Smart box has missing channels

[Anonymous User]

Just bought a smart box, model 4500sk-uk. The issue is that about 4 channels which are available in our area are not available on this box. Namely More4 +1 on ch 86, QVC HD ch111, QVC BEAUTY HD ch112 and the one I really want.... ch95 Freesports. Please help or the box is going back. Thanks

[Andy]

@Anonymous User

Welcome to the forum. Those channels are all on the COM8 multiplex which, due to the frequencies allocated for it, not all transmitters carry to avoid interference. It sounds like your Smart Box is tuned into a transmitter you can see which doesn't carry them, whereas your TV tunes to a different transmitter in-range which does.

Unfortunately the Smart Box doesn't have an easy way of forcing it to tune into a specified transmitter. Try doing another scan of channels on your Smart Box by going to Setting> TV Channels >Scan , some people get an option to choose which transmitter they want to select during this process (if you do then select the transmitter carrying COM8 - check online if you're not sure which this is). Unfortunately if you don't get this option it may end up selecting the wrong transmitter again. 

Keep  retuning a few different times to see if it picks up the right one. Also make sure the box is away from other electrical appliances as much as possible.

[Anonymous User]

Thanks. I have tried a few re scans and still the same. I have checked what channels are listed on freeview website for our address and it shows they are available from the Waltham transmitter which our aerial is tuned to with a strong signal. I did a Google search and it appears some HD boxes are not capable of receiving these stations..... Is this the case with this box?

[schnapps]

@Anonymous User

I own the NowTV smart box and i get the four missing channels that are you interested in from my local transmitter (Wenvo South Wales) where my house is approx 15 miles away with direct clear sight of the transmitter.

I am guessing you are not splitting the incoming TV signal from your main house aerial into any other Freeview device such as your inbuilt TV tuner ? 

[Andy]

@Anonymous User Yeah it's not so much whether your main transmitter carries COM8 but if there are other transmitters in your area that don't as the box does sometimes select a different transmitter to the one you'd expect it to.

If you're not getting the option to select transmitter during the retune then if you have a little aerial splitter device knocking around the house (the sort that splits an incoming aerial feed into two outputs) try sticking that on the back of your box as some people with the similar problem found that just weakened the signal enough to make sure the box locks onto the main transmitter.

Alternately if you have a different TV in the house with a different aerial feed try tuning on that TV and then moving back to your normal TV, or if you get on well with your neighbour's try popping around to their house and tuning the box on their TV - slight differences in aerial setups might encourage the box to lock onto Waltham, you can then disconnect and reconnect back up to your TV.

[Anonymous User]

It is split to a free view TV in the bedroom. Its not switched on at the time of the scan but I will remove the aerial and re scan.

[Anonymous User]

Thanks. I will try that later.

[Anonymous User]

All sorted! It transpired that there had been maintenance work on the Waltham transmitter and it was running at low power. Re tuned the box today and now have 170 channels including ch95. Thanks for the help.