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Shropshire gets set for digital TV switchover
Monday 27th December 2010, 11:29AM GMT.
With 100 days to go to one of the biggest changes in television viewing history – the digital switchover – households in Shropshire have been urged to get set for the end of analogue TV.
Digital UK is urging viewers to get ready for April 6, 2011, when analogue television will start to be turned off at the Wrekin transmitter which beams signals to viewers in north Shropshire.
South Shropshire viewers who receive their signal from Ridge Hill will switch on the same dates. All analogue signals will be turned off by April 20.
People who pick up signals from Sutton Coldfield, including parts of south east Shropshire, will switch over between September 7 and 21.
Latest research indicates that most viewers are well prepared, with eight out of ten households in the county already having made the switch to digital TV.
Those still watching in analogue are now being advised to get ready for switchover.
Viewers can check their switchover date and options for getting digital TV by using the Digital UK postcode checker at digi taluk.co.uk or by ringing 08456 50 50 50.
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so what equipment do i need? is it sky digital? can someone please explain my options!
thanks
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It may be a good idea to check the Freeview coverage in your area:
http://www.freeview.co.uk/availability/
Along with the link shown in the story, there is plenty of info about the switchover on this site too.
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The minimum you need is a Freeview box available from many outlets. No subscription to Sky required, just plug it it, set it up and away you go. Depending how old your current aerial is you may need an upgrade, but go to a reputable aerial installer.
More info can be found at http://www.digitaluk.co.uk/how_do_i_switch the link in article does not work
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Depending on how old your TV is, you may already have Freeview built in. If not, simply buy a Freeview box (quite cheap nowadays) or if you want a better signal, perhaps try a FreeSat box (you will need a satellite dish for this though). Freeview is more than sufficient – plenty of channels.
You certainly do NOT need to sign up to Sky. Freeview and FreeSat boxes are a one-off charge for the box (and dish, if needed) and that’s it – no monthly payments.
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The absolute best option is to give up the plastic mental chewing gum dispenser altogether. Easiest thing I’ve ever done, 3 years now..and no I don’t sneak onto iplayer…I have my computer and a radio, which I would gladly pay a licence fee for but the fools at the BBC don’t ask me too.
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You be pleased (or not) to know you don’t need a licence to watch BBC iPlayer as long as you are watching catch-up programmes ie not as they are being shown live. Same applies to 4OD, ITV Player 5ondemand etc …
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@Yogi Baird
I agree with you entirely, only I ditched TV nearly 20 years ago.
Don’t get a bigger and/or digital TV, get a life instead.
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What equipment do I need??
Look – LETS all FORGET about DIGITAL – it just confuses things!!!
There are currently Three basic ways to watch television:
1. From “broadcast” TV signals received by your “traditional” aerial – usually mounted on your roof
2. From sattelite signals usually received by a dish mounted on your outside wall (or roof) where it can clearly “see” that part of the Sky where the sattellite is (in geostationary orbit) (and this satellite is usually “ASTRA” which is the “SKY” service – but there are many other sattelites out there !!
3. over the internet.
NOW….. HERE IS THE (DIGITAL) POINT:
THE ONLY SERVICE THAT IS CHANGING (with regard to the so called “digital switchover”) in the above list is the FIRST service listed above !!!!
This is becuase the aurhorities have decided that the current system of “analogue” broadcasting “over the air” that is – transmitting a “signal” that is received by an aerial, is outdated and inefficient – and that replacing it by a different method of “transmitting” the signal using “digital” encoding techniques is more efficient – that is it puts more programs in the same electromagnetic “space” or “bandwidth”
(we could say – more rubbish TV” in the same space !!)
AND … as an ex TV designer .. I might point out that the analogue service has worked extremly well since 1936 (excluding the Baird mechanical system in the 1920-30′s – Sorry John Logie) – and …… that you don’t get something for nothing !!!NOT in this world sorry !!! and so – squeezing more TV programs into the same “bandwidth” or space using digital wizardry sounds good … but there will (always) be a price to pay!!
Look out all you in poor signal areas !!
“Pixellation and popping sound” awaits you … where analogue would quite happily carry on with maybe a grainy picture …… one prioe squeezing more in the same bandwidth – there are others!!! – digital TV is defintitely a case of not neccessarily seeing what you get – a digital “sleight of hand if you like) )
Anyway… off the soap box and back to what you need etc….
