TV viewers are facing channel disruption TODAY as Brits are warned not to rescan
TV fans have been warned that their favorite channels may be blurry or inaccessible on Tuesday.
Freeview has warned viewers in England and Wales of possible signal disruption.
The disruption is the result of the high pressure over the past 24 hours and today (February 20).
It causes destruction because high air pressure can bend or reflect TV and radio waves.
You are advised not to retune your TV during this time; reception is restored once the high pressure passes
Unobstructed view
The problem occasionally affects Freeview signals.
Viewers have been told not to rescan their boxes as this wastes their time.
Normal service should resume once the pressure has shifted.
If you have already tried to retune, you will probably need to do it again once the signal interference has stopped.
Instead, affected users are advised to watch TV via streaming apps such as BBC iPlayer or ITVX until the situation changes.
“Freeview viewers in parts of England and Wales could see some disruption to their TV reception between Monday 19 and Tuesday 20 February,” the company said.
“This is due to the high pressure which could disrupt the TV signals used by Freeview.”
Freeview successor launches
This kind of signal disruption is something Freeview owners Everyone TV will have to avoid with the launch of its new Freely product in a few months.
Freely relies primarily on the internet to stream channels into living rooms – and is supported by the BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5.
It comes built into brand new TVs, unlike a set-top box.
The TVs will be hybrid, meaning you can still connect an antenna to access some channels.
And even if you don't have to rely on the occasional signal problem, you may experience disruptions from broadband issues instead.
Despite the launch of Freely, Freeview isn't going away forever anytime soon.
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