Sudbury transmitter group switchover begins

Brian Butterworth published on UK Free TV 5th July 2011 at 11:30

This week sees the first stage of the digital television switchover for 460,700 homes in Essex and parts of Suffolk.

From 6am Wednesday 6th July 2011, you must to a perform a "first time installation" retune (sometimes "Factory Reset" or "Shipping Condition") on your Freeview box or television set if you use the Sudbury full service Freeview transmitter. This is because the "multiplex 1" BBC service will be replaced by the BBCA multiplex on a different frequency. Update: And, in the instance of Sudbury, multiplex A/SDN also moves at the first stage.

If you use Felixstowe, Ipswich Stoke, Somersham, Wivenhoe Park or Woodbridge relay transmitter, from Wednesday 6th July 2011 you will be able to receive the BBC Freeview services (with the exception of HD) for the first time, and you will no longer be able to view BBC TWO on analogue.

In addition there are three new transmitters at Burnham on Crouch (new), Clacton (new), Rouncefall (new). From Wednesday 6th July 2011 these three transmitters will start transmitting the BBC multiplex, with the normal (limited Freeview Light) service starting on 20th July 2011.



You MAY find that old equipment will no longer work - see TVs and boxes that do not support the 8k-mode



The University of Essex is also located in Wivenhoe Park.

On Wednesday 20th July 2011 will see the second stage of switchover, which provides the final Freeview configuration, including Freeview HD for all transmitters in this region.

On this date, you will need, once again, to do a "first time installation" as indicated above.