Digital Tv

[Paul Smith 0]

Between now and 2010 all analogue TV transmissions will be turned off. Are you ready for it?

 

The reason this has just been brought to my attention is I thought I was. I have Sky digital with a quad LNB and Sky+ but during tonights snow I lost all programs. Luckily I was able to reach the dish and remove the build up of snow but couldn't help thinking if this was a conventional aerial it wouldn't have happened?

 

So are you ready for the digital switchover?

[Gary 0]

This is a risky time to decide any particular route for TV/Video related hardware.

 

Not only is the Blueray Versus HD-DVD battle still raging for THE optimum High Definition Format for High Definition Movies (The Betamax Vs VHS Vs Video2000 war of this decade), but most recorders that you buy now, wont record the HD or in some cases even the standard definition "digital ready" (ha!) content.

 

I've avoided the whole HD-DVD / Blueray battle of the formats by not going in either direction, but instead watching ALL my current/old DVD in my DVD collection in fantastically good pseudo High Definition, by using a £600 Upscaling DVD player. It wont play either of the new formats, but works miracles on making existing DVDs look great on HD Ready TVs with HDMI/DVI sockets.

 

I'm not bothering with an HD sky Box either until the hard drive capacities get better (you use up recording space 4 times faster when/if recording an HD movie). I'm also holding off having any HD broadcasts until Sky knock off the crazy £10 per month surcharge for HD Subscription.

[High Fidelity 0]

So are you ready for the digital switchover?

 

No

 

I'm one of the ones who'll be waiting till the last minute before I go out and buy anything, and then it will be the cheapest option I can find.

 

I honestly can't see why this change is being forced upon us.

 

The change from 405 lines to 625 lines and VHF to UHF was justified as it gave a greatly improved picture.

 

When I've watched programs that are obviously being played back from digital media, I don't think I have seen one that hasn't stuttered at some point, so as far as I'm concerned, this digital lark isn't an improvement.

[spinner 0]

Between now and 2010 all analogue TV transmissions will be turned off. Are you ready for it?

 

The reason this has just been brought to my attention is I thought I was. I have Sky digital with a quad LNB and Sky+ but during tonights snow I lost all programs. Luckily I was able to reach the dish and remove the build up of snow but couldn't help thinking if this was a conventional aerial it wouldn't have happened?

 

 

Not necessarily.

 

Freeview suffers from "all or nothing" syndrome. Either you get good reception or nothing at all. I have 2 PVRs plus a standard receiver.

 

I live in a slight dip which has meant having a particularly tall mast erected for the aerial and a masthead amplifier added. In really bad weather ( torrential rain is an example ) I can lose some of the weaker channels. There are some channels I can't get at all, whatever the weather.

 

I also have 2 Sky+ boxes. On one I can lose a few weak channels in overcast or worse weather.

[robbiedj 0]

We're on cable so no problem at the moment.

[TonyB 0]

Don't get much time to watch TV . I have a Sky Box but have canceled the subscription and just use the freeview because I got fed up of the number of repeats on the extra channels. After about 12 months, you have seen most of the programs and then they just keep repeating the same old stuff.

 

I usually watch the TV on the PC while I am working which is a terrestrial receiver.

 

I do lose Sky reception sometimes when its heavily overcast or a torrential down pour. The digital changeover here isn't going to happen until 2011/2012. I do have a set top box but the signal is too weak at the moment to work. Saying that, my neighbour bought a cheap Sagem box and they can get most of the channels where their TV with digital built in won't pick up anything.

Edited January 4, 2008 by TonyB

[DJGAVT 0]

Been on freeview since it launched. Freeview is 1000 times better than normal tv. And cant wait till they switch of the normal tv as it means we will be able to have more digital channels!

[Stephen_N.I. 0]

We'll be ok for a few days yet Paul, lol.

Ulster is one of the last regions to switch in 2012.

[superstardeejay 0]

In the trade we call freeview 'Freezeview'.

 

The quality of receivers around is unbelieveably variable, and is in no way related to price.

 

I believe the main impetus for switching to freeview is that the government have already sold the analogue bandwidth to a third party, transmissions in digital only suffer less co-channel interaction from adjacent transmitters both to/from locations in the UK and western Europe and so can occupy less bandwidth on a national basis. (Correct me if I'm wrong!!)

 

 

 

 

 

 

[DJGAVT 0]

In the trade we call freeview 'Freezeview'.

 

The quality of receivers around is unbelieveably variable, and is in no way related to price.

 

 

 

I have the humax pvr9200t and find it a fantastic box. Never crashed or had a screen freeze. But I know that there are some that do.

