We get freesat via astra. We've had it for a few years with no reception problems but for the last few months the reception has been going on the blink. What happens is that the picture and sound freezes for a second like you'd hit pause on a DVD then the screen goes black for a second before coming back with full sound and vision. It's irregular so there's no pattern. It might happen once an hour or four times an hour.

It's not the dish because we also have one sky box on another TV and that works fine. It's not the humax box or the TV - the technician's switched those to check but the problem continues. Now he's just scratching his head.

Anybody experienced similar problems with English channels via freesat?

I get exactly the same with my Humax FTA box but not with a Technisat box connected to the same dish.....I'm 100% certain it is the box.

Also happens irregularly, seems to be more common if the box has been on for a while and particularly rare if it has been completely switched off (not just stand-by). Also seems to affect BBC 1 and 2 worse than others.

Thanks for the reply. Yes, BBC seems to be worse affected. I'll try switching off the boxes.