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Constant Break-up on FreeView HD Channels (Fixed for now...)

Last.To.Know

Last.To.Know

Member
I had terrible break-up on all FreeView channels from 11.15pm last night.

I waited for recordings to finish and then powered down by the rear switch.

This morning was the same so I did a channel scan around 7.00am which didn't fix it.

Decided to record MOTD in SD as last night's recording was unwatchable.

At 9.00am I was about to post a "Help me!" thread when I checked BBC One HD and the picture was fine, as were the other HD channels.

Questions...

Is this a known issue?

Did the channel scan fix it?

Or did it fix itself?

Is it hardware or software related?
 
Last.To.Know said:
I had terrible break-up on all FreeView channels from 11.15pm last night.
Click to expand...
Always worth checking the web for transmitter maintenance information. Then you have to consider the weather, and any potential sources of local interference. You DON'T just go "OMG!" and retune everything, especially considering that trying to retune when the signal is poor may well lose you muxes or pick up remote muxes.
 
Last.To.Know said:
As that week was coming to a close, I thought perhaps works were finished.
Click to expand...
You can't assume they are working for a week and done. The info is only that works will be happening during that week.

When this happened on Rowridge a few months back, according to the web info the work went on for a few weeks, then stopped for a week or two, then started again for a while. Picture issues were spasmodic during that time - enough to ruin a few programmes but not frequent or predictable enough to be able to 'fault find' at the recieving end.
 
MikeSh said:
You can't assume they are working for a week and done. The info is only that works will be happening during that week.

When this happened on Rowridge a few months back, according to the web info the work went on for a few weeks, then stopped for a week or two, then started again for a while. Picture issues were spasmodic during that time - enough to ruin a few programmes but not frequent or predictable enough to be able to 'fault find' at the recieving end.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the reply.

Useful and helpful.
 
I'm in the Sandy area (Ampthill/Bedford way) and have had no issues since fixing a cable-connection problem some weeks back - I will admit most recording/viewing is done via Foxsat, though.
Whereabouts are you receiving from?

Rowridge planned work reception was likely a 'coincidence' and related to the trees on a ridge near that poster (not that he'll accept that hypothesis).

Postulation that the same issue caused a similar thing in Woking from CP was tracked to a faulty masthead power supply very recently.

Trees, wind and rain are a common cause of a change in reception as the leaves fall (are blown off). The wind has got up a lot here since 8am when it was wet but calm(ish).

NEVER retune when you have reception issues. Use the PVR's signal meters to do some analysis instead. Check them all now as a 'snapshot' for comparison if you get more problems.

Check cables and connections - many problems are due to such things, loosening with repeated expansion and contraction, being caught when dusting / hoovering.
 
Rodders53 said:
Rowridge planned work reception was likely a 'coincidence' and related to the trees on a ridge near that poster (not that he'll accept that hypothesis).
Click to expand...
I don't accept that hypothesis because the evidence doesn't support it.
The problem began in summer, after the trees were fully leafed, and 'mysteriously' disappeared long before fall.
OTOH the coincidence of the presence of the problem and notifications of picture breakup due to transmitter work was significant.
 
MikeSh said:
I don't accept that hypothesis because the evidence doesn't support it.
The problem began in summer, after the trees were fully leafed, and 'mysteriously' disappeared long before fall.
OTOH the coincidence of the presence of the problem and notifications of picture breakup due to transmitter work was significant.
Click to expand...
How weird that there was no end of complaints on all the relevant technical forums in and around the Fawley area of Soton.... NOT !!!
 
Rodders53 said:
How weird that there was no end of complaints on all the relevant technical forums in and around the Fawley area of Soton.... NOT !!!
Click to expand...
Not really. If the works were reducing the power, eg. by using a backup transmitter, then you'd expect people with marginal reception to be most affected. Fawley is basically line of sight to Rowridge. My system is fine with normal transmitter operation, so it seems strange to blame that temporary issue on the trees

This could apply to the other thread which has been attributed to an amplifier PSU problem. It might have been failing for a long time but when the transmitter characteristics changed that digital cliff edge was fallen over.
Just an hypothesis.
 
Constant break-up on all FreeView channels this morning, on my TV and Humax T2.

Signal strength on PSB3/BBC B via Web-IF is at 57%.

Anyone else having problems from Sandy Heath?
 
Last.To.Know said:
Signal strength on PSB3/BBC B via Web-IF is at 57%.
Click to expand...
That is totally irrelevant, the strength and quality figures are presented from a database which is only updated at time of retune. You need to look at the live info bar on the TV screen ( i button), or use Menu >> Settings >> System >> Signal Detection.
 
Black Hole said:
That is totally irrelevant, the strength and quality figures are presented from a database which is only updated at time of retune. You need to look at the live info bar on the TV screen ( i button), or use Menu >> Settings >> System >> Signal Detection.
Click to expand...
Thank you, BH.

Good to know.

Signal strength via the TV GUI Signal Detection is 55%.

Which, if memory serves, is what it usually is.
 
Last.To.Know said:
Anyone else having problems from Sandy Heath?
Click to expand...

Yes, all HD channels breaking up constantly despite signal strength and quality showing normal levels, all SD channels fine. The same thing happened a week or two ago, also on a weekend morning, but was fine again by the afternoon and stayed that way until this morning.

I was a little concerned my tuner was playing up, but the site you linked to before now shows work commencing on 20/11/2023, so I guess that's it.

"Sandy Heath transmitter - Sandy Heath transmitter: Possible effect on TV reception week commencing 20/11/2023 Pixelation or flickering on some or all channels"

Edit: I've now remembered the first time it happened to me was the same morning as your original post. I've also since noticed the same thing on another Freeview HD receiver (different aerial but still Sandy Heath), so it's definitely not a Humax thing. Still looks like it's the transmitter maintenance, so will hopefully clear up again.
 
Last edited:
Shame I missed this thread as I'm also on Sandy but fairly close and I'd have checked my reception. All seems good now, though.

The maintenance description to me suggests switching breaks and it's highly unusual to do such stuff at weekends when there is more viewers (and staff are more expensive to be on site).
 
For me, the problem continued until some point after 8am this morning, but now everything is back to normal. Live signal strength and quality readings on my Humax didn't change throughout all this as far as I noticed, but the picture breakup on HD channels made them unwatchable yesterday.

However, the maintenance notice on https://ukfree.tv/transmitters/tv/Sandy_Heath has now changed to say "week commencing 27/11/2023", so I guess whatever they are doing isn't finished just yet.
 
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