Freesat no signal and you’re wondering why? Well, in this guide we’ll share everything!
Freesat uses a dish to send an OVA signal to your receiver box, which then is decrypted and displayed on your TV screen.
If somewhere along the line a component is faulty or the signal isn’t accepted properly, the service will display “No Signal” on the TV screen.
To fix Freesat’s no signal issue, power cycle the receiver, check cable connections, verify dish alignment, subscription, and consider a factory reset if needed.
There is much more to get into, so keep reading!
Why No Satellite Signal is Being Received Freesat?
One of the primary reasons why your Freesat satellite receiver isn’t receiving signals properly is due to faulty cable connections.
It is also likely that your receiver has encountered a fault with decrypting the channel data and that’s why there’s no signal.
Here are all of the possible causes that might impact the Freesat TV box signal:
- Bad weather (thunderstorms, heavy rain, or snow).
- Incorrect cable management or faulty equipment.
- The channel is temporarily unavailable for viewing.
- Your satellite dish is not aligned the correct way.
- A software or hardware fault with the TV receiver.
There are many more factors involved so let’s jump into the solution guide!
How To Fix Freesat No Signal Message?
Tip: We recommend following the solutions in order!
1. Power Cycle the Freesat Receiver
The Freesat receiver might have encountered a temporary problem that should go away after performing a power cycle on the signal receiver box.
The power cycle reset will not erase any content stored on your receiver but will refresh the operating system and cool down the TV box.
Follow these steps to perform a power cycle on your Freesat receiver:
- Locate the power button on the Freesat receiver.
- Hold the button until the receiver turns off entirely.
- Unplug the power adapter from the outlet or strip.
- Wait for 60 seconds while the device is unplugged.
- Reconnect the receiver directly to the wall outlet.
- Wait for the receiver to automatically load and test.
Reminder: When the power cycle is ready, test whether the signal issues continue!
2. Test Different Freesat Channels!
It is possible that the broadcast you’re attempting to watch is under temporal signal distribution faults or there’s an issue with a number of channels in your lineup.
To determine whether the signal issues occur only on specific channels or on all, it’s best to test multiple yourself.
- Simply press the CHANNEL +/- on your Freesat remote!
Scroll as many different broadcasts as possible and wait for a second or two on each of them to verify where the “No Signal” message would appear.
Don’t forget to test only on channels that are available with the basic subscription package provided by Freesat.
Can you Add Paid Freesat Channels?
Although Freesat’s primary subscription is free, adding channels comes with a monthly subscription that the user must pay in order to stream popular platforms.
To add channels that must be paid for by default, such as Netflix, or Hulu you must pay at the end of the billing cycle.
3. Check the Selected HDMI Input
It is possible that your TV is displaying “No Signal” rather than the Freesat TV box’s broadcast.
To determine if the issue is caused by a falsely selected input, you must navigate into the TV’s display settings and select the correct input of the TV box so the feed can appear on the screen.
Here’s how to change the selected HDMI input on most TV devices:
- Press the “Source” button on the remote control.
- Wait until the input menu appears on the screen.
- Check the HDMI input the TV box is connected to.
- In the TV menu, select the correct HDMI source.
- Press “OK” on the remote to switch the video input.
- Wait for a few moments to see whether this worked.
Why Does TV Say “No Signal”?
If you’ve selected an empty HDMI input in the TV menu where no video playout (source) device is connected, there will be no input signal for the TV.
In turn, the TV will say “No Signal” or “No Input” until a device is connected to the port or the viewer switches to another, working input.
Tip: Verify the condition of the involved HDMI cable!
4. Unplug & Secure the Satellite Cable!
Another potential cause for Freesat’s no signal error message is an improperly connected satellite dish cable.
To restore the signal to your TV and fix any underlying issues with the coax, you must unplug the cable going into the “LNB” port on your Freesat TV receiver.
- Locate the satellite dish’s coaxial cable (RG-6 coaxial cable) from the “LNB” port on the back of the receiver and wait for up to 60 seconds.
Once you’ve waited for about a minute, reconnect the coaxial cable into the correct port, but first check if there are any obstructions or any dust.
Then, test if the TV’ signal has been improved and don’t forget to test multiple channels, independent from each other for accurate findings.
Alert: Any damage to the Coaxial cable, ultimately results in a “No Signal” message!
5. Align the Satellite Dish *Correctly*
If pointed in an incorrect direction, the reception received by the TV may worsen, resulting in a variety of broadcast issues, including the “No Signal” message.
To overcome this hurdle, you must point the dish in a different direction and determine whether the broadcast will improve.
Tip: You can ask a friend or family member to assist you while aligning the satellite dish!
Best Alignment Coordinates for Astra 2/Eurobird?
For optimal Freesat and Sky viewing, it is recommended to point your dish towards 28. E Azimuth coordinations.
Those are the coordinates of the Astra 2 and Eurobird satellites that provide the clearest high-quality signal for UK channels.
You can download an app and point your phone’s camera towards the dish and the azimuth alignment meter will display the exact coordination.
So feel free to download the “Satellite Finder” app available on both iOS and Google Play, to help you out with the dish alignment.
Note: For the correct elevation value, use dishpointer.com!
6. Factory Reset the Freesat Receiver!
To resolve any underlying software issues with the Freesat TV receiver, you should perform a factory reset.
This is the ultimate method, which will erase all data from your Freesat TV box but will greatly improve the performance and hopefully resolve the signal issues.
Follow these steps to perform a factory reset on your Freesat receiver:
- First, go to the menu of the Freesat TV receiver.
- Then tap on the upwards arrow button 3 times.
- Go to “Settings”, then “OK” to enter the options.
- Next, input the parental PIN Code to gain access.
- From the menu in the tab, go to “Factory Reset”.
- Enter the Parental PIN Code once again to unlock.
- Confirm the reset by pressing “FACTORY RESET”.
- Finally, wait until your Freesat TV receiver initialises.
How Long Does a Freesat Factory Reset Last?
Once initiated, your Freesat receiver might be resetting for up to 2-3 minutes.
All content, channel info, and receiver software settings will be erased so we recommend creating a backup.
Note: When ready, you’ll have to carry out the Freesat first installation setup process!
7. Wait Until the Weather Improves!
Since Freesat uses OVA technology to transmit channel info to your receiver, bad weather can heavily impact the signal meant to be received by your TV box.
Heavy thunderstorms or rain in your area can temporarily freeze the satellite signal, resulting in the error message you have.
Wait for at least a couple of hours until the weather conditions improve drastically and attempt to stream channels from your Freesat lineup.
Know that not all channels necessarily have to be impacted by the weather and you may still be able to stream some of them so test multiple.
Note: Check the Service-Updates Page on the official Freesat satellite distributor website!
Quick Recap:
Hence, whenever your TV box encounters the “Freesat no signal” error message, power cycle the receiver and re-align the satellite dish.
If you’re still experiencing issues with the signal, reconnect the satellite “Coax” input cable and wait for weather improvement. Follow our blog for more helpful technical tips and tricks!
Read Next: What Do I Need for Freesat TV? – (All You Need to Know!)
Finn Wheatley holds a Master’s Degree in Computer Science from UCL, London. He helped small data science consultancy firms, helping large corporations to grow their data capabilities, deploy advanced machine learning-based analytics and troubleshoot tech-related issues. Check out more about him here.