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Failview

UPDATE: Freeview has refused to apologise for the fallout from the retune fiasco, failing to answer our direct pleas to say sorry. Read all about it now.

48 hours on and the Freeview retune is still causing chaos. We’ve been inundated with comments from you about myriad failures to your free digital telly service, with some saying you’re missing one channel through to others complaining your entire box has failed.

Freeview claimed that only 0.1 per cent of its users would see negative effects from the much–hyped retune. But it appears plenty more are suffering. The TV types’ official site said, “These improvements will ensure that Five will be available to all Freeview homes at the point of switchover.”

However, plenty of you say Five has gone altogether. Julia Cleverley told us, “We’ve retuned our telly with built in Freeview and all is well with ITV3 and ITV4 however we have now lost Five.”

Freeview retune leads to storm of consumer complaints

Another reader, Wendy, told us she had, “Lost 5, so retuned as instructed and now lost everything!.” And such extreme cases do not appear to be isolated.

Caroline Freeman–Harte said her Digihome PVR-80 had appeared fine at first but another retune had caused 7-day EPG to stop working. “It worked perfectly OK previously, but it looks like they’ve broken it now as I can’t schedule recordings on half my channels anymore.”

Mike from West Northumberland, an area already digitally switched over, said that now he’d lost ITV3 and ITV4 and that BBC channels were freezing up.

Freeview also said on its website that technical changes were planned to “minimise disruption.” That appears to be somewhat wide of the mark. We’re taking all your comments to Freeview, so keep them coming in. Please make sure you give us as much detail as possible, right down to make and model and even where you bought it from.

Out now | Free | Freeview

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  • Mark

    Clueless numpties.

    Over half a million people were going to lose ITV3 and ITV4, and when the update, all the EPG gets wiped and gets redownloaded.

    Nothing to see here, buisness as usual, but the media are making a mountain out of a molehill (as usual).

    • David Stewart

      A mountain out of a Molehill ?
      Who else but the Media have we got to champion our dissatisfaction with the retuning fiasco ?

    • http://www.gravatar.com James Holland

      Mark, I don’t think you’d be saying that if your box or TV had gone kaput now, would you?

  • David Stewart

    The Glorious 30th September. Not ! Since retuning a Sony Bravia and a UMC television set, not only have a lost (and I’ve read that their loss will be permanent) ITV3 and ITV4 in order to receive the unwanted Channel 5, BUT . . . the Electronic Programme Guides have gone haywire. For example with the Yesterday channel display on the EPG only the program being shown at that time is given; so I cannot read ahead in order to record a program on my Humax PVR.
    At no time, to my knowledge, was it announced pre-the 30th, that half a million people would lose much-watched channels. No one ever mentioned any other (serious) consequences from retuning. We were told that the retuning, apart from spreading the accessibility of Channel 5, was to facilitate the trandsmitting of HD programs. Emphasis was laid on the fact that this would allow better viewing of football. It seems to have escaped the notice of the powers-that-be (whoever they are) that not everyone is obsessed with the dubiously named “beautiful game”..
    Anyway, is the Freeview fiasco likely to be fixed ? Or are we stuck with this “improvement” to Freeview services ?

    • http://www.gravatar.com James Holland

      I think that’s the nub of the issue – the only “re-tune your Freeview box” ads I saw were about the benefits. There was no mention of 500,000 people losing their existing channels, and Freeview’s website makes out that 0.1% of boxes would suffer complete failure. Seems odd that we’re hearing this many complaints if that’s true. As yet, Freeview haven’t granted us an interview with their top brass, but bear with us while we try to nail down some answers or, at least, an apology.

      • http://www.electricpig.co.uk Joe Minihane

        In reference to the football thing though, surely they should have kept ITV4? It has more footie than C5, what with stacks of Europa League games (which might I add British teams are playing in), as wellas alternative Champions League games (sure ITV won’t be pleased losing this viewers) and build up which geeks like me love.

  • Salvador

    That’s terrible… although losing ITV3 and ITV4 is surely a happy accident and a blessing

    • David Stewart

      It is a loss to lose the old “Minder” programs.
      Where else would you hear said, as Arthur said recently:
      “I don’t trust him, he’s an invertebrate gambler”.

    • http://www.electricpig.co.uk Ben Sillis

      I can’t say I’m shedding a tear for QVC audiences dropping, but different strokes I guess. Others are mad at what’s happened to their favourite channels on Freeview, and it needs to ‘fess up about this badly planned, badly promoted charade.

      • James

        “badly promoted” where on earth have you been? Every TV channel has had a banner across it for the last week. There have been countless adverts. I can’t believe there is anyone in normal society in the UK who isn’t aware!

