BT Vision, TUTV, Sky Sports 1+2 and the Mendip transmitter

Brian Butterworth published on UK Free TV 2nd August 2010 at 16:44

Michael Bane asked on the Freeview on Mendip TV transmitter page why you can't get the Sky Sports channels that are now provided by BT and Top Up TV.

The answer is - not until the COM multiplexes are implemented fully.

The official Ofcom position is:

"Mendip COM multiplexes will temporarily operate on channels 62+ for SDN, 56+ for Arqiva A, and 59+ for Arqiva B (all at 10kW ERP) until Autumn 2011. Final DSO channels will then be adopted, though ERP levels will remain limited until early 2012. "

This means that Mendip has, rather uniquely got these multiplexes:

PSB1, PSB2, PSB3 (Freeview HD), A, C and D

The BT channels are on COM6 in switched areas, and B in non-switched.

At Mendip, Nottingham, Durris, Lark Stoke, Sandy Heath, The Wrekin and Bromsgrove, there will be several months where this service cannot be received (see also UK digital switchover exceptions).

The problem is that, at switchover multiplexes C and D switch from 16QAM to 64QAM and become COM5 and COM6 with more megabits. (A is already 64QAM)

The extra capacity on COM6 is being used for BT1 and BT2 channels for Sky Sports 1 and 2. In pre-switch areas, space has been found on the B multiplex for the BT1 and BT2 channels.

So, where the public service broadcaster (PSB) multiplexes change and the commercial (COM) ones are delayed, Sky Sports 1 and 2 will not be available.