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BBC Four HD

Intelligent, idiosyncratic and provocative perspectives on every subject, for people who think differently.

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How to Watch: BBC Four HD


Below is a list of all the television and radio channels that you can watch in the UK using one of the free services: DAB (for radio), Freeview, Sky No Card - Sky without a viewing card (Freesat from Sky (or fSfS)) and Freesat.. Where a channel can be watched for free, the channel number is listed below. In addition, if you can watch (or listen) immediately online, press the button in the "web" column.

As some channels are exclusive to one service alone, you may need to get receive more than one service to get all the channels you want. The coverage for Freeview differs too - those channels not provided by the public service "Freeview Light" transmitters the current coverage shown thus (54%), taken from Connected Nations Report 2017: Data analysis'

Key: wb_sunny daytime; watch_later nighttime; account_box funded from the TV License; flags show Freeview channel limits.
Choose from four options: ■ Show everything ■ Just on Freeview ■ Just on Freesat ■ Just on Sky
High definition channels
Channel name arrow_drop_down web radio Freeview Sky Freesat
BBC Four HDaccount_box live_tv   106watch_later 116watch_later 108watch_later

Regional content: National channel with no regional content or variations.

media.info: For full details of broadcaster contacts, see the media.info link icon media.info BBC Four HD page.

Official site: See the www.bbc.co.uk link icon BBC Four HD website.

From Wikipedia: - en.wikipedia.org en.wikipedia.org link icon read more about BBC Four HD on wikipedia (summary by Clipped).

Freeview multiplex: BBC Four HD is on multiplex PSB3 in england flagscotland flagnorthernireland flagwales flag.

Comments
Friday, 26 July 2019
S
StevensOnln1
sentiment_very_satisfiedPlatinum

11:05 AM

R Murchie: The only channels being lost are those on the temporary multiplexes, which were always due to close in the next few years anyway. Some of those channels may move to one of the permanent COM multiplexes.

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StevensOnln1's 3,605 posts GB flag
Saturday, 28 September 2019
N
Nigel Wood
10:04 PM

My Panasonic PVR has lost BBC4 HD and Quest HD, my signal is recieved from Chathill , Northumberland.we under went the the 5G re-gig a couple of weeks back. My sligthly newer smart TV and a HD set top box (same aerial but diffferent feed) do recieve the channels I mention. Have retuned numerous times but it would appear that all channels streamed on ch 34, 578 mhz, com 78, have good signal strength on the PVR but no signal quality. Other stations and non HD versions of 4 & quest are OK. Is this due to the age of the PVR?

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Nigel Wood's 3 posts GB flag
Sunday, 29 September 2019
C
Chris.SE
sentiment_very_satisfiedPlatinum

7:07 AM

Nigel Wood:

I doubt it has anything to do with the age of your PVR, if you received it before then something else is causing this.
However, there is no transmitter at Chathill, but there is one at Chatton nearby BUT that does not transmit the COMs 7&8 multiplexes! If you receive(d) BBC4 HD on COM 8 on UHF C34 then it could be coming from Pontop Pike. There was a retune event there on the 12th September with a PSB channel change with another one coming on the 13th November when All multiplexes will be changing channel, COMs 7&8 moving to the SFN channels 55&56 and power will also be almost halved for those two. There'll be a power increase on the COM muxes (double) and a slight increase back to 100kW on PSB1/BBCA.

As we are into the realms of guesswork at this point, to provide any further constructive advice, we're going to need a full post code to see predicted reception at your location from any possible transmitters.

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Chris.SE's 4,101 posts GB flag
N
Nigel Wood
8:33 AM
Alnwick

Chris.SE: Apologies for sketchy info. The postcode is NE66 3QH, Freeview have this down as Pontop not Chatton (always muddle Chatton& Chathill). But if you look around the hamlet there is no concensus with aerials going towards both masts, but there are a number dips and hollows plus a considerable number of large metal barns. At the digital switch over ~2010 I put a log 36 aerial up and using a compass in the direction of Chatton, (original, that came with the cottage was facing Pontop but always dropped out in the summer). This feeds into an amplifier/splitter feeding various rooms. If you say I am recieving signal even now from Pontop it must be being bounced off the steel barn 50Metres to the rear of my property. As I say my newer Panasonic TV and a Manhattan set-top box (used for recording) are now OK with the mentioned ch/fre. from this main feed so it can only be a device problem or possibly the length of cable as it on the most distant arm. One further thing was I needed to retune my devices about a fortnight (Mon. 2nd.? Freeview messages on start-up) before Sept. 12th switchover at Pontop.

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Nigel Wood's 3 posts GB flag
Nigel's: mapN's Freeview map terrainN's terrain plot wavesN's frequency data N's Freeview Detailed Coverage
C
Chris.SE
sentiment_very_satisfiedPlatinum

10:29 PM

Nigel Wood:

Well though on-screen messages usually start to appear a while before the retune date, that's interesting that you "needed" to retune before the 12th! Pontop Pike was the only transmitter within likely range that had a retune event and it was only the BBCA/PSB1 mux moving from C58 to a temporary C32. See About us | Freeview

And of course it's also the only Tx with COM8 on C34. It could be a reflection giving you the reception, but sometimes there can be adequate signal off the back of an aerial - but that's less common with a log periodic.
It's possible that C32 for BBCA became active before the switchover date, which might account for on-screen messages (simulcasting has occurred at some other transmitters when retunes have involved a shift in channels from the top to bottom of the band).
But did your retune actually result in any changes for you (apart from this COM8 issue) considering you are getting the 6 main muxes from Chatton? Might also be worth noting that there was a lot of tropospheric propagation around a couple of weeks ago which might have had some effect.

