Freeview Frequently Asked Questions

1. Coverage – To receive Freeview, you must be in a Freeview coverage area. To check this, enter your postcode at digitaluk.co.uk/postcodechecker or on the Freeview site. See our “Freeview Coverage” page for guidance.
2. Box – If you are in coverage, you’ll need to get a free-to-air set-top box. Boxes cost from upwards of £20 and can be bought from high-street stores such as Currys. Shopping online for a set-top box is often the best route, as there are some good bargains to be had.
3. Connect – Plug your new Freeview set-top box to your existing TV aerial. Connect another lead to your TV set’s SCART socket, and you should be ready to go. Note that in some cases, your TV aerial may not be suitable and may need upgrading.
4. Setup – Follow the instructions supplied with the set-top box, and scan for available Freeview channels.

We recommend: YouView, for a Freeview recorder plus on-demand TV shows

Even if you are in an area reported as having good signal, local obstructions, or the quality of your TV aerial may make a difference to your reception. You can also use the clickable map at Wolfbane site to get information on your nearest transmitter, or enter your postcode in Wolfbane’s coverage predictor to see how far away from the transmitter you are, and what sort of aerial is advised.

It’s fairly safe to assume that if you get a fairly strong signal on the main 5 channels from the same transmitter as a transmitter that offers a digital TV signal, receiving Freeview shouldn’t be a problem in most cases. However, the only true way to find out 100% is to either borrow a friend’s Freeview box to try it out, or contact a TV aerial company and ask them to perform a signal test using your aerial. As below, aerial upgrades and boosters can help to improve a weak signal if needed.

• Price: Prices start from around £20 – no subscription, contracts or ongoing costs (although you still have to have a UK TV licence).
• Connectivity: All boxes have a single SCART socket as standard, for connection either to a TV or video. You may want to consider improving your options with a second SCART socket that allows connection to both a TV and video recorder. If connecting to a TV or video that doesn’t have a SCART socket, you need to look for a box that has a modulated output (that can transmit TV on a special channel that you can tune your TV/VHS into).
• Features: Starting with basic boxes that support interactive services and subtitles, to boxes with electronic programme guides, built-in games and programme timers, to top-of-the-range boxes with CD and DVD players, DVD recorders, and hard-disk recorders.
• Card slot: In addition to the free channels, you may want a box that’s compatible with future subscription services.

If you’re looking to buy a Freeview receiver, see our set-top box page for the full range of UK boxes. You can also browse our forum to see user’s comments on various boxes.

A proper external aerial, or a even a loft aerial, is your best bet for good reception, but if your only option is an internal portable aerial, go for a good quality indoor aerial. Look for a powered one , and aim it at the appropriate transmitter. Try to keep it close to a window, with as few walls and as little metal as possible between the aerial and the transmitter – keeping the aerial high, away from other electrical equipment, and close to a window, can all help too.

Try Maplin Electronics or Argos for a range of indoor aerials – We’ve had recommendations that Maplin’s High Gain Indoor Digital Aerial with Amplifier (Cat: A95GT) performs well. There’s also the ‘Total Control Freeview Indoor Aerial‘ available from Argos (Cat: 534/4857) which claims to be designed for Freeview, but we’ve no feedback on how well it performs.

If you have a roof aerial, but not in the required room, consider running a cabled aerial extension. Aerial extension kits are easy to do, and are available for a low price at Maplin Electronics.

In the UK, OfCom is the Government department responsible for UK digital TV. Their website states: “Eighty of the UK’s major transmitting sites currently carry digital terrestrial television (DTT) signals. Government, in consultation with the digital broadcasters, will decide on further extensions to DTT.”

If you’re not in a digital TV coverage area yet, it’s a case of waiting until your transmitter is upgraded, or contacting OfCom, to urge them to install a new transmitter to serve your area. You can find information on UK TV transmitters at the Mb21 site. If you want to find out when you may receive digital TV, you could try the OfCom website, or contact the company that maintains your local transmitter (probably Arqiva), or the TV company responsible for your region.

