Signal reception on SKY and FREEVIEW in N. Ireland

[LEESON]

For a long time now the signal reception from Sky and Freeview to my home tv sets is broken up, or freezes, and after a few seconds the picture resumes, as if one had restrated a video/DVD. This can happen for four or five hours per night!

Does anyone know what causes this signal breakup to occur, regularly as it does?

Would welcome views of others who might be enduring this occurrence as well as possibly a solution or two ?

[ELVIS68]

We have freeview at work and it happens to us, even when we are watching normal tv the picture freezes and the volume goes back to its normal setting, we are right next to a railway line and think its interference from that or the cab office across the road...very annoying when we`re trying to watch Deal or No Deal,The Weakest Link and Eggheads

[Postdog]

you could try checking all the connections. Might not be the cause, but then again, a bad connection could do that.

[venus]

You should get the local aerial guy out, for def!

It seems very strange that it is happening on both Sky and Freeview as they are two completly diff signals. Obviously one from satellite and one from the digital feed off your transmitter.

Is there a specific time it happens? how long does it go on for? is it same times every day? Ok, what you need to do is let me know these things:
1) Your transmitter name, or first bit of your postcode
2) Ask your neighbours if they are affected too
3) What specific channels are affected. maybe all
4) time periods, as above
5) If you reboot your boxes does that make a difference

We'll start from there and see if we can get you sorted!!

R :)

[Whickerman]

If there was just one system it would indicate a failure in your box/dish which would need a technician out.

If they're both being fed off one dish, it's your dish.

If there are 2 dishes, then if they're on the same part of your house it's most likely the signal being broken by a nearby tree. Either way, you need the aerial guy out

[malcy]

This happened to me a while ago. I put better quality aerial cable from the point in the wall to the freeview box. This seemed to do the trick.

[LEESON]

Venus - gratias for the interest in the stated diffs.

To respond to and perhaps clarify your points:-

The breaking up/freezing happens mostly after 6pm - but then I don't know if it occurs during the day. It happens throughout the ensuing evening/night, sometimes spasmodically, or at times it would ruin a half hour programme with the number of said interferences.

1) Perhaps transmitter is DIVIS; but my Postcode is BT17
2)Neighbours concur that they experience similar problems, but are less precise as to its duration or frequency
3)It seems that the ITV channels are mostly affected - but BBC output has also deteriorated as well
4) as I indicate above, the time I notce the events is after 6pm
5)sorry; I don't know how to 'reboot' my boxes, or what it entails

Sometime I get the impression that mobile 'phone masts or mobiles themselves might make a contribution to this problem

Merci beaucoup

[LEESON]

Question Author

Venus - gratias for the interest in the stated diffs.

To respond to and perhaps clarify your points:-

The breaking up/freezing happens mostly after 6pm - but then I don't know if it occurs during the day. It happens throughout the ensuing evening/night, sometimes spasmodically, or at times it would ruin a half hour programme with the number of said interferences.

1) Perhaps transmitter is DIVIS; but my Postcode is BT17
2)Neighbours concur that they experience similar problems, but are less precise as to its duration or frequency
3)It seems that the ITV channels are mostly affected - but BBC output has also deteriorated as well
4) as I indicate above, the time I notice the events is after 6pm
5)sorry; I don't know how to 'reboot' my boxes, or what it entails

Sometime I get the impression that mobile 'phone masts or mobiles themselves might make a contribution to this problem

Merci beaucoup

[LEESON]

Question Author

Venus - gratias for the interest in the stated diffs.

To respond to and perhaps clarify your points:-

The breaking up/freezing happens mostly after 6pm - but then I don't know if it occurs during the day. It happens throughout the ensuing evening/night, sometimes spasmodically, or at times it would ruin a half hour programme with the number of said interferences.

1) Perhaps transmitter is DIVIS; but my Postcode is BT17
2)Neighbours concur that they experience similar problems, but are less precise as to its duration or frequency
3)It seems that the ITV channels are mostly affected - but BBC output has also deteriorated as well
4) as I indicate above, the time I notce the events is after 6pm
5)sorry; I don't know how to 'reboot' my boxes, or what it entails

Sometime I get the impression that mobile 'phone masts or mobiles themselves might make a contribution to this problem

Merci beaucoup

[venus]

Hey thanks for replying :)

Firstly you need to reboot your box to see if that helps, all it involves is:
1. Unplug the box from the mains power supply for about 10 minutes
2. Remove the aerial from the back and leave it unplugged
3. After 10 minutes, reconnect the box to the mains power supply, but don't plug the aerial back in.
4. Switch everyting back on
5. Search under the Menu options for 'rescan channels' or somthing similar ('add new channels' eg)
6. When the search is complete it will say 'no channels found' as there is no aerial in yet
7. Switch off the box and plug in the aerial. Switch back on.
8 Do the 'rescan' again.

This is like a rebooting of your box's memory and finds your channels again, and is useful, this may help but in your case i fear it may not! :)

You are indeed off Divis transmitter so i would expect you to have perfect reception on your freeview.
Satellite covers 100% of the country so id expect perfect reception there too.

It seems very strange that is is happening over both platforms. Could you answer these:

You get Sky through your dish? and freeview off your aerial? are the two feeds coming separetly into the house? or are they connected into only one coming into the house?? is this on two separate tvs?

If it's two separate feeds, or two tvs....Interference!

Interference could cause problems, therefore you need to find out if there is any building work etc going on around you, anything like that. If you think it is interference the body Ofcom can help locating it, theyre on 028 9041 7500

If you answer those questions then we'll go from there and see what we can come up with :) :) :)

Apologies its long-winded :) Rhonda :)

[venus]

Any joy with this ??