        • http://www.gravatar.com James Holland

          Thanks James, but were you warned at any stage that your channels might disappear? Personally, I only saw material saying it would add Quest and pave the way for HD.

        • http://www.electricpig.co.uk Ben Sillis

          Many of the side effects of the re-tune (IE what channels you can receive after they switch multiplex) are perfectly logical ones, but Freeview did a terrible job on this, brushing the problem under the carpet and trying to forget about it. I’d call that bad promotion.

  • Bob

    This seems to be a new one Ive BBC 1 & 2 can anyone help ? , If you ring the phone numbers given gess what there tempery out of order. Bob in Sheffield

  • Bob

    This seems to be a new one Ive lost BBC 1 & 2 can anyone help, the advice line are out of order.

    • http://www.electricpig.co.uk Ben Sillis

      Ouch, that’s a killer – Five is one thing but I’d be mad if BBC stopped working. Have you tried returning to factory settings?

      • http://www.electricpig.co.uk Joe Minihane

        I’m trying every avenue to get a full response guys, but no joy yet. As soon as I hear anything, you’ll hear about it too.

  • mabosa itchie

    Did Gordon Brown organise this mess? It has his fingerprints all over it, hes a useless twat!!!

  • Ian Davies

    Re-tuned one tv in house, recent flatscreen with integrated freeview. Lost all ITV channels, C4 & C5. Won’t be bothering with any more until this fiasco has been sorted out.

    • http://www.electricpig.co.uk Ben Sillis

      It’s integrated? Ouch, we’re sorry to hear that. Give us the details and we’ll be sure to put it to Freeview if and when they grant us an audience.

  • dbtech

    Retuned Philips RD220 STB yesterday @ 5pm. Full new install scan. All multiplex 2 channels have gone. The freeview helpline was actually working today ! the call centre operator did not know what multiplex 2 was! he said call Freeview…. guess what ? they are not available! I find it hard to believe that there has not been any kind of apology from Freeview. I suppose we will have to wait until a decent BBC engineer clears up the mess.

  • Matlock

    My STB refused to retune past 39UHF so I have to spend more money on a new Freeview box to get back the twenty or so channels I used to have that are no more (including BBC digital, ITV4 etc). It’s only an old Goodmans GBD 2 -but why should I have to pay out because someone has obviously moved the technological goal posts during the switchover and not informed the manufacturers?! Not at all happy. Mark’s “clueless numpties” is the kind of ill informed attitude that solves nothing -seemingly the stuff of telephone help desks these days as well. I mean, a full reset is about as easy as taking the thing out of its packaging in the first place -so obviously this isn’t the cause of the problems.

  • Kevin

    After 2 retunes and factory default resets my BBC channels are looking blocky and freezing up for me. I have a relatively new Humax and I live in central Manchester. I am not impressed…

  • Nick,

    Panasonic TX-28DTX11, new high gain aerial fitted last year. Retuned five times on three seperate days. Nope BBC 1 and 2 are definately gone. Incidently has anyone else noticed massive dropout when a motorcycle or garden petrol mower is nearby ? Or at night around 10 o’clock. The amazing thing is from our hill top in Lincolnshire I can see Emley Moor tower !!! I thought digital was to give more TV entertainment not more entertainment doing something else.

    • Whitsend

      I also have a DTX11 and line of sight to Emley Moor 5 miles away. After the retune I cannot get BBC1, BBC2, BBC3, News 24 or CBBC – all these are on Multiplex 1 (see http://www.ukfree.tv/helpme.php?faqid=1107051116). I can receive all other channels OK I believe. My Sony Freeview box (on internal aerial) retuned perfectly 1st time. I tried this aerial in my Panasonic, without success. So this would suggest that the equipment itself is at fault. I have done factory resets each time. I have also emailed Panasonic, but no reply yet.

      • Whitsend

        I have now found [ from http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=1114504 ] that a handful of IDTV Panasonics including DTX1/10/11 need a software upgrade to be able to hold more than 95 stations. As MUX 1 is the last of the 6 Freeview MUXes to be tuned in on this transmitter, the station memory is full by the time it tries to store these. If you send an email to Panasonic, they should send you a CAM card to plug into the back of your set – this updates the TV software so that it can store 200 stations – more than enough for now.

        • http://www.electricpig.co.uk Ben Sillis

          Talk about hassle! Some good hunting there, and it illustrates that it’s always worth checking the forums and Support sections of your DVR maker’s site just in case.