Alternatives to Freeview include Sky TV, cable TV or TalkTalk TV. See our Digital TV Advice page for details.

If you only have an indoor aerial, you ought to read our information on Freeview with an indoor aerial

If you’re looking for an alternative to the EPG, or to your TV listings magazine, there are a few alternatives. Our favourite is DigiGuide, a powerful TV listings program for your PC, mobile phone or pocket computer. Listings are uploaded over the Internet. The advantages are: searchable, cheap, greater listings, configurable. For details of this and other listing guides, see our dedicated TV Listings Guides section.

If you happen to have a Freeview set-top box or digital TV with a card slot, you may be wondering whether you can subscribe to any extra channels…

• ESPN – With a subscription card and a suitable card slot, your Freeview box or Freeview TV may be able to get the ESPN sports channel. More on getting ESPN via Freeview.
• Sky Sports – With a suitable set-top box and subscription card, you can get the Sky Sports 1 and Sky Sports 2 channels. More on getting Sky Sports via Freeview.

Otherwise, there’s nothing else on offer. If you want more channels on Freeview, you could consider getting BT Vision (Freeview plus content over Broadband, available to BT Broadband users) or Top UP TV Anytime (extra content downloaded overnight), otherwise there’s a wider selection on Sky Digital and Virgin Media cable.

Channel lineup

• To view the list of Freeview channels, see our Freeview Channel List

New channels

• Any information about new channels, or rumours we hear, is added to our Freeview News page. We have an RSS feed. Also, consider joining our mailing list or listening to our podcast for Freeview news.

Channels not on Freeview

• There are quite a lot of channels not on the Freeview platform. Where a TV channel doesn’t appear on the Freeview platform, this is likely to be for one of two reasons: Either the channel is a ‘subscription channel’ (the broadcaster wants to make money from your subscription), or there is not enough space on the Freeview system – there’s a technical limit, and space is at a premium.
• To receive a channel that’s not on Freeview, consider signing to a service that carries the channel you’re after. Options include Sky satellite or Virgin Media cable. Services like BT Vision and TopUp TV offer programming from a number of non-Freeview channels.
• If you want to know why a channel isn’t on Freeview – you can always contact the broadcaster and ask them

Subtitles are transmitted for the TV channels that are also available on analogue TV (i.e. BBC1, BBC2, ITV1, Channel 4 and five), as well as for the extra channels that are available on the digital platform.

Most (if not all) of the set-top boxes and digital TV sets for Freeview support subtitles for deaf or hard of hearing viewers. Pictured here is a screenshot of a Freeview channel’s subtitles displayed on the BT iPlayer.

Many Freeview boxes have a dedicated ‘Subtitles’ button on the remote control – if not, subtitling is something that can be switched on via the on-screen menu. Consult your set-top box or digital TV set’s manual for details of how to enable subtitles.

Some of the TV content transmitted over Freeview (commonly movies) has been encoded with the analogue Dolby Pro-logic Surround Sound format. As Dolby Pro-logic is carried over standard two-channel stereo, then this is passed over Freeview. An audio decoder connected to a Freeview box’s stereo output should be able to extract Dolby Pro-logic signals, and provide this form of analogue surround sound.

Digital Surround Sound, such as Dolby Digital (Ac3) 5.1 or DTS 5.1 is not currently being transmitted over DTT (Freeview) in the UK.

If you’re looking for Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound from your TV, consider getting a Sky+ box or Sky+HD Box.

“Freeview” is the name for the digital TV service that can be received using a standard TV aerial on special Freeview receivers. Freeview uses a different technology to satellite TV, and the “Freeview” service therefore can’t be received via a satellite dish or Sky box.

However, using a satellite dish, you can still get free digital TV – via Freesat (from the BBC), or with Sky’s Freesat service. For details of subscription-free satellite TV, see our Free Satellite TV page.

