Loss of Channels Talking Pictures and Yesterday.

JudgeDredd2010

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I have a Humax HDR-2000T Box when i did a retune the the other day i see that i have lost the channels Talking Pictures and Yesterday. They are also not in the list that lists everything. A retune does bring them back. I am in Fife in East Central Scotland.

Does anyone have any ideas? Thanks
 
There have been some changes to Freeview in recent months so the first thing to do is visit the Freeview site and put your postcode and house number into the Freeview checker, to see if those channels are on the list of channels you should be getting. Click 'show more' to expand the list.

Selecting 'Detailed view' will show all the 'muxes' you should be able to receive from your nearest transmitter and an indication of what the reception should be like. The one to pay attention to in your case is 'ARQ B', which I think supplies the channels you mentioned.

Are you saying a re-tune only brings them back occasionally ? If so, it's possible you might have a borderline signal. Check the Humax tuning menu to see if it'll give you the signal strength and quality figures for those channels and compare it to others you receive without any problems.
 
Where in Fife?

The Craigkelly transmitter is near Burntisland, but parts of Fife can receive from Black Hill and/or Angus (and even relays such as Cupar).

Nothing much has changed in Scotland in recent times though in terms of transmitter frequencies that might explain this problem. The recent COM8 closure (frequency ch56) and TV station moves associated with that did not affect Together or Talking Pictures (though Together+1 moved from COM8 to COM7, frequency ch55).

Go over your TV aerial cables and connections with a fine-toothed comb. An awful lot of reception issues are caused by loose or damaged connections.
 
Right, i did the check on the Freeview site and it has the two channels listed. But i did a retune today on the the box and they are still not there. They are also not showing in the all channels list. My Transmitter is Craigkelly.

Any thoughts?
 
Aerial or connections, or something obstructing the aerial, or failed aerial amplifier? or ???
Own aerial or shared (communal)?

What does your 2000T say for signal level and strength on each and every multiplex frequency you can receive?
List them for analysis. We're working blind without such information.

What does it show on the ARQ B frequency of f.ch 37?

Can your TV set get the TV stations if you connect the aerial direct to it?
 
My Ariel is for my house only. I can get them on the TV its just the box. How do i do the frequency and ARQ thing? Thanks
 
On my Humax PVR, I can find out my signal strengths by going to Menu - Settings - Installation - Manual Search and selecting the required frequency. Your box may be something similar. The default passcode (if it asks for one and if you haven't changed it) should be 0000.

According to Rodders53 above, ARQ B is on UHF channel 37 for your transmitter so select this one and see what it says. You can leave the other settings for the manual search on default although so you may need to change between DVB-T for standard definition channels and DVB-T2 for signals containing HD channels. Use DVB-T for UHF 37.

To give you an idea, I pick up ARQ B without any issues and get Strength 65% and Quality 100%.
 
Channel 37 showing no signal or strength. Would a better aerial splitter with a built in amplifier help?
 
You haven't mentioned a splitter before - what exactly is your set-up ?

A passive (un-powered) splitter will reduce the signal strength for each branch of cable, so a powered splitter/distribution amp is usually a better option, especially in weaker signal areas.

Have you checked your cable connections as suggested above ? What are the signal strength and quality values for the signals you are able to receive ?
 
Each and every multiplex frequency was asked for for a reason... it aids diagnosis from a distance.

Have you tried the Humax on one of the other TV outlets?

What do the TVs report as signal/quality (you said they got the TV stations earlier)?

This is the first mention of a splitter (what type and how many outputs?). A 2 -way passive loses over half the signal (-4dB) a 4-way (-8dB) is almost 1/8th. Cheap plastic Y splitters might even be resistive type if old enough (-6dB or 1/4 for a 2-way).

Have you tried the aerial 'direct' to the Humax bypassing the splitter (? Do so and repeat the measurements of every multiplex frequency to compare.

If passive splitting then a powered splitter close to the aerial would likely help. Not behind the Humax/TV.
 
Sorry I forgot to mention this before. This model of Humax needs a Ariel Splitter so you can watch the TV with the box off and record stuff. I cant think of the name of the component but its not built into this box which is why you need a splitter.

Its a cheap Y connection one which i have had for years and its work well. The lead from the outside roof Arial goes into one socket and the lead from the box into another. The third socket goes into the TV. I cant move the TV as the Arial cable comes through a hole in the window where its sitting. The connections from the cables to the Y connector are a bit loose but they always have been. So its a bit strange but this could be the cause I suppose.
 
NOT the way to use a splitter. :facepalm:

You must have an extremely strong signal though, for some multiplexes to work on the Humax.

Option 1: Lose the splitter: Disable <power saving in standby> on the Humax. Aerial to Antenna In on Humax, Loop a fly lead from Antenna out to the TV input.

Option 2: Use the Y splitter properly.
The male 'plug' is the input. The sockets are the outputs.
Aerial cable joins to that with a cable joiner aka barrel (two female sockets).
One Y socket outlet to each of TV and Humax.

The way you have it almost no signal goes from socket to socket but it mostly passes from socket to male with no problem.

Loose plugs / sockets and connections are never good. So I'd recommend option 1.
But do report back before and after measurements on the Humax.
 
I agree - it sounds like you need to start again. I've had PVRs since 2005 and have never needed a separate, dedicated aerial connection to the TV in order to watch it with the PVR off.

The most common way of connecting a PVR and TV to one aerial point is the Option 1 that Rodders53 suggested above, so the TV receives it's signal through the Humax. It's likely that the Humax will do a better job of passing through the signal than a passive Y-splitter will do at splitting it.

