Loss of digital channels possibly related to Sky HD?

Loss of digital channels possibly related to Sky HD?

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jonnie5

Original Poster:

716 posts

259 months

Wednesday 20th May 2009
quotequote all
I've recently noticed that on two of the three televisions in my house that half the Digital channels are missing, for example BBC1, BBC2, ITV and Channel 4 are all missing. However, on the main TV they are all there.

I'll explain my setup, as this will help....

I have an aerial in my attic that I put through a booster, this plugs into the back of my sky box. I then run one RF output into the back of my main TV, and another goes all the way back into the loft into another booster/splitter which runs two other TVs in the house. Thus enabling me to see SKY on all of the other TV's. This also, in the past, has enabled me to have a very good digital reception on all TVs. This has always worked very well.

Recently I have noticed that the TV in our bedroom and the one in the kids playroom have not been able to receive many digital channels, and the only change in my setup has been in the installation of Sky HD. If I swap the RF outputs around so that what was going to the main TV now goes back to the attic, this makes no difference - same problem. I can still watch SKY in all rooms.

I have tried re-tuning the digital channels automatically and manually with no success, and the TV in the bedroom indicates that it has a very good signal.

So, on the face of it, it appears that the problem is somewhere between the SKY HD box and the other TVs - but nothing has changed, the boosters are working fine and the cabling all looks good. Indeed, the bedroom TV says the signal is 100%.

Am I missing something obvious, or is there a hidden setting with the SKY HD box that I need to change?

Any wisdom gratefully received smile

headcase

2,389 posts

223 months

Wednesday 20th May 2009
quotequote all
I think the easiest way to check if it is yor sky box causing it then pull out both of the RF connectors on sky (aerial in and RF 2) and connect them both together, then go see if freeview satrted working again, if it does then it is sky causing it (see below) if not then a aerial distribution problem.

When you had sky HD installed did he have to retune the SKY chanel upstairs on your other TV's? If so then could be the sky's RF frequency (see below) if not then possibly sky dropping the aerial signal.(faulty sky box)

(on the old menu GUI, no idea if it still works with the new gui)
on the sky r/c press
services
4
then 0,1 select in quick sucsession

goto RF outlts and see what the modulator frequency is set to,

If that frequency is the same as a freeview mux in your area it will kill that mux, so if it is then change it to something else. (pick one at random approx 10 higher or lower than what it is set at now for a quick guestimate). If you have the new GUI and that dosent work then go to one of your bedroom TV's and look at its manual tuning for the channel sky is tuned into and see what frequency it is tuned to, then see if that is the same as a freeview mux.

(a mux is a group of freeview channels that are one 1 specific frequency)
i cant remember what the link is to find out your transmitter frequencies but im sure someone will post it below this.


Is that too technical? sry ive edited it several times already to make it easier to understand :P


Edited by headcase on Wednesday 20th May 17:22


Edited by headcase on Wednesday 20th May 17:30


Edited by headcase on Wednesday 20th May 17:32

jonnie5

Original Poster:

716 posts

259 months

Wednesday 20th May 2009
quotequote all
Unbelievably, that all makes perfect sense to me smile Thank you

I've got the new menu system and have found the secret menu (services 0,0,1, select) - the RF output is set to 24.

I'll try both the sky box bypass you suggested and changing the RF, two good suggestions thanks again beer

jonnie5

Original Poster:

716 posts

259 months

Wednesday 20th May 2009
quotequote all
SOLVED!!! smile

Removing the Sky box from the loop, I was able to confirm it was a cabling problem somewhere.... After lots of searching eventually found it that the connection to the main outlet was slightly loose. Pushed it in, re-scan, sorted!

Thanks for the nudge in the right direction beer

cjs

10,885 posts

257 months

Thursday 21st May 2009
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Cant understand why your Sky box was set to RF Chan24, they usually come set standard C68 which is way higher than most terrestrial TV broadcasts. I would reset it to C68 then retune all your TV's, see what happens.

There again the Sky guy must have had a reason for setting it to C24, maybe he found problems with C68?

jonnie5

Original Poster:

716 posts

259 months

Thursday 21st May 2009
quotequote all
Me neither, I tried changing it to 68 but got a terrible picture I'm now on 27 ?!?!?!? but, it is working so I'm leaving it smile

headcase

2,389 posts

223 months

Thursday 21st May 2009
quotequote all
It will be set to 24 so he didnt have to retune the other TV's around the house wink Generally new sky boxes come set to C69 (the ones i have seens anyways)wich is wonderfull unless you upstairs TV is a panasonic wich only goes upto C68 suprisingly!
Also C68 is a freeview mux in the winterhill area wink
Glad you fixed it, Well done, aerial dist probs can be a nightmare.
And thanks for the new GUI service menu info, ill writhe that on the back of me hand wink