What's your TV reception like in Brixton?

[CH1]

This device is what the installer use. When Freeview did their first big change at Crystal Place just over two years ago they sent out an installer with one of these.
Unfortunately rather than give any guidance on aerial positioning they fitted a Log aperiodic

which didn't solve the low power COM problems.
However this meter seems to be the ultimate. Might be popular if they had a tool library

https://cpc.farnell.com/horizon/hd-tm-plus/digital-terrestrial-tv-meter/dp/IN05680

 

[CH1]

I got this from a bulletin board called "Digital Spy"
Have not checked the details. It looks like what we've been told elsewhere.
In my location there is no COM7 signal yet - so not sure what's going on.

Surprised to see ITV3+1 sharing a COM4 slot with ADULT Studio 66
What would Mary Whitehouse have made of that?

 

[theboris]

I've had an update from Freeview:
Hello,
Sorry to hear you are missing COM 7.
Crystal Palace transmitter has had some on-going works which are due to finish tomorrow. I would recommend an aerial out/aerial in re-tune again.
To do this, please remove the aerial from the back of the TV and then perform an automatic re-tune. Once this is complete, plug the aerial back into the TV and perform another automatic re-tune.
This will remove the stored frequencies and allow for a fresh installation of channels.

 

[CH1]

I've had an update from Freeview:
Hello,
Sorry to hear you are missing COM 7.
Crystal Palace transmitter has had some on-going works which are due to finish tomorrow. I would recommend an aerial out/aerial in re-tune again.
To do this, please remove the aerial from the back of the TV and then perform an automatic re-tune. Once this is complete, plug the aerial back into the TV and perform another automatic re-tune.
This will remove the stored frequencies and allow for a fresh installation of channels.

They remind me of the IT Crowd that used to be on Channel Four. Turn the computer off and on madam....

I did a manual tune on chanel 55 and 56 this morning. My channel list is up to 118 again, but there is nothing at all receivable on the old COM7 or 8 stations - even though the signal is there.

BTW the list I got from Digital Spy in my post above yours does have one correct piece of information
Shopping Quarter on Channel 74 has now moved to PBS3 - in other words the main HD MUX which carries BBC1,2,ITV,C4,C5 HD
It seems very odd to me that as well as the Public Service HD channels they are using this transmitter for a shopping channel, and TBC a commercial religious channel on 65.

I would have thought it would make sense to put BBC Fpur on the PBS MUX.
I was watching Samirta Ahmed's programme about Persian architecture and art tonight on Freeview Channel 9 low definition.
Its very annoying they are doing this.

 

[CH1]

Anyone like me having problems getting BBC Four HD due to the Crystal Palace digital cliff should note from this article that BBC Four has now ceased on FreeSat

RXTV info | UK digital TV for viewers and installers

UK digital TV for viewers and installers

rxtvinfo.com

 

[CH1]

Freeview HD problems may be coming back

 

[theboris]

They remind me of the IT Crowd that used to be on Channel Four. Turn the computer off and on madam....

I did a manual tune on chanel 55 and 56 this morning. My channel list is up to 118 again, but there is nothing at all receivable on the old COM7 or 8 stations - even though the signal is there.

BTW the list I got from Digital Spy in my post above yours does have one correct piece of information
Shopping Quarter on Channel 74 has now moved to PBS3 - in other words the main HD MUX which carries BBC1,2,ITV,C4,C5 HD
It seems very odd to me that as well as the Public Service HD channels they are using this transmitter for a shopping channel, and TBC a commercial religious channel on 65.

I would have thought it would make sense to put BBC Fpur on the PBS MUX.
I was watching Samirta Ahmed's programme about Persian architecture and art tonight on Freeview Channel 9 low definition.
Its very annoying they are doing this.

Finally got my channels back today after my telly prompted me to retune. BBC4 HD and BBC News HD returned as did Forces TV and - crucially - Now 80s

 

[CH1]

Finally got my channels back today after my telly prompted me to retune. BBC4 HD and BBC News HD returned as did Forces TV and - crucially - Now 80s

Have you tried Forces TV? They show original episodes of Citizen Smith. Not sure why the HM Forces should be interested in faux Maoist kitchen sink comedy set in Tooting and Benidorm.

 

[theboris]

Have you tried Forces TV? They show original episodes of Citizen Smith. Not sure why the HM Forces should be interested in faux Maoist kitchen sink comedy set in Tooting and Benidorm.

I used to watch it for the Buck Rodgers

 

[CH1]

The OFCOM auction results are in. Was it worth it?

