Freeview frequently asked questions

1. Coverage - To receive Freeview, you must be in a Freeview coverage area. To check this, enter your postcode at www.digitaluk.co.uk/postcodechecker/. See our "Coverage section" 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 Comet and 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.

Set-top boxes can be purchased for a one-off fee of between £20 and £200, depending on the features and styling you're looking for. Here are a few things to consider when buying a Freeview box:

• 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, and try our interactive set-top box selector, where you can choose your features, browse for the lowest prices, and arrange delivery. You can also browse our forum and our Review section to see user's comments on various boxes.

If you get a strong enough TV signal where you live, receiving Freeview on an internal indoor aerial is perfectly possible, but for better results, an external aerial pointing in the direction of your local Digital TV transmitter is a much better bet. Indoor aerials are less able to pull in signals, and more susceptible to interference from domestic equipment (computers, washing machines, etc). It's often hit and miss with indoor aerials, and as the transmitters for digital TV operate on a lower power than normal analogue TV transmissions (so as not to interfere with analogue), you're less likely to get a good digital TV signal from an indoor aerial. As a general rule of thumb, if you get a poor analogue TV signal from an indoor aerial, you don't stand much of a chance with digital. Entering your postcode into Wolfbane's coverage predictor gives you an aerial recommendation that can help to give an idea of the effectiveness of an indoor aerial.

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 Indoor aerial with booster (Cat: L29BB) 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 extension. Aerial extension kits are easy to do, and are available for a low price at Maplin Electronics.

Freeview offers a "now-and-next" service for all set-top boxes, and many boxes also support a 7-day electronic programme guide (or EPG).
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 Guides page.

Freeview is a free-to-view service from the BBC - there's no subscription and the standard Freeview channels are free to watch without subscription.

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...

• Top Up TV - No longer available. In March 2004, a new series of pay-TV channels appeared on the Freeview line-up, as part of a service offered by Top Up TV. For a monthly fee, you could subscribe to up to 10 channels, including the popular UK Gold. However, in September 2006, the service changed to make way for a new service, Top Up TV Anytime , which offers extra TV programmes sent to you overnight for later viewing. More. The original Top Up service is no longer being sold by Top Up TV
  
• Setanta Sports: If your box or TV has a suitable card slot, you may be able to get Setanta Sports. Go to www.setanta.com for details.

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, free 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.

We're often asked about Freeview channels... Which channels are offered? What channels are coming soon? Why Freeview doesn't carry some channels.. Here are some common answers:

Channel lineup

• To view the list of Freeview channels, see our Channels page

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 TopUpTV offer programming from a number of non-Freeview channels. See our Digital TV page for the options
• If you want to know why a channel isn't on Freeview - you can always contact the broadcaster and ask them.

To ask questions about channels, or discuss the lineup, please go to our digital TV forum.

Yes. Where a TV programme has subtitles provided by the broadcaster, these are transmitted over Freeview. 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.

Freeview transmits audio using standard PCM stereo (Pulse Code Modulation), and the audio is compressed using MPEG Layer II encoding.

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 sterep 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.

A common question we see is "Can I get Freeview on Sky?". "Freeview" is the name for the digital TV service that can be received over 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.
Note though that almost all of the channels on the Freeview service are also available on the Sky Digital satellite platform. Some notes:

• Freeview is received on a suitable Freeview set-top box or integrated TV - it gets its signals via a TV aerial, and not a satellite dish. For details of Freeview's channel line-up, see our Freeview page.
• 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

Looking for a guide that lists all of the programmes available on Freeview? Consider DigiGuide - a downloadable PC application that updates over the Internet with the latest schedule listings. A web version is also available. Click here to download the trial, or see our Guides page for more

One of the slightly annoying things you may notice about digital TV, is that there's a slight time-lag with digital services - sometimes up to a couple of seconds. This can be a pain if you are watching a digital service with an analogue service in another room

Here's the reason for the delay: This is due to the way channels are combined together (multiplexed) and compressed (to support Freeview's extra channels) - it's one of the limitations of having a system that can squeeze loads of channels onto a single frequency. Your digital set-top box is receiving the encoded and compressed signals and using an onboard microprocessor to decode the incoming data and convert to video and audio - something that doesn't happen with standard analogue TV.

