The big Freeview retune!
Today's the day folks: time to retune your Freeview
Big announcement folks! Today is the day that you retune your Freeview box or digital telly with Freeview built-in. What that means is those of you who have been suffering without Five in the North West can soon experience delights such as Neighbours, Fifth Gear and, of Course, The Gadget Show, just like the rest of us.
Aside from allowing an extra 500,000 homes access to Five, the retune is also being used as a way of priming your set top box or telly for the upcoming Freeview HD upgrade. So if you want that, then this retune is essential. The likes of ITV and the BBC should then be available in Hi-Def on Freeview by as soon as the end of this year!
It’s not all good news, though. Around 460,000 households could lose ITV3 and ITV4 (that means no more endless repeats of Total Recall for some of you) and around 20,000 older boxes might even sop working altogether.
Anyway, you’ll be able to retune from lunchtime!
User comments (27)
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Allan Knopp30 September 2009
Before the retune I could receive Five. Now I can't, I've done a full retune on the TV and BT Vision box, but now neither will receive Five. Any advice?
Report as inappropriatejames welsh30 September 2009
just retuned no problem except i have lost ch 5 thank you very much one step forward one step back
Report as inappropriateDavid Thomas02 October 2009
I've lost channel five since re-tune of my Humax
Report as inappropriateDenise Byrne05 October 2009
I have retuned and also lost channel 5, does anyone know the frequency the channel is listed on,so I can do a manual search?
Report as inappropriateDenise Byrne05 October 2009
Sorted! Was advised to take aeriel out of set top box and do a factory reset then full scan, followed by factory reset, plug aeriel back in and do a full scan. Well I only got as far as pulling out aeriel and the factory reset when the screen went black. I was worried for a while because nothing would respond. I switched the tv and digi box off for 10 minutes and when I switched it all back on ALL channels had been restored including channel 5!
Report as inappropriateBen Houghton05 October 2009
I've just retuned my digibox now it's worse than ever ive lost channel 5, Virgin1, ITV3, Dave + more??? whats going on?
Report as inappropriateDerek05 October 2009
Did a retune and all went well. But every time I switch on the TV I have to retune as Channel 5, ITV 3 and ITV 4 are missing. Come back after retune
Report as inappropriateEd Collings05 October 2009
Having retuned on Sept30 (and subsequently) I have lost Channel Five on both Samsung and Wharfedale 1080p LCD sets (analogue as well as digitaL). I came to this website for the cure as mentioned in a recent Channel Five broadcast. But just printing other viewers' comments was no help at all. Goodbye, Channel Five. ESC (East Anglia).
Report as inappropriateRos Gleave06 October 2009
totally lost 5 on retune - how do i get it back?
Report as inappropriateJane 07 October 2009
Like Derek we in the Scottish Borders have lost ITV3, ITV4, AND Channel 5. Unlike some other people, we were actually enjoying some good quality repeats of British telly and so miss these channels and Channel 5. We have retuned countless times and seem to have to retune every time - at one stage the Sony box got stuck and thought it was 3.24 am (it was always just around about 3 am/3.15 am that it used to cut out to reset channels every day). Eventually we turned everything off and got the box to realise it was actually 4.17 pm and had to start the retuning all over again but still no ITV3, ITV4 or Channel 5 and some others still missing. Left brother tearing out what little remains of his hair and complaining bitterly, wishing that no-one had ever started trying to "improve" our services! Hope someone in the Borders area can put us on the right track as far as our Region's reception - hope we aren't permanently going to be without these channels!
Report as inappropriateJane07 October 2009
Like Derek, we in the Scottish Borders lost ITV3, ITV4 AND Channel 5 so are worse off than before! We enjoy seeing good quality repeats and are not pleased at supposedly losing ITV3 AND ITV4 so that Channel 5 can be more widespread - because we have lost Channel 5 which we enjoy,too, so nothing has improved! We. likewise, have done a lot of retuning to no avail and the Sony box/recorder even got stuck and thought it was 3.24 am and not 4.17 pm so we turned everything off, unplugging, and eventually after retuning got some tv at least but not the aforementioned channels. Brother is tearing his hair out (what little he has left) and is very upset that our services are going backwards so others can enjoy Channel 5, especially as we can no longer do that ourselves either! And we like Channel 5. Hope someone in the Borders area or techno wizard can explain and help us out! Thanks and bye for now.