BT and Vodafone shares rise on cut-price 5G auction

Shares in BT and Vodafone pushed higher today after the mobile networks secured bargain deals in the latest auction of 5G airwaves.

www.cityam.com

UK 5G spectrum auction raises £1.35bn

UK comms regulator Ofcom has announced the outcome of the principal stage of its auction to release more airwaves to improve mobile services and support 5G. A t

advanced-television.com

Waiting to see if this has any effedt on BBC Four HD etc.
Quite likely the leaves growing back on the trees with have as much effect living where I live.

 

[Leighsw2]

Just spotted this thread - I've had no COM7 channels since last year. Reading this thread prompted me to retry manual tuning of channel 55 - absolutely nothing there! I'm a couple of miles away from Crystal Palace on the second floor......

 

[CH1]

Just spotted this thread - I've had no COM7 channels since last year. Reading this thread prompted me to retry manual tuning of channel 55 - absolutely nothing there! I'm a couple of miles away from Crystal Palace on the second floor......

They are there for me in Coldharbour Lane - now. I am 3 miles from the transmitter I think, going on Google maps.

What kind of aerial do you have? Is it a communal aerial which has not been updated to match current Crystal Palace frequencies? If you are using an indoor set-top aerial this may be your problem. Not an expert on these, but some allegedly have signal boosters built in.

Are you saying that the signal disappeared during last year - but you had OK reception until last summer then you seem to have a similar situation to me. My signal dissapeared back in March 2018 when they moved BBC4 HD etc TO COM 7 and COM 8. It took me a while to find an aerial that worked with COM7/8, but eventually a ten element Band T Yagi in the roof was working.

Then they took COM8 out of commission last summer and I just couldn't get a decent signal at all on the remaining COM7 channel 55 frequency. In the end I bought a 20 element Yagi - which does the job at the moment.
Being in the roof it does sometimes give unacceptably poor signal when it rains.

Signal has been quite good over the winter, with the trees bare. I'm expecting this may chnage when the leaves come out.

If you have a balcony to fix an aerial to, maybe sometimng like this - or something less dramatic. CPC Farnell are quite cheap if you can do it yourself.

 

[theboris]

They are there for me in Coldharbour Lane - now. I am 3 miles from the transmitter I think, going on Google maps.

What kind of aerial do you have? Is it a communal aerial which has not been updated to match current Crystal Palace frequencies? If you are using an indoor set-top aerial this may be your problem. Not an expert on these, but some allegedly have signal boosters built in.

Are you saying that the signal disappeared during last year - but you had OK reception until last summer then you seem to have a similar situation to me. My signal dissapeared back in March 2018 when they moved BBC4 HD etc TO COM 7 and COM 8. It took me a while to find an aerial that worked with COM7/8, but eventually a ten element Band T Yagi in the roof was working.

Then they took COM8 out of commission last summer and I just couldn't get a decent signal at all on the remaining COM7 channel 55 frequency. In the end I bought a 20 element Yagi - which does the job at the moment.
Being in the roof it does sometimes give unacceptably poor signal when it rains.

Signal has been quite good over the winter, with the trees bare. I'm expecting this may chnage when the leaves come out.

If you have a balcony to fix an aerial to, maybe sometimng like this - or something less dramatic. CPC Farnell are quite cheap if you can do it yourself.
View attachment 259731

In a final postscript to this missing Com 7 channels saga - they briefly re-appeared then went off again - they are finally back and hopefully back for good. I ended getting the block's management company to send an engineer to have a look. It turned out that the signal booster box I was using was not needed and was actually overloading the television tuning, so simply removed it and all channels now back to normal.

 

[CH1]

In a final postscript to this missing Com 7 channels saga - they briefly re-appeared then went off again - they are finally back and hopefully back for good. I ended getting the block's management company to send an engineer to have a look. It turned out that the signal booster box I was using was not needed and was actually overloading the television tuning, so simply removed it and all channels now back to normal.

Good luck there.
My own COM situation has now entered the seasonal TV signal black hole.
The trees on the opposite side of the road have leaves of positively Amazonian rain forest verdure.
Lambeth are not tree killing vandals like Sheffield for example - so I expect normal service will resume on my side of Coldharbour Lane in October.

 

[CH1]

An act of God partially tested my above theory on tree foliage today.
One of the three trees in front of the house opposite came down in the wind.
I didn't hear it - one of the perils of double glazing.
But the view from my bedroom windw a few minutes go was like this.

I can't take delight in this. This is shocking damage to a neighbour's property.

Apart from this, "Invalid Service" is still coming up on Freeview channel 107 and everything else broadcast on the COM7 Crystal Palace Multiplex transmitter.