For details of Sky in general, see our satellite TV page, or go to www.sky.com

If you wanted to receive regional programmes from a non-local transmitter, theoretically you could point a powerful enough directional aerial at the different region’s transmitter, and provided that there’s no other closer channels that could interfere with reception, then you could receive the other region’s signal. If in doubt, contact a local aerial installation firm for advice.

If you’re looking to get UK TV outside of the UK, see our Overseas FAQ

For details on the cause, see our Digital Time lag page.

If you can see the box menu options, but can’t see any of the Freeview TV channels, here are some things to consider:

• Coverage – Make sure you’re in a coverage area by entering your postcode at the Digital UK site
• Connections – Double-check your aerial cabling. Any chance your TV aerial (or any splitter /booster) is unplugged? Try connecting straight from the main incoming aerial fly-lead straight into the Freeview box (bypassing any possibly faulty splitters, video recorder leads, etc)
• Aerial suitable? – Are you using a good quality rooftop terrestrial aerial? Is the lead from the aerial to the box in good condition? Note that there are issues with Freeview on set-top indoor aerials and over aerial cabling provided by a cable TV company
• Rescan – Try scanning for channels again. If the box hasn’t been used for a while, or you’ve moved house, the channel line-up stored in the box may be out of date. Perform a channel search.
• Transmitter work – Check to see if there’s transmitter work being done that might affect you.
• Failing that, it could be that you’re just in a no-signal area. Try putting your postcode into Wolfbane’s coverage predictor – this provides information on your nearest transmitter, and offers some advice on what type of aerial you need – you may need an aerial upgrade, or to get your aerial pointed at a closer digital transmitter. A local aerial installer can help with an aerial upgrade, or you can get all the bits you need to do-it-yourself from Maplin.
• Signal boosters can help in a small number of cases, but if there’s a weak or noisy signal, the booster won’t have enough signal to boost. These can be of help where you’re feeding your Freeview signal to multiple TV sets around the house though. If you want to try one, they are available from both Argos and Maplin Electronics.

If you’re outside the Freeview area, or can’t get an aerial upgrade, you’ll either have to wait until digital TV comes to your area, or you may want to consider some of the other Digital TV options

More help? See our No Freeview Channels section

See our Missing Freeview Channels page for help and troubleshooting on this subject.

In summary, reasons why you may not be able to receive all of the channels include:

• Weak signal
• Out-of-coverage
• Interference
• Weather
• Problems with your cabling
• Problems with your aerial
• Transmitter problems

See our Missing Channels Page for detailed help

There’s nothing more annoying than interference, pixelation, or the Freeview red dot when watching your favourite show. Most Freeview set-top boxes have some kind of signal strength meter, and this can be quite useful in working out how good your incoming signal is. You may have measurements for both Quality and Strength – the measurement for Quality is very important – if this is high, then you’re likely to get good pictures even if the strength is much lower.
Check your manual for details on the signal quality/strength meter.

Here are a few bits of advice on improving your signal:

• Upgrade your aerial – To get good pictures, you need a good quality external (roof) aerial. An aerial upgrade is always a good bet for getting the best signal possible. Seek professional advice and get the best that you can afford. More details can be found elsewhere on this page.
• Boost your signal – If you’re in an area of weak signal, consider a signal booster. For best results, consider a masthead amplifier. Note that mains-powered boosters are only really effective in some circumstances (to boost quality, not signal) – if the signal is poor, a booster may only amplify the noise.
• Check splitters – If you’re splitting aerial cables so that you can get TV in other rooms, consider a mains-powered booster with multiple outputs. This can help to overcome loss in the cables.
• Cabling
  – Sorting out your aerial cabling can make a serious difference – see our cabling advice.

Another annoyance experienced by some users of Freeview, is electrical interference, such as picture breakups when a light is switched on, the washing machine is on, or there’s other electrical activity. Digital Terrestrial TV is prone to electrical interference of this kind, and here are a few hints to help you cure this:

• Keep your aerial leads and connectors as far away as possible from electrical mains leads
• Make sure you’re using good quality leads to connect from your aerial to your Freeview box, and from your box to your TV or video. For a new extra pounds, a good quality aerial lead cable with a gold-plated connector from Maplin Electronics may help.
• Joined cables and lots of unshielded adapters provide a weak link in your setup – make as few joins as possible, and keep joins away from all mains cables.
• If this doesn’t work, a good quality external roof aerial with good quality unbroken cable straight to your set top box should be the answer.

