Finding TV channels and programmes - sometimes too complicated

[oddoneout]

It’s probably because the channels on you local DTT multiplex have changed - about a year ago a lot were unceremoniously kicked off to make way for 4 and 5 G . If you enter your postcode into this it should tell you what channels are available .

https://www.freeview.co.uk/help/coverage-checker-results

Note that there are SD and HD versions of some of channels One complication is that you may be ,for local reasons ( building / hill shadows), taking a signal off a different transmitter - the quickest way to check is to look at which way your aerial is pointing.To work out what that aerial is ask a local aerial engineer then enter a post code from a street where you know the majority of people are using that transmitter. There are huge swathes of the country where people have choice e.g. Taunton / Oxford . Once met a lorry driver in Wincanton who had three aerials and could pick up ITV West (Bristol) , ITV South and , amazingly, ITV Westcountry possibly off Honiton or a nearer repeater.

Ps if it’s a sat box I can’t help you !

No, not a sat box. Using the cover checker showed that the transmitter is the one I thought it should be(and has been for many years) and all the channels should be available, so I checked that the numbers were right. That message hasn't got to the digibox though - what should be channel 11 comes up with what is actually channel 35, but if I enter 35 I get what is actually 36 - and the next few are all similarly one adrift. HD versions are irrelevant as I can't use them anyway. It can be worked round, but I'm rather doubtful what happens next time there is a major shuffle, since this all started the last time they warned of such an event but it didn't seem to actually happen or, as I say, the message didn't get to the little box.
Its all a plot I reckon to force me to buy new stuff!

[LHC]

No, not a sat box. Using the cover checker showed that the transmitter is the one I thought it should be(and has been for many years) and all the channels should be available, so I checked that the numbers were right. That message hasn't got to the digibox though - what should be channel 11 comes up with what is actually channel 35, but if I enter 35 I get what is actually 36 - and the next few are all similarly one adrift. HD versions are irrelevant as I can't use them anyway. It can be worked round, but I'm rather doubtful what happens next time there is a major shuffle, since this all started the last time they warned of such an event but it didn't seem to actually happen or, as I say, the message didn't get to the little box.
Its all a plot I reckon to force me to buy new stuff!

As well as retuning, you might want to check that the box is set for the correct Country. A few years ago my mother complained to me that the channels on her TV were all in the wrong order. When I checked, her TV had managed somehow to reset itself to 'Austria', and was therefore searching for Austrian channels when retuning. Once I had reset its location to the UK (actually 'England' if I recall), the channels magically returned to their correct order.

[Ein Heldenleben]

No, not a sat box. Using the cover checker showed that the transmitter is the one I thought it should be(and has been for many years) and all the channels should be available, so I checked that the numbers were right. That message hasn't got to the digibox though - what should be channel 11 comes up with what is actually channel 35, but if I enter 35 I get what is actually 36 - and the next few are all similarly one adrift. HD versions are irrelevant as I can't use them anyway. It can be worked round, but I'm rather doubtful what happens next time there is a major shuffle, since this all started the last time they warned of such an event but it didn't seem to actually happen or, as I say, the message didn't get to the little box.
Its all a plot I reckon to force me to buy new stuff!

Worth double checking that your aerial is actually pointing at the right transmitter - the post code checker is no good for that. Sometimes engineers point it at a local relay and don’t tell you. That makes all the difference. I see you live in East Anglia - being flat it’s unlikely you are in a hill shadow - though glancing at the map I see there are several coastal relay stations .There’s also little relay overlap except for Bramford near Ipswich which weirdly seems to come off Tacolneston rather than Sudbury.

[oddoneout]

Worth double checking that your aerial is actually pointing at the right transmitter - the post code checker is no good for that. Sometimes engineers point it at a local relay and don’t tell you. That makes all the difference. I see you live in East Anglia - being flat it’s unlikely you are in a hill shadow - though glancing at the map I see there are several coastal relay stations .There’s also little relay overlap except for Bramford near Ipswich which weirdly seems to come off Tacolneston rather than Sudbury.

Well if it's wrong then so is everyone else's! This problem has only cropped up in the last few months, everything was OK prior to that.

[Serial_Apologist]

Well if it's wrong then so is everyone else's! This problem has only cropped up in the last few months, everything was OK prior to that.

It's been a problem for longer than that at my end. My solution has been to note down the few actual channel numbers which are different from the ones stated in Radio Times I need to tune to on a piece of paper which I keep to hand.

[Ein Heldenleben]

Well if it's wrong then so is everyone else's! This problem has only cropped up in the last few months, everything was OK prior to that.

Possibly because they’ve reordered the channels at the multiplex . It’s not a static situation I’m afraid

[Petrushka]

Assume we are talking about Freeview channels here? They change because some channels cease to exist and new ones come aboard.

I've got both my TV and DVD recorder (still going strong) tuned to Freeview. If there is a change a notification usually comes up on screen. If it doesn't check to see if notifications is turned off in your settings. When retuning I always set my TV and DVD recorder to 'Retune by signal quality' so the strongest signal in the area will be automatically picked up.

It's worth retuning anyway every six weeks or so as new channels might have appeared without notification.