This topic

Youview Overriding Live TV

dcholme — Thu, 09 Jan 2025 11:18:34 GMT

This has been driving me so if anyone can help it would be much appreciated!

Our old view box stop working when its hard disk failed recently. It performed all the functions we need so I just bought another one from Amazon and installed it. Nothing complicated, I just took the old box out and re-plugged in the same cables into the same ports so effectively it was a straight swap.

For the most part, it is functioning fine but one element is causing problems. I have new Samsung Oled TV (worked perfectly with the faulty BT Box) on which I watch a lot of my live TV. If I need to change the channels, I use the microphone on the remote and simply say the channel number. This worked really well on the previous system but not with this new box.

For some reason, this now changes the input from live TV to the YV box and actually selects the correct channel on there. This didn't happen before and I have no idea why it has started it now.

The cabling is fairly straightforward. I do have a triax box which I used to use to send the signal all around the house. I don't need this anymore so could easily simplify the cabling if this fixed the issue.

It seems like the YV box takes over and tries to handle everything where I'd rather watch the TV through the Samsung TV directly.

Any advice would be gratefully received.

Re: Youview Overriding Live TV

Midnight_Voice — Thu, 09 Jan 2025 18:37:33 GMT

@dcholme

Well, there’s a mystery - the only way to use voice input on a YouView box is via Alexa, where you need both to have paired it, and to preface the commands with ‘Alexa’.

So it means that the Samsung must be decoding the speech - but why would it suddenly start sending it to the YouView box?

Does the YouView box have to be on for this to happen, or does it turn the box on?

I tried your recipe with my LG TV and my Box Pro, but though I got some odd results - an unexpected switch to Freesat for a channel that Freeview could perfectly well serve - nothing went over to the Box Pro.

I can find nothing on the web for this. So my only suggestion is to do a soft reset or Maintenance Mode 2 or 4 on the YouView box, see if that stops it jumping in.

Otherwise, ask Samsung support if they have come across this.

Re: Youview Overriding Live TV

dcholme — Fri, 10 Jan 2025 10:35:07 GMT

Good morning and very many thanks for the post.

To answer it point by point I can start by saying I do use the Amazon Echoes for lots of things but never for the FV box.

You are right that it means that Samsung is trying to decode the speech and, as you say, it is strange that it didn't do it with the old box but has defaulted to it with this new one. The cabling is identical. I can only think it's something to do with the HDMI 1 cable or this blooming Triax thing I don't really need now.

I tested it as you recommended with the FV box switched off and it still tries to access it but just puts up a red screen of death until I then turn the FV box on.

I've never done a soft reset before but found my way round to doing it and I'm afraid to say nothing has changed. The FV box is still taking over control and playing what I guess is a lower resolution channel rather than the better quality stuff straight from the Samsung Live TV.

Prior to posting I spent a frustrating hour on the phone to Samsung who kept putting me on hold for long periods. Eventually he came back and said he had found the solution and that it was for me to contact the Freeview manufacturer! Thanks for that 😏

I will try and contact Samsung again but if there's anything else I can try the help would be appreciated.

Thanks again Midnight Voice.

Re: Youview Overriding Live TV

Midnight_Voice — Fri, 10 Jan 2025 14:54:53 GMT

@dcholme

Can you please describe ‘the Triax thing’?

I’ve looked on the web, and I can see what they do, but that’s a lot; so what exactly have you got, configured how, and to achieve what end?

Also, for test purposes here, can you disconnect it for a bit, and then see if the Samsung behaves itself?

Another question; what happens if you try the voice commands with the Samsung TV firstly off at the mains, and secondly in standby? We are assuming that it is the TV processing the request (and the red screen makes it look that way), but other devices have ears, and we should eliminate that possibility.

Re: Youview Overriding Live TV

dcholme — Fri, 10 Jan 2025 15:44:22 GMT

Thanks for the prompt response and points are duly noted. I must say, I am getting slightly out of my comfort zone here but will do my very best.

The Triax box was to distribute the Freeview via magic eyes around the house. This was historic really as now with just about all TVs having Freeview built-in I don't need it anymore. However, the cabling really does confuse me and I'm not sure how to connect everything up if I take this out! - I did warn you 🤔

The triax box is connected to the YV box by a scart lead. The aerial comes in from the socket on the wall and goes into the Freeview box. The Freeview box is then connected to the Triax Via RF 1 out. It appears there is also a cable from the aerial to the RF out on the Triax box as well.

They're also seems to be two more cables into the other side of the Triax box which are RF in and DC in. It's difficult to tell because it's such a mess at the back of the television but I think they also go to the aerial.