See our Freeview Interference Page for detailed help

Each ordinary TV signal (BBC1, BBC2, etc) is on a dedicated channel (a UHF channel numbered between 21 and 68), and you need to tune each of your TV preset buttons into each channel you want to watch. Many set-top boxes and video recorders have an aerial output with a ‘modulator’ – this means that it’s capable of generating its own channel (between 21 and 68), so that you can tune your TV into the box’s channel.

If you are experiencing interference because of a clash like this, you’ll need to change the channel number that the box or video broadcasts on. This is normally a setting somewhere in the box’s onscreen menu. You’ll find details of how to do this in the box’s manual (look for RF modulated output channel, or UHF channel – something like that).

Note that this is only a problem if you’re trying to watch via standard TV channels, as opposed to a SCART feed from your set-top box or video (as SCART connections don’t use a TV channel). If your TV / video has a SCART socket, using this may be a much better bet than a modulated feed via an aerial lead, especially in quality terms, and to remove the chance of interference or clashes, you may wish to disable the set-top box’s RF modulator altogether. See our Connection section for help on setting up your set-top box, video and TV using SCART leads.

• Group A – Channels 21-37
• Group B – Channels 35-53
• Group C/D – Channels 48-68
• Group E – Channels 35-68
• Group K – Channels 21-48
• Group W – Channels 21-68

If in doubt, a wideband aerial may be the best option – these are optimised to receive TV channels anywhere in the UK TV band. In areas of weak signal, a wideband aerial may not be as effective as a high-gain aerial designed for the specific band you’re trying to receive (a mast-head amplifier may be needed to help boost the signal). If you’re looking to upgrade aerial, getting a good quality wideband aerial is usually the thing to do, so that if additional services (such as Freeview) appear elsewhere in the band, you’ll be able to get them.

High gain aerials can be used to reduce certain types of problem – including weak signal, interference and ghosting. They do this by getting the most out of the signal. For the best results in weak signal areas, look for a high-gain aerial optimised for the band you want, and ensure that it’s pointed directly at the target transmitter, with sufficient height to clear any obvious obstructions blocking line-of-site to the transmitter.

For information on your nearest transmitter and some aerial advice, try entering your postcode into Wolfbane’s coverage predictor

For a wide range of aerials, connectors and amplifiers, go to www.maplin.co.uk

• Use a SCART lead to connect from the Freeview box to your TV
• Plug a TV aerial into the Freeview box
• Power up the Freeview box, and switch on the TV
• You need to switch the TV to the channel that’s used to view pictures from equipment that’s plugged into the SCART socket. This may be labeled AV / Ext / Line or AUX (depending on the TV)

With luck, you’ll now be able to see the Freeview box’s startup screen, and can follow the onscreen instructions to scan for your new TV channels. If you find your picture’s rolling, or you can’t see the startup screen – make sure everything’s connected properly, that your SCART leads are plugged in correctly, and that your TV is switched to the right SCART channel. Consult your TV’s manual if you’re not sure how to view your Line In / SCART channel.

If you have a lot of video connectors, you may find that you need a SCART switch box, to handle multiple devices.

For a selection of SCART leads, switch boxes and adapters, take a look at the Maplin website, or see our TV accessories page.

• RF/Co-ax: If connecting to a TV set via a co-ax lead, you need to tune one of your TV presets into the channel that the video or set-top box ‘modulates’ (more details below). With this type of connection, picture quality is worse than SCART, and you won’t get stereo sound. Each ordinary TV signal (BBC1, BBC2, etc) is on a dedicated channel (a number between 21 and 68), and you need to tune your TV preset buttons into each channel. If a set-top box or video has a co-ax output, it’s capable of generating its own channel (between 21 and 68), which you have to tune a TV preset into. Your box/video is doing something known as ‘modulating’ on a channel of its own.
• SCART lead. If using a SCART cable, you don’t need to do this, as the picture can be seen via the TV’s AV or Line In feed. Using SCART gives you better picture quality, widescreen switching and stereo. Connect from your set-top box into your TV or Video SCART socket, then switch the TV or video to line input (the AV switch – AV2 perhaps?).

