Analogue TV switch off

dc

The current set top boxes will still work because they scan the whole of the present UHF bands (IV & V ) i.e. channels 21 to 69, each channel is capable of transmitting one analogue channel, but many digital ones depending on the picture quality desired.


Digital signals are so compressed that all the current Freeview ones are squeezed in and around the analogue channels on UHF bands 4 and 5. You can squeeze as many as 32 VHS quality Digital channels into ONE analogue channel, like what Sky does of sorts. :rolleyes: AND they don't interfere with adjacent channels like analoge ones do. The current 40+ available analogue channels can only fit in five programmes around the UK, because more would cause interferece similar to that in some periond of High atmospheric pressure, when " Continental Interference" occurs.

The following is a sort of story, without technical research, so don't bounce me too hard.

So HM gov rubbing its hands when it discovered the opportunities Digital brings, errr...... 5x32 =160, WOW, that makes 160 TV stations to make money from and they dont need as much frequency space to cover the country, so that means spare frequencies to sell to the Highest Bidder. Who says Mrs Thatcher was anti Blair?

" But wont it cost to change over?"
" Well yes but if we announce it as new must have, then Jo public will buy, after all they pay £40 a month for Sky so there is a business plan already. "
"BUTWont it cost to have new transmitters?"
" Err Yus, but didnt the BBC rescue us when we first started this plan and it went belly up because of ON Digital, then ITV Digital not being able to handle it?
"Sooo let us get the BBC to fund it, they will have to put up the licence fee, and thus will get the blame, they daren't put it up too much, or they will have to sack even more people to pay for it."

"Brill , 3 birds with one stone, a smaller BBC, Jo Public pays, we dont get the blame and make loadsa money. Who says stealth taxes are bad Tony?"

:rolleyes: dc

PS got a Philips OnDigital box for a fiver, yesterday and it works a treat.
god there were twice as many On-digital channels, sky sports and movies as well. So expect more pay-per-view.

mike_paterson

Joe_Bloggs wrote:

@ mike_patterson Clearly you are not able to receive digital terrestrial signals. Do you know the reason why ? Are there processes in action that will enable you to receive digital TV that you are aware of ? Geography and intervening hills between aerial and transmitter may be a factor.
J_B.

The postcode map shows that I will not receive it . This is due to poor signnal strength. My terrestrial TV aerial is on a 12 ft scaffold pole from the top of the house has a booster and still provides weak signals.
No major hills nearby, just not well serviced by the tv transmitters which are too far away I guess.
I have sky digital, but it would be nice to be able to watch it in all the rooms !

Cheers
Mike

s.c.

Mike you obviously live a long way from the transmitter, do you know which one?

Digital signals are not always in the same group of channels the aerial was originally intended for. I dont think this is your problem though.
The UHF band goes roughly from 400 to 800 megaherz. the lower (Channel 21) requires double the element length of the higher,(Channel 69), so the correct areial is important. sorry to be so technical.


Are the elements horizontal or vertical?
Has it been there a long time?, and is the signal you get the same as it was when you first used it?

mike_paterson

The analogue and digital reception predictors at http://www.wolfbane.com show that the nearest transmitters are at Crystal Palace and Bluebell Hill. I cannot get much of a signal from Bluebell Hill as there is a hill in the way. The predictor also shows that I need an amplified extra high gain aerial just to receive analogue - this is exactly what I have - the bars are horizontal and I had the aerial and scaffold pole fitted 4 years ago and the picture quality is great apart from ITV which is OK.
Interestingly the digital reception predictor shows that I should be able to receive Freeview with mu existing setup, but the Freeview postcode checker says not. Should I buy a box to see ? It is a shame that the shops cannot lend one out (with a deposit).

Cheers
Mike

penrhyn

Hi Mike,

I think you would be able to return a box bought from Tesco and get a refund if you can't get freeview reception. They are more accomodating than Argos.

mike_paterson

Thanks Penrhyn, might be worth a go and I have thought about doing this - my only concern is the sign that all the retailers seem to have (including my local Tesco) that says check your postcode first and gives details of the text postcode checker. Would this be reason for them to refuse to re-imburse me ?

Woby_Tide

I've taken boxes back a couple of times to Tesco and just said I wasn't happy with the picture quality(of their cheap boxes) and decided to buy a more expensive box elsewhere, both times they were fine about it(and the cheap boxes had worked fine)

mike_paterson

Thanks Woby and penrhyn - I guess I'll give it a go.
Cheers
Mike

Joe_Bloggs

@mike_paterson That is the spirit that I wanted to see. Good luck with your venture. The digital signal is far weaker than the analogue version but it does have error detection and correction built into it. The weakness of signal strength makes it vulnerable to local interference within the home. Top quality cable, better than that used for analogue TV, is advisable to minimise attenuation losses and screen the signal from local interference. The broadcasters could boost the digital power once the analogue has gone. It is a chicken and egg circular argument.
J_B.

Jet

I've been waiting for digital to come to my area. I have been so reluctant to spend money on Sky just so I can get the digital channels. :eek:

On Tuesday I decided to go out and buy a digibox from tesco and if it didn't work I was going to try and return it saying that I had changed my mind and if the worst came to the worst and I couldn't return it to Tesco, I was going to try and sell it on e-bay.

My mother in law spent nearly £200 upgrading her aerial so she could get digital and it still doesn't work properly. She lives 5 minutes walk from me, so I wasn't expecting much.

It works perfectly - I am so happy! It's definetely worth giving it a try. :T