BBC channels ionly ntermittently available with BT TV Box

[heenebeach]

I live in a house with six flats sharing a communal aerial: I have a BT TV Recordable box installed. Over the past six weeks or so the reception of BBC TV channels has been pixellated for much of the time and sometimes nonexistent whereas the reception of ITV channels has been mostly ok.  The other residents of the house experience no problems with any channel. Has anyone any idea what might be causing this?

[TimCurtis]

@heenebeach 

The tuners on the BT Youview units , excluding the latest Pro box , aren't the greatest and don't cope particularly well with overly weak or overly strong signals.

BBC & ITV are on different PSBs - bands or transmission channels - which might be being transmitted at different strengths, hence you see the difference between the two. In my area (Crystal Palace) the HD channels are on the same PSB whereas the SD ones are on different ones.

One thing to check is the signal strength & quality of an affected BBC channel & an ITV channel. You need to go into Settings for that. Ideally you want 100% on quality & 80-90% on strength. Let us know what you see.

[heenebeach]

Hi Tim thanks for your reply. Early this morning the signal strength and quality for BBC were both zero - no picture at all. ITV was strength 93% and quality 100%. This afternoon ITV was still the same but BBC had changed to the same values as ITV and we had a good picture but over the past six weeks this has been a rarity.

Our neighbours in the house who connect their TVs directly to the communal aerial have not had these problems so it would seem as though it is the TV Box that is causing the problem.

[TimCurtis]

@heenebeach 

Some would argue that 93% strength is too high and that could be the case.

It's possible that the PSB that BBC is transmitting on is more powerful than that of the ITV one so overloading the tuners.

I'd suggest trying a variable attenuator installed between the input aerial socket of the box and the aerial lead and adjust it until the ITV signal strength is in the range of ,say, 80-85% and see what that does.

A good choice would found on Amazon for £3.99 by searching for "Philex Variable TV Signal Attenuator"

[heenebeach]

Many thanks for this information: I will certainly give it a try. Is there any possibility that the box has become faulty?

[TimCurtis]

@heenebeach 

Had to say but I think unlikely. It wouldn't favour one channel over another.

[jimcl]

I have a similar problem

 BBC channels went very poor and  a few days ago, then just lost them Checked connections and signal strength, all seem fine. Retuned, no BBC channels on TV guide. On 3rd retune, BBC returned!

Today, again same pattern, eventually lost BBC channels, all others fine. Can't find any transmitter issues, But several retunings still no BBC channels

[jimcl]

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