Channel 4 Breaking Up On Freesat

[Bogtrotter]

We've been having problems when watching our recordings of Countdown, the picture breaks up and the sound stutters. On one occasion it was so bad that we gave up trying to watch. We are using Freesat, might this have anything to do with it? As Countdown is usually the only Channel4 programme we watch, I don't know if this problem crops up anywhere else.

[jourdain2]

We occasionally have problems with Freesat, but it has always proved to have been due to atmospheric conditions. When that happens we turn it off for a while. I wouldn't know about recordings, sorry. That may be the big problem.

[Buenchico]

Picture break up is usually a sign of low signal strength. Things to check:

1. Take a look to see if anything is obstructing the signal path which didn't used to be there. (e.g. has your neighbour's tree grown to such a size that it's now blocking the signal) ;

2. Look at the dish to try to see if it's been knocked out of alignment (e.g. by strong winds). If you're able to reach it with a ladder, check that the dish and it's LNB (the 'sticky-out bit') are tightly secured ;

3. Check that the cable feeding your Freesat set-top box (or Freesat TV) is plugged in tightly; it might have become loose when you moved the box/TV to dust around it ;

4. If you're using a set-top box (rather than a TV with a Freesat tuner built into it), also check that the HDMI lead connecting it to your TV is fully plugged in ;

5. (Not easy to check without a ladder but I'll mention it anyway): Water ingress into the connection between the dish and the lead can sometimes lead to problems with signal strength ;

6. Consider what sources of interference might be affecting the signal reaching your TV or set-top box. For example, if you've got a computer or inkjet printer nearby, there might be interference coming from that device. (Remember too that radio signals can pass through walls. If your neighbour has positioned his printer on the other side of the wall from your TV, it could be the cause of your problems).

If you can't locate the cause of the problem yourself then, obviously, you'll need to call in an aerial fitter to check on the integrity of your dish and its cabling.

However, if you've got a smart TV, it's worth remembering that you don't need a signal from your satellite dish at all. You can watch Channel 4 programming (live) via the All 4 app on your telly, with the signal coming from your router.

[calmck]

We had a spider web on our dish that caused havoc with the picture