Every so often, Freeview transmitters get updated. Sometimes it’s a simple frequency change, sometimes it’s part of a clearance programme, and sometimes it’s so new TV services can be added. When this happens, most modern TVs will try to follow along, but not every set does it perfectly.

That’s why, in the last couple of weeks, a lot of people have suddenly found that some channels have disappeared, are in the wrong place, or the picture is breaking up when it never used to.

Typical Problems After a Change

• Missing channels that were there before
• Local or regional news channel has changed to the wrong area
• TV keeps saying ‘no signal’ on certain numbers
• Picture breaks up or stutters on only a few channels
• TV in one room is fine but another TV is not

If that sounds like your situation, it’s very likely the TV just needs re?tuning to the updated transmitter settings.

Why a Re-Tune Is Needed

Your TV has a channel list stored inside it. When the transmitter changes frequency, the list your TV has is suddenly out of date. The TV will still try to use the old list – which is why you see missing channels or the wrong region. Re?tuning makes the TV scan the airwaves again and pull down the latest, correct list. It’s a bit like refreshing a web page that didn’t load properly the first time.

How to Try a Re-Tune Yourself

1. Go to your TV’s Menu or Settings.
2. Look for Channels, Digital Setup or Freeview Setup.
3. Choose Auto Tune, Scan, Digital Scan or Store Channels (the wording depends on the TV).
4. Let the TV complete the scan – it can take a few minutes.
5. When it’s finished, check your main channels again.

On some older TVs it can help to do a factory reset or first time installation and then scan, especially if the TV keeps grabbing the wrong transmitter.

When a DIY Re-Tune Doesn’t Work

Sometimes a simple Re-Tune won’t fix it. That usually means one of the following is going on:

• Your aerial is “seeing” more than one transmitter and the TV is picking the wrong one first.
• The signal level is now a bit lower than before, so the weaker channels are breaking up.
• The cabling or splitter in the loft is old and the change has exposed the weakness.
• You have a masthead amp or distribution amp that now needs re?balancing.

In those cases it’s better to get a TV aerial engineer out. We can test the signal at the wall, see exactly which transmitter you are locked to, and either Re-Tune the TV to the right one or Re-align/upgrade the aerial if needed.

Why It’s Happening to Some TVs and Not Others

It’s very common for one TV in the house to work fine and another to lose channels. Different TVs and boxes handle transmitter changes differently. Newer sets are better at re?scanning automatically. Older TVs, PVRs, set?top boxes or bedroom sets that haven’t been used for a while often need a manual Re-Tune.

What We Can Do

• Check which transmitter you should be receiving
• Re-Tune the TV to the correct region
• Re-align or replace the TV aerial if the signal has dropped
• Test and tidy up the cabling, splitters and amplifiers
• Make sure every TV point in the house is getting the right channels

Don’t Put Up With Missing Channels

If your TV was working before the transmitter changes, it should be working now. You don’t have to live without the channels you were watching last month. A quick Re-Tune is often all it needs – and if the signal itself has been affected, we can sort that too.

So if you are still missing channels or the picture is breaking up since the transmitter changes, give us a call and we’ll get one of our TV aerial engineers out to help you.

This entry was posted on September 1, 2020 at 2:35 pm. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

Posted in Blog by nick Comments Off on Do You Need a TV Re-Tune After the Transmitter Changes?