No terrestrial / Freeview on my new smart tv.

[Highlander52]

Hello, I have a new Frame tv and it's set up with Wi-Fi and the One Box is connected to aerial socket, but there are no terrestrial / Freeview channels. I've tried auto-tuning and resetting on numerous occassions but still nothing. What am I doing wrong? Thanks. 

[Charlie Cat]

Hi, had to reply to this. Just resolved similar issues for parents TV.

Im a bit of a techy so bear with me.

Disappointed to see no reply from Samsung tech support. They don’t want to admit it’s a marketing balls up. Also I find the curry’s sales info poor. Go to Box.com or Richer Sounds to compare.

Most Samsung tvs in Uk since 2017 DO NOT have access to Freeview via a traditional terrestrial digital connection (aerial in loft as my dad calls it) with cable plugged into TV. Instead your TV will likely access Freeview via a free view app in the Samsung APP store. Basically you need broadband to get free view via the internet on many newer Samsung tvs.

Samsung will tell you Free view is available on every Uk Samsung TV, and technically it is, but it depends on if it’s via traditional cable from an aerial or via the Freeview app using broadband.

Simple? No!

The Samsung frame 2021 does not conform to this idea. Instead it does have a terrestrial tuner built in but does NOT have the App!!! So I plugged the aerial cable in and carried out auto tune. It’s a bugger to find on the frame tv but it is there. This is frustrating because it is not consistent with sales info or how to get to the menu. 

My parents wanted TV in a spare room that has no aerial cable - they need the app option via broadband and Wi-Fi. But it’s tough there’s no app on their 2021 frame tv for Freeview which they were told did have the app!!! Bloody Curry’s and Samsung with inaccurate info again.
Basically you need to be absolutely sure what you’re needs are and where you’ll place your TV.
Avoid curry’s. Most staff tossing burgers a week before joining Curry’s but Curry’s good on price!

Samsung are not keeping up with tech. LG make panels for Panasonic , Phillips and Hisense - by far the 4 best and share the same technology. Bit like Audi, VW, Seat and Skoda are the same in the car world. 
Good luck everyone and come on Samsung, show your face you chickens!

[Charlie Cat]

I’ve posted a reply to Big Ben Hur above. Didn’t realise forum puts reply’s next to original post! 

I’ve checked serial numbers of tvs many of you on here have - some of it guess work, but you all have tvs with free view. Unless bought from dodgy overseas supplier??!!!
It’s a matter of using either an aerial connection or you need the free view app via the Samsung App Store, but this means you’ll need good broadband and limitless data on your broadband package to avoid big data bills. 
Samsung did have issues with software about a year ago but resolved now. Suggest you do a software update as soon as you get it out the box and plugged in. The TV will have older software on it if its been in storage.

[Charlie Cat]

An unlikely possibility is your local TV mast is sending an analogue signal, not digital. Shouldn't be an issue in UK cos UK terrestrial TV signal went digital between 2007-2012. Many newer tvs sold in UK aren't designed to receive an analogue signal.

But some people like the option of both analog and digital if they take their TV to an area with analog - like a holiday home abroad. 

[LisaLea]

• You’re right. I’ve been trying to set up my elderly parents Samsung TU7100 tv with freeview, scratching my head as to why I can’t find the freeview app in Samsung’s smart hub store. Because it’s not there!? What I want to know is, if you’re able to answer, is how to access freeview on this tv,  an it even be done? You seem to think so but I don’t know how you’re managing to do it by what you explain. Also, will buying a freeview box solve it? There’s a freeview aerial installed in their roof done by a freeview engineer. I’ve got a splitter to split the signal to this other tv. Should I buy a box and see if the app is accessible from there? I’m really confused by what Samsung has done here. Thanks for any help you can give, your reply has been the only one on the net I’ve found so far that confirms the confusing mess Samsung have caused with this software and misinformation! 

