Analogue terrestrial switch-off

[Graham M]

Originally Posted by AndyCambs

So as well as take out subscription to a digital service or buy a new Freeview decoder - people have to buy a new video recorder as well?
And - quite frankly, does the quality of the programmes warrant the increased expenditure?

Read Please, its a Freeview Receiver AND PVR, it has dual tuners so you can watch one channel and record another! You dont have to buy one, it just makes things easier, youre not forced into anything, although i reckon VHS recorders will be next to go! And good riddance to screwed up tapes and nights enjoying the recorder with its top off trying to untangle tape from the heads.

Originally Posted by AndyCambs

I think that's quite likely.
We pay a television licence fee - we're now asked to pay for another decoder to receive the television programmes. It's not just simply a case of buying a Freeview box at £40 as advised by the culture secretary - at the best it would mean a new aerial to most. That is, if you are able to receive the Freeview channels. In my area, the channels are not good in transmission, and one elderly friend has problems with a tree outside his property which during the summer causes him to lose channels 3 and 4 regularly. The other channels are very pixelated.
So basically it would be FreeSky or the satellite version of Freeview in this area (or conventional Sky or cable of course) but all that means additional cost.
A tax on middle England? Yup!
Squeeze till you hear the pips squeak!

The Freeview signal is weak in some areas because if it were stronger it would interfere with the analogue signal. It's a bit of a chicken-and-egg scenario. But when your local analogue signal is switched off, they will immediately boost the digital one and your elderly neighbour's reception problems should disappear.

[altis]

It should all go smoothly like this

In each region, consumers can expect changes to take place over a period of weeks. This could happen as follows:

* Messages appear on screen saying that from next month one analogue service (for example BBC TWO) will no longer be available
* On the named date, the analogue service stops and the digital multiplex carrying BBC TWO (and also BBC ONE, BBC THREE, BBC FOUR, CBBC, CBeebies) will move to the frequency channel vacated by analogue BBC TWO
* Shortly afterwards, messages appear on screen saying that some or all of the other analogue services are about to stop
* On the named day, or days, BBC ONE, ITV1, Channel 4 (or S4C in Wales) and Five stop transmitting in analogue, and the multiplexes carrying these digital services move to the frequency channels vacated by the analogue service

More info here:
http://www.digitaltelevision.gov.uk/

Originally Posted by altis

It should all go smoothly like this


More info here:
http://www.digitaltelevision.gov.uk/

So if the freeview service moves into the frequencies vacated by analogue, that should remove the possibility of everyone having to buy a new aerial also?

[bob_builder]

Originally Posted by Chris T

So if the freeview service moves into the frequencies vacated by analogue, that should remove the possibility of everyone having to buy a new aerial also?

I guess so. However, as the current Freeview frequencies are freed up this will leave room for new digital muxes so you might want a wideband aerial in any case!
__________________

Originally Posted by Zeph

Read Please, its a Freeview Receiver AND PVR, it has dual tuners so you can watch one channel and record another! You dont have to buy one, it just makes things easier, youre not forced into anything, although i reckon VHS recorders will be next to go! And good riddance to screwed up tapes and nights enjoying the recorder with its top off trying to untangle tape from the heads.

Dixons has already stopped selling VHS machines. Over time TVs, DVD recorders, etc. will all come with an integrated digital tuner and eventually they will phase out the analogue tuner altogether.

[jrhnewark]

Originally Posted by Chris T

So if the freeview service moves into the frequencies vacated by analogue, that should remove the possibility of everyone having to buy a new aerial also?

As I say, it doesn't take an Einstein to see that we have five analogue channels and five digital multiplexes.

Hopefully the multiplexes will launch in the channels that get vacated, keep things in group and meaning no new aerials - and it would be a lot easier for the engineers. As soon as possible, the Government should say whether or not this will happen and if multiplexes on masts which have both analogue and digital will move into the channels previously used for analogue when analogue is switched off on those masts.

I can't see them making any big announcements, though, no matter what we say. It'd be so much easier, though, as you'd be able to say to people that once analogue is switched off, they WILL be able to get digital through their existing aerial if they get good analogue reception with it currently.

[altis]

Erm, look up three posts James.

When you think about all the relays involved with each main transmitter then there is obviously no other reasonable way of doing it overnight.

I wonder which mux will end up on Channel 5.