How to Fix BBC Channels Not Working on Freeview?

Are your BBC Channels not working on Freeview? We have the solution!

Whether that outage would be due to bad weather or an internal fault with your setup, we’ll identify it and solve it!

We’ll go over everything that could prevent the BBC Channels from working on your Freeview TV subscription and list review-appropriate solutions.

Let’s go!

To fix when BBC Channels aren’t working on your Freeview, retune for channels (both manual and automatic). Next, power cycle your Freeview Box (if you have one) or unplug your TV. Finally, perform a Factory Reset on your streaming device.

Let’s learn what could cause the problem with BBC Channels on your device!

Why Is BBC Channels Not Working On Freeview?

Before we go on with any of our specialised solutions, we should first review what could cause the BBC to go offline on your Freeview.

As you probably know, Freeview needs a trustworthy aerial and it must be positioned in an area where you’ll be able to get most of the channels available within the UK.

Let’s specialise in learning what could cause this problem:

• A Weather Problem is most likely preventing BBC Signal from being detected
• There’s an issue with your Aerial and potentially, it’s positioning
• A problematic Streaming Device or Freeview TV Box
• There’s a problem with your Channels Guide
• Subscription-Related problems

And with that, we’re wrapping up this part of the guide.

We’ll now proceed with the solutions and get the BBC channels on your Freeview fixed as quickly as possible!

BBC Channels On Freeview Not Working – Easy Fix!

After going through what could potentially prevent Freeview from displaying BBC channels, it’s finally time to troubleshoot!

The solutions we’ve included in our guide are meant to be followed in chronological order for the most efficiency.

This will verify the success of our troubleshooting and get the problem resolved!

Let’s jump in!

Solution #1 Power Cycle your Streaming Device

Regardless of whether you are still using a Freeview TV Box or a TV that has the Freeview feature in-built, you must perform a Power Cycle.

• If you purchased the TV after 2010, Freeview will be integrated!

In that set of thoughts, we’ll now be performing a power cycle on your streaming device, in order to refresh the incoming signal and channels guide.

Let’s learn how:

1. Press the Power Button on your device’s remote.
2. Wait for the device to shut down.
3. Disconnect the Power Adapter of the device from the electrical outlet.
4. Wait for 5 Minutes while the device is discharging.
5. Re-attach the power adapter of the streaming unit once that period has elapsed.
6. Turn on your streaming device.
7. Test…

After having your device power cycled, turn it on and check on the BBC Channels.

If they are still blank or the display of the broadcast “No Signal” then the issue has persisted.

Tip: Make sure to keep your device unplugged for the full 5 minutes to achieve a power cycle.

Solution #2 Retune for Channels

What you’ll have to do next, is perform a Retune on your streaming device.

Chances are that some (or most) of your Freeview channels have become unavailable.

Since BBC could also fall under that number, re-tuning your device will cause all of the lost channels to be returned and your streaming device will also re-scan for the lost signal.

There are two types of channel retune:

• Automatic Retune – Settings > “Set-up/Installation” > “First-Time” > “Full Retune”
• Manual Retune – Settings > Setup > First-Time > Manual > “Choose Settings”

In the manual retune, you’ll have to establish a settings profile that must answer your real-time coordinates.

Make sure to fill out the required fields and wait for the manual channels scan to be concluded. After that, BBC channels should be available.

Note: The info you must type in the manual retune are things you know and are aware of.

Solution #3 Secure Cable Connections

Chances are that your Cable Connections got unsettled.

In order for Freeview to reach the crystal-clear signal level, the connection between your streaming device and the aerial must be secured.

That’s why you should now go over all of the cable connections and make sure they are all secured.

Let’s begin:

• Aerial Cable – The Coax Cable that connects your streaming device and antenna
• Power Adapters – Validate the power adapters of all devices in your setup
• Wired Internet – If using Ethernet Cable, make sure that it is connected properly

Although wired internet is optional, you must ensure that both the power adapters and the aerial cable are installed properly.

The coaxial (antenna) cable that comes from outside and is your aerial, must also go properly into the “Sat In” port on your streaming device.

Note: After validating all cable connections, check if the BBC channels returned.

Solution #4 Run the “Freeview Channel Checker”

The “BBC Channels not working on Freeview” problem could also be occurring due to inappropriate Aerial Installation.

Since Freeview is a region-based provider, you’ll receive a particular set of channels, based on the location you’re in.

For instance, for users of the eastern UK, BBC may not be available and the other way around, you get the idea. The

“Freeview Channel Checker” is a tool that will allow you to rebuild or reconfigure your setup and show what channels are available for your location.

Let’s learn how to run it:

1. Head to Freeview Channel Checker through a browser.
2. Type in your Postcode and House Number in the required fields.
3. Press the “Check” Button and wait for the setup to begin.
4. Check the results

Freeview will also display the appropriate way your aerial must be facing, along with the available channels for your location.

If BBC is not available for your current residency, you’ll not be able to benefit from these TV channels, unfortunately.

Note: You’ll need to reconfigure your aerial positioning based on the recommendations.

Solution #5 Reset Freeview Player

Regardless of whether you’re using a Freeview Smart TV or Freeview TV Box, both can be reset to factory settings.

The factory reset will result in a permanent data wipe, including all installed apps, services and settings.

This is one of the most effective methods so let’s jump right in!

Factory Reset Freeview TV Box:

1. Navigate to Settings on your device.
2. Head to “Reset” or “General”.
3. Press “Factory Reset”.
4. Enter the Device PIN if it is required.
5. Choose “Confirm”.
6. Press “Start” and wait…

Factory Reset Freeview Smart TV:

On different brands of smart Freeview TVs, the way of performing a factory reset is different and is based on the menu labelling.

The universal steps would be the following:

1. Go to the Main Menu.
2. Reach into the Settings or System Settings.
3. From there locate the Reset Options.
4. Select the Factory Reset.
5. Wait…

Purely based on device performance, the reset could take up to 5 Minutes to complete. What’s expected on your end is to avoid interacting with the device until it finishes the process.

Alert: Pressing any buttons on your device remote could cancel the reset by accident.

Solution #6 Wait out Extreme Weather

Using an aerial certainly has its downsides and this is the Extreme Weather Conditions.

Those could partially interrupt the signal reaching your aerial and therefore cause some of the channels to be lost.

BBC particularly has a strong signal flow but could also be impacted by the weather conditions outside that are taking their toll on your setup.

What you should do is wait out several hours, until the wind outside stabilises and the signal is travelling freely again.

Until then, we suggest keeping the steaming device unplugged in order to completely discharge its hardware.

Tip: While waiting for the bad weather to pass, contact Freeview for more assistance!

Quick Recap:

Hence, when BBC Channels not working on Freeview, power cycle the Freeview device and perform a retuning to get the channels back. In case that doesn’t work, secure ALL cable connections in your Freeview setup and reconfigure the aerial facing position.

To find more Freeview solution guides, make sure to check our blog!

Read Next: Can I Cast BBC iPlayer?