First - prove that you've connected the box to your TV correctly - A Freeview receiver will have some kind of on-screen menu or testcard (try pressing the menu button). If you can't even see this, then it's probable that you've not even plugged the box in correctly, or tuned to the right TV channel. Get this sorted before worrying about signal strength. See our Connection section.

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 DTG 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

Freeview signals are transmitted on six clusters of channels, called multiplexes. If you find you're missing a few channels, or you can't receive some of the Freeview channels you're after, it could be that you're not able to receive one or more of these multiplexes. Each multiplex contains a collection of channels and multiplexes that are transmitted on different frequencies, and at different powers. For a list of multiplexes, click here.
To see if you should be able to receive all multiplexes, put in your postcode at the DTG site.

Normal reasons for not being able to receive a multiplex are:

1. Your aerial was designed to work on a specific frequency 'band' , and that band excludes the multiplex frequency (see "aerials").
2. You're getting a weak signal, or interference (see below) - Normally the best advice is to consider an aerial upgrade, but in some cases, trying to reduce interference or using a signal booster may help to pull in signals for a weak multiplex. Note that if there's a weak or noisy signal, a booster won't see enough signal to boost. If you want to try one, they are available from Argos and Maplin Electronics.
3. The transmitter running the multiplex could be transmitting on a lower power (check for engineering work)
4. Your aerial just isn't up to the job (perhaps it's a indoor/set-top aerial?). For some aerial guidance, try Wolfbane's coverage predictor

There are a number of other reasons why channels may not be available, such as:

• Lineup change - If a new channel is added to the Freeview line-up, or a change is made to the way that a channel is broadcast, you may need to perform a scan to get the channel - some boxes do this automatically, but some don't.
• Ex- OnDigital / itvDigital customer? - If you are using an old set-top box and find you can't get all your channels, this is because the line-up changed in November 2002. You need to re-update your channel listings. To do this, look for the 'Store channels' option in your set top box menu (Note that an 'Add channels' may not be sufficient to get all of the channels).
• Moved house / moved the box? - The channels stored on your box relate to the channels that were last stored. If you've moved house, or moved the box to a different aerial, you'll need to scan for new channels, to see what the new aerial can receive.
• Suddenly vanished? - If some of your channels have suddenly vanished, it could be that your box has done an automatic scan for new channels and when scanning, couldn't find some of the channels - maybe because the transmitter is on reduced power, or there was a reception problem.

To check for new Freeview & TopUp TV channels, or to 'rescan' to rebuild your channel list, you need to set your box to perform a channel search. Methods of scanning for new channels vary from box to box, so either look through the onscreen menu options, or refer to the box's user manual. In the onscreen menu, you'll be looking for an option labelled "Scan", "Add", "Setup channels", "Search" or "Store" channels. More help on our Reception page.

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 STB, and from your STB to your TV or video. For a new extra pounds, a good quality aerial flylead 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.

For other information on improving your digital TV reception, see the BBC Reception site

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 it's 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.

UK TV is transmitted in a UHF band between 21 and 68. TV aerials are designed to receive certain bands. The bands are:

• 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

The most basic type of connection to try when you first get your Freeview set-top box, is to try a direct connection to the TV, so that you can tune in to Freeview. Here are the steps:

• 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 labelled 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

A common issue. Set-top boxes can have two different types of output - SCART socket and RF/UHF/Co-ax output, and there are important differences:

• 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 it's 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 it's 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?).

One of the most commonly asked questions, and this depends on your setup. It helps to know how many SCART sockets you have on each bit of equipment, and whether your Freeview box has a modulator (see the manual or our receivers page).

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.

Most Freeview set-top boxes send their outputs via a SCART socket. So, what do you do if your TV or video doesn't have a SCART socket? There are two options:

1. You can look for equipment that has an RF modulated output (see our Freeview Box Selector for suitable boxes). 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 UHF 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 use a Universal RF Modulator (Code VH89W) from Maplin Electronics with excellent results. We've also found a cheaper one over at TVcables.

