UPC Analogue channels in bedroom, can't pick up Channel 4

podge018

Have all the other channels as far as I can tell, some of them not great quality (specially BBC2), but no sign of Channel 4. I stopped the tuner on 56mhz, where it's supposed to be, and nothing. Is this a known problem?

Shame really as Channel 4 would probably be my most watched channel on tv.

Technocentral

podge018 wrote: »

Have all the other channels as far as I can tell, some of them not great quality (specially BBC2), but no sign of Channel 4. I stopped the tuner on 56mhz, where it's supposed to be, and nothing. Is this a known problem?

Shame really as Channel 4 would probably be my most watched channel on tv.

Check out thread below for some answers.

mackersdublin

podge018 wrote: »

Have all the other channels as far as I can tell, some of them not great quality (specially BBC2), but no sign of Channel 4. I stopped the tuner on 56mhz, where it's supposed to be, and nothing. Is this a known problem?

Shame really as Channel 4 would probably be my most watched channel on tv.

In Dublin - it comes in on CH30 on my JVC TV

zg3409

If you are paying UPC for a second point then ask them to fix it. They will probably say digital would fix it, but that's another matter.

For yourself you could check outside and see is the cable worn or is it split from the other rooms. I would not recommend trying to fix it yourself, but the problem may be obvious just looking at the cables.

Condatis

Is it not the case that the same cable carries all channels?

If so how would a damaged cable be the problem?

zg3409

The OP said many channels were not good quality. This is solely down to a weak signal. Weak signals are caused by losses in the system usually due to old and damaged cables. If neighbours are fine then it is probably old and damaged cables between your TV and the cable strung along all the houses.

If all houses are bad then it's a problem with the main system that feeds all houses. This may be damaged hundreds of metres or miles away.

Digital just freezes now and then if the signal is weak. Analogue goes snowy and eventually unwatchable.

CoppedonDublin

Have this problem with weak signal on Channel 4 UPC analogue in Dn.9 since August so now have this and BBC2 that are unwatchable.This new ploy with UPC hopes to drive customers away from their analogue pack and on to digital. When I re tuned the t v on auto tune it could not even detect Channel 4 but on manual tune it could be found on a very weak signal and snowy picture. UPC`s answer was that if the signal was split to another tv this would cause it " how strange? " all the other stations are not affected. A UPC engineer told me a few years back with the BBC2 problem that a switch to digital was the only answer as he could not rectify it. My permanent cure for this ongoing UPC problem was to cancel my service with them last week ( in writing and by email) they do not take kindly to rejection as they have tried to contact me by phone 15 plus times. I have gone with a freesat system which I had installed up and running for a once off payment of e289 and an extra e150 for multi room so no more bills . Of the 200 channels lots of them are rubbish but all the BBC ,ITV and C4 secondary channels are there and all the Irish ones in digital.So in these austere times UPC is not happy to look after the customers they have but try and squeeze them for more. Congratulations UPC for another wonderful customer relations exercise take another sweet out of the jar.

coylemj

I got a letter from UPC dated Oct 8th which may be useful.

The letter talks about 'network improvements' in my area (I'm still waiting for HD - Dublin SE) and says that the 'final stage' involves 'retuning some of your analogue television channels' - Discovery, Channel 4 and E4.

It looks like they have moved these three channels from VHF to UHF frequencies......

Before:

E4 64 MHz
CH4 56 MHz
Discovery 48 Mhz

After:

E4 Ch.21 - 471.25 Mhz
CH4 Ch.30 - 543.25 MHz
Discovery Ch.34 - 575.25 MHz

To assist with retuning, they give the following guidance....

• E4's new position can now be located above Living TV
• Channel 4's new position can be located above the new E4 position
• Discovery Channel's new position can be located above the new Channel 4 location

They don't give an exact date for the change, just 'within the next few weeks' so I guess it must have already happened based on the above posts. It didn't affect me because I'm all digital.

podge018

podge018 wrote: »

Have all the other channels as far as I can tell, some of them not great quality (specially BBC2), but no sign of Channel 4. I stopped the tuner on 56mhz, where it's supposed to be, and nothing. Is this a known problem?

Shame really as Channel 4 would probably be my most watched channel on tv.

BBC 2 and Channel 4 are the hardest to receive, especially if cabling is poor, as the DAB and Saorview services from Three Rock interfere with them. Chances are that Channel 4 isn't available on 56 MHz in your area - any upgraded area will have it on 543.25. Unfortunately, Saorview is on 546 MHz so will interfere with it unless the cabling is perfect - even that's not a guarantee in some very strong Saorview areas.

marno21

Not sure why they bothered with Channel 4 on C30 anywhere on the southside. They know how leaky their cable system is and they don't think a 63kW DVB-T signal is going to interfere? It's going to blow C4 out of the water practically anywhere due to its power and proximity to TX

I'm 23km from Mullaghanish, and one day I tried something similar. I plugged the aerial out of the RF in on the Sky box and set the Sky modulator to C21. The resultant picture in the kitchen was barely visible in a "snowstorm". They might as well shut down Channel 4 as it's practically useless on C30.