This topic

Programmes skipping and picture breaking up

njlewis19 — Sat, 04 Mar 2023 12:14:40 GMT

For the last 3 weeks I have noticed my tv is skipping and breaking up, it seems to be getting worse… more frequent and more severe. I checked signal and it says fine and I re-installed the channels and that made no difference. It’s getting very annoying now as I’m missing sections of my programmes!

Anyone know what will sort it?

Re: Programmes skipping and picture breaking up

JohnC2 — Sun, 05 Mar 2023 08:44:51 GMT

Hi @njlewis19, sorry that you're having this fault with your TV.

Are you experiencing this on Freeview or subscription channels or both?
Have you tried a Reset of the box? If not try the option keeping your recordings and see if that resolves the issue.

Cheers

John

Re: Programmes skipping and picture breaking up

TimCurtis — Sun, 05 Mar 2023 10:13:06 GMT

@njlewis19

When you say you checked the signal and it's OK , how were you doing that and if it was using the Youview box what did you see for signal strength & quality?

Re: Programmes skipping and picture breaking up

njlewis19 — Sun, 05 Mar 2023 10:43:23 GMT

I went on my box, went into settings, tv signal quality and it says 100% strength and quality, I did this for the channels I had been experiencing problems on and all said 100%.

Re: Programmes skipping and picture breaking up

DavidM — Mon, 06 Mar 2023 09:47:25 GMT

Thanks for confirming that @njlewis19 .

How are you connecting the box? Is it via adaptors? Are you seeing any error messages?

Cheers

David

Re: Programmes skipping and picture breaking up

TimCurtis — Mon, 06 Mar 2023 10:15:37 GMT

@njlewis19

I'm assuming that these are normal Freeview channels and that they're fed via the aerial.

If that's the case then your aerial signal is way too strong and the tuners are being overloaded. The solution is to buy a variable attenuator which you fit between the aerial cable & the input socket of the Youview box. You then adjust the attenuator until the signal strength drops to about 90% while still showing 100% for quality. The figure of 90% is just a rough guide to be used as a starting point.

A variable attenuator should cost less than £8 so not a lot lost if that's not the solution. I've messaged you a link to a suitable one if that helps.

Re: Programmes skipping and picture breaking up

DavidM — Mon, 06 Mar 2023 11:14:35 GMT

Great suggestion @TimCurtis . Deffinitely worth looking into.

Cheers

David

Re: Programmes skipping and picture breaking up

njlewis19 — Mon, 06 Mar 2023 12:38:10 GMT

Surely if I pay BT for my tv this is something that needs to be sorted by BT?

Re: Programmes skipping and picture breaking up

GT037 — Thu, 16 Mar 2023 23:07:42 GMT

We've exactly the same issue, fitted a attenuator, turned the dial to reduce the stregth to around 89%, but by doing this on 1 channel it can make other channels lower down the frequency bands dissapear, or poor qualityThenyou adjust that channel to make it come back, and the other channels break up again, 5 Star for example. As it seems a common problem, then surely the You View boxes have an issue not being able to cope with modern signal strengths. We thought our TV aerial was at fault and had that replaced as well.

Re: Programmes skipping and picture breaking up

NigelB72 — Fri, 17 Mar 2023 06:40:31 GMT

@njlewis19 BT aren't responsible as this is a Freeview issue. As stated, the solution is to fit an attenuator which will only cost a couple of quid, dial it back to around 90% strength and your issue should be solved.

Re: Programmes skipping and picture breaking up

GT037 — Fri, 17 Mar 2023 09:04:44 GMT

We know its partly Freeview, but as this has been going on for so long, affecting alot of people, why are the Boxes not being modified to resolve the issue. As it shows there is a problem.

Re: Programmes skipping and picture breaking up

njlewis19 — Fri, 17 Mar 2023 18:31:57 GMT

I don’t have the confidence to be changing settings etc to my tv. I have had this tv and box for 2 years without many issues. But all of a sudden as I’m at the end of my contract, issues have started. I’m usually very positive about what I have been receiving but it’s hard to understand why something I’m provided with to watch freeview channels etc is not able to facilitate this. Especially as it is the most basic of channels BBC1 and ITV that have been most affected.

Re: Programmes skipping and picture breaking up

TimCurtis — Sat, 18 Mar 2023 09:35:39 GMT

@njlewis19

There's always work going on with the TV transmitters and this can sometimes cause issues with TV reception. Channels are being juggled around , transmitter strengths & frequencies get changed.

BT or any other provider of a receiving box can't be held responsible for issues caused by the above.

However , it is a fact that on the Humax BT boxes the tuners are suspect to strong signals which is why the addition of a variable attenuator is so often the solution.

Re: Programmes skipping and picture breaking up

GT037 — Sun, 07 May 2023 18:46:48 GMT

Hasn't worked with ours, we have a attenuator. We've tried that, we have had a new arial, new cables and it still breaks up. Got to the point where we will take a TV subscription out with Sky and leave BT at the end of our contract.

Re: Programmes skipping and picture breaking up

Tintnan1 — Fri, 19 Jan 2024 22:22:14 GMT

Hi same issue, but our by box connects via hdmi straight to tv not arieal ?
How do I fix or when do i connect the attenuator ?

Re: Programmes skipping and picture breaking up

NigelB72 — Sat, 20 Jan 2024 07:28:07 GMT

@Tintnan1 if you're recieving your TV signal via the internet over WiFi or Ethernet, an attenuator will be of no use to you.

Re: Programmes skipping and picture breaking up

Anonymous — Sat, 20 Jan 2024 08:30:27 GMT

@Tintnan1

In your scenario you need to look at the connection between router & Pro Box. First step is to try an ethernet cable, if only temporarily, to see if the problem persists.

Re: Programmes skipping and picture breaking up

Midnight_Voice — Sat, 20 Jan 2024 09:23:01 GMT

@Tintnan1

Another thing that would be useful is to see if the picture still breaks up on the TV, when fed directly from the aerial and not via the BT box.

If it does, the issue is not with the box. If it doesn’t, then it confirms the box is at fault.

Which may well just be a matter of needing an attenuator to reduce the signal strength; but if the developers of the Pro box knew this might be an issue, as it has been for earlier YouView boxes, why didn’t they do something about it?

I’ve never heard of a TV needing an attenuator; though as this item seems to be so readily available, I can’t think that they are all needed just for YouView boxes.

Re: Programmes skipping and picture breaking up

Tintnan1 — Sat, 20 Jan 2024 10:18:42 GMT

Any idea how to fix ?

Re: Programmes skipping and picture breaking up

GT037 — Sat, 20 Jan 2024 10:40:36 GMT

We used a Attenuator and it was ok. Fiddly but ok, needed moving now and again. It was the low number frequency that was the issue like Five star, C5, C4 etc

We've upgraded our package and now run the TV through the internet. Which is far better.

We did find though, it wasn't just the You View box, as our upstairs TV is free view and that breaks up. On the Freeview webpage is a link to a company that sends a free interference gadget out if they find your area has 5G masts that can cause the problem.

Worth trying all avenues above.