Digital switch-over problems
Brian Butterworth published on UK Free TV The Sutton Coldfield transmitter that serves Birmingham is having all the current analogue and digital services moved to a second temporary mast. This work was due to be completed last month, but the bad weather has not allowed the "air work" to be completed quickly.
With the power level reported to be about an eighth of normal, this has caused many people reception problems in second largest city in England.
Despite being close to the first digital switch-over in Whitehaven, it seems that people using the Bleach Green transmitter are unable to scan for Freeview services. However, they do work if the viewer manually tunes their box toC53, C57 and C60. "Digital UK says they are now working with Ofcom and the broadcasters to fix the problem".
Down in Cornwall, the Redruth transmitter is stuck in limbo. Cornish people can now watch digital TV from the transmitter and relays, but the commerical multiplexes are on the old power levels and old frequencies until 30 September 2009.
It would appear that the 30 September Freeview retune will be an important date nationwide.
Help with Freeview, aerials?
In this section
Thursday, 15 March 2012
K
KMJ,Derby11:57 AM
Martin Child: Yes, that would be the best thing to try. It is possible that your Sky box is set around C50, which was a clear frequency in the Midhurst area before switchover, but is now used for ArqB. When choosing a new frequency avoid C54 and C56 as these are assigned to Midhurst from October 2012.
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Monday, 19 March 2012
D
Doubled up3:54 PM
I was going to bin my LG DRT389H DVD recorder, because the disc drive had been failing to work properly for some weeks, and repeated attempts to use discs resulted in the tv picture breaking up and finally freezing, and locking out the remote control.
My partner said, "Could it be something to do with the Digital Switchover"."Very unlikely", I said. How could it affect the playing of DVDs?
I had followed the official advice at switchover date. I accepted the machine was dying, but I liked it, so bought an identical replacement. Amazed, to find the new machine showing the same faults as the "broken" one.
Nothing in the official publicity indicated that Switchover could cause anything like this. Two days of layman's googling found web sites like this one (the most informative) and the notion of signal overload, which I had never heard of. The LG's signal indicator showed that MUX channel 24 was far stronger than the other five MUXs. I re-scanned the channels, leaving out MUX 24, and the LG recorder worked normally again. I am in the Rowridge transmitter area.
If I reduce the aerial signal to make MUX24 usable, the other five MUXs collapse. It now seems that in a few days all of the MUXs are to be transmitted at equal power, and I can reduce the signal level of all equally.
If the official Switchover publicity had warned the lay public to look out for all kinds of odd malfunctions, I would not now be the owner of two identical, functional recorders. Luckily, I was not passing the skip recently, or I might now be the owner of only one.
(Sorry, I posted this on the wrong page previously.)
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Thursday, 22 March 2012
H
Heather Trottier9:50 PM
Help got a L G dvd recorder with freeview its really slow and freezes since March 7 th first switchover date I can't get it to update now 2ed date help please
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Friday, 6 April 2012
R
ROB9:00 PM
LONDON RETUNE . RETUNED AS PER INSTRUCTIONS NOW HAVE NO BBC 1 / 2 / 3 . TRIED MANUAL TUNE TO CHANNEL 23 . NO LUCK ITS JUST BLANK.
ONLY HAD DIGI BOX 12 MTHS (new frm Argos).
Miffed London!!!
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Wednesday, 11 April 2012
M
mrs m o'connell12:02 PM
I'm in Hertfordshire and have to keep re tuning my television it has built in freeview it keeps loosing the bbc channels I've done this every time I turn my tv on since the change over started (4th April) is this normal will it stop by the time the change over is complete (18th april)
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Saturday, 14 April 2012
mrs m o'connell: You may have this problem - Freeview signals: too much of a good thing is bad for you | ukfree.tv - independent free digital TV advice .
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Sunday, 15 April 2012
T
tina3:40 PM
Our analogue and digital pictures have been excellent prior to the switch over on 4th April. But after this we were unable to get some channels and gradually we have lost all digital reception - each of our three digital TV's say no signal and the remaining analogue reception is now poor. We basically have no TV channels to watch - not what we expected. I have been told to wait until 18th and try again, but in reality this is not very helpful for now!I am guessing in the end we will have to pay an engineer to come out and look at the problem - which we did not cause and cannot afford to pay for
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J
jb384:50 PM
tina: If you previously received Freeview OK prior the 4th but cannot properly now, then that suggests that you "might" be located in an area where its possible to receive an excessively high level of signal and this can cause problems of the nature you have mentioned.
Just for a test, should you have access to a set top aerial (simple non-amplified type) plug that in and give your TV or box a retune with that installed.
You should really provide your post code (or one from nearby) with queries of this sort, as it enables the signal levels expected at your location to be assessed, although I suspect that you are possibly receiving your signal from Crystal Palace, and if you are then the BBC transmitter is on full power.
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Monday, 16 April 2012
M
Mike Dimmick1:34 PM
tina: Poor analogue reception, as well as loss of digital channels, would suggest that the signal levels are too low. When this happens suddenly, it's usually because something has become disconnected, misaligned or broken. Check that the aerial is still in place and pointing the right way, that all elements are still in place, and that the aerial cable is still connected and intact.
The other cause of reception problems is increased interference from other transmitters, which changes with weather conditions. However, no such conditions are predicted for this week, nor were predicted for last week (see Tropospheric Ducting Forecast for VHF & UHF Radio & TV ).
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Wednesday, 18 April 2012
A
Ann7:19 AM
Hampton
Hi - Ann here postcode TW12 2SF
We have a Hitachi LCD 5750 TV working perfectly in our bedroom before any switchover. Lost all BBC channels inc. radio during first phase and today have no channels ie blocking continuously. Our main TV downstairs is perfect. We TVs both bought 18 months ago. We receive signal from Crystal Palace. Spoke to Digital UK switchover who said everything should be working but it's not. Is our signal strength too strong..what does that actually mean? All fed from the same communal aerial. Many thanks for any help.
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Ann's: mapA's Freeview map terrainA's terrain plot wavesA's frequency data A's Freeview Detailed Coverage
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