Now TV Smart Box - Freeview channels missing

[Anonymous User]

I set up my box today and noticed in the Freeview section that BBC 1 and 2 are missing - the channels start with ITV. Scrolling through, I found BBC 1 HD and BBC 2 HD located after the Horror channel. 

Ideally I'd like to have BBC 1 and 2 at the top of the EPG. Better still I'd like my regional BBC 1 and BBC 2 HD at the top of the EPG. 

I can't see my local station or the non-HD versions listed anywhere in the channels found.

This box is replacing a BT YouView box which picked up the above missing channels.

Any ideas please?

[dr_necessitor]

An alternative solution to the problem would be for the software to offer an explicit choice of the precise transmitter that the aerial points to during the Freeview set up and retune processes.

[SeeMoreDigital]

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@dr_necessitor wrote:
An alternative solution to the problem would be for the software to offer an explicit choice of the precise transmitter that the aerial points to during the Freeview set up and retune processes.

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This is why a 'manual tuning' feature is so important (which I gather the 'smart' box does not have - yet). Along with an option to disable 'auto tuning' 😉

[jobbie8]

I'm new to NowTV as my main source of TV, as I have just dropped VirginTV.
Is there a good history of updates and staff reading the forum and taking action?

[SeeMoreDigital]

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@jobbie8 wrote:

Is there a good history of updates and staff reading the forum and taking action?

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Hi @jobbie8,

Given the number of devices that you can access the NOW TV service on. I'd say yes 

[jobbie8]

Getting sick of the freeview side of the new box now.
Having to retune everyday as it seems to 'drift' to the weaker transmitter during the day some how.

I went into the 'secret' tuner menu, checked that bbc to channel 5 were on Pontop Pike transmitter, 100% full green bar.
Again today while watching BBC One the pixels started and no signal kept coming up.
I went back into the menu to find the box was picking up Bilsdale transmitter again. Grrr...

Will anything be done to solve this?

[jobbie8]

Are NowTV aware of this problem from the trails?

[dr_necessitor]

@jobbie8  As per my earlier post in this thread on 9 Aug 11:04:

"During the smart box trial, I reported that my box did a tuning oddity, as described below (stop reading now if not interested in the details!!) but nothing was done to resolve this."

Yes it's annoying. I've had to re-tune a couple of times due to an "unexpected (auto?) re-tune of its own accord" but not as often as you seem to be needing to.

[jobbie8]

Thanks for replying @dr_necessitor.
What a shame nothing was done. It's a real pain now. I'm new to Freeview as I dropped VirginTV as the Smart Box gave me what I wanted.
Don't have any problems with my other TVs.

The picture on the Smart Box is brilliant and the apps I use are there all in one box.

When I look in the tuner menu the channels are tuned from a mixture of both transmitters. Yet I have no message to select one transmitter only.
The online chat people have no idea what I'm on about, they only seem to know about the apps.

😭

[jobbie8]

@dr_necessitor can you recommend the tuner filter device you used please?

[dr_necessitor]

It's just a simple 2 way coax splitter actually, but splitting the input signal weakens it enough such that the smart box seems to ignore the "rogue" multiplexes.

[Anonymous User]

Hi

Just to confirm i have just tried the spitter option and worked great for me

thanks

alan

[Anonymous User]

Hi all,

There was a software update earlier this week that should help with the Freeview Signal dropping out.

Thanks

Andy

[jobbie8]

Thanks for that.

[jobbie8]

@dr_necessitor your solution worked a treat. No more 'drifting' to the weaker channels.
Thanks again.

[dr_necessitor]

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@jobbie8 wrote:
@dr_necessitor your solution worked a treat. No more 'drifting' to the weaker channels.
Thanks again.

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@jobbie8 Top tip eh?! 😉

[jobbie8]

@Anonymous User Hit the following buttons...

Home Home Home Home Up Right Down Up Left Right

Takes you to the tuner menu.

[Anonymous User]

many thanks

[Anonymous User]

Has NOW tv team added a way to delete channels from smart box or can't at moment.

[Andy]

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@Anonymous User wrote:
Has NOW tv team added a way to delete channels from smart box or can't at moment.

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@Anonymous User Not yet

[Anonymous User]

Just wanted to add my experience to this thread.  I was also suffering from frequent "no signal" messages or the picture breaking up.  Retuning seemed to help for a bit then the next day it would all be gone again.  I was about to return the box as faulty until I read this.

Our local transmitter is Rosneath and is only 5 miles away.  From the secret menu I found out that box was tuning to Darvel for some muxes.  We're no where near the intended reception area of Darvel and it has the opposite polarisation to Rosneath but the NowTV box was managing to hang on to it with a signal strength of about 19%.

I've added a group C/D filter to our aerial to block out Darvel and the box is now working perfectly with the expected 100% signal quality from Rosneath.   The filter cost less than a tenner so if anyone else experiences this problem that could be a quick and simple fix.  Just check which aerial group filter you need for your own local transmitter.

The problem I now have is it refuses to display properly on my 14 year old plasma....

[jobbie8]

That's what mine was doing.

Drifting off to the weaker signal always at 19% almost every day or I guess when something updated on the box.

Anyone know why the boxes drift away from the set channel?