Switchover starts in Northern Ireland on Wednesday 10th October 2012

If you live in the Brougher Mountain, Divis, or Limavady transmitter areas your digital switchover starts 10th October. If you already use Freeview you will need to retune - if you have never had Freeview, you will get the standard definition BBC services - switchover will complete in two weeks later.

^{Brian Butterworth published on UK Free TV 9th October 2012 at 00:00}

This 10th October the first stage of the digital television switchover 647,500 homes in the Northern Ireland.

From 6am Wednesday 10th October 2012, you must perform a "first time installation" retune (sometimes "Factory Reset" or "Shipping Condition") on your Freeview box or television set if you use the the Brougher Mountain, Divis, or Limavady full service Freeview transmitters.

This is because the old low power "multiplex 1" BBC service will be replaced by the high power BBCA multiplex on the old analogue BBC TWO frequency:

• Brougher Mountain - BBC TWO analogue closes on C28, Mux 1 closes on C30+, BBCA starts on C28.
• Divis - BBC TWO analogue closes on C27, Mux 1 closes on C29, BBCA starts on C27.
• Limavady - BBC TWO analogue closes on C62, Mux 1 closes on C67, BBCA starts on C50.

On Wednesday 10th October 2012 if you use Armagh (noon), Ballintoy (3pm), Ballycastle (9am), Banbridge (noon), Bangor (6am), Belcoo (6am), Bellair (6am), Benagh (3pm), Black Mountain (6am), Buckna (noon), Bushmills (noon), Camlough (9am), Carnmoney Hill (6am), Castlederg (11am), Claudy (noon), Conlig (6am), Cushendall (noon), Cushendun (9am), Derrygonnelly (6am), Draperstown (6am), Dromore (3pm), Ederny (noon), Glenariff (3pm), Glenelly Valley (7:30am), Glynn (9am), Gortnageeragh (3pm), Gortnalee (9am), Kilkeel (noon), Killowen Mountain (6am), Larne (7:30am), Leitrim (3pm), Lisbellaw (3pm), Londonderry (6am), Moneymore (6am), Muldonagh (9am), Newcastle (9am), Newry North (6am), Newry South (6am), Newtownards (9am), Plumbridge (2pm), Rostrevor (6am), Strabane (7:30am), Whitehead (6am) - BBC TWO analogue closes, BBCA starts.

Coverage Maps

On these maps, the full-service six-multiplex transmitters are shown with the "red star" Freeview logo. The public service three-multiplex masts are shown with a brown indicator. The green areas on the maps, are the areas where the strongest signal is from the shown transmitter region, with the light blue showing overlap areas where signals from other regions are stronger.

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

Another common problem at switchover is the increase in signal will overload amplifiers and over-the-top aerial installations. If this is the case you will have to remove the booster or amplifier from the system, or perhaps fit an attenuator if you have no amplification. - see Freeview signals: too much of a good thing is bad for you.



On Wednesday 24th October 2012 will see the second stage of switchover, which provides the final Freeview configuration, including Freeview HD for all transmitters in this region - see UK Free TV soon for full details.

Viewers with Freeview HD (DVB-T2) equipment who receive a signal from the Brougher Mountain, Black Mountain and Carnmoney Hill will also receive the "Northern Ireland Mini-Multiplex" and will receive RTE One and RTE Two and TG4. See Northern Ireland "mini multiplex" (NIMM)

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

If you are over 75, you should already have been supplied new equipment by the Switchover Help Scheme.

Originally published on 12th September 2012 at 09:00 by Brian Butterworth