For a definition of modulator, see our Glossary

If you're trying something complex like trying to connect a DVD, Freeview set-top-box and a video recorder into a TV set with a single SCART socket, you may soon find you've run out of sockets - and what you'll been needing is a SCART switch box. These let you plug multiple inputs into one box, connect the box to your TV (or video), and then select which SCART feed you want to watch.

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 Connection Help page

It's possible to feed the output of your set-top box to other rooms. We cover this subject in more detail on our Connection Page.

If you want to record Freeview onto your video or DVD recorder, you need to do two things - make sure you have connected correctly (help), and make sure the recorder is tuned in correctly - as explained below:

You'll have connected from your Freeview box to your recorder in one of two ways - either a SCART lead, or a co-ax/RF aerial lead.

SCART - You need to set the recorder so that it can see and record the output of the Freeview box - here's how:

1. Make sure you have a SCART connection between your set-top box and the recorder, and then a connection from the recorder to the TV (help)
2. Switch your TV to the recorder's playback channel (as if you were watching a recording)
3. Set your video/DVD recorder to the SCART input using the remote control - this may be labelled "Line In/AUX/AV" feed, and may have an icon like the one pictured to the right. Refer to your recorder's manual if you're in doubt. Once you've set the recorder to the SCART feed, you should see the output of your Freeview box on your TV via your recorder.
   

Coax / RF - If you want to record the output of your Freeview box onto your video/DVD not using a SCART lead, your set-top box must be capable of generating a "modulated output". This means it creates a TV channel that you can tune your video into (just like a normal TV channel). Note that the majority of basic Freeview boxes don't have the ability to modulate their signal.

• If you're trying to assign your Freeview set top box to an RF channel on your video/DVD recorder, and the video recorder can't find the signal - it's most likely that your Freeview box only has an "RF loopthrough" and not an "RF modulator". In other words, the two aerial sockets provided on the box are to allow the TV aerial feed to pass through your set top box, so that your recorder and TV can see the five main TV channels. The box isn't re-transmitting it's output onto a TV channel that the video recorder can use.
  If this is the case, you'll need to connect the STB to the recorder using the SCART socket, and pick up Freeview via the video/DVD recorder "Line In/AUX" feed. Alternatively, you can consider getting an RF modulator box that plugs between a Freeview box and a video recorder, providing a modulated signal.
• If you definitely have a set-top box with a modulator (see our box guide) and still can't tune your recorder into the output of the Freeview box, it could be that the RF modulator is turned off. Check your on-screen menu and find the RF Output setting. If it's on, try changing the setting to a different channel number, as another TV channel or video recorder may be clashing. If in doubt, refer to your user manual for details of enabling and changing the RF output settings.
  

• Most (but not all) IDTVs do support outputting the Freeview receiver via SCART, so it should be a case of cabling from the TV's SCART to the Video/DVD recorder SCART, and setting the recorder to record from the AV/Line In channel (as above)
• Some TVs have restrictions that mean you can't record digital while watching analogue. Others report that you can only record what's on screen, and the TV must be switched on, which is not always practical.
• Some TVs give you the option to record either analogue or digital, and you have to make a choice - there may be a menu option in one of the TV's setup screens that lets you select whether the TV sends analogue or digital to the SCART socket(s)

If you're looking to connect your Freeview set-top box into your TV, here's what you need to do:

• 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 Connectivity Help Page.

If you're having problems with your set-top box, here are a few things to work through:

• 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. More
• 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)

The Freeview transmission system supports the ability to "update" Freeview box software over-the-air... this allows new features or bugfixes to be sent to your box.

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

The older onDigital and itvDigital boxes can be used to receive Freeview channels, although some of the newer interactive services may not work, as the software being used today has been updated. Some things to note:

• 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)

if you're finding that you're able to get picture, but not sound, it's likely to be one of two things:

• 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

The Freeview service does transmit in stereo. Most Freeview set-top boxes support stereo output, through the SCART socket, or via phono outputs. If you're not able to get stereo sound to your TV, check the following:

• 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