To do this (transmit digital TV) requires a COMPLETELY different method of “assembling” or encoding the TV signal – and how it is transmitted “over the air” (as an electomagnetic wave and ….. please … -no lenghty discussion about the ether and its supposed existence thanks!! – apologies to michelson and morley ***)
This method of transmission employs digital techniques and so it requires….
1 different transmission equipment (which is why the wrekin aerial was changed at great expense recently)
and (there is where YOU come in….)
2. in some cases – a different aerial – but NOT always neccessary – in most cases your existing aerial will work OK
3. TOTALLY different receiving equipment.
This can be
3.1 A set top box…
which is in fact a complete Digital TV receiver in a separate box that sends standard video and audio signals to your existing TV – IF it has suitable means to connect to these signals (usually a SCART socket etc)- otherwise it WONT work !!!!
or
3.2 A TV already designed to recieve digital TV signals.
But … as far as SKY etc, freeview sattelite and the internet are concerned – these are already in the “digital” domain and so dont fall into the discussion !!
*** Michelson and Morely in 1887 tried (unsuccesfully) to find the “ehteric” wind that would reveal the mysterious “medium” called the “ether” that radio waves (and TV etc) propogates through. Sadly – they failed …. until einstein and others came along and explained why …..)
You see … nothing new under the sun – and digital TV is NO exception.
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I think you may need to get out more!
Merry Christmas all!
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We have Sky HD for our main tv service, however I upgraded the aerial 3 years ago as we have tv’s in other rooms with freeview. What I would mention is that we frequently experience pixelation and bad reception, and when the weather was particularly cold recently, could received no digital signal at all! We can at the moment still switch back to analogue, but when that is switched off what then? I would also mention that the digital signal is also affected by my neighbours equipment such as lawnmowers, etc.
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In my little corner of South Telford, we can get BBC1, ITV, CH5,all the main stations, but during the September 2009 change, we lost a few, including Film 4.
When looking at the coverage map and then really zooming in, I see that my particular street sits in a white pixel, indicating problems in reception. This might indicate why my neighbour living just 30 yards away and with exactly the same set-up as me (we both installed the same things – such as wide band aerial aiming straight at Wrekin which is visible – at the same time) can receive Film 4 and I cannot.
I’m also a little perturbed by the fact that the suite of programmes that includes Film 4 is listed as being of “low power”, almost negligible transmission power until the analogue turn-off. What’s the point of that? If the power is turned up only in April, how can I know beforehand whether or not I’m going to be able to receive it.
In short, the coverage maps are not always reliable when looked at in a general view, revealing white spots only at the highest zoom power. The sliver I am in covers about 20 houses and seems to have been accurately worked out, but if I simply enter post code as originally instructed, it says that I can receive all stations.
Potentially, Freeview is a nice idea to raise quality but only if you can get it; quite frankly, the official help pages are of no real help, generally being full of individual questions that remain unanswered or too many technical answers referring to MUX and the rest.
It should be possible to have a system that allows you to buy an aerial and a receiver of some sort, (maybe the TV itself), aim aerial at transmitter and see pictures after tuning. At the moment, this cannot be guaranteed and whoever controls this changeover needs to address the matter quickly.
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If it’s any consolation, I live in Newport and the Freeview reception is truly terrible. I was quoted £180 for a new aerial, but I think I’ll wait and see if things improve after the switch-over.
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Hi Bridgnorth Resident, Rodney and Andrew Owen and probably many others!!
So we see here a snap shot of people NOT receiving ideal service from Digital TV. – Now I wonder just HOW many people actually are experiencing the same? I know quite a few!!
Also – It might interest the Bridgnorth Resident that I also live in Bridgnorth, in a less than ideal reception area – and –
I HAVE (as someone fortunately well qualified and knowlegable in this area) had to upgrade my aerial from what I would have called a perfectly acceptable high gain, wide bandwidth type to a Televes DAT45HD aerial.
This aerial is an “intelligent” device and also includes a built in amplifier within the active elements which provides additional gain where required (its a lot more complex than this …but Im trying to keep this simple) ….
Now .. WHY did I have to do this??
