Two TV sets get all the Freeview channels, but a third receiver doesn’t!
Question submitted by Tony Shaw
We have 2 TVs which have loaded the channels perfectly but our hard disc recorder won’t load some of the channels. After the first reloading of the channels it worked too but after September 21st it wont reload ITV, channel 4 and channel 5 and associated channels. The screen shows a message saying ” channel has been removed from service offer”. Is this due to hardware or transmitter problems?
Our Answer
It sounds like you have three Freeview receivers. Two of them are getting enough signal to show all of the Freeview channels, but the third isn’t getting a strong enough signal to show all of the channels.
That would typically indicate that your TV aerial is capable of getting a good Freeview signal, but in the process of splitting the aerial feed so that it can feed three receivers, there is some “loss”
What causes signal loss?
Most commonly, TV signal loss in the home is caused by:
- Splitting TV cables to feed several things
- Long TV aerial cable runs
- Low-quality aerial cable
- “Looping” an aerial feed through a piece of equipment (such as a recorder or set-top box)
- Problems with cabling (loose aerial plug, poor connection, damaged cable, etc
Checking for problems
If at least one of your Freeview receivers can get all of the Freeview channels, that confirms there’s not a problem with the TV transmitter or your TV aerial.
It’s often good to go back to basics. n the Freeview receiver that can’t get all of the channels direct to the aerial – in other words, bypassing the other receivers and cabling. Then get the Freeview receiver to scan for channels, and see if it can pick up the missing channels. If so, this proves an issue with aerial cabling
How to fix the problem
There are a couple of options:
1. Probably the most sensible option is to get an amplified splitter. These have an independent socket for each receiver, and amplify the signal. If you have three Freeview receivers, get a booster with three outputs, and connect each receiver to one of the outputs. The booster helps with signal loss, and the separate feed stops problems with other receivers. Signal boosters with multiple outputs are available from Maplin. Signal Boosters at Maplin
2. The other option is to address any problems with your cabling. Use high-quality aerial cable, make sure all joins and connections are OK, and don’t use cables that are longer than they need to be