Report as inappropriateBarry Taylor08 October 2009
We originally lost BBC4,ITV3 &4.After about a dozen retunes we now have every channel bar 5. What do we do now?
Report as inappropriateg2g10 October 2009
Surely this page could offer some advice to the thousands having problems - instead of just readers comments. Come on Channel 5 - and the Gadget Show - where are you when you are really needed (or don;t you actually know anything?!) REALLY disappointed.
Report as inappropriateTrevor11 October 2009
I too have lost Five after the retune. I believe this is because I get my signal from a relay rather than a main transmitter. I am sure I cannot be alone. Seems like two steps forward and one step back. Maybe the Freview folks have plans for the relay transmitters in the future but I am not counting chickens. Ironically the retune was to increase access to Five!!
Report as inappropriateJohn Stevenson11 October 2009
Everything was working fine in Bristol til the retune. This sucessful on a Sony 32" LCD, a PVR and an old On-Digital freeview box BUT lost ITV, 4 & 5 and BBC radio etc on a 2 month old Visual Innovations 20" LCD and my sons 26" Sony LCD. Changes are supposed to be for the better. Please provide some information
Report as inappropriateJohn Smyth13 October 2009
Re Denise Byrne's comments 5 October 2009. Don't follow what you've done. If you pull the aerial out of the set top box how can it pick up a signal to return to the original factory settings and/ or do a full scan?
Report as inappropriateDave Bruno14 October 2009
after tuning my humax 9150t which ive only had a month,i lost itv 3 and 4.ive been annoyed since then,but today i was scrolling through every channel and i found them. itv3 is on channel 800 and itv4 is channel 801 hope this is of some help to you all.
Report as inappropriateAlex Mitchell14 October 2009
I have a digibox but cannot get channel 5 on it. Can you advise by email what is the procedure for retuning so I can get channel 5. I have tried your website without success. Please do not tell me to go to your website as I have been there 10 times. Alex Mitchell PS I AM 81 AND NOT COMPUTER LITERATE
Report as inappropriatejane owen18 October 2009
i have tried 2 get channel 5 any help thanx
Report as inappropriatebill19 October 2009
did the retune now cant get itv4
Report as inappropriateHazel28 October 2009
For John Smyth - following phone instructions, pulled out IN arial (one from wall to box), switched off at wall, left few mins, turned back on, didn't reconnect arial, went to BT vision, did scan - which recorded NO channels, reconnected arial, rescanned - all except FIVE came back good as new. Phone operator says Sudbury transmitter has changed our eastern region's FIVE to a different, weaker frequency, and we won't get it back until we go digital in 2011!!! Now that's progress, don't you think?
Report as inappropriateuser12301 November 2009
have retuned. no problems but have lost ch 5.any advice please.
Report as inappropriatecaz08 November 2009
retuned box and have done everything i can think off factory reset swapping out the box every sort of retune of reconfiguration my box offers and can still not get channel 5 or itv2 and itv2+1
Report as inappropriateScottoire23 November 2009
Yep, we did the retune, and have to retune everyday since. lost five us & Fiver...if we're lucky, we get it back after about 3 retunes. but it will be gone the day after. We also have the pleasure of watching BBC Wales now, instead of North West variation where we live.... Shame really, i can't speak welsh! A disaster. i can see a sky box walking through the front door shortly..!
Report as inappropriateBanana Bird30 August 2010
Please help, I too cannot get Channel five and love it. I have retuned our humax digi box and have everything but 5. We live in the oxfordshire area and pick up signal from the oxford transmitter. Does anyone have any ideas? Very grateful for some help.
Report as inappropriatetony moore20 December 2010
ive lost all channels except the bbc ones ive tried several retunes moved the ariel etc even hit the tv a few times all to no avail my local transmitter is sandy heath less than 3 miles away my tv is 3yrs old toshiba regza 32" flat screen plz help guys
Report as inappropriateLinda Wyatt19 April 2013
19-04-13 live in north wales and had a channel change from transmitter. Have tried everything but cant gET 5 STAR back. Any suggestions please its one of my favourites. Thanks
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