Why is Freeview TV down?
Digital terrestrial television is being affected by the adverse winter weather conditions
Thousands of television viewers in the UK are having difficulty tuning into Freeview channels, as bad weather conditions continue to interfere with broadcast signals.
Here's all you need to know about what's going on and what you can do...
Why is Freeview TV not working?
Freeview television is encountering some problems right now due to high-pressure weather conditions around the southern half of the UK.
The pressure has created what is known as a temperature inversion, which means that a layer of warm air is sitting above a layer of cooler air in the lower atmosphere.
Radio and television signals from far away can refract off the unusually warm air to travel further than they ordinarily do, creating interference that will prevent some Freeview sets from getting a strong signal.
What can I do to fix my Freeview TV?
Unfortunately, there is little you can do to fix the problem aside from wait for the temperature inversion to pass.
Freeview have asked customers not to retune their television sets, as this will not solve the problem.
However, in a statement, the service said: "Viewers experiencing difficulty can still watch live and on-demand TV through players such as BBC iPlayer and ITV Hub on an internet-connected Freeview Play TV or one that has players available to view."
How long will Freeview be down?
It is expected that Freeview could face signal problems through to Saturday 4th January, at which point the temperature inversion is expected to break up, restoring usual service.
Where in the UK is most affected?
The southern half of the UK is the most affected by these weather conditions.
Is there another way I can watch Freeview TV right now?
As stated above, Channels available for free on the service have online equivalents that can be accessed with an internet connection. Viewers can watch BBC One live on BBC iPlayer, as well as ITV live on their catch-up website ITV Player and Channel 4 live on All 4.
Alternatively, viewers can live stream shows via the Freeview mobile app.
Authors
David Craig is the Senior Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering the latest and greatest scripted drama and comedy across television and streaming. Previously, he worked at Starburst Magazine, presented The Winter King Podcast for ITVX and studied Journalism at the University of Sheffield.