Connection help: Try our interactive Connection advisor

Here are a few common configurations. If this doesn’t help, see the rest of this section…

Video has two SCART sockets, TV has one SCART socket (no Freeview modulator)

• Connect the Freeview box to the video using a SCART lead
• Connect the video to the TV using a SCART lead
• Connect the main TV aerial into Freeview box
• Use standard co-ax lead to go from Freeview out to video in
• Use standard co-ax lead to go from Video out to TV

This lets record Freeview via the video’s Line in, and watch/record standard TV as normal

Video has one SCART, TV has one SCART (no Freeview modulator)

• Connect the Freeview box to the video using a SCART lead
• Connect the main TV aerial into Freeview box
• Use standard co-ax lead to go from Freeview out to video in
• Use standard co-ax lead to go from Video out to TV

This lets record Freeview via the video’s Line in, and watch/record standard TV as normal. The TV SCART is unused, and you’ll need to tune the TV into the video’s RF channel to watch video and Freeview. A SCART splitter may be worth considering to make use of the TV’s SCART socket.

Video has one SCART, TV has one SCART (Freeview HAS modulator)

• Connect the main TV aerial into Freeview box
• Use standard co-ax lead to go from Freeview out to video in
• Use standard co-ax lead to go from Video out to TV
• Tune a spare TV channel into the video recorder output (play a tape to find it)
• Tune another spare TV channel into the Freeview output (press the menu so you recognise Freeview)
• Now, tune a spare channel on the video recorder into the Freeview output (see the video manual for help)
• This setup should work, but isn’t using the SCART. You can decide whether to use SCART to go from Freeview-to-video, from Freeview-to-TV or from video-to-TV, depending on your quality preference

This lets record Freeview on a video channel number, and watch Freeview on a channel number

Freeview has two SCARTs, video has two SCART sockets, TV has one SCART socket

• Connect the Freeview box to the video using a SCART lead
• Connect the Freeview box to the TV using a SCART lead
• Connect the main TV aerial into Freeview box
• Use standard co-ax lead to go from Freeview out to video in
• Use standard co-ax lead to go from Video out to TV

This is as the picture below. This lets record Freeview via the video’s Line in, and watch/record standard TV as normal. The TV Line In can be used for Freeview reception.

1. You can look for equipment that has an RF modulated output (such as the Icecrypt T5000). A box with a built-in modulator will allow you to use a standard aerial cable to plug into your existing TV co-ax socket. Once connected, you can then tune one of spare channels on your TV into the channel being used (i.e. ‘modulated’) by the Freeview box, in the same way as you would tune in an ordinary TV signal.
2. You can make use of something called a RF modulator – a box that converts SCART signals to a signal that can connect into your TV’s “aerial in” socket. Plug a SCART socket in one end of the box, and a flylead to your TV in the other, and all should be well. You then tune your TV into the channel that the UHF modulator generates. We’ve used a Universal RF Modulator (Code VH89W) from Maplin Electronics with excellent results. We’ve also found a cheaper one over at TVcables.

For more help on connecting to a TV without a SCART, see our No SCART page

Splitters, multi-way SCART sockets, SCART leads and adapters are available from Maplin and Argos

For more on SCART sockets, switches and splitters, see our SCART Switchers help page

• Buy a second Freeview box an connect it to an aerial feed. This is generally the best option, as this will allow you to be able to watch one Freeview channel in one room, and a different Freeview channel in the other room.
• Connect the output of an existing Freeview set-top box to the other room. We explain how to do this on our TV in other rooms page. This will allow you to watch whatever’s on your Freeview box on a second TV screen.

