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Can FVP 400T receive the new Freeview signal?

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    JohnH77

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    I receive Freeview from the Mendip main transmitter.

    The Freeview frequency changes on 27 February / 1 March (see Freeview Frequency Changes - 27th Feb and 1st Mar 2018 - Overview state:

    The multiplex carrying BBC News HD ... (multiplex COM7) is changing frequency from UHF channel 33 to a temporary frequency on UHF channel 36 until 2019. It has reduced coverage and is only available on newer Freeview devices.

    What does "is only available on newer Freeview devices" mean?

    When I use Manual Tuning to try tuning Channel 36 the signal strength is 0%. The Postcode Checker suggests that Channel 36 should be at 97% for my location.

    Can the FVP 4000T receive this new Freeview signal?

    I have emailed Humax Support.

    | Fri 2 Mar 2018 13:16:26 #1 |
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    SSThing

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    It means devices capable of receiving HD channels, older Freeview boxes were SD only.
    When you do the manual tune, make sure you change "transmission" to "DVB-T2" otherwise you are scanning for SD signals.

    | Fri 2 Mar 2018 13:51:28 #2 |
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    Luke

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    JohnH77 - 21 minutes ago  » 
    What does "is only available on newer Freeview devices" mean?

    It is reffering to DTT devices that are compatible with DVB-T2. I.e. what are commonly called HD devices

    JohnH77 - 21 minutes ago  » 
    When I use Manual Tuning to try tuning Channel 36 the signal strength is 0%.

    Three possibilities immediately spring to mind:
    1/ Did you select DVB-T2?
    2/ Is the aerial you are using for the C/D frequencies? COM 7 is broadcast on less power than the non-interim channels and many C/D aerials won't be able to receive it. Do you know when the aerial was installed? If it was not in the past few years then it probably is a C/D aerial installed for Mendip as it use to be when all frequencies were over 48.
    3/ Are you using a communal aerial system where the distribution requires it to be adjusted for the new frequency.

    JohnH77 - 21 minutes ago  » 
    The Postcode Checker suggests that Channel 36 should be at 97% for my location.

    It is presuming that you have an average aerial that covers the row's frequency range, mounted at 10m, installed horizontally and pointing at Mendip. If you have a C/D type aerial then the actual reception can be very different. If you have a C/D aerial then any predictions for frequencies less than 48 do not apply to you and the lower the frequency the less they will apply to you.

    JohnH77 - 21 minutes ago  » 
    Can the FVP 4000T receive this new Freeview signal?

    Yes, providing your aerial can receive it.

    | Fri 2 Mar 2018 14:09:28 #3 |
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    JohnH77

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    SSThing, Luke

    Thank you for your speedy replies.

    You are both quite correct - the problem was that the box defaults to DVB-T and I had to change it to DVB-T2 to see the HD signals. That being said, I am surprised that the box did not scan for both HD and SD signals.

    This also explains something else. I initially did an Automatic Search and I noticed it scanned all the channel numbers, and then scanned them all a second time. I now assume the first was a SD scan (DVB-T) and the second an HD scan (DVB-T2) or vice versa.

    Why did this happen?

    I unfortunately pick up Wenvoe (Wales) as well as Mendip, and the Wenvoe BBC 1 Wales gets given "1", while Mendip BBC1 gets given "801". I need therefore to do a Manual Search to pick up only the Mendip signal so my numbering is sensible.

    I still have work to do as the signal strength on some channels is now low and those stations drop out with an "insufficient signal" error.

    In answer to your other questions:

    I have a wideband (Black?) aerial so that is not the problem. I am not on a communal aerial.

    If instead of saying "... is only available on newer Freeview devices" the website had said "... is only available on Freeview devices capable of receiving HD signals" I would not have been confused!

    But I am still surprised the box does not scan for both SD and HD in Manual mode as it does in Automatic mode.

    | Fri 2 Mar 2018 15:11:27 #4 |
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    SSThing

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    I have just posted this advice on another thread too.
    Before doing your manual retune, delete the specific tv channels that you wish to replace, otherwise you will get a message saying that the channels have been found but when you save, the old channel is not overwritten.

    | Fri 2 Mar 2018 15:31:57 #5 |
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    JohnH77

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    To give you an idea of my challenges this is my line of sight to Mendip - as you can see, I don't have one! But it has worked for years.

    Attachments

    1. Megalithia_line_of_sight.gif (20.1 KB, 3 downloads) 6 years old
    | Fri 2 Mar 2018 15:36:09 #6 |
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    JohnH77

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    SSThingf

    Thanks for the update. I had actually done that.

    As you can see from my Line of Sight, getting Freeview to work here has always been a tad tricky. It is made even worse by the reflections from the hills interfering with the weak signal and locating the aerial away from the nulls is critical.

    I can detect when Mendip swaps to its reserve aerial because the signal strength drops significantly. I have a second aerial positioned away from the nulls of the reserve aerial and optimised for it.

    | Fri 2 Mar 2018 15:41:49 #7 |

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