The voice commands have no effect with the TV either in standby or off completely.

Really sorry for the vagueness of some of this information but I hope it has made the picture a little clearer?

Thanks again for your help.

Re: Youview Overriding Live TV

Midnight_Voice — Fri, 10 Jan 2025 16:15:37 GMT

@dcholme

So there are three boxes involved - the YouView box, the FreeView box, and the Triax box?

Or is the Freeview box an alternate way of referring to the YouView box?

Your confusion is catching 😛

Oh, and has this Triax box got a model number, or part number?

I guess somebody must have professionally installed it for you, as Triax don’t sell to the public….

Re: Youview Overriding Live TV

dcholme — Sat, 11 Jan 2025 11:10:50 GMT

Good morning and sorry for causing confusion.

There are only two boxes involved namely the Youview box and the Triax box. The other component is the Samsung OLED TV which I used to watch live TV directly usually.

You're absolutely right that a professional installed it with the specific purpose of us being able to watch TV in other rooms around the house. We no longer need to do this as technology has advanced.

The details of the Triax box are below and thanks again for trying to help.

Triax tri link modulator part number 370407

Re: Youview Overriding Live TV

Midnight_Voice — Sun, 12 Jan 2025 16:06:26 GMT

@dcholme

I found this:-

https://www.farnell.com/datasheets/513159.pdf

It looks like the aerial in from the loft/roof goes to RF IN on the back of the box, where there is also a connector for the power supply.

Then RF1 feeds an aerial out signal to the YouView box, while RF2 goes lord knows where. Though if you don’t have the Digital Link Amp shown (though maybe you do and just haven’t thought to mention it 😢), it might just feed back into the aerial system for the other TVs to pick up.

You also don’t mention if you have the SCART Loopthrough from the Triax to your TV; this was obviously designed to negate the worst of the degradation of the YouView signal to composite video by carrying the SCART-quality signal onward to the main TV.

Or dare I hope you have linked the YouView box to the TV via HDMI these days? (As I don’t think you could even have the problem with the YouView box getting the ‘change channel’ voice command except over HDMI.)

So what you have left of the Triax functionality (assuming you aren’t still running any analogue-only TVs these days) is that you can distribute the YouView box output to these TVs, albeit busted down to something reminiscent of a VCR without SCART.

So I don’t think the Triax is implicated in your issue; but to be 100% sure, pull the SCART off the YouView box, and try again.

Then, as another test, disconnect the HDMI cable to the TV from the YouView box, and try that.

I have two theories as to what will happen; let me know what does and we will see if I am right or not.

I see that you have given scant details of the Samsung TV; I think I may now need the model number, though I think Voice Control is pretty similar across the range. Also, can you please look at the configuration of voice control on the TV; is it Bixby or Alexa? Any other settings that might differ from how the previous TV was set up, and might explain things?

Re: Youview Overriding Live TV

dcholme — Mon, 13 Jan 2025 14:03:20 GMT

Hi and thanks again for the continued support.

A trip into the loft has confirmed I do have the digital link amp up there which was news to me but hopefully gives a more complete picture of the set up.

The only scart cable I use is direct from the Youview box into the Triax box. The TV is linked to the Youview box via an HDMI cable.

It uses port HDMI 1 and this is where the problem seems to be occurring with the voice command changing it from the Samsung live TV to the HDMI port that the Youview box is on.

As I've mentioned, we really don't need the Triax box to distribute the television around the house as we just don't use this function.

Regarding the tests you suggested:

When I disconnected the scart from the YV view box nothing changes - it still takes over control.

With the other test when I disconnected the HDMI cable from the YV box I get a no connection error.

The TV model is a Samsung QE65S90CATXXU and I've only ever used the Bixby voice control.

Re: Youview Overriding Live TV

Midnight_Voice — Mon, 13 Jan 2025 18:02:55 GMT

@dcholme

Thanks. From the model number, I was able to find the e-manual:-

https://downloadcenter.samsung.com/content/UM/202404/20240426190921443/BN81-24055C-460_EM_OSPDVBEUC_EU_ENG_240417.0.pdf

which under Bixby, from page 101, contains the snippet:-

(Screenshot as it declines to be Copy and Pasted).

I don’t quite know what it means, but have you done that?

Re: Youview Overriding Live TV

Midnight_Voice — Tue, 14 Jan 2025 16:52:56 GMT

@dcholme

Going back to the Triax (which I now don’t think is implicated in the Samsung issue), you may have to give some thought to it, if you want to stop using it.