See our Recording Freeview Guide for more on how to record Freeview onto DVD or video

• Unplug the aerial lead (the one that runs to your aerial) from the back of your TV or VHS recorder
• Plug it into the input aerial socket on the set-top box.
• You’ll now need to connect the output from the Freeview box into your TV set – if your set-top box has a SCART socket, plug a SCART lead into this and connect it to your TV’s SCART input. If your TV doesn’t have a SCART socket, and your set-top box has a co-ax aerial socket, then you can plug this into your TV’s aerial socket. This causes the TV to “loop through” the set-top box, meaning you can watch normal TV even with the set-top box switched off.
• If you want to connect via a video recorder, follow the same basic procedure, but go from the aerial to the set-top-box, then from the set-top-box to the video input, then from the video to the TV set.

Some things to remember:

1. Not all set-top boxes have an ‘RF’ output (a co-ax cable socket), some only have SCART. You can get converters (see above). For a list of which Freeview set-top boxes have RF outputs, see our Freeview page
2. Signals routed through a SCART lead normally come up on a TV or video recorder’s “AV”, “Ext” or “Line in” channel – they don’t appear on a standard tune-able channel.
3. A set-top box or video recorder that you connect through an RF/co-ax aerial lead normally needs to be tuned in to a channel on your TV. You have to be careful not to tune your set into a channel that’s being used for something else. Click here for details of interference as a result of a wrongly-tuned set-top box.

If you’re running out of SCART sockets, consider a splitter or switch box (pictured)… For more on SCART switches and splitters, see our SCART Switcher Page.

• Can you see the Freeview box on-screen menu on your telly? If you can’t, it probably isn’t a reception issue – it’s more likely to be a cabling issue (perhaps a wrongly-connected lead, or a damaged cable/connector), or you aren’t watching the right channel on your TV. In rare cases, it could be a fault with the box. Check it’s not a cabling/connection problem with our Connection page
• Next, check it’s not a reception problem. If you’re able to see the on-screen menu, but are having a problem tuning in channels, or getting a decent picture, try the tips on our Reception page
• Box not switching on? Check the remote control is working. Batteries ok?
• Try a box reboot. Pull the mains plug out for 30 seconds, then reconnect the power – this resolves a lot of software problems
• Try a reset of your box. How you do this varies depending on model and manufacturer. On some units, there’s a “reset to factory defaults” option somewhere in the onscreen menus – others use a secret reset code. In most cases, the user manual should provide help on how to reset
• Rescan for channels – It’s also worth performing a full “store channels” in case the channel line-up has changed. Help on rescanning
• You can also try scanning for updated software , in case there’s a new version with bugs fixed.

Still having problems? Try asking in our RadioandTelly forum, including as much information as possible, and a summary of what you’ve tried. Alternatively, contact the box manufacturer’s support department for help (Google)

There’s a hidden channel known as the “Engineering Channel”, which is on the BBC multiplex. Box manufacturers supply their software updates to the owners of this channel, and they are sent over-the-air with other TV signals to update boxes automatically. Updates are sent according to a schedule published here: DTG site download schedule. If your box isn’t listed, it means that there are no scheduled downloads – you may want to contact your box manufacturer to see if there are any updates in the pipeline.

For details of updating an onDigital / ITVdigital box, see below

• You don’t need the old subscription card any more. Just remove it. Freeview channels aren’t encoded, and don’t need the card
• The channel line-up has changed – You’ll need to re-scan for new channels (“Store” from the menu)
• New software releases aren’t supported (see below)

The old software was developed and distributed under a licensing agreement that is apparently no longer valid (with the demise of itvDigital). This means that any updates to the software would now need additional licensing, development costs, plus fees to get this sent over-the-air to the old boxes. It’s unlikely that anyone will be prepared to pay for this, the box manufacturers have no obligation to update the software, and it’s unlikely the BBC would want to commission this development work and foot the bill.

If you’re looking for newer features, consider buying a newer generation Freeview box – these start from around £30.

