New TV doesnt get HD freeview channels but old tvs do from same coax

[kryten22uk]

I spoke over chat with Philips Support and they didnt have any answers although they've gone away to think about it. My next problem solve would indeed be to take it upstairs and use a different outlet, or indeed plug it directly into the external aerial. But that is a bit of a faff as the TV is so big and heavy!

 

[kryten22uk]

After a long painful to/fro over email with Philips, they sent someone last week to look at it. They replaced the main motherboard (effectively replacing the TV) but the same issue remained. They went away to think about it. Today they collected the TV to conduct more testing inhouse. I think it is clear by now, after three consecutive TVs have had the same issue, that it is a generic issue with the TV and so its completely unnecessary for them to take my TV for testing. Just do the testing on any one they have already in the workshop. The only thing I can think is that there is a software/hardware issue in the manufacture that prevents the tuner from tuning to the particular frequency of the Tunbridge Wells antenna for HD channel (682Mhz). My worry is that they are just going to plug it in in the workshop and find that it scans HD channels fine from their local antenna such as Crystal Palace, and think its fine. But the CP antenna runs on a different frequency, as do other antennas around the country.

 

[Rodders53]

You're being far too patient. You should have rejected the TV as being unfit for purpose back in January and gone off to buy a different TV (brand).

Do speak to the retailer today to ask what they propose to do about it?

 

[mikej]

Personally, I would take the TV back to the retailer for a refund under the Consumer Rights Act, as a repair has been attempted within the first 6 months and was unsuccessful.

From Faulty product? How to get a refund, repair or replacement

After the first 30 days​

If you're outside the 30-day right to reject, you have to give the retailer one opportunity to repair or replace any faulty goods or faulty digital content which are of unsatisfactory quality, unfit for purpose or not as described. Tell the retailer whether you'd prefer a repair or a replacement, but bear in mind that it has the final say. The retailer can also refuse if it can show that your choice is disproportionately expensive compared with the alternative.

If you discover the fault within the first six months from delivery, it's presumed to have been there from the time you received it - unless the retailer can prove otherwise. During this time, it's up to the retailer to prove that the fault wasn't there at the time of delivery - it's not up to you to prove that it was.

If the attempt at a repair or replacement is unsuccessful, you can then claim a refund, or a price reduction if you wish to keep the product.

The retailer can't make any deductions from a refund in the first six months following an unsuccessful attempt at repair or replacement.

 

[kryten22uk]

Ordinarily I would have rejected the TV, but I quite like this TV, and I'm now really intrigued about how this might resolve. Certainly if they give me some rubbish about it being a problem with my aerial then I will ditch Philips and get another brand.

 

[kryten22uk]

Ok, so Philips have concluded their investigation and just handed back the TV with a shrug. The problem being that the outsourced repair company is not located in an area served by the Tunbridge Wells transmitter, so when they tested it, the HD channels scanned fine. I protested multiple times to the repairer that it is irrelevant whether they can receive a broadcast on a different frequency, as the fault is that it can't tune to 682mhz and that they didn't specifically test that frequency. They had no comeback and just respond that Philips considers it tested as fully working.

The repairman that finally dropped off my TV acknowledged the issue but said there wasn't any more they could do, and I should just look out for software updates which might fix it.

 

[kryten22uk]

Personally, I would take the TV back to the retailer for a refund under the Consumer Rights Act, as a repair has been attempted within the first 6 months and was unsuccessful.

From Faulty product? How to get a refund, repair or replacement

After the first 30 days​

If you're outside the 30-day right to reject, you have to give the retailer one opportunity to repair or replace any faulty goods or faulty digital content which are of unsatisfactory quality, unfit for purpose or not as described. Tell the retailer whether you'd prefer a repair or a replacement, but bear in mind that it has the final say. The retailer can also refuse if it can show that your choice is disproportionately expensive compared with the alternative.

If you discover the fault within the first six months from delivery, it's presumed to have been there from the time you received it - unless the retailer can prove otherwise. During this time, it's up to the retailer to prove that the fault wasn't there at the time of delivery - it's not up to you to prove that it was.

If the attempt at a repair or replacement is unsuccessful, you can then claim a refund, or a price reduction if you wish to keep the product.

The retailer can't make any deductions from a refund in the first six months following an unsuccessful attempt at repair or replacement.

According to the Consumer Act, I am still entitled to reject, as the 30day period is paused if you have in repair discussions.

However, the retailer are refusing the refund as the repair shop have said there is no fault. Its doing my head in now. The TV can't tune into HD channels on my local transmitter frequency but the dumb engineers simply tested it in their workshop on a totally different transmitter/frequency and concluded no fault. They won't budge on it.

 

[Rodders53]

Hmm ... late (again), sorry.

Have you resolved the return/refund or do you still have the TV?

Did you ever try the attenuator / aerial direct without amplified splitter, as I suggested earlier in the thread, to eliminate tuner overload on this particular set?

 

[kryten22uk]

Hmm ... late (again), sorry.

Have you resolved the return/refund or do you still have the TV?

Did you ever try the attenuator / aerial direct without amplified splitter, as I suggested earlier in the thread, to eliminate tuner overload on this particular set?

Hi yeah I tried without the amplifier/splitter. No difference.

In the end I caved in and accepted a settlement which was 90% refund, just to move on. Bought a new TV (samsung), and of course the new TV tunes HD channels perfectly. So it's quite clearly a bug in the Phillips tuner, that it can't tune 682mhz. The response/approach of the engineers was ludicrous.
I actually quite liked the responsiveness of the retailer, and mostly don't blame them as I guess all they can do is listen to the response from Phillips who state "no fault". Still, philips are now a no-no brand for me, and I also went with a different retailer for the Samsung.