Becuase I’ve noticed that over the past few months, the reception quality has progessively degraded, where often, like bridgnorth resident has found many programs were unwatchable, or just not receivable at all.
So – I investigated the aerial installation, co-axial cable, terminations etc for degradation. There was none. (I actually replaced the coaxial cable temporarily to prove this and no change was observed.
(Co-axial cable can suffer from damp ingress from poorly sealed termination at the aerial etc, which severely increases signal loss along its length – and once this happens renders it useless)
Tests on received signal strength and quality showed poor results – but why?
I have been receiving analogue signals perfectly , nay EXTREMELY well from this address in Bridgnorth from the Sutton Coldfield transmitter since 1977, (We cant “see” the Wrekin signal at all) AND been receiving reasonable DIGITAL tv signals using the SAME aerial since the days of ON-digital!!!! (anyone remember that??)
(and Experimented with many types of Sattelite installation as well since before the days of sky… anyone remember Squarials and and BSB?? (not to mention filmnet decoders ) So I reckon Ive got a LOT of experience with digital TV reception issues … – and NOW …ALL of a sudden its a major problem – WHY?? I am more than a little suspicious.
And ….to solve it has required fitting a top of the market Televes Intelligent high gain aerial with built in amplifier to solve the problem … (only just though)
so… whats changed ??
It is said that the digital transmitter power will be increased when the analogue system is switched off -and maybe these problems associated with poor signal level may be alleviated in some areas …. but its a bit late then to find out !!!
And – I’ve also noticed that the digital signal is very susceptible to impluse interference such as might be generated by poorly supression petrol engine ignition systems (lawn mowers), and poor (arcing) contacts in central heating thermostats etc.
During this type of interference, the picture pixellates badly, and freezes.
The fundamental problem with all this is that the Digital Television “signal” is in the end … a digital data stream, and unless the signal is of sufficient quality -then as in all things digital, it is either “there” (a digital “1″ if you like) or NOT there (a digital “0″ if you like)
That is – there is a finite threshold below which digital just wont work – which is where the problem lies in that…
analogue – despite it being less efficient on bandwidth usage – is far more tolerant in low signal conditions – YES the picture might be grainy, or have ghosts in it etc … but you can STILL watch it.
With digital – it just ain’t there at all !!
or if it is.. looks like a dart board thats benn shot at by a shot gun !!
Welcome to the 21st century of TV !!
(JL Baird must be turning in his grave (along with his rotating nipkow disk scanning device)
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Thank you askeric dotcom.
For a good while now, I have suspected that all is not well with the output from Wrekin.
And as you say, what’s the point of them waiting until after the changeover to increase the output “to see if it works”. That’s what they should already be determining now. What’s stopping the power from being increased now anyway – it shouldn’t disrupt other services and if it does, then it will from April anyway.
And poor Andrew Owen having bad reception when there’s a straight line of view from Newport to Wrekin is a clear example of something not working as it should.
It’s all very well for the service deliverers to tell us to upgrade but in my case, where I upgraded to a wideband aerial and was OK until the channel reorganisation in September 200, why should I keep changing and what’s to guarantee that if I do, then things won’t change for the worse again.
I’m not anti-digital, but having seen how efficiently they went about the change-over in months rather than years in countries like France and Italy when I was living there, I have to feel that this project has tested the capability of the expert employed to oversee it.
It’s a complete fiasco. But I bet they’ll be really, really efficient in chasing us for the licence fee if we refuse to pay it because we don’t receive a complete service in the future.
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Eh? “Poor Andrew Owen having bad reception when there’s a straight line of view from Newport to Wrekin is a clear example of something not working as it should.”
I’m working just fine thank you, Rodney. It’s the telly reception that’s the problem.
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Ah, yes, Andrew, so it would seem.
Obviously you’re not in need of a tune-in at this particular moment.
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Hi all,
I’d just like to point out, from my last post, that I have several set-top boxes, and a digital TV.
I mention this particularly becuase -
when I investigated the Aerial installation as described above –
i did becuase all of my receivers exhibited the same problem with low / poor signal – that is – I knew it was not a receiver problem !!!
I have to say that never before in all the 40 odd years working in this industry I have been put to so much trouble with TV reception.
I have a colleague I have known for over 30 years down in wiltshire whose main business is high quality TV /Radio and Audio systems maintenance.