We’re not sure what causes this, or why it only affects some boxes (especially the Sony Freeview models), but from the messages posted on this subject in our forum, it seems that the solution is to reset your Freeview box (turn off and on again), then do a scan for new channels.

• Most commonly, you have a loose SCART plug – the audio pins on a SCART plug are at one end of the SCART connector, and if the plug isn’t in straight, the audio gets disconnected, but the video doesn’t. Try reconnecting the SCART plug (at both ends) ensuring that the connectors are in and straight. It’s also worth trying a different SCART cable in case the pins are damaged.
• The Freeview box could be in “mute”. Many boxes have their own audio control separate from the TV. Check that the box isn’t in mute, the volume isn’t down, and that there’s nothing wrong with any of the volume/audio settings via the box’s onscreen menu. The manual may be of help here.

If you’re still having problems, double-check all of your connections for a loose SCART lead, try a reset of the box, or ask for more help in our forum

• If you have connected to a TV using a SCART, you need to watch the Freeview output via your TV set’s AV / Line in feed, and not via a standard TV channel that you may have tuned your box into (More info)
• If using a SCART lead to your TV, it must be a fully-wired SCART lead. Some leads don’t support all 21 pins. For the technically-minded, audio out is pins 3 and 1 and audio in is pins 6 and 2
• Check your Freeview manual to ensure your box supports stereo
• Check the audio settings menu of both your Freeview box and your TV, to make sure you’re not switched to mono
• If connecting via a video recorder, does the video support stereo? Try going direct to the TV, bypassing the video
• Remember, not all TV shows are in stereo

To solve the problem, change the setting on either the TV or the set-top box to ensure they are the same.

If in doubt, set the AV setting of both to RGB. Refer to the manual if you’re not sure of how to do this.

Obviously you need to set your video’s timer for the required time, and set it to record the Freeview box’s output. It’s then a case of making sure that your Freeview box is switched on, and on the right channel when the programme’s due to start.

Some Freeview set-top-boxes have a timer function included, allowing you to get the box to come out of standby and switch to a certain Freeview channel at a certain time. If your box has a timer facility, follow the onscreen instructions (or see the manual) for details of how to switch the box to the right channel. You have to set both the box timer and the video recorder if you want unattended recording of a Freeview channel.

The video recorder should be set to monitor your AV channel, and it’s up to whatever’s on your AV channel to be switched on and tuned to the right channel. You should use the timer on your set-top box to get on the right Freeview channel at the right time.

A more advanced solution is a Freeview PVR – and these are falling in price at the moment. A PVR is a set-top box Freeview receiver with a built-in hard-disk recorder. It records shows to a hard-disk for later viewing or copying to a video or DVD-recorder. For more on PVRs for Freeview, See our PVR Advice page.

In some cases, a powered splitter or distribution amp may be needed if you’re seeing interference after connecting up other equipment. Boosters and splitters are available from both Argos and Maplin Electronics.

As of October 2005, there’s another potential option – the Bush idaptor, which plugs direct into a TV’s SCART , and uses a 12V mains adapter for power – again, it may be possible to use an alternative supply.

It’s also been suggested that the Matsui TUTV1 could be an option as this is also powered by a 12V mains transformer – again, we can’t guarantee this works – we provide the info as-is

Sometimes, we’re asked if a UK Freeview box can be taken to another country to be used with their digital TV services. There’s not a quick answer to this one:

The UK uses the European DVB-T transmission system, and post-Digital Switchover, uses the 8k COFDM modulation system. In the US, they don’t use the COFDM system. To work out whether a UK Freeview box will work in other European countries, you need to check the format and frequency range that your target country uses, then look at the specs of the set-top box to see if it uses the right COFDM system and frequency range. Here’s what we’ve discovered about the UK format:

UK frequency range: 470MHz-860MHz (UHF), (47MHz-230MHz VHF)
UK coding system: MPEG-2
UK COFDM system: 2k (Before Switchover) and 8k (After Switchover)

If you’re looking to be able to get UK television from outside the UK, see the advice on our Overseas FAQ