  • David

    Scottish Borders. Channel 27 (ITV2+1) still there, but blank station name, with message saying moved to channel 33. However, EPG still lists ITV2+1 programmes. Channel 33 (ITV2+1) has no station name.

    BBC red button channels now have no sound.

    If you ask me, picture quality looks worse. Is this reduction some sort of squeezing for HD (wish I wasn’t so techie ignorant).

    But, I can only sigh with relief when I read the stories from other people. Well done Freeview, a fantastic and monumental stuff up! All for HD, that most of us really don’t want. Was the TV tax BBC driving that one forward?

  • Kevin

    My Philips TV is finally OK after 3 retunes. My two Thomson DHD4000 PVRs are missing programme information on ITV3, ITV4, 5, G.O.L.D and Dave Ja Vu which makes it difficult to set a recording. Does any one know if this will sort itself out because I’ve done 3 retunes on them including resetting to defaults, clearing all channels and powering off. I can’t think of anything else to do.

    • Kevin

      Seems that I got a bit carried away with my Philips TV. It has the channels but no programme information on ITV3 and, bizarrely, Cbeebies.

      • Ben

        My Phillips DTR 200/05 refuses to save BBC1, BBC2, C5, BBC3 and a few other channels properly. When rescanning it is fine but as soon as I put the box on standby I lose the channels and have to rescan again, it’s a huge pain.

        I’ve updated by box to the latest version available (v3.30) and it is still doing it. I’m considering getting a new box around Christmas but I figure it could just happen again with another box, only possibly worse. My box says I get a 7 day EPG which I’ve NEVER seen work, not in the few years I’ve had it.

  • Samantha Hinchliffe

    I retuned my freeview box – a Grundig GDT 1500 and now it doesn’t work at all. Before this there was nothing wrong with it at all and I received all channels including Channel 5 so I didn’t actually have any problems. I don’t see why I should have to invest in a new box when there was nothing wrong with the one I had. It makes me so angry. I wouldn’t have bothered retuning at all had I known this was going to happen. Freeview said there wouldn’t be many people negatively affected. I don’t know what world they were living in but quite clearly it wasn’t this one.

  • http://www.electricpig.co.uk Joe Minihane

    Thanks for even more info guys. As I’ve said on other posts, we’ll keep following these up so keep the info coming.

    Cheers

    Joe

  • Dee

    Samsung LE32R74BDX – integrated Freeview – After numerous factory resets, multiplex 2 channels still missing. ITV2 and ITV4 are present with no channel number but watchable. Strangely, more channels received via my little indoor ariel than the monster on the chimney.

  • Paul

    Have not lost any channels but beeb 3 and 4 in particular constantly hang or freeze making viewing impossible, Pioneer pasma and matching box were fine b4. Any tips?

  • sara

    when I reset all my channels everything is fine. but switch the TV off for any length of time (ie overnight, whilst at work etc) and I lost BBC1 and can only regain it by retuning again can anyone help me? I’ve not lost any other bbc TV channels as for radio I have no idea since I don’t do radio on the TV. The only person I’ve been able to get hold of tells me to call philips but the number doesn’t work I was given and there website helpfully doesn’t any any Sunday contacts. and to top it off the day of the retune was the day my TV lincense was due…totally feel ripped off paying for that and not getting all the BBC channels that I’m actually paying for!!!

  • http://www.mark-lawton.com Mark Lawton

    I have two digifusion FVRT100′s, and they retuned OK except I couldn’t record on channel 5 and 10 to start with.

    I did a full reset, and I can record on every channel now, and they all come on OK except my EPG has not updated after 24 hours.

    I can see the current program and the one after, but no 14 day EPG.

    What’s going on there?

    Surely they have done something wrong here, as my frieview boxes bot work fine?

    Mark

  • FATIMA

    i DID THE RE TUNE AS NORMAL AND HAVE LOST MY CHANNEL 5 AND MY ITV +1 ABSOLUTLY DISTRAUGHT AS ITV+1 WAS THE CHANNEL I LOVED THE BEST ,I NOW GET A MESSAGE SAYING IT HAS MOVED TO CHANNEL 33 BUT THERE IS NO CHANNEL 33.DONT GIVE A DAMN ABOUT CHANNEL 5 WASNT VERY GOOD PICTURE IN THE BEGGINING ALONG WITH FIVER AND FIVE US.AM I EVER GONNA GET ITV+1 BACK THATS ALL I WANT TO KNOW???????

  • tommy

    well i had no problems at all b4 but i retuned hoping to get rid o those annoying “press the yellow button” messages but alas they still pop up and now i dont have itv 3, itv 4 and itv 2+1… gggrrrrrrrrr

  • Richard Staines

    I had a perfectly decent samsung le26r74bdx TV that has been made almost totally useless by the retune. I can only get BBC1, the channel name is stuck at the top and it is in mono. Not even factory resets can get the thing to work. Die Freeview, die.