The usual way to wire TV distribution these days is to have a mains-powered multi-way distributor where the aerial is, and then a separate coaxial cable for each TV coming off the distributor, and down to the various TV wall sockets in the house.

But your setup, I think, is that the main aerial cable comes down to the Triax, and goes through it to RF1 Out for your main TV, and to RF2 Out, where the signal goes back up to the loft where the Digital Link Amp distributes it to the other TVs.

I think if you switch the Triax off, all your TVs will stop working. So the simplest and cheapest solution would be to keep it there, forgetting about the link to the YouView box (a newer one wouldn’t have SCART anyway) and the magic eyes and so on.

The alternative would be a new modern distribution amp in the loft, connected to the aerial, which would feed the main tv down the cable that currently goes to RF In on the Triax, and the other TVs down the cables currently attached to the Digital Link amp. Or something very similar, possibly retaining, rather than replacing, that amp.

Re: Youview Overriding Live TV

dcholme — Wed, 15 Jan 2025 09:45:43 GMT

Midnight Voice – you have shot to the top of my Christmas card list after the advice you have given me has paid off in full.😎

The amount of trouble and time you've invested in this is really appreciated and thank you so much as whilst not the biggest problem in the world this was niggling me and now it isn't.

It started when I went into the broadcasting option you mentioned and found my service provider. To be honest, I didn't know which one to select but plumped for free sat Northwest and then re-tuned all the channels.

The results were instantaneous and I can now voice command channels without adding swear words as it switches me to the Youview box.😂

I also note your comments regarding the Triax box which again is very much appreciated as it really is going above and beyond. I'm going to take the "if it isn't broke , don't fix it route" here and just leave things exactly as they are as far as I'm concerned everything is worth it perfectly now.

Many thanks again for all the trouble you went to and it's very much appreciated.

Re: Youview Overriding Live TV

Midnight_Voice — Wed, 15 Jan 2025 16:15:18 GMT

@dcholme

Well, your sort of left-field problems are my absolute favourites, as I can really get my teeth into them 😁

A mentor of mine, Alfredo Rego, always says ‘read a manual as you would a love letter’, and knowing the model number of your Samsung, and reading its manual, certainly paid off, though I remain bemused as to what the TV thought it was doing before you gave it a service provider, and again, that giving it one solved the problem. But it is exactly what the book promised….

Re the Triax, finding that diagram was key. I’ve played about with distribution systems, notably to spread Sky round a Spanish apartment; though mine was WiFi, it was doing more or less exactly what the Triax is doing over coax.

I agree with your ‘if it ain’t broke’. Despite the compromises involved in modulating the YouView SCART output onto analogue channel 36, the actual handling of the digital channels in a no-compromise thing, so your setup should be as good as any modern multi-way distributor can manage. This is one of the beauties of the way digital has been done in the UK; the aerial system has no idea if it is carrying analogue or digital, and it is only ever the TVs that sort this out.

A couple of remaining thoughts:-

If you aren’t watching the YouView box remotely, disconnect the SCART from the Triax. This will cause it to cease modulating the signal onto analogue Channel 36, and make the aerial setup pure digital.

The (now discontinued) Triax and the Digital Link must be aging, though left to their own devices, they can still go on for years.

But if the Triax fails, the power to the Digital Link will fail; if the Digital Link, separately, fails, you will lose the signal to the TVs connected to it. So if either does go, you might be able to source a replacement from eBay; or you might take that opportunity to get a modern distribution amplifier. Guess whose kit CPC Farnell recommend? 😛

Re: Youview Overriding Live TV

dcholme — Wed, 15 Jan 2025 16:43:33 GMT

An interesting and informative reply as ever so thanks again. I did google Alfredo Rego but it came up as a Guatemalan Alpine ski so I'm guessing iyour mentor a different one 😁

Let's hope the Triax cable has a long and happy life and I will definitely try disconnecting the scart cable if it improves things

With the best will in the world, I hope not to trouble you again but will definitely be my first port of call should anything else happen. I've enjoyed this in a strange kind of way and learned through the process so thank you.

Re: Youview Overriding Live TV

Midnight_Voice — Wed, 15 Jan 2025 17:58:43 GMT

@dcholme

Yep, Guatemalan - that’s him 😛

https://www.computerhistory.org/collections/catalog/102654042

I didn’t know about the skiing, but it doesn’t surprise me. I know him as an HP3000 expert, a status I pretend to, but his expertise far outstrips mine.

Re: Youview Overriding Live TV

dcholme — Thu, 16 Jan 2025 11:22:36 GMT

Sounds like a man of many talents!!

He didn't fix my Youview problem though 😁