Picture breaking up and lost HD Channels

[Martinb2347]

Help!

We recently moved from Sky to Virgin then decided to then move to Freesat as this was better value for money. We have had an engineer come and install the system checking signals, replacing the LNB etc. This was done after a self install with our current dish but we had experienced breaking up pictures on BBC channels, lost HD channels and the inability to record.

We are still having problems with breaking picture on BBC channels. Sound remains but screen will go blank for literally seconds at a time. We loose HD picture but sound remains. We can now record which is at least a step in the right direction.

I am now at a loss as to why this is occuring. I have trawled through many web pages on this subject and have been advised it can be anyting from cabling to transponder ??? I am not so sure it is cabling now as this has been checked by an engineer. I am also not convinced cabling is an issue as all other channels appears to be fine. Why is it then just BBC channels that break up and HD channels we loose?

Our postcode is GU12 4**, we have a SAGEM Freesat HD+ box

Hoping someone out there can help....

Thanks in advance
Martin

 

[rolfw]

If the screen is going blank, but audio remains intact, it is more likely to be the receiver playing up, or the communication between receiver and TV, do you get any pixellation as well?

Do you have a DECT phone nearby?

 

[rolfw]

If the screen is going blank, but audio remains intact, it is more likely to be the receiver playing up, or the communication between receiver and TV, do you get any pixellation as well?

Do you have a DECT phone nearby?

 

[Martinb2347]

We dont get pixelation at all however we do have a DECT handsfree phone.

When you say reciever is this the freesat box? Also why would this only be for BBC channels and HD channels?

Thanks again.....

 

[rolfw]

A DECT phone will only affect certain frequencies, best way to discount the phone is to disconnect it from the mains and move the handset, or ideally take out the batteries. Once that is out of the frame, have a look at the connectivity, do you connect by scart and HDMI?

 

[Lazarus]

Also look for other possible interference source: BT Home Hub is a notorious one.

DECT usually affect different frequencies to the ones carrying the Channels you've got problems with, but don't count anything out.

A process of turning off lots of stuff all in one go to see if the problem goes away, then turning them back on one by one will help identify the culprit, if it really is due to interference.

Sounds more likely to be connectors between receiver and telly or a fault with the box.

 

[Martinb2347]

Thanks I will try and turn everything off and then see what happens. The box is new and I guess I need to determine if it is a box issue in which case I need to get this replaced.

We do have out wireless router (apple make) next to the box. Would this be a cause for interuption of this kind also? Also would this not be a constant problem or can it be periodic....?

Thanks

 

[Martinb2347]

We connect to the TV via a HDMI lead only.

 

[Martinb2347]

I will try and turn everything off. The Freesat box is sat next to a wireless hub (apple) would this cause a problem?

 

[Lazarus]

Thanks I will try and turn everything off and then see what happens. The box is new and I guess I need to determine if it is a box issue in which case I need to get this replaced.

We do have out wireless router (apple make) next to the box. Would this be a cause for interuption of this kind also? Also would this not be a constant problem or can it be periodic....?

Thanks

I will try and turn everything off. The Freesat box is sat next to a wireless hub (apple) would this cause a problem?

See my comment about Home Hub etc ........................ consider your Router a possibility. It takes only a moment to prove or eliminate.

 

[Martinb2347]

what would be the recommended distance that a router would need to be from the box?

 

[Lazarus]

Trial and error: The box itself should be almost bombproof as its casing should act as a "Faraday Shield". The weak points exploited by noisy emitters are generally associated with the cabling - especially at any connection points or joints. Worst offender is poor quality wall face-plates, if you have any.

 

[PaulR]

We connect to the TV via a HDMI lead only.

This could be an HDCP handshaking problem between the TV and the receiver. Sometimes there is nothing that can be done and you have to hope that either (or both) of the manufacturers release software updates that fixes the problem.

Try connecting using a scart lead for a while especially for the HD channels. You won't get HD quality transferred over this of course but it might prove a point.

 

[Lazarus]

Yes, that's quite possible. One of my TV's has enormous difficulty acquiring HDMI and I can resolve it by flicking back to another AV mode and toggling it back again. Darned annoying.

All fine on a different TV.

So I did exactly what you suggest and binned HDMI in favour of SCART. Fortunately it's the bedroom system, not the main one!


Edit: But that problem was independent of the selected Freesat Channel, so not exactly the same as the OP's issue ................. but, like the Interference debate, it needs to be considered and tested.

 

[PaulR]

Edit: But that problem was independent of the selected Freesat Channel, so not exactly the same as the OP's issue ................. but, like the Interference debate, it needs to be considered and tested.

Hmmmm, true.

Martin - is it all the BBC channels (BBC1, BBC2, BBC3, BBC4, News, Parliament, cBBC, Cbeebies) that break up? BBC1 HD and BBC HD are troublesome but what about ITV1 HD? Is ITV1 in SD ok?

 

[Martinb2347]

Hmmmm, true.

Martin - is it all the BBC channels (BBC1, BBC2, BBC3, BBC4, News, Parliament, cBBC, Cbeebies) that break up? BBC1 HD and BBC HD are troublesome but what about ITV1 HD? Is ITV1 in SD ok?

It appears to be all the BBC channels, not sure of the cBBc and CBeebies as I have never watched those channels. All HD channels seem to be affected but again not all the time....sometimes they work sometimes they dont.

 

[PaulR]

You didn't say what ITV1 SD is like.

Are C4 and C5 ok?

Analysing what you say it appears to be the 2D channels that are problematical. BBC News and Parliament are not on 2D so wouldn't be affected - can you confirm? I wouldn't put out of question satellite dish or LNB alignment even though you've had someone reset them.

It could be a faulty receiver though!

 

[Huevos]

we have a SAGEM Freesat HD+ box

I don't know what the others think of that box, but personally I hate it. I've had blank screens, pixelisation, freezing and locking up when the rest of the install is fine. Same thing a couple of days ago. Fitted a quad LNB and tested the signal at all the points. Plugged in the SAGEM and ran through the install. Once it was configured I changed channels a few times and then it locked up completely and had to be powered down to get it to work again.

 

[Martinb2347]

I hav switched everything off dect phone, wireless router and tried to connect via scary but still no joy. LNB was replaced as there were faulty blocks? Dish has been aligned. At a loss now. Itv normal is fine and no blanking of screen. Is this. Box fault ?

 

[Martinb2347]

Mmmmm is this a sagem problem?