It's not too clear from my photo but even though one of the trees between my aerial and the house over the road has collapsed, there are quite a few leafy trees behind the house over the road.

theboris what type of signal boosting box were you using? My brother sent me one, but it was mains powered and as I don't have mains in my loft, or the cellar where the coax cables come down, I never tried it out.

 

[theboris]

An act of God partially tested my above theory on tree foliage today.
One of the three trees in front of the house opposite came down in the wind.
I didn't hear it - one of the perils of double glazing.
But the view from my bedroom windw a few minutes go was like this.
View attachment 269512
I can't take delight in this. This is shocking damage to a neighbour's property.

Apart from this, "Invalid Service" is still coming up on Freeview channel 107 and everything else broadcast on the COM7 Crystal Palace Multiplex transmitter.

It's not too clear from my photo but even though one of the trees between my aerial and the house over the road has collapsed, there are quite a few leafy trees behind the house over the road.

theboris what type of signal boosting box were you using? My brother sent me one, but it was mains powered and as I don't have mains in my loft, or the cellar where the coax cables come down, I never tried it out.

It was this mains-powered powered one: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07MSYWMG3/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[CH1]

It was this mains-powered powered one: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07MSYWMG3/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

My patience has apparently proved my point.
The leaves on the tree behind the house opposite have now fallen, and BBC4 HD, BBC News HD (why?) and PBS America+1 are back on their 746Mhz transponder channels full tilt. Unfortunately for me that tree seems super-sturdy and unlikely to come down short of Judy Garland style tornado.

Afraid I didn't investigate your booster suggestion - I have no faith that these channels will remain long-term anyway. Covid may well have slowed down the digital roll-out, notwithstanding 5g masts popping up in Brixton now.

This article from May 2020 suggested significant slowing in the 5g programme.

5G roll out facing

Despite conspiracy theorists routinely tying coronavirus to the installation of 5G internet apparatus, a new report has found that the pandemic has led to what could be a “significant delay” in the t

www.consultancy.uk

Any idea how this is shaping up - and how it affects the use of the 746MHz frequency for TV?

 

[CH1]

The Germans at least are campaigning to preserve Free-to-Air Freeview frequencies.
Today we lost COM7 at Crystal Palace - so no more Forces TV, Community Channel etc.
Meanwhile BBC Four HD and CBeebies HD are supposed to be returning soon - but "on delay"

BBC Four HD and CBeebies HD temporarily suspended on Freeview | RXTV info

Viewers retuning find on-screen messages advising them to switch to the standard definition versions of BBC Four HD and CBeebies HD.

rxtvinfo.com

Rumour is BBC Four HD will ultimately end up as a BBC pay-per-view sports channel.

 

[CH1]

I noticed a curious thing this evening.
My newer TV - a Hisense Xi Jinping special with NVidia has stopped showing BBC Four on Freeview 106 and BBC Three on Freeview 109.

It seems that under some fiendish BBC/Freeview AI situation newer (post 2020) Freeview sets make the BBC Three HD channel automatically takes over channel 23, replacing the SD signal.
Likewise BBC Four HD moves ITSELF to channel 9 replacing the SD signal.

This only happens on TV sets which are connected to the internet and have Freeview Player.
Why don't they tell us these things instead of making us retune and retune in the hope of getting 106 and 109 back?

My geriatric Seiki (also a Xi Jinping number - but manufactured around 2015) is unaffected by this "improvement".

The boffins at Freeview, having designed a channel system whereby HD channels are in the 100s and 200s must see some advantage in confusing the issue on Channel 9 and 23?
What exactly is it?

This was published last October Freeview Changes: Six BBC HD Channels Are Moving | Cord Busters - but I never usually watch BBC Three or CBeebies.​

Apparently the changes to BBC Four were held up and only implemented very recently.

BBC HD Changes: The Full List​

These are the changes that went live on October 19, 2022, on newer connected Freeview Play devices:

UK-Wide Changes:​

CBBC HD is moving from Channel 204 to Channel 201.

CBBC SD is moving from Channel 201 to Channel 204.

CBeebies HD is moving from Channel 205 to Channel 202.

CBeebies SD is moving from Channel 202 to Channel 205.

BBC Three HD will now be on Channel 23 (as well as Channel 109 in the HD section).

BBC Three SD is moving from Channel 23 to Channel 613.
BBC Four HD will now be on Channel 9 (as well as Channel 106 in the HD section).

BBC Four SD is moving from Channel 9 to Channel 614.

(edited to add vital technical info)

 

[CH1]

A more eloquent explanation of the above. But my question is why no notification?

BBC HD update for newer Freeview Play devices > RXTV info

The BBC has confirmed it plans to roll out new functionality that will move HD versions of its Freeview channels up the channel list.

rxtvinfo.com