Switchover starts in 4 million homes in Yorkshire, West Midlands 7th September
Brian Butterworth published on UK Free TV This week seems the biggest switchover event so far as 4,002,886 homes in the West Midlands and most of Yorkshire start the two-week, two-stage switchover process.
From 6am Wednesday 7th September 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 Brierley Hill, Emley Moor, Fenton, Idle, Keighley, Malvern and Sutton Coldfield full service Freeview transmitters. This is because the old "multiplex 1" BBC service will be replaced by the BBCA multiplex on the old analogue BBC TWO frequency.
If you live in Yorkshire and use the Addingham (9am), Armitage Bridge, Batley (noon), Beecroft Hill (7.30am), Blackburn In Rotherham, Bradford West (noon), Calver Peak, Cleckheaton, Conisbrough, Cop Hill (9am), Copley (9am), Cornholme, Cowling (3pm), Cragg Vale, Cullingworth (9am), Edale, Elland, Grassington, Hagg Wood, Halifax (9am), Headingley, Hebden Bridge, Heyshaw, Holmfield, Holmfirth (noon), Hope (9am), Keighley Town, Kettlewell (noon), Longwood Edge, Luddenden, Lydgate, Millhouse Green, Oughtibridge, Oxenhope, Primrose Hill, Ripponden, Shatton Edge (9am), Skipton (9am), Skipton Town (9am), Stocksbridge, Sutton in Craven, Tideswell Moor, Todmorden, Walsden, Walsden South, Wharfedale (9am), Wheatley or Wincobank relay transmitters from 6am (unless shown otherwise) on Wednesday 7th September 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.
If you live in the West Midlands and use the Allesley Park, Brailes (9am), Bretch Hill (noon), Bridgnorth (3pm), Cheadle, Earl Sterndale, Edgbaston, Gib Heath, Gravelly Hill, Haden Hill, Hamstead, Harborne (noon), Hartington, Ipstones Edge, Ironbridge, Kenilworth, Kidderminster (9am), Kinver (noon), Leamington Spa (9am), Leek (9am), Lichfield, Long Compton, Oakamoor, Perry Beeches, Queslett, Redditch, Repton (noon), Rugeley, Tenbury Wells, Turves Green, Whittingslow, Winchcombe, Winshill (9am) or Woodford Halse relay transmitters from 6am (unless shown otherwise) on Wednesday 7th September 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.
You MAY find that old pre-Freeview equipment will no longer work - see TVs and boxes that do not support the 8k-mode
On Wednesday 21 September 2011 will see the second stage of switchover, which provides the final Freeview configuration, including Freeview HD for all transmitters in these two regions.
On this date, you will need, once again, to do a "first time installation" as indicated above. If you are over 75, you should aleady have been supplied new equipment by the Switchover Help Scheme.
5:57 PM
Lutterworth
Since the middle of July I have been experiencing problems with Freeview (signal strength too low), but also with the reception on TV's in other rooms that are not Freeview. Is this all related to the digital switchover - it is very frustrating as we are frequently left withh no watchable service.
Any advice you can offer will be very much appreciated.
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Jill's: mapJ's Freeview map terrainJ's terrain plot wavesJ's frequency data J's Freeview Detailed Coverage
Jill Robinson: No, it has nothing to do with digital switchover, if you have not switched over yet. Please see Freeview reception has changed? | ukfree.tv - independent free digital TV advice .
If you have switched over, see East Midlands - Waltham transmitter switchover "ends" | ukfree.tv - independent free digital TV advice .
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For general information, the 4 million homes starting their switchover tonight, 2.25 million are in the West Midlands, and 1.75 million in Yorkshire.
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7:00 AM
Leeds
Retuned this morning as instructed and got a duplicate set of some of the BBC channels in the 800s. Is this normal during the two switchover stages? Mux B is still broadcasting, but BBCA now carries all of its channels why didn't they turn off that as well?
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Thomas's: mapT's Freeview map terrainT's terrain plot wavesT's frequency data T's Freeview Detailed Coverage
7:04 AM
thomas i have retuned this morning and i have got duplicate bbc channels in 800 sectio as well.
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Thomas: Yes, this is normal, especially if you didn't do a "first time install" as directed above.
Multiplex B continues to broadcast as it carries Sky Sports 1 and 2 for another two weeks, when it switches to become Freeview HD.
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sharealam: Please, as directed above, do a "first time installation" and not an "add channels". If you can't find it in the menus, do this My Freeview box has no EPG, is blank on FIVE, ITV3, ITV4, ITV2+1, has no sound or the channel line up is wrong | ukfree.tv - independent free digital TV advice instead.
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8:36 AM
Retuned both sets of kit this morning on sutton coldfiled TX. no probs except the 800 series channels.
Will do my elderly parents telly tonight
(Anyone know anyone who may be struggling with this. maybe now the time to ask if they need help????).
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ken: If you have "800 series channels" this is because you have done an ADD CHANNELS.
You must do a FIRST TIME INSTALL, as this is a switchover event day.
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9:28 AM
Otley
Wharfedale switched over sometime between 7.00am and 7.45am. No problems, BBC A now available. I have tuned 2 of my four(!) devices in this morning. The analogue channels had come back on before this, with ITV on the old BBC2 channel.
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chrisw's: mapC's Freeview map terrainC's terrain plot wavesC's frequency data C's Freeview Detailed Coverage