As you can see, all your other possible transmitters have a retune on Nov.13th, predicted reception from Pontop Pike after the retune is showing a better than Chatton. Although the COM muxes at Chatton aren't as good at present, they're predicted to improve after the retune! Bearing in mind your comment about summer dropouts with Pontop Pike (which could be related to tropospheric propagation) I'd be inclined to see what the actual reception is like after the event. A lot might depend of course on how easy/desirable it is for you to "play" with your aerial.
You might even want to consider your main aerial at Chatton and another at Pontop Pike for COMs 7&8 (diplexed together) but bear in mind COMs 7&8 are due to be closed at some point between mid 2020 & 2022, definitive dates/information doesn't seem to be available yet.

Back to the immediate problem, my first suggestion would be to try your Panasonic PVR on one of the other outputs, as well as checking all your coax connections. Might even be interesting to try your other devices on your current PVR output. Whether that leads to any need to check out a cable or some other conclusion, time will tell.

In case you didn't know, anyone can check their predicted reception using the DigitalUK checker by putting their postcode into About us | Freeview ensuring Detailed view is ticked.



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Chris.SE's 4,101 posts GB flag
Monday, 30 September 2019
C
Chris.SE
sentiment_very_satisfiedPlatinum

6:43 PM

Nigel Wood:

To add to the above (having just checked), there is Planned Engineering this week at Pontop Pike with "Possible weak signal"

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Chris.SE's 4,101 posts GB flag
Monday, 2 March 2020
D
Dave
10:36 AM

Hi

I'm in Cheltenham and just lost BBC4 HD (Feb 28 2020) when my receiver told me to re-tune. Is this part of the 5G re-org? (I'm probably picking up from Ridge Hill transmitters).

If so, when will it return?

Thx for your help

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Dave's 1 post GB flag
S
StevensOnln1
sentiment_very_satisfiedPlatinum

10:39 AM

Dave: Frequency changes for the 700MHz clearance were completed at Ridge Hill a couple of years ago, there have been no recent changes announced. Have you lost any other channels? Have you checked for any loose or damaged cables or connections behind your TV?

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StevensOnln1's 3,605 posts GB flag
Monday, 6 April 2020
S
Steve B
10:31 AM
Preston

I hope I'm not asking a question that's already been asked. My Post Code is PR4 1EE tuned to the Winter Hill transmitter using a large loft aerial that is at least 15 years old.
Since around the 20th Feb re-tune I've lost both BBC4 HD and BBC News HD (Unfortunately I can still recieve the QVC channel). The 'No Signal' message is displayed on the TV and the BT PVR refuses to even to find the channels. All other channels have a signal strength of 100%.
I've retuned many times to no avail.
Could this be caused by my aerial and if so specifically what aerial type would I need for Winter Hill COM8? Any help gratefully recieved.

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Steve B's 7 posts GB flag
Steve's: mapS's Freeview map terrainS's terrain plot wavesS's frequency data S's Freeview Detailed Coverage
C
Chris.SE
sentiment_very_satisfiedPlatinum

3:21 PM

Steve B:

I think it unlikely to be your aerial TYPE especially if you are still receiving the other multiplexes satisfactorily as the D3&4 and COM4 multiplexes are still on UHF C59 & C58 respectively, still in the original aerial group used by Winter Hill. (See Channel listings | Freeview for which channels are on which multiplexes).
If you used to receive COM8 OK before the change it was on UHF C31, and if you are getting the main BBC SD channels OK (now on UHF C32) this suggests that your aerial is probably a wideband type.

Because COMs 7&8 are now Single Frequency Networks sharing the same channels as other transmitters that broadcast them, this does have the effect of creating some "not" spots where reception will not be as good, this is also affected by the fact that these temporary multiplexes are also at lower power to the others. The fact that you had COM7 and now seem to have lost it may be due to some other transmitter changes shortly after Winter Hill.

That all said, the predicted reception at your location is excellent for all but the COMs 7&8 multiplexes which is now "variable" but nevertheless should be good enough most of the time. If you tried retuning last week, Winter Hill has been on Planned Engineering with "Possible weak signal" and some others have reported loss of some of these HD channels. If you are still getting QVC HD the hopefully all is not lost!

I suggest you do the following, check all you coax plugs, connections, flyleads etc, unplug connectors check for corrosion or other problems and reconnect them. Problematic connections, corrosion etc. can seem to affect reception of just an individual or several multiplexes. Flyleads can be a common problem with breaks at the back of plugs, try swapping them.
Make sure that there are no HDMI leads close to any flyleads or aerial leads as they have been reported to generate interference to C55 in particular.
Also check that your downlead looks undamaged and that your aerial is pointing in the correct direction, it should be bearing 122 degrees (slightly E of SE) at your location.
Note however that because you have a loft aerial, it's exact position in relation to water tanks, walls, chimneys, solar panels etc. can affect the best location for the aerial.

Having done the above, try a retune but first with the aerial unplugged which should clear all previous tuning as no channels will be found (on the TV anyway - not sure about the BT PVR that may require a reset but watch any recording settings, but perhaps leave it until you see what happens with the TV). Then plug the aerial back in and try a retune again, hopefully you'll get all you channels back.


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Chris.SE's 4,101 posts GB flag
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