UK Digital switchover ends - Northern Ireland completes on 24th October 2012
Brian Butterworth published on UK Free TV 
Starting just after midnight on Wednesday 24th October, the next switchover of 2012 will see the number of homes with digital-only terrestrial reception in the UK go up by 647,500 from 97.54% to completed.
Viewers in Northern Ireland who use the Brougher Mountain, Divis, or Limavady "full Freeview" transmitters (and about 43 smaller relay transmitters) will have no analogue television from Wednesday 24th October 2012. Unless you use cable or satellite to watch television, if you don't use a Freeview box or set, your screen will be blank.
Do not expect ANY FREEVIEW television service from midnight until 6am - or a late as mid-afternoon on some relay transmitters (see below for timetable). This means you will not be able to record Freeview programmes overnight. --- but you can watch online here - Watch live UK TV channels and listen to live radio now.
Most people need only perform a "full retune" (or "factory reset" or "shipping condition") on their Freeview box or TV, but it would be impossible with five million homes covered by the transmitters, for no-one to have a problem.
RTE One, RTE Two and TG4
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 RTE1, RTE2, TG4 special mini-multiplex from 24 October. Most other viewers will be able to watch services directly from transmitters in the republic. You will need the correct equipment:
Coverage Maps
From Wednesday 24th October 2012 you MUST have a digital television device to watch TV. If you do not have a digital receiver, from Wednesday will have a blank screen.
You will be served by the Freeview HD service from Wednesday, but please see this six-point checklist to ensure you really are watching in high definition: Are you really watching free TV in high definition?
Switchover help scheme
If you are over 75, get (or could get) Disability Living Allowance, Attendance Allowance, Constant Attendance Allowance or mobility supplement; or have lived in a care home for six months or more; or are registered blind or partially sighted and need assistance, please see The Switchover Help Scheme.
Cable and satellite
Cable (Virgin Media) and satellite (Sky, Freesat, fSfS) viewers are not affected by the changes. Remember, however, that you may be using analogue TV to watch on a second or third set and it might need a Freeview box.
Existing "full" Freeview users
If you already use Freeview, and can receive all the channels now, check your TV or box is not listed here - TVs and boxes that do not support the 8k-mode. If it is, you will need a new Freeview box.
If you are not on the list, you should scan your box from around 6am.
When you now rescan, you MUST do a "first time installation" or "factory reset" scan (sometimes called "shipping state"), not a simple "add channels". Do the procedure you did on "national retune day", September 30th 2009, see Freeview Retune - list of manuals.
If you can't recall the procedure or find the manual, please see generic clear and rescan procedure.
If you scanned during the first phase of switchover on Wednesday 10th October 2012 - you will have to do it again on Wednesday 24th October 2012.
Using Freeview with Windows Vista
Please see Switch over and PC-based systems because you need some updates for your system to work.Boosters and amplifiers
If you live close to the transmitter, you may have to disconnect any "boosters" from your aerial system. The new, more powerful digital signals may overload any amplifiers and result in no reception! When looking for them include a check for distribution amplifiers, loft boxes, set back amplifiers, bypass Amplifiers, hidden masthead amps in a loft space and any dodgy active splitters.For full details, see: Freeview signals: too much of a good thing is bad for you.
Homes with no Freeview at all will now have Freeview Light
If you had no Freeview service before, you will have the BBC channels digitally from Wednesday 10th October 2012. This is a single multiplex of the BBC channels (radio, television and text) for most people.
However, if you were on the fringes of reception from one of the main Freeview transmitters, you will now get all the Freeview channels.
If you didn't get this limited Freeview service on Wednesday 10th October 2012 then you may need a new aerial.
If you are served by a public service (relay) transmitter, which are:
Armagh (9am), Ballintoy (3pm), Ballycastle (9am), Banbridge (noon), Bangor (noon), Belcoo (noon), Bellair (9am), Benagh (3pm), Black Mountain (6am), Buckna (noon), Bushmills (noon), Camlough (9am), Carnmoney Hill (9am), Castlederg (9am), Claudy (3pm), Conlig (6am), Cushendall (noon), Cushendun (9am), Derrygonnelly (3pm), Draperstown (9am), Dromore (3pm), Ederny (noon), Glenariff (3pm), Glenelly Valley (2pm), Glynn (2pm), Gortnageeragh (6am), Gortnalee (3pm), Kilkeel (noon), Killowen Mountain (9am), Larne (7:30am), Leitrim (3pm), Lisbellaw (9am), Londonderry (6am), Moneymore (3pm), Muldonagh (noon), Newcastle (noon), Newry North (noon), Newry South (3pm), Newtownards (9am), Plumbridge (11am), Rostrevor (9am), Strabane (7:30am), Whitehead (11am)
...you now need, from around from 9am (unless shown otherwise) on 24th October 2012 to rescan, and you will get a second Multiplex with ITV 1, ITV 2, ITV 1 +1, Channel 4, Channel 5, Channel 4+1, E4 and More4.
