I've recently bought a digital set top box (DIGIHOME DV940B) and it was easy to set up. the signal is fine and i'v got a good picture but whenever i search for channels i never get any of the ITV channels or channel 4 and E4, or channel 5 and five US. can anyone help????

Adam, January 2008

Check out this website:

http://www.wolfbane.com/cgi-bin/tvd.exe?

This will show you which is the best theoretical transmitter fo ryour location. Be warned though, this doesn't allow for things like dirty great hills in the way.

Some channels are transmitted at a lower power or are more prone to interference than others, so your box may not receive some of the more difficult channels of you are in a poor area or have a poor aerial installation.

Check out if the channels you can't get are all in the same group(s) at this site:

http://www.unsatisfactorysoftware.co.uk/dtt/dtt.cgi

There's no such thing as a "digital aerial", but it is good to get the right aerial for the channels used by your transmitter.

Use an outside aerial (you can loose 6dB of signal [half] just going throiugh a roof)

Use a decent, fully screened cable as well, not the cheapo co-ax that was so popular in the past.

Have the aerial as high as you sensibly can

Keep it away fro other aerials and metalwork.

Check out

http://www.satcure.co.uk/tech/freeview_problems.htm

as well.

John, February 2008

Check your aerial and its connections first. Most aerials cope OK in good signal areas as long as they are outdoors and correctly aligned. Loft aerials and indoor aerials only work in very good signal areas.

There are some odd occasions where, because of the frequency separations at transmitters you need to move from a 'grouped' aerial to a 'wideband aerial'.

However before you worry about that you must ensure that the signal from your aerial is good by checking all connectors and that the aerial is pointed in the right direction. The reason for this is Freeview, being a digital service either works or it doesn't - as you have found out.

t, January 2008