Recently installed new 2TB disk, now BBC 4 HD recordings are scrambled........

Pete999999

New Member
A few weeks ago I replaced the original 1TB disk with a Pipeline 2TB disk. All seemed to go fine.
Since then any recordings of BBC 4 HD either display a message saying the channel is scrambled, or i get an extremely pixilated picture and I only get just a few minutes of whatever I've tried to record.
I've re-tuned several times, but to no avail..
Any ideas?

It has also crashed 3 times during January

Thanks
Pete
 

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BBC FOUR HD has moved on to COM8, which has less coverage than the other muxes.
It might be that you're on the edge of the coverage area for it now, hence the problems. Check with other services on COM8 to confirm.
Whatever, it is nothing to do with the disk.
Retunes to fix problems like this never do, unless of course you are receiving from the wrong transmitter in the first place.
You should probably be directing effort into looking at your aerial/cabling and possibly the need for a masthead amp. which might just give you a bit more margin.
 
Thanks prpr - certainly makes sense.
It looks like the signal strength for channels on COM8 are about 30% whereas the other are all 50% - signal quality is 100% for all channels
Do you know if the coverage will be extended? I'm in Essex only 15 miles from London else I'll have to make do without hi-def on BBC4 - that's progress for you...
Thanks again
Pete
 
Do you know if the coverage will be extended? I'm in Essex only 15 miles from London ..
All the Essex postcodes I've looked at has the prediction for COM 7 and COM 8 getting worse over the next 6 months - not better.
E.g. http://www.digitaluk.co.uk/coveragechecker/main/trade/SS9+1BZ/NA/0/NA

Some areas 10 miles from the Greater London boundary have a prediction even worse than that with a standard aerial set up for Crystal palace predicted to recieve no COM 7 or COM 8 signal at all within 6 months.
E.g. http://www.digitaluk.co.uk/coveragechecker/main/trade/cm4+9es/NA/0/NA
... else I'll have to make do without hi-def on BBC4
Or use BBC iPlayer. Its not as good as the freeview version but it is an improvement over SD, unless you are after an Audio Description version.
 
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Cheers Luke - doesn't sound very encouraging :(
I tapped in my PC and house number and got the attached response-
Doesn't mean much to me..
It seems strange why HD coverage is being restricted - I'd have thought the reverse would be the case. Will we be switching back to black and white again soon.....?

I've always found iPlayer to be too clunky to use - push a button and some while later something happens, by which time I've pressed the button again, so I just end up frustrated
 

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Thanks BH.
My TV is rarely on for more than an hour a day, so it's not really much of an issue, and I'll soon have a TB of stuff recorded which'll never get watched anyway :D
 
Do you know if the coverage will be extended?
Yes and the answer is "No".
I'm in Essex only 15 miles from London else I'll have to make do without hi-def on BBC4 - that's progress for you...
I guess you're on Crystal Palace then. On 21 March, COM7 and COM8 are changing from RF channels 33/35 to 55/56.
You almost certainly have a Group A aerial and 55/56 are well outside its limits. You will probably lose both COM7 and COM8 completely.
If you care, you would be well advised to look into getting a log periodic aerial and a low gain (9-12dB) masthead amp.
I think lots of people might be complaining, but it won't get you anywhere.
 
It seems strange why HD coverage is being restricted - I'd have thought the reverse would be the case.
The transmission of BBC 4 HD is a bit of a juggle to fit it in the bandwidth available and do it in a budget that can be justified. The frequency move which prpr mentions to totally different frequencies will likely only be for another 4 or 5 years and perhaps a little as two years. After that your current aerial may be better!
 
Thanks Guys - I'll live with what I'v got atm. Complete house refurb later in the year, so I'll replace the aerial which is ancient when that happens. I'll bear your comments in mind when the time comes prpr - thanks
At least I understand the reasoning behind it now.
All the best!
 
I'd be interested in what does actually happen on 21 March, if you would care to provide an update then.
 
Err - I said I'd provide an update after 21st, but not sure what info you're after.
I had a message on the TV that I may need to retune. I didn't, but a couple of recordings went ok yesterday.
Is there anything particular you'd like me to check?
 
I think the issue is whether your "ancient aerial" is still giving you reception now the muxes have shuffled in your area - not for just one or two primary services but over the whole set.
 
OK
I had a look through a few and noticed London Live and BBC News HD had no pic, so have just retuned.
London Live is OK - BBC NewsHD has disappeared as has BBC4 HD
Is there a quick way to see what has vanished/not working ? I don't want to have to trawl though 120+ channels as I rarely watch anything other than the main ones
 
OK
I had a look through a few and noticed London Live and BBC News HD had no pic, so have just retuned.
London Live is OK - BBC NewsHD has disappeared as has BBC4 HD
That's what I expected. You've lost COM7 and COM8 as they are both now out of frequency range for your aerial.
Is there a quick way to see what has vanished/not working ? I don't want to have to trawl though 120+ channels as I rarely watch anything other than the main ones
You can look them up by mux. on here:
https://hummy.tv/forum/link-forums/digital-uk-industry-channel-listings.34/
BBC News HD and BBC Four HD are the only two I would consider "main".
 
Is there a quick way to see what has vanished/not working ?
WebIF >> Diagnostics >> Mux Info. Any mux listed with quality < 100 is troublesome; any mux you should have but isn't listed hasn't been tuned at all. To find out which services are affected click "view" to list them.
 
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