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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Why is Freeview and digital radio so very shit?

32 replies

NoTelly · 27/12/2021 20:24

Just done a retune because the picture was so bad - again - and now I've lost all my BBC channels. Really it was better before we went digital. Can't get cable due to boring rights issues re the freeholder of my apartment block. So is this the future then? Half the channels not working and the others pixelated? It's crap.

OP posts:
Chasingsquirrels · 27/12/2021 20:26

Where are you?
Mine has been poor for a couple of weeks but I found out the other day there is a transmitter issue.

Original poster
NoTelly · 27/12/2021 20:27

I'm in Yorkshire. I looked on the website and apparently both transmitters are working great. Hah!

OP posts:
Original poster
NoTelly · 27/12/2021 20:29

I swear to God it was better in the 1970s. At least then you could bang on your set and it usually sorted it.

OP posts:
Chasingsquirrels · 27/12/2021 20:35

That made me laugh, although not much help to you.

Hasn't there been a new transmitter in Yorks? Does your aerial need adjusting?

PopcornPeacock · 27/12/2021 20:35

Whereabouts in Yorkshire are you though? The Bilsdale transmitter in North Yorkshire caught fire last year and we had no tv for around 2 months. There is a temp one up now but every time it rains, looks like rain, or there's one tiny cloud in the sky our freeview and digital becomes exactly as you describe. Some places like Masham, Bedale etc still have no reception at all. Hopefully the new permanent transmitter will be in place before too long.

If you're further into West Yorkshire then you'll be with the Emley Moor mast, and as far as I know it's working ok.

Original poster
NoTelly · 27/12/2021 20:42

Elmley Moor is showing as fine yes.

I've rebooted and retuned several times now. Every time it comes back on at The Voice Kids which is horrific.

I did have BBC channels before I retuned, but I had to watch them in HD. Now I've lost them!

And don't even get me started on digital radio. I've got a stereo with supposed DAB capability which for the last year has just sat there like a big mute bastard flashing a 'no DAB' message at me. My 5.99 portable job from Tandy in 1989 works better than that twat. I'm so fucked off with it all.

OP posts:
phishy · 27/12/2021 20:44

Why not get a Freesat box?

Original poster
NoTelly · 27/12/2021 20:46

This is with a youview box.

OP posts:
MsAdoraBelleDearheartVonLipwig · 27/12/2021 20:49

Radio is the same. I’ve never used Dab either at home or out in the car because it’s crap. FM works just fine.

Original poster
NoTelly · 27/12/2021 20:59

Remember the big fuss they made about it all as well? We're switching off the signal blah blah, don't get left behind blah blah. So we go out and buy all the new kit and then they just give us stuttering pixelated garbage, set fire to things and take away my BBC 4 at Xmas.

OP posts:
Original poster
NoTelly · 27/12/2021 20:59

Bastards.

OP posts:
MattHancocksSexTape · 27/12/2021 21:00

If your internet is a decent speed, take a look at sky glass

TalbotAMan · 27/12/2021 21:03

Do you have a decent internet connection? If so, you can use that. BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5 channels can all be watched both live and on catch up both on smart tvs and dumb tvs with add-on boxes such as Google Chromecast, NowTV, Roku or Amazon Firestick, and radio can be streamed to smart speakers such as Amazon Alexa or Google Nest.

We are 40 miles from our regional freeview transmitter on the wrong side of a hill, so while we could get freeview from other regions with the wrong local news and commercials, when we moved here we originally started to use Freesat for our TV. We could get ok DAB reception, but when they put 'fibre' broadband in and smart speakers came on the market we shifted all our viewing and listening to the internet (even though by fibre standards our connection is poor at around 27Mbps).

Original poster
NoTelly · 27/12/2021 21:04

My internet is shit as well. I tried switching to Vodafone to see if it would make a difference but it hasn't. Supposed to be super duper or whatever, speeds up to 60 anyway apparently, lucky if I hit 25 most days. I am being abandoned by the technological revolution! Mostly due to everything being shit.

OP posts:
TalbotAMan · 27/12/2021 21:06

(And then you can bankrupt yourself with subscriptions to Netflix, NowTV, Amazon Prime, Disney+, BritBox, Spotify etc etc.)

Original poster
NoTelly · 27/12/2021 21:08

I do actually have a Chromecast so could use that for Netflix. Does it work for iPlayer? Although, I spent over £100 on this box so that I'd have everything in one place and also so that I could record. So I kind of want to do that really. Or get the £100 plus quid back from my bloody bastard licence fee.

OP posts:
DeathMetalMum · 27/12/2021 21:08

Could you get a stick for your TV? We bought a Roku one for about £15 before Christmas. We don't have an aerial socket upstairs and use that for any TV watching, via Iplayer etc.

Original poster
NoTelly · 27/12/2021 21:10

And I have an Alexa but that is fucked as well. It sounds like an old stereo system where the sound comes out of one speaker only. Everything is fucked and I've spent loads of money on it.

OP posts:
Original poster
NoTelly · 27/12/2021 21:10

But I want to record and I spent loads of money on a box!

OP posts:
TalbotAMan · 27/12/2021 21:11

@NoTelly

My internet is shit as well. I tried switching to Vodafone to see if it would make a difference but it hasn't. Supposed to be super duper or whatever, speeds up to 60 anyway apparently, lucky if I hit 25 most days. I am being abandoned by the technological revolution! Mostly due to everything being shit.
20-25 should allow you to do most things. If you think your speeds are lower than they should be, put your phone number into www.broadbandchecker.btwholesale.com/#/ADSL It's a bit technical, but it will tell you what you should be getting compared to what you are getting. Our problem is that the length of our line from the cabinet is around 1,000m and that brings the speed down a lot -- irritatingly there is actually a nearer cabinet but the road was wired up in the 50s or 60s and there is no chance of getting a change . . .)
TalbotAMan · 27/12/2021 21:15

I don't have a Chromecast, but according to the BBC they should work with iPlayer but you have to control it from an Android or Apple smartphone or tablet.

Original poster
NoTelly · 27/12/2021 21:15

Wow according to that I should be getting 80. I never have, with either provider.

OP posts:
Original poster
NoTelly · 27/12/2021 21:18

Oh ok I don't need a Roku then. I do feel sad that I bought this bloody box though and I might as well not have done. I know you can get Freesat but you need a dish for them to work which again I can't get (same problems as getting cabling done). So much for frigging contemporary apartment living. I'll be dialling in to get my bloody telly at this rate.

OP posts:
GorgeousLadyofWrestling · 27/12/2021 21:20

I get the same thing OP and I’m in south London. It’s shit. We have all the streaming services - Apple, Now Tv, Netflix, Disney etc, so have a plethora of tv at our fingertips. But sometimes I just want to hop around channels and just see what’s on rather then specifically looking for something to watch.

But it’s the same - having to retune a million times, badly pixelated connection or simply no connection at all. Wtf!

TalbotAMan · 27/12/2021 21:27

Underneath the headline figure there is a section which gives you recent actual download and upload speeds; what are they? How do they compare with the 'handback' speeds? Also, you should have a minimum speed guarantee from your ISP (Vodafone?) which should be somewhere in your account details with them (I've not used them so can't point you in the right direction).

If your speeds are lower than the minimum speed guarantee or the handback speeds, complain like hell because you're not getting what you're paying for.

For comparison, I just ran a check on MiL's line (as ours is poor). It says she should be getting between 80 and 60, but is observed at 55 which just scrapes over her Range B handback. In her case she's old and on her own so the difference doesn't really affect her.