He has found exactly the same problems – and the worst of it all is that:
Becuase most digital TV systems automatically “tune” themselves, will “lose” some TV stations in the stored list if the scan happens to occur on a bad day – and then he gets deluged with support calls saying “we cant watch this or that” !!!
So the remedy is to scan for channels on a good day – and dont scan for addtional channels again until you are sure !!
I really do wonder where all this is going !!
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As I said in my previous post which, for some reason, has been removed, the program content on the additional channels is not worth spending money on. The main reason for forcing this changeover is to free the frequency spectrum used by the current analogue TV system so that it can be sold off. The move to DAB on radio is similarly fraught with problems. Since moving to DAB radio, I can no longer receive Radio Shropshire. The reason, I’m told, is that the DAB signal is beamed to the most populated areas, where adverts on the commercial stations (which share an aerial with BBC) can have most impact.
The next scheme is to turn off the FM signal altogether, which means that millions of car radios will have to upgraded or replaced. Just one big jolly for the government and equipment providers!
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Well can anyone tell how to get the scart lead to sit in the socket on the back of the telly without being wedged in with a video tape and cardboard?
Well doing my head in!
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Remember that following the actual turning-off of the analogue signal, the power of the digital signal will be increased. This should cause the current poor reception problems to be less common (although not completely, looking at what people have said in other regions where the switchover has happened!!)
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So, if i have a ‘standard’ SKY box installed does this mean i’m ready for the switchover? so confusing!!
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Hi Confusedone
Your Standard SKY box is completely independant of the switchover !! – you don’t need to do anything !
The “SKY” box is using a Sattlite (SKY) service – not the “off air” service that you get through a normal aerial. (as I mentioned in my post #5 -the “off air” service is the one that is being switched over from analogue to digital)
In other words – You wont be affected in any way !! – It isnt SKY that is being switched!!
SKY sattleite service is already “digital” and has been for some time !!
Hope this clears that up !!
Regards
askeric dotcom
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Thanks for that askeric dotcom. I thought i was fine but now i know i am!!
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Looking at the plethora of utter junk which inhabits most of the non – “big 5″ channels, I’d say that anyone expecting super new levels of viewing is in for a great shock.
The percentage of adverts on non-BBC digital channels is between 30 and 35% of air time, far higher than on the old analogue channels. Even the BBC inject loads of self-advertising, over and over and over and over and over again.
What I particularly object to – apart from the loathsome TV licence – is paying for cable or Sky service and THEN being bombarded with adverts. It’s really about time that the TV licence was abolished and BBC-TV put on a smart card pay system. We’d almost certainly buy one, but at least then everyone would have the choice. That would make BBC perk up the quality of its programmes. I don’t see why anyone should have to pay for a TV licence and then never watch BBC!
Why don’t the subscription broadcasters put all the adverts on … the Adverts Channel? Well, it would save me flicking the buttons when the irritating adverts come on!
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Hi Rob Davis
Well Said !!
I TOTALLY agree .. the licence fee is outdated, and has NO place in a modern broadcasting system employing many different types of delivery medium as we now have.
Back in the early days of broadcasting … cc 1920 – 1960′s- when NO nationwide transmission service existed, a “national” charge for establising such a service was justified. (and during MOST of this time only the BBC existed)
In fact – in those times …. there was not only a TV licence, but one for Radio AND car radios too !! – how many of you remember that ?
HAD the government of the day in the mid 80′s had the foresight to develop the BSB satellite (“Squarial”) service (Instead of letting it be taken over by SKY) which transmitted the main TV programs in relatively high definition using D2 MAC – (and the system was EASY to install!!!!) and used an encryption / validation system that could easily have provided a subscription based system to replace the licence ….
THEN we wouldnt have had ALL this mess now.
I have long suspected that the real reason for keeping the licence fee is to maintain an upto date data base of all known postcodes … and ….that is why the Fine for avoiding it is so high in relation to other offences…..and … why the letters sent from TV licensing to so called “unlicensed addresses **” are so threatening.
(** is your address referred to as “unlicensed” if your car isnt licensed (taxed) ???? NO IT ISN’T!!!! – Its the RECEIEVING equipment that is unlicensed – NOT the address – so WHY the distinction??)
It is about time it was abolished and replaced by a susbscription for those that want to watch the BBC.
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