There could be some bad news if you were hoping to watch some entertainment this weekend. Freeview has confirmed that some users may be hit by serious disruption over the next 48 hours due to the current weather conditions across the UK. The problems are being caused by a band of high pressure which is wreaking havoc with the TV signal that beams content into living rooms.
If your area is badly hit by the issue then you may find your TV screen is pixelated, scrambled and not offering its usual pin-sharp image.
“Freeview viewers across parts of England and Wales could see some disruption to their TV reception between Friday 30th August and Sunday 1st September,” Freeview confirmed.
“This is due to high pressure which could disrupt the TV signals which Freeview uses.”
This glitch happens at numerous times throughout the year and can be hugely frustrating for homes affected.
As the BBC explains, “High pressure can cause two potential problems. The first is that you receive a weaker signal, as the signal from your local transmitter is lifted higher into the sky. The second is that the signal from a distant transmitter interferes with your reception.”
Sadly, there’s nothing you can do to fix it with Freeview issuing advice that states you should not try to retune your devices.
“You are advised not to retune your TV during this time – reception will be restored once the high pressure passes.”
If you are desperate for a night in front of the telly and have an internet-connected telly you can watch live and on-demand content via Freeview Play and by using apps such as iPlayer and ITVX.
These services all use the web to beam content into homes and are not affected by the weather.
Another option is to tune into entertainment via Freeview’s mobile app instead. This service is available to download for free from app stores such as Apple and Google Play.
The final thing you can do is switch to Freely. This recently launched service, which comes built into a range of new televisions, offers fully live and on-demand content without needing an aerial.
Everything is whizzed to screen via broadband so there will never be any weather-related reception issues.
Want to know more? Find out all about Freely here.