[Charlie Cat]

Hi LisaLea, thanks for the reply.
Now don’t panic but I can’t find any mention of freeview in the marketing material for the TU7100 range. meaning it may not have a Freeview Decoder built in. It’s possible even with a working terrestrial free view signal your TV just can’t utilise a free view signal. If so you would need an external free view box, sky TV box etc to do the decoding. I find this crazy but it might be the case. However, try the process below and see.

I’ve not got the Samsung Frame 32” TV infront of me…,but I made some notes so we’ll give it a go.

Assuming you have a working aerial connection, plug it in to the rear of the TV or the one box - via the socket marked ‘ANT IN / Air cable’.

Go to ‘settings’ on main Samsung remote. Select ‘Broadcasting’. Now I forget exactly but I think you select Expert Settings. Then select Manual Tuning. Note the message in the corner which says “Scan all frequencies for broadcast signals and store any channels found”. Be patient and wait a few mins for it to work.

If this doesn’t work, go back a stage and try ‘Auto tuning’. I can’t recall if you need to select Auto tuning again to confirm the action…go for it if it appears.

It took a few repeats of doing either of the above before TV started to realise a terrestrial broadcast was being provided and there were terrestrial channels it could see. Let it do it’s thing for a few mins.

I hope this works for you. Sorry I can’t be more certain of the process I used.

once successful you should see a light blue square icon called ‘Live TV Terrestrial’ appear alongside Samsung TV, iPlayer, YouTube etc when you press the Home button. Select this and a traditional TV menu should be available.

And yes, any TV  should be able to work with an external TV supply like a free view box. Otherwise Samsung are selling us an expensive computer monitor!! I bought dad a Roku stick  for his older Panasonic TV and he loves it! This should work also for you.

Good luck!

[starnett]

I’ve just come across this issue myself as we got rid of Virgin media and bought an aerial, connected to TV and absolutely nothing. All options for auto tuning for channels in broadcasting were greyed out.

I resolved it by doing the following:

• go into Samsung TV plus channel list
• select edit channels 
• press select all (top right on my Tv) and then delete all channels
• autotune option then appeared as it showed no channels available
• follow auto tune instructions as prompted

Hope this helps anyone struggling with this issue!

[NickiH]

User 'starnett' is officially a genius!  After numerous attempts to get terrestrial on our ***** Samsung tv, I found this solution on Page 6 of this thread and IT WORKED!  Goodness only knows how he came up with this obscure solution but hats off to him! Below are starnett's instructions.

• to into the Samsung TV Plus channel list
• select 'Edit Channels'
• Press 'select all' (top right on my tv) and then DELETE all channels
• autotune option then appears as it shows no channels available
• Follow autotune instructions as prompted

NOTE: We ended up with 150 digital tv/radio channels!  Please make sure that your terrestrial cable (coax) is plugged into the back of your tv.  I forgot to do this first time round as we have Virgin Media (which I'm cancelling, hence the need for terrestrial) and the Virgin cable goes into the coax socket on the back of the Virgin box and I assumed this would work.  It didn't but plugging in a dedicated areal cable to the tv did.  SO pleased as I thought we would have to get a new tv!

[Barry25]

Ok so I had the same problem with our frame tv.  Turns out for ours at the back there are 2 ports, aerial and cable. We had ours in the wrong one as they are labelled really confusing. We only have an aerial connection that you have to plug into the cable port (eyeroll) then the tuning option is greyed out so you have to unplug the tv and turn it back on which will then allow you to tune it.  Took 2 days to figure this out. Hope it helps someone on here 

[Freeview not allowed]

For some reason Samsung have no interest in providing Freeview on their Frame series. A Samsung engineer told me it’s not supported! I don’t believe they read any of these posts or they would have taken some sort of action. I’m seriously thinking of buying a freeview box and plugging that in. Unbelievable considering these sets cost more than £1000 ! 

[Freeview not allowed]

I’ve looked all over the web and it’s as if Samsung have wiped any mention of how to get freeview on their equipment . I can’t find anyone who can help! Buy a freeview box !