Freeview Changes 19th August 2020
Published On:Tuesday, August 18, 2020
*UPDATE* Engineering at the main Douglas transmitter was completed successfully last night and viewers receiving their signals from here can retune at any time. Services from smaller local relay transmitters in the Isle will be subject to interruption during the day as these are visited by engineers. If channels do not return automatically we would advise retuning after 6pm. Viewers in need of advice can call the Freeview Advice Line.
Anyone who needs advice, or who finds they are still missing services after retuning, can visit the Freeview website at www.freeview.co.uk/tvchanges or contact the Freeview Advice Line free on 0808 100 0288.
Satellite and cable TV are not affected. Viewers may be eligible for free in-home support, including aerial work if needed.
Freeview channels are moving to new airwaves to allow for the future development of new mobile broadband services.
Advice on how to retune:
When something's been updated, most Freeview devices will ask you to retune (rescan) for any channel changes. With most devices you'll just have to press 'retune' when prompted. But if your TV doesn't prompt you to do this, you may need to manually start the automatic retune or do a full manual retune.
Automatic retune:
These may vary slightly depending on which device you have, but they usually include the following simple steps:
Press menu on your box or TV remote control
Select ‘set-up’, ‘installation’, ‘update’ or a similar option. If you’re asked for a password, the default code is ‘1234’ or ‘0000’.
Select ‘first-time installation’ (sometimes called ‘factory reset’, ‘full retune’ or ‘default settings’).
Press ‘OK’ if your equipment asks if it's OK to delete existing channels and then your retune should start automatically. If you’re prompted to, save the channels that are found.
Manual retune:
If you've already run through the automatic retune options and it still isn't sorted, you can manually search by channel frequencies.
As a first step, check to see if your desired channels are appearing further down the list in the TV Guide (usually the 800s). If they are, make them easier to find by saving them to your ‘favourites’ list.
If you can't find the channels in the 800 range, enter your postcode into our Freeview Checker to find a list of channels available at your address. Once you have these details, please follow the below steps:
Using your remote control, press the 'menu' button.
Select the 'set up' or 'installation' option. If you see picture icons, select the tool box, satellite dish or spanner.
Select 'manual retune' or 'manual search'.
If you're prompted for a code, try 0000 or 1234.
When your device asks for a channel number (frequency), type in the number provided in the detailed view of the Freeview checker relating to that channel.
Repeat steps 1-5 using the different numbers next to each group (a group is a bundle of TV services), to complete the manual retune.
Then press 'menu' or 'exit' to finish.
These instructions should work for most Freeview TVs or boxes, but they differ, and you may have to speak to your manufacturer or the retailer you bought your device from for help.
What to check after retuning
You might find that your channel favourites and scheduled recordings are also deleted after retuning, so you'll need to check and reset them. But any recordings you've made should still be there.
However, if your set top box or TV isn’t working correctly, you may sometimes need to clear its memory completely, or restart it. If you have any problems, check the instruction manual, or get in touch with the manufacturer.