Disabling the power saving mode on the Humax allows the TV to receive a signal while the Humax is off. My Humax HDR-Fox T2 PVR (from 2012) has this option - you'll need to go into the set-up menu to turn it off.

If you use a decent quality coax fly-lead from PVR to TV, then the only connection you need to worry about is the coaxial TV plug on your incoming aerial cable. If you want to be thorough, you could take this apart carefully to inspect it and if it looks a mess (and you have enough slack in the cable), then you could either rewire and refit the existing plug or (better still) fit a new one. If you've not done that before, there are plenty of tutorials online such as this one.
 
f you've not done that before, there are plenty of tutorials online such as :censored:
No. Please no. I hate Stanley knives with a passion - especially in amateur hands.
That video also leaves too much screen exposed toward the centre pin. And the braid isn't done right either!

The correct way is this: How to wire a Belling-Lee connector
Soldering is optional if you make a wavy bend of the centre conductor. (It's far too easy to melt the nylon centre when soldering).

An alternative is this: Wiring up plugs, aerials and wall plates - A.T.V. Poles, Brackets, Clamps & Aerials but I prefer the megalithia way as that was what the BBC recommended when I worked in their Engineering Information Department in 1990.

You can buy plugs with screws to terminate the centre core, but it's a tiny screw and easily stripped of thread or damage the screw head.
I have a few twist on ones (a la F-plug) as well somewhere that I bought in Screwfix (Labgear probably) but can't find them for sale today.
 
No. Please no. I hate Stanley knives with a passion - especially in amateur hands.
That video also leaves too much screen exposed toward the centre pin. And the braid isn't done right either!

The correct way is this: How to wire a Belling-Lee connector

Fair enough. It was just a quick link I grabbed that looked to be from a reputable source and suitable for a DIYer - I only skimmed through it quickly, though.

Out of interest - if you hate stanley knives, what do you use to cut the outer skin and foam insulation ? Some cable strippers tend to tear PVC cable rather than cut it so I wouldn't have thought they would do a neat enough job, but I must admit I've never tried mine on coax. A knife is what most people are going to use for the job, especially DIYers without access to specialist, dedicated equipment and a stanley knife is the first bit of equipment listed on your link, to be fair ;) :D

I do agree about the exposed screen on my link though - I did spot that and thought 'hmmm'...
 
I will use a Stanley knife but prefer a very sharp small lighter weight knife. Like a good penknife or fruit/vegetable paring knife. As per Justin's site. Very little pressure is needed to score the outer enough to split it open when slightly flexed (not too much of that, either).

But stripping coax cable, like soldering the centre pin, is an acquired skill and one that needs practice.
 
I love a Stanley knife for stripping coax. They are razor sharp with a new blade which is ideal for scoring the outer and trimming the inner.
The only other thing that I would use, given a choice, is a scalpel for the same reasons. (I don't have a 'specialist tool').
I have also found one of THESE that came with a bunch of RG45 plugs useful.
You really don't want to be buggering about with a blunt knife.
 
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Power Saving is switched off and i have the latest version of the Software according to here: Humax

Loop Though was the thing i was thinking of. This is why I was told you need a splitter. I only have Freeview no Sky.
 
Its not for watching its Recording that you need it.

Power Saving is switched off and i have the latest version of the Software according to here: Humax

Loop Though was the thing i was thinking of. This is why I was told you need a splitter. I only have Freeview no Sky.
So you've still not fixed it? Or have you by using the Y splitter correctly?
You random occasional posts don't tell us.

Splitting an aerial to feed both the Humax and TV is fine with a strong signal in to the male plug of a Y splitter. The two sockets feeding the TV from one and the Humax from the other.

The loop through amplifier is on when, using the Humax to watch or playback, when recording and 15 mins before, but off otherwise. Unless power saving is switched off when the loop through amplifier is always on. So off saves a (very) small amount of electricity.

A splitter, though, in a poor signal location can cause 'near cliff edge' reception which is undesirable.
 
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Power Saving is switched off and i have the latest version of the Software according to here: Humax

Loop Though was the thing i was thinking of. This is why I was told you need a splitter. I only have Freeview no Sky.

I think you've been misinformed. As I mentioned before, I've never had a PVR that didn't allow you to watch TV when the box is turned off. My current Humax PVR has this feature and yours looks to be a newer model.

This review of the HDR-2000T states "On the back are HDMI, Scart and composite video outputs, optical digital and analogue stereo outputs and RF in/loopthrough" which proves that you should be able to.

If you can't, then it's likely that you've either not connected everything up properly or you're missing a power-saving or ECO-related setting in the PVR's menus.
 
As I mentioned before, I've never had a PVR that didn't allow you to watch TV when the box is turned off.
I think we've covered this ad nauseum.

By default "power saving in standby" is enabled in the setup menus. (Thanks entirely to the EU / Common Market energy savings standards).
That stops the RF pass-through whenever the PVR is not on or in standby recording or recording modes.

A splitter is a good way to keep saving energy and feed both TV and PVR from an aerial.

BUT
OP had (and maybe still has) mis-connected the splitter:
Aerial to one socket of Y splitter --- plug into TV set aerial socket --- other socket feeds to Humax PVR (= virtually no RF signal at all, other than direct cable pickup = some missing channels and other problems with the PVR).

If I had a pound for every time I've told people they've connected a Y-splitter wrong I'd... be lying if I said I'd be very, very rich. :rotfl:
 
So you've still not fixed it? Or have you by using the Y splitter correctly?
You random occasional posts don't tell us.
DNFTT (any more):rotfl:
 

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