And that's your lot if you have a standard Freeview receiver, see Freeview retune - poor public service transmitters.
You may wish to install Freesat for more channels, see Compare Freeview Light and Freesat TV.
Overlap with other regions
Because of the location of the transmitters, some viewers will find that they can pick up the signal from other BBC and ITV 1 regional studios.Those viewers with "Freeview HD" (or other so called D-Book 7) receivers will find they are presented with a menu to allow them to pick which BBC One region is shown on "button 1", and which ITV 1 regions appears as channel 3.
Viewers with older equipment may have to resort to doing a manual to get the correct signal for the desired transmitter.
All Freeview boxes automatically scan the available broadcast frequencies looking for channels, and they do this from C21 to C69. Older Freeview boxes will, if a duplicate version of a channel is found whilst scanning, such as another BBC One region, placed it in the 800-899 channel range.
Some Freeview boxes will pick the strongest signals for the "primary" number positions, and some will detect the different regions providing a choice when you perform a "scan for channels".
For more details, see: Digital Region Overlap
Originally published on 11th October 2012 at 00:00 by Brian Butterworth
Help with Freeview, aerials?
In this section
Tuesday, 25 September 2012
Friday, 28 September 2012
W
william1:31 PM
Hi all,i live in northern ireland,and was wondering if i were to buy a freeview box from mainland uk,will it work in northern ireland.Many thanks to all in advance.
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william: In general, yes. It will receive from the Freeview network in Northern Ireland.
However, there are a few points to note if you intend to use it to receive RT and TG4 from a terrestrial transmitter (if they are available in your area):
1. If you will be receiving RT/TG4 from one of the transmitters in the Republic, then the UK receiver may or may not work. One alternative is to use a separate Saorview set-top box for those services.
2. If you will be receiving RT/TG4 from one of the three NI Freeview transmitters (Black Mountain, Brougher Mountain and Carnmoney Hill), you won't need to worry about it being Saorview-compatible, but you will need to purchase a Freeview HD receiver in order to watch them.
This is because, even though the pictures will be standard definition, the transmission mode used for them will be DVB-T2 which is that used for HD services.
Ofcom has produced a leaflet on reception of RT/TG4 in Northern Ireland:
http://consumers.ofcom.or….pdf
Digital UK has published an Installer Newsletter:
http://www.digitaluk.co.u….pdf
Refer to page 7 under the heading "Freeview and Saorview products use different standards". If you intend to combine a Freeview aerial with an aerial on a Saorview transmitter (in the Republic) and (hopefully!) receive Saorview and Freeview channels on the same receiver, then it is probably worth seeking out some information as to which devices work with both.
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Saturday, 29 September 2012
Mark A.
5:00 PM
5:00 PM
Channel 5 will finally become a national TV channel on the 24th.
But is it the 5th national channel as it will start 2 weeks after BBC News, BBC Parliament and some part time BBC channels?
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Sunday, 30 September 2012
2:56 PM
i live in ballymoney if ibuy afreeview hd box will i be able to receive rte after the switchover from limavady
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frank: No, Limavady won't be broadcasting RT/TG4 because it has been deemed that there is sufficient overspill from transmitters in the Republic. Whether you can at your particular location is another matter. In your general area, Moville would seem the most likely.
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Wednesday, 3 October 2012
J
Jim Cassidy11:03 AM
A neighbour living in Ballymoney 55.038321, longitude: -6.467348, grid reference: NW146806 has received an HD set top box and had an aerial installed in his loft under the BBC Help Scheme. He asked for the HD box because he wants to receive digital TG4, RTE1 & RTE2 after switchover.
The installers insisted that one aerial will be sufficient to receive both Freeview from Limavady and saorview from Moville by directing it at a compass point somewhere in the angle between Limavady and Moville.
Will this one aerial really deliver both Freeview and Saorview channels?
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