  • Lucy

    Its bn a wk since the retune now & no matter how many times i retune our built in freeview tv, i still can’t seem 2 get five bck, or itv 2+1, 2 channels i watched regularly (that wrked fine b4 the retune). My mum also has freeview (a box), she used 2 have five wrkin perfectly well on her box & now she still has it but it doesn’t wrk very well. I’ve gained a few channels (itv 3 & 4) which i didn’t have b4 but i’d like the channels i actually watched bck.

  • stuart a

    Humax LGB-19DZT/LGB-19-DTt TV
    Reprogrammed twice 2300hrs – channel 4 no ITV 1,2 or channel 5 + others failed to show or broke up both times.
    However by 0630 on 5th Oct all were available.
    By 1600 on 5th ITV1, 4, 5,ITV2, have all gone again and others including Dave cracking up

    • stuart a

      update from same source – 6th Oct reprogrammed TV and set top and all channels now seem OK with no cracking up

  • tony gurr

    iv got a sony t v and tryed to retune it, it only went up to 40 per cent then would,nt scan anymore now iv lost some channels including channel 5 how can i get round this

  • Ben

    am i the only one that has lost channel 4 and e4? i’m pretty pissed off, as i only every watch channel 4 and e4…

  • Leveller

    30th Retune….
    Chanel added – Virgin1 – repeats of StarTreck etc, no gain at all.

    Chanel lost – ITV4 – various films,Cycling ToF,ToB,ToI,Rugby etc, big loss not happy there.

    But not to worry I still have all the garbbage like QVC and BidUp TV what a c*!k up…..

  • Anne Haigh

    After my initial comment saying I had lost ITV3/4 after retuning my Humax box, ITV4 has now reappeared – on 801! But still missing ITV3.

  • http://www.BHyS.co.uk R Newbery

    Everyday I lose ITV4 – until I do retune!

    • sara

      I get exactly the same for BBC3 and BBC1, but it gets lost upon turning the TV off.
      the freeview people say it’s my box becuase I can still view bbc2 and bbc4, and they are sent out on the same signal therefore my box is broken. … no retune before ever did this and the box people have noted my issue and will contact me as a priority case….2weeks ago they said that and nothing, any further emails get ignored.

  • http://www.onehellofaroadtrip.co.uk Daddycool

    Hi,

    My Grandfather has a Digihome PRV80 which I re-scanned for him last weekend. All seemed fine and all channels were viewable and listed in EPG.

    A few days later he telephoned me to say he could not get BBC1 & 2 anymore.

    I visited him again today and sure enough his box had ‘lost’ BBC1 & 2. They weren’t even on the EPG.

    I re-scanned the box again and once again the BBC channels were listed in the EPG and were viewable and of good quality. I then put the box into standby and then unplugged from the mains. Waited a few moments and then powered the box back up.

    BBC channels had disappeared again!!!

    Can anyone throw any light on this problem???

    Current firmware of unit is: V5.7(uk) dated 18-11-2008.

    Cheers, Simon.

  • Lottie

    I just bought a brand new box as I’ve recently moved house and apparently according to the freeview website in a very good area but cannot get ITV1 channel 4, channel 5 or e4, the channels I happen to watch the most! Very frustrating! Is this because I need a stronger aerial, although I have perfect pictures on the channels I do have?

  • mark

    ive got a digihome pvr80 myself,ive lost bbc 1 and bbc2,done everything thats said i live in the granada region,can anyone help.

  • Shaun Grove

    Does the fact that it is now impossible to recieve BBC1 and BBC2 mean I no longer need to purchase a TV licence?? or is help on the way for my digihome pvr80 ?

  • Les

    Since losing analoge BBC2 on 4th November, I have retuned freeview box and also tried reverting back to factory settings. Now all BBC channels break up and are impossible to watch. This is appalling service from freeview.

  • anne

    my itv1 is impossible to watch, keeps freezing,and clicking noise,when it freezes, my other channels are fine.

  • Ann

    Have a £550 Sony Bravia HD television. Since the switchover-all channels freezing up and/or screen is totally blacked out with message “programme not tuned”.
    I live in the north east of England.
    Wondering if this means I will have to put my house on the market, and live somewhere else that can receive transmission? Because I absolutely have had no tv since the switchover.
    The TV post code lottery commences!
    Won’t be paying for my licence-thank god for radio-feels like I’m in the 1930′s-it is disgusting

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