UK Free TV fix 3: fix everything else...
A few more fixes Photograph: Shutterstock
Yes, UK Free TV did just pass 21 years online! We started here back on 5th July 2002!
I've fixed several things:
- I've removed all the out of date URLs on the site - especially those on https://ukfree.tv/channels/compare_tv/Defunct
- I have activated all the URLs in comments that were pending my approval
- I've fixed the code to allow it to run as PHP8.2 which has some annoying a new "features" in that it stops working with a "500 error" when the code fails to pre-define object variables.
- The site has HTTP2 enabled now
- I've changed the way the page cache works so people comments appear quickly.
- I have disabled about 1,000 "Bounce and complaints" email addresses
- I've removed a few spam messages that got thought the filters
- I've set all the Archived pages to show up in their menus again: I was using Google Analytics 3 to do this and it's been discontinued.
As far as I can tell pages like https://ukfree.tv/extras/BBC_Engineeering are still working and the TV prediction an DAB radio prediction still show their maps and station lists.
I will, shortly be writing some "content" about the future of Freeview and DTT, but I needed to get everything else working first.
B
Help with Freeview, aerials?
Monday, 24 July 2023
A
Annie Bevis3:17 PM
To Brian, thank you for everything you do, it's greatly appreciated.
| link to this comment |
C
Chris.SE6:15 PM
Nottingham
Brian Butterworth:
Thanks for that Brian. No doubt there are still some others outstanding from my list, I'll update you when I go through it and can do so.
Here's one I stumbled across yesterday. If one refers to Preseli it generates a url which does not go to
Preseli (Pembrokeshire, Wales) Full Freeview transmitter | free and easy for 21 years (where the page is correctly called Preseli) but goes to https://ukfree.tv/maps/fr…iew.
Your list of TV Mast locations refers (correctly) to Preseli aka Presely.
It would be nice if the url for both Presely & Preseli goes to Preseli (Pembrokeshire, Wales) Full Freeview transmitter | free and easy for 21 years
Thanks again.
| link to this comment |
Chris