How To Fix Freesat On Demand Not Working

We're in the 21st century, so cable is out and streaming is in. But if your third-party streaming device suddenly stops working, there can be major issues. How are you supposed to watch Paul and Prue tear into contestants on the Great British Bake-Off? Luckily, if your Freesat on-demand box is not working, there are a few easy fixes to try before calling customer support.

The most common issues with Freesat on-demand not working are internet connectivity and the Freesat service itself being down.

Here's how to troubleshoot and avoid having to make a phone call. Good lord, the thought of having to carry a conversation on the phone makes me shudder - so let's try and avoid that.

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Why Buy Freesat On-Demand?

First things first - it's 2021, so consuming entertainment by cable is pretty much never worth it anymore. Sure, you could watch some shows live, but it costs much less to simply stream them on Netflix or Hulu through your laptop or gaming console. If you don't have something that can run streaming services, though, that's where streaming boxes like Freesat come into play.

Not only can you use services like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, or CrunchyRoll on this little box, but you can still access cable if you want. You'll be able to watch shows on local channels that aren't on the aforementioned websites and even record them for later. You get access to over 180 channels, with over 20 of them streaming in full HD.

Best of all - you can do it in 4k, full HD grandeur. And if you haven't seen your favourite shows in the best resolution your screen can handle, you're really missing out. Trust me on this - make the switch to 4k and your mind will be blown.

First Fixes for Freesat On-Demand Not Working

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Let's start with the incredibly obvious issues, shall we? You'll need to ask yourself a few questions to get to the root of the issue. Is your device on? How is your device connected - by ethernet or wifi? Is your internet up? And finally - do you know if the Freesat services themselves are functioning for others?

Be honest here. Some of these issues are rather embarrassing once figured out - but that's the joy of internet articles. Nobody will know if you forgot to turn on your device except for you. That changes when you have to call customer service and tell them that yes, pushing the power button did solve the problem.

Okay, now what?

Fix #1

Check your power supply and the device itself. If it's turned off, obviously the first thing to do is to, well, turn it on. If that doesn't solve the problem, check your breakers. You could simply have too many devices on one circuit. If that's the case and a breaker is tripped, just plug it in elsewhere and your problem should resolve itself.

Another thing to check is that your HDMI cable is securely connected to both the box and TV. If you're getting a "no signal" warning on your TV, that's likely the cause. Consider replacing your old cable with a new one, and the issue may solve itself.

Easy! And nobody is here to judge you for it - though I may tell all of your friends if you tell me that was the issue.

Fix #2

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Check your internet. Is it running? If not, get it up and running, then check the device again.

If you've not been having issues with connectivity on other devices, here's what to do:

1. Power cycle your router by unplugging it for one minute and then rebooting it.
2. Do the same for your Freesat box.
3. If you're using wifi, consider trying a wired ethernet connection. Not only will this make your connection just... better, but it will cut one variable out of the equation in the future.
4. If you're already wired, check that the ethernet cable is securely connected to both your router and Freesat box.

If these steps didn't solve the problem, move down the list.

Fix #3

If these basic steps haven't solved the problem, the issue could be with the Freesat service itself. Just like any other internet service, things can happen. Whether it means that there's too much traffic on their system, or the servers are down, the problem could very well not be on your end. Here's how to check that!

The short answer is that you'll want to call Freesat customer services - though the whole point of this article is to avoid that, so you could try a third-party solution instead. DownDetector is a collective community website on which users can report outages on a wide range of services. If you're a gamer, you're likely familiar with them already.

Other Fixes for Freesat On-Demand Not Working

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Okay, you've tried everything to no avail. The next question is very important - are you alone in this struggle?

Not too long ago, Freesat services went down for the entirety of the UK, causing a bit of a scandal. Their customer support teams essentially told everyone, "That sucks, but you can call Humax to fix that. Not our problem." This is because Humax and Freesat are two separate entities.

They both provide services that allow your on-demand service to work, but in slightly different ways. Unfortunately, the solutions are the same for both companies. Check your internet, then power cycle the devices.

If that doesn't work, you've just got to wait it out. Not what we want to hear, but sometimes that's just how things go.

Final Thoughts

If your Freesat On-Demand is not working, hopefully, the above fixes solved the problem for you. Whether the solution was a simple as, "have you tried turning it off and back on again," or an actual service outage, the fixes are generally easy and done in less than two minutes.

Best of all, these devices are designed to be idiot-proof, for lack of a better term. This means that you're pretty well relegated to simply power cycling your router and box, checking the connection, and the issue should solve itself.

If, however, none of these issues solved your problem it's time to do the worst thing imaginable - call a human and talk to them for help. Call Freesat customer support for more help. And maybe consider checking out our article on the best Freesat recorders on the market!