, it can cause it to break up. Fitting an attenuator could solve the problem.
 


AIT76

The wisdom of a fool
Jul 29, 2004
444
Rowridge on the IOW is a better bet to aim the aerial at as it transmits the full suite of channels, unlike Whitehawk which is missing 2 of the HD multiplexes (and about 20 channels as a result, including BBC4 HD, BBC News HD, Smithsonian, Freesports)

It does mean you won't get Latest TV (the local Brighton channel) though.

As Dolphins says, you can still get BBC 1 South East, but just beware that having another BBC 1 variant in the 800's can cause problems IF you are using PVR, as it can get confused as to which one it should record...
 




Thunder Bolt

Ordinary Supporter
That would work, except we have to return the box to Sky, otherwise they charge us for it

Why do you have to return it? We had Sky for 12 months thanks to [MENTION=181]Blackadder[/MENTION] and then cancelled it. We still have two Sky boxes. If they needed a repair you have to pay someone yourself as it is your box, so why are Sky asking for it?
 


twowheelsbest

Well-known member
Nov 1, 2009
489
Brighton


twowheelsbest

Well-known member
Nov 1, 2009
489
Brighton
Annoyingly if you have Sky Q, the box remains the property of Mr Murdoch, and he wants £140 if you don’t give it back
Why do you have to return it? We had Sky for 12 months thanks to [MENTION=181]Blackadder[/MENTION] and then cancelled it. We still have two Sky boxes. If they needed a repair you have to pay someone yourself as it is your box, so why are Sky asking for it?
 






GOM

living vicariously
Aug 8, 2005
3,222
Leeds - but not the dirty bit
Why do you have to return it? We had Sky for 12 months thanks to [MENTION=181]Blackadder[/MENTION] and then cancelled it. We still have two Sky boxes. If they needed a repair you have to pay someone yourself as it is your box, so why are Sky asking for it?

Maybe it's a Sky Q box, they retain ownership of those.
 


mac04

Active member
Nov 15, 2011
382
RH12
We have recently cancelled our Sky TV contract ( various reasons- Murdoch, cost, betting ads etc) and are using Freeview much more. We have a decent Panasonic (other makes are available), smart TV but have a problem with BBC south east (channel 1) as picture constantly breaks up. All HD channels are fine, but as Mrs Twowheels likes her bit of local news she is getting a tad frustrated.
I am thinking of buying a freeview box. Does anyone know if this would remedy things? What’s a good one to get.
We’re in a flat, so on a communal aerial.

What was Sky's best offer to try and retain you as a customer?
 








Two Professors

Two Mad Professors
Jul 13, 2009
7,617
Multicultural Brum
Buy a basic indoor aerial,usually about £10,and move it round the flat till you find the best signal.The communal one is probably pointed to Mecca.
 



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