Freeview watchers warned over TV signal troubles for the rest the week – and a simple mistake everyone makes to fix it
MILLIONS of TV viewers in UK have been warned of potential blackouts over the next few days.
High pressure weather conditions could result in poor reception, the BBC and Freeview have cautioned.
TV signals can bend during high pressure weather conditions, causing signal interference.
That means picture, sound dropouts and even channel loss may follow.
“We are aware of some high pressure currently affecting parts of the UK, this is likely to continue until the weekend,” the BBC said.
“Viewers and listeners across England and Scotland may experience periods of interference affecting reception of television and radio services which will continue into the weekend.
“This will affect most parts of the UK.”
The issue may affect users of Freeview, Freely and YouView TVs and boxes.
Though the issue may be worst in coastal and southern parts of the UK, RXTVInfo reported.
The BBC warned of similar picture break-ups and audio glitches as a result of atmospheric conditions over the Christmas period.
How do I know if I’m affected?
Viewers can check if the problem is impacting their local area by using the BBC’s transmitter checker tool.
If there are no faults displayed, and you are still experiencing issues, it is possible the problem is impacting your radio or TV directly.
Cable and satellite services will not be affected.
How do I fix picture and audio dropouts?
There is, unfortunately, nothing you can do except wait until the weather changes.
Viewers should not re-tune their TV or radio over the next few days – otherwise they will have to do it again when the high pressure weather passes.
Instead, viewers can switch to internet-based streaming services like BBC iPlayer, ITVX or All 4.
Those missing out on the radio can also try the BBC Sounds app, which can be downloaded on iPhones, Android phones and TVs.
Once the weather has cleared, viewers can retune their TV to get back missing channels or fix reception problems.