freeview experts
 

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freeview experts

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My elderly neighbour is having issues with her freeview channels. She's lost one of her favourites, and others the images break up, after being on a while. The TV 4/5years old, so hardly ancient, but also not new. It has the latest (2024) update installed, I've reset it, as this was the only option to re-scan the freeview channels. Nothing obvious has changed with the aerial.

Any thoughts, as I'd like to help her out


 
Posted : 10/09/2025 11:26 am
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I've a similar issue...I put it down to the weather and the TV aerial not quite being positioned properly...sometimes I can get loads of channels, other times I can get 4 or 5 and other times the signal is poor on them all and either shows a black screen or heavily pixelated nonsense.

When I happens I switch it off and try to find something else to do...I'm not bothered about trying to fix the aerial so it isn't going to get fixed any time soon.


 
Posted : 10/09/2025 11:47 am
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We use freesat via a redundant Sky dish. Works well, with no interference or channel drop out.  Even in bad weather.  Might be an option for your neighbour?


 
Posted : 10/09/2025 11:51 am
 jimw
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High atmospheric pressure can do this- we had a similar problem over the summer and it went away after a couple of days, but only after I had tried rescanning a few times and fiddling with the aerial connections.And we have a direct line of sight to the transmitter.


 
Posted : 10/09/2025 11:52 am
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Posted by: z1ppy

 It has the latest (2024) update installed, I've reset it, as this was the only option to re-scan the free

 

Is it a smart TV? you can get most stuff via apps/streaming from the net, or a firestick might be an option if you can't sort the freeview out.

 


 
Posted : 10/09/2025 11:59 am
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Interesting, thanks for the posts, with your similar experiences. She does have a redundant sky dish, plugged into a separate freeview box, and it allows her to watch the one of the missing channels, but the image from that box is awful (10 years+ old box). Her TV doesn't have a connection for the cable though unfortunately .. I'd rushed over this morning, thinking this might be the solution...

[posted before I saw the last post^^]

TBH as she has broadband (TV won't use it for freeview) I wondered about a cheap refurb firestick.  Unfortunately as 80+, she doesn't want to mess too much with the other channel/app options, getting her to swap between freeview (external Box/internal tv app) was a struggle.


 
Posted : 10/09/2025 12:04 pm
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Posted by: z1ppy

Nothing obvious has changed with the aerial.

Something unobvious has changed with the aerial, then.  Weather is available in most parts of the country.  Get a man with a ladder and a signal strength meter.

The answer to "she won't..." is don't then, do without.


 
Posted : 10/09/2025 1:15 pm
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I've found those powered aerial boosters can be enough to solve reception issues in borderline cases.


 
Posted : 10/09/2025 1:23 pm
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Posted by: blokeuptheroad

We use freesat via a redundant Sky dish. Works well, with no interference or channel drop out.  Even in bad weather.  Might be an option for your neighbour?

 

We seem to have more and more interefence with our dish and freesat now. Neighbours had the same problem and switched to a Freely TV

 


 
Posted : 10/09/2025 1:27 pm
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Is it a smart TV? you can get most stuff via apps/streaming from the net, or a firestick might be an option if you can't sort the freeview out.

‘freely’ is the via broadband equivalent of freeview but it’s currently only available with specific TVs. A set top box thing will be available at some point this year though

 

 


 
Posted : 10/09/2025 1:45 pm

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