Fred asked

11th January 2012

I have just purchased a Sony LED Freeview HD Television and also a Sony SVR-HDT500 Digital TV Recorder. The television has HDMI, 1-SCART, IN OUT aerial Connections, the recorder HDMI, IN OUT aerial connections.

My existing equipment is a Sky Box(not HD) with 2-SCART and IN OUT aerial connections. A DVD Recorder with 2-SCART and IN OUT aerial connections. I am seeking advice (diagram if possible) to what is the best way to connect the new Sony Television and Recorder to my existing Sky Box and DVD Recorder.

In that you only seem to have one SCART input on your new HDTV I think you will need to chain your DVD player and Sky box together. The best order is probably to connect your Sky box to the SCART on your HDTV and then connect your DVD player to the SCART pass-through on the back of your Sky Box. Normally the SCART input will show the Sky box but it should automatically swap to displaying the video from your DVD player when you turn it on, ans swap back when you turn it off.

Tracy asked

11th January 2012

I have a 50" LG Plasma TV with built in Freeview channels, it's all HD Ready and the transmitter for our post code (GU11) is the Crystal Palace one which is fine, we get all the channels but we don't seem to be able to view them in HD - will I need any different leads ie HDMI or certain SCART sockets, I don't have a Blu-ray player just a normal DVD player??

Digital-switchover will complete in April for the Crystal Palace transmitter so from that date you should be able to receive the Freeview HD channels at your location. In order to be able to watch the high-definition channels you also need a Freeview HD receiver of some kind. If your HDTV is relatively new it may well contain one but if it's more that a year old you might find it only contains a standard-definition Freeview tuner. If that does turn out to be the case you will need an additional set-top or recorder box that does contain one or more Freeview HD tuners. Such a box will probably connect to your TV via an HDMI connection.

Glenda asked

11th January 2012

Yesterday we had a new TV with built in Freeview and HD but we are not getting a HD signal from the Malvern transmitter, our post code is WR10 any advice would be welcome.

If your aerial is receiving from the Malvern transmitter you should be able to pick up 4 Freeview HD channels with appropriate reception equipment. It's not perfectly clear from your email that your new HDTV contains a Freeview HD tuner, so if that's not the case you will need a separate Freeview HD set-top box or recorder in order to be able to pick the high-definition channels.

If you think you do have a Freeview HD tuner built in to the HDTV it may be that your aerial isn't receiving from Malvern or the signal is being drowned out by another transmitter. You can try manually tuning your TV to pick up from the Malvern transmitter, enter your post code and follow the instructions on the Digital UK site here:

http://www.digitaluk.co.uk/postcodechecker/manual_retuning

Lorraine asked

11th January 2012

My new Samsung LE32D580 32" HD F/V LCD TV was installed last week with a new external aerial (only had an indoor aerial previously). The HD freeview channels are not available. Also, the red button function doesn't work. I believe this model should be able to receive Freeview HD channels. Can you advise please?

You have an HDTV that's capable of receiving Freeview HD but you'll have to wait just a little longer I'm afraid. Once digital-switchover completes space is freed up that is used to broadcast some Freeview channels in HD, but this isn't happening in your area until April:

http://www.digitaluk.co.uk/when_do_i_switch/london/crystal_palace

After that date you will need to scan for channels a second time and you'll then be able to pick up the HD channels.

Andrew asked

10th January 2012

I have recently purchased a Samsung UE40D6530 Tv with built in Freeview HD. The only problem is, when I run the autotune none of the HD channels show up (I believe they should be between channels 50 - 54).

I have checked the digital TV website and it should be available in my area and I get an excellent signal on all of the other Freeview channels so I don't think it is a problem with the arial signal.

Any ideas what might be preventing me from being able to pick up the HD channels?

The problem my be that you're able to pick up multiple transmitters with your aerial at your location. If that's the case the problem can either be that your aerial is receiving from a transmitter that's not yet broadcasting Freeview HD or that the signal from the HD-transmitter local to you is being drowned out but another local transmitter. Visit:

http://www.ukfree.tv

and enter in your postcode. The site will tell you what transmitters and channels you should be able to receive, and if two or more transmitters show, one with HD and one without Freeview HD channels try the following:

Unplug the aerial connection and do a full channel scan, no channels will be found and this will clear all and any existing channels. Reconnect the aerial but this time do a manual channel search, searching for one of the HD channels at the frequency listed for it on the HD transmitter you found on Ukfree.

Manual tuning should, in the absence of any other reception problems allow you determine if it's possible to pick up the Freeview HD channels at your location. If it is you can manually add the other channels listed, if it's not it may well be a case of simply having to wait until digital-switchover is more complete in your area.

Jim asked

10th January 2012

I have a samsung Freeview HDTV and a humax HDD recorder. I have an RF aerial into back of Humax then out to the TV using an RF cable. Also a HDMI cable from the Humax to TV. The DVD player is connected direct to TV using SCART to HDMI converter. When I try and record on the Humax the picture on TV is scrambled. How should I connect up so I can record and watch TV at the same time?

This one's a little hard to diagnose remotely but it sounds as though you're having problems with your signal strength when both your HDTV and recorder are operating simultaneously. When both the tuner inside your TV and inside your recorder are active it sounds as though there isn't enough signal for them both where both working individually.

If you can either temporarily or permanently reduce the number of times the signal from your aerial is split that should help or help you diagnose signal strength as the source of the problem. A possible solution is to boost the signal from your aerial with an amplifier. This won't improve the quality of the signal you receive but should allow you to distribute it to more devices that you would otherwise be able to. If in any doubt I would seek tailored advice from your local independent audio-visual retailer however.

Andy asked

10th January 2012

I was able to receive Yesterday channel using a freeview box and an aerial having now installed a Freeview digital box and satelite dish this channel is scrambled, can you please help?

Yesterday is available for Freeview but not on Freesat. I'm also fairly sure that even if you opted for 'Freesat from Sky' over regular Freesat that is not one of the extra channels you would gain, as best I'm aware you need some kind of subscription to receive it via satellite. It's probably due to programming licensing being for the UK only, the Freesat signal being beamed across most of northern Europe rather that just the UK. Freeview is transmitted from many local sites across the country rather than a single satellite so doesn't have the same problem of being able to be revived abroad.

David asked

10th January 2012

Will my Sharp TU-T2 HD receiver be able to view channels such as Vision; China Central Television; Sports Tonight;and the Connect when they become available? I have wireless Broadband with Virgin Media.

Your box is capable of receiving Freeview and Freeview HD programming and so should in principle be able to pick up these channels and others as they lauch on the Freeview platform.