Freeview viewers reminded to retune

VMboy · 29-09-2009, 11:15

This announcement, I take it this only affects the folks with freeview and won't affect the Virgin Media STB users.

I apologise if this sounds a stupid question.

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/21/20090929...e-6323e80.html

dilli-theclaw · 29-09-2009, 11:16

Indeed it won't affect your virgin STB.

Unless of course, like me, you have a virgin freeview box

VMboy · 29-09-2009, 11:25

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thomas T

Indeed it won't affect your virgin STB.

Unless of course, like me, you have a virgin freeview box

Hi, and thanks for your reply.

Bit confused when you say you have a virgin freeview box, are they different from the boxes that VM give us for their TV packages such as Medium, Large and extra large?

dilli-theclaw · 29-09-2009, 11:27

Yes indeed, if you can't get cable and use their serviced you used to get a freeview box instead of the standard cable boxes.

If you have cable you don't need to worry the retuning thing won't apply.

edit - I've attached a picture of the box I mean.

Kymmy · 29-09-2009, 11:30

In other words it doesn't effect cable or satellite but instead only DVB-T boxes

VMboy · 29-09-2009, 11:37

Thanks guys, I didn't realise VM did boxes for customers that don't or couldn't get cable.

Btw, what does DVB-T stand for?

Kymmy · 29-09-2009, 11:40

DVB = Digital Video Broadcasting

Then it's commonly followed by one of 3 letters (though there are more)

DVB-S = Satellite (sky or freesat)
DVB-C = Cable (Virgin Media (not analogue))
DVB-T = Terrestrial (Freeview)

joglynne · 29-09-2009, 11:43

All 3 of my TVs have built in Freeview so I will be having fun tomorrow. Just in case anyone hasn't seen the official site.

Quote:

Viewers using a Freeview TV or box should retune from lunchtime onwards. The technical changes have been planned to avoid peak TV viewing hours and minimise disruption. If you retune before lunchtime you will find that some services are unavailable.

http://www.freeview.co.uk/freeview/R...September-2009

VMboy · 29-09-2009, 11:51

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kymmy

DVB = Digital Video Broadcasting

Then it's commonly followed by one of 3 letters (though there are more)

DVB-S = Satellite (sky or freesat)
DVB-C = Cable (Virgin Media (not analogue))
DVB-T = Terrestrial (Freeview)

Sorry, hope I'm not being stupid now, but the middle one DVB-C, I thought that one would come under the normal STB range?

---------- Post added at 12:51 ---------- Previous post was at 12:46 ----------

Quote:

Originally Posted by joglynne

All 3 of my TVs have built in Freeview so I will be having fun tomorrow. Just in case anyone hasn't seen the official site.

http://www.freeview.co.uk/freeview/R...September-2009

Everyone must be clicking on this site right now as I am having difficulty reaching it.

You finding this too?

Kymmy · 29-09-2009, 11:53

It's nothing to do with it being an STB it's more to do with the format of signals it tunes to. DVB-C can be a virgin media set-top box or it could be a PC card. The same as DVB-T is anything from a TV, STB, PC-card, USB that is designed to pick up terrestrial digital signals.. and a DVB-S device could be a freeview box, Sky, PC card, FTA reciever..etc..

joglynne · 29-09-2009, 11:54

Quote:

Originally Posted by VMboy

<snip>
Everyone must be clicking on this site right now as I am having difficulty reaching it.

You finding this too?

Yes it took me ages to bring the site up. Thought I had best give a quote to save people a bit of time. 18 million sets will be effected and all their owners seem to be checking out the site right now.

Kymmy · 29-09-2009, 11:56

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/8279419.stm

VMboy · 29-09-2009, 11:58

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kymmy

It's nothing to do with it being an STB it's more to do with the format of signals it tunes to. DVB-C can be a virgin media set-top box or it could be a PC card. The same as DVB-T is anything from a TV, STB, PC-card, USB that is designed to pick up terrestrial digital signals.. and a DVB-S device could be a freeview box, Sky, PC card, FTA reciever..etc..

Mines is an Explorer DVB connected to the TV, and has a card in the front of the box.

Kymmy · 29-09-2009, 12:00

How exciting...

Any Freeview box/card/dongle which is designed to plug into an externial antenna and point towards a tv transmitter for the purpose of recieving digital signals is DVB-T compliant..and all that means is that it'll scan a certain range of frequencies and expect to find signals transmitting on mpeg2 for SD or mpeg4 for HD

VMboy · 29-09-2009, 12:02

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kymmy

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/8279419.stm

This ones just as busy, lol