[spinner 0]

In the trade we call freeview 'Freezeview'.

 

The quality of receivers around is unbelieveably variable, and is in no way related to price.

 

I believe the main impetus for switching to freeview is that the government have already sold the analogue bandwidth to a third party, transmissions in digital only suffer less co-channel interaction from adjacent transmitters both to/from locations in the UK and western Europe and so can occupy less bandwidth on a national basis. (Correct me if I'm wrong!!)

 

 

As I understand it the opportunity was there for higher quality transmission than can be achieved using analogue, but the decision was taken to cram as many channels into the available bandwidth as possible at the expense of quality. Some digital broadcasts I have seen have less definition than analogue ones.

 

By the way, I lost BBC4 tonight on Freeview, because of heavy rain, but it was fine on Sky Digital.

[superstardeejay 0]

but the decision was taken to cram as many channels into the available bandwidth as possible at the expense of quality

 

Do you not think this was one of the original aims?!?

 

Since my last post Ive been to Tesco and when I got back the freezeview had crashed again, had to switch the power off and back on.

 

Trying to record off it is useless as the lipsync keeps jumping out! It is supposed to re-sync every so often but it really doesnt.

 

Shame there's no cable out here.

 

 

 

 

[C.S 0]

We are already on it here via our cable company and a small decoder costing a fiver a year . Fantastic picture quality.

[Andy Westcott 0]

I won't be doing very much until the analogue actually goes.

 

Set-top boxes are available for next to nothing, so I have no worries. If the TV packs up before then, I'll buy a digital-ready one.

 

I disagree with being forced to change format anyhow:

Digital TV as offered here in the UK is a substandard service, as is the DAB radio service. DAB apparently is transmitted at a bitrate of approximately 128Kb/s - what's the craic here then?? :angry:

 

The other major issue is that with analogue FM radio, a weak signal would just cause some hiss in the background, whereas with DAB it just goes altogether. Presumably it's the same with digital TV - just throw in some sporadic 'E' conditions and the whole lot would be unusable for perhaps days at a time.

 

Someone is benefitting, someone is getting a gigantic back-hander over this.

[Danno13 0]

I'm hoping they won't go ahead with the switchover until the whole country has a decent coverage.

 

I can't pick it up where we live, but we have a sky dish (we're ex-subrscribers) with a quad LNB and all have sky boxes to just receive the free channels, although unfortunatley you don't get E4, More4 or Dave.. and quite a few others that are on Freeview.

 

I don't think there is any deep dark conspiracy going on here though, its a much better picture quality than normal TV and you get loads more channels.. can't see anything bad about that, provided the signal strength is up to scratch!

[DJ Marky Marc 0]

when the analog TV is turned off the freeview transmitters will have there power boosted and freezeview will become a thing of the past ... well thats the plan anyway..

 

also BBC and a few others will launch HD services on freeview but rumor has it that this will be using a new standard that will require a firmware updates on some boxes/TVs and new boxes in a worst case...

 

the problems I have is no SKY due to a building and a row of very old trees between my house and the satalite..

 

no Cable because NTL/virgin wont dig my road/drive up to put the cable in on my side of the road.. some stupid excuse about things under the ground and needing permission to move things.. which means its going to cost them a small fortune and they cant be botherd...

 

and no freeview because im too far from Hannington (might be able to get frezeview when they turn the power up) and there is a hill and more trees between me and crystal palace...

 

so come 2012 ill have nothing but the Radio to listen too.....

Edited January 5, 2008 by DJ Marky Marc

[centrestagediscos 0]

u could always move, u can get freeview on a usb plug in straight to your pc if your signal strength is high enough

[spinner 0]

when the analog TV is turned off the freeview transmitters will have there power boosted and freezeview will become a thing of the past ... well thats the plan anyway..

 

 

 

That's a part of the current problem, of course.

 

Our local transmitter relays both analogue and digital and the latter is not yet at full strength which has a lot to do with bad weather drop-outs.

[Andy Westcott 0]

I was informed by an antenna installation company that the transmitter currently serving Exeter will never go digital, and will simply be turned off.

 

As Exeter is in a bit of a dip and in need of its own local fill-in transmitter, I'm not sure what this means - the signal from the next big transmitter will be too waek to serve the area. Maybe they are hoping most viewers will be served by cable or satellite?

 

Wait & see I suppose. :shrug:

[Mattaious 0]

Not worried about it really

 

Moving to greece ill only havesky anyways and local tv

 

 

Currently in the uk i have sky downstairs and freeview upstairs.

 

Never had any problems with reception on either system