I just got a freeview box and can get most of the channels on the crappy wire aerial on my portable, down bottom of snape Hill. When i got it I plugged it into external aerial and stored all the channels cos it wouldn't pick them up directly from the wire portable aerial. Are you able to connect the box to a different aerial (e.g. friends) so you can at least be sure that the box has stored the channels
dixon were you live its in a bit of a ditch tha best going up to mr smiths or someones and trying it at theres.. i live on top of a hill and still cant recieve all the channels its **** lol