Failing tuner?

pADDYB

Member
Over the last few months I’ve been having increasing problems with picture quality on my HDR-T2 (custom firmware). It was first noticeable on the higher HD channels, BBC News, Channel Four+1 etc, which I don’t watch very often. BBC 1,2 ITV etc were ok, but now I’m getting occasional glitches on those channels and now BBC News, 4+1 etc are unwatchable. Picture using my TV tuner is fine.

As an experiment, I started a recording on BBC1, then had a look at the troublesome channels and they played fine, so I’m guessing tuner 1 (which was recording) is faulty and tuner 2 (watching), is ok?

Can this be fixed/repaired? I realise these were discontinued long ago.
 
Reporting your signal levels and quality would be a good starting place.
Another thing is: What is your location? There have been frequency changes recently that could possibly affect your reception, but without knowing what transmitter you are receiving from, requires 'us' to polish up our crystal balls.

When you say 'Higer channels', do you mean ALL the HD channels? (Film4+1, although on the same multiplex (MUX) as the main 5 HD channels, is not HD). They are on MUX BBCB
If you are on a Full Freview transmitter, there are two more MPXs COM 7 and COM 8. These are generally lower power and are the ones that have been giving peeps problems recently.

Now you know why your transmitter is important information.

PS. Welcome to Hummy.tv
 
1. There have been a number of changes in the broadcast system which may mean some multiplexes are now less receivable with a previously OK aerial - transmission frequencies have moved "out of band" so that the existing aerial is marginal, and there have been reports of the current weather reducing the margin further.

2. If the file system on the HDD (or the HDD itself) has accumulated errors, the retry cycles create delays in the system and can produce effects similar to a weak signal.

The first thing you need to do is a survey of the reception strengths and qualities for each multiplex you think you should be receiving. Do this using Menu >> Settings >> System >> Signal Detection, select each channel (corresponding with a multiplex) in turn and keep an eye on the live figures for 30 seconds-ish. Report the results for each channel (complete with channel number) here, and state what transmitter you are supposed to be tuned to.

With regard to the HDD, see here: Quick Guide to Disk Recovery (click)

There is no need to conclude you have a failing tuner at this stage.
 
Thanks for your reply.

Signal Detection:
Watching BBC1 HD:
CH22, 482000Khz, 8Mhz, 32K, 1/128 (DVB-T2)
Strength 50-52%
Quality 100%

Watching BBC News HD:
Ch55, 746000Khz, 8Mhz, 32K, 1/16 (DVB-T2)
Strength 50-52%
Quality: Fluctuates widely from 5%-100%, but mostly below 20%

I'm in Tewkesbury in Gloucestershire.

I mean't higher number HD channels - BBC 1 & 2,HD ITV 1HD & CH4 HD are ok (with a few glitches). Channel 5 seems a little bit more problematic, can't look at BBC4 HD now as there's nothing on, but I think this is where the real problems start. From 107 onwards - BBC News, Al Jazeera, 4+1, 4Seven are unwatchable.

Hope this gives you some more info for your crystal ball!
 
Black hole, your message came in while I was writing the above reply. So I need figures for all channels? 21-29 & 55, 56? I'll have a read of the Disk Recovery article.

Wouldn't a change in the broadcast system affect my TV tuner as well. It seems fine on the channels the Hummy is having problems with.
 
Wouldn't a change in the broadcast system affect my TV tuner as well. It seems fine on the channels the Hummy is having problems with.
Not necessarily, it could possibly be that your TV tuner is a little more sensitive, and that the T2 is 'teetering on the edge' of good reception.
As far as I can establish, COM 7 & 8 have shifted up in frequency which has probably put them out of band for your aerial.
Assuming that you are receiving from Ridge hill (that's why 'we' needed to know, so as to get the right crystal ball from the cupboard;)), here is the explanation of your problem.
Ridge Hill
Serves most parts of Herefordshire and parts of Worcestershire and N Gloucestershire.
The multiplex carrying BBC News HD, Al Jazeera HD, 4seven HD and Channel 4+1 HD among other channels (multiplex COM7) is changing frequency on 1st March 2018- from UHF channel 32 to the new national frequency on UHF 55. It has reduced coverage and is only available on newer Freeview devices.
From HERE, scroll down.
 
Sounds like that's it! I clicked on the link and read the rest of the info on Ridge Hill, but not sure what to conclude from this? Is it an aerial problem?
 
No, it won't do that.
Best for the aerial as far as I can establish would be to change your areal for a group K or W.
Get onto Freeview as a lot of peeps on Crystal Palace have had their aerials changed for free because of the frequency shift.
Don't tell them about the sets that work OK, just the one that's iffy.
 
Thanks Trev

Unfortunately, I live in a block of flats with a communal aerial. The whole block had problems, probably due to frequency shift mentioned above, a few months ago and they sent someone to repair it. I doubt they'd come out again if its only me complaining, I've spoken to a few neighbors and their's are working fine now.

I'd like to go back to the experiment I mentioned in the first post. If I can watch BBC News HD ok while recording another channel, it seems to suggest that one tuner is working ok? Do I need to replace the tuner?
 
Hi there - I have been having a problem on my HDR-Fox T2 which I wonder maybe is a failing tuner and not an aerial problem as above - I'm on Mendip Transmitter and all 6 main channels are recording signal strengths of 55% to 72% and Quality solidly 100% - ch 58 with Film 4+1 HD is only being received on my other HDR-Fox T2 in a different room. However, the first one mentioned has been starting recordings late when a previous recording was finishing after its start time. I currently use padding and not AR since the reliability of the Broadcasters' start signals was not good - maybe it's better now. So a recording set for 8pm last night (with 2mins start padding) did not start till 8-05pm since the previous recording on a different channel finished at 8pm but with a 5 min padding to finish. How can I check if one tuner is down ?
 
@Lefteris:
I'm not an expert on this, but it sounds like its trying to do everything with one tuner. Have you tried recording 2 channels from different muxes at the same time? It would only be possible to do this if both tuners are working.

This is why I still think this is a tuner issue on my box. If I start recording BBC 1 HD, then record one of the problem channels, it records it ok.
 
Drip feed of info eh! Crystal ball missed that one.;)
I'm fairly certain that you can't

Sorry, though going into all that detail would just confuse matters. It doesn't change the basic fact that everyone else who lives here is happy with their freeview reception, and if I was just watching live TV through the TV's tuners (do people still do that?) so would I!
 
Yes, when there is any overlap, the second recording doesn't start till the first one has finished. On looking back, I find this has been going on for a couple of weeks or more ! But I can't find any reference to how to check if one tuner is down.
 
Yes - not exactly the same times on two channels, but I often overlap two recordings as I said above and before they always recorded fine, but now, the 2nd won't start till the first has finished - implying only one tuner is operational.
 
Thanks prpr.

Not exactly sure what I'm looking for, but noticed this:

Both tuners have Strength around 51% and Quality a solid 100% on all Transponders apart from 7460000Khz & 754000Khz, which report Strength 55-60% (higher) and Quality fluctuating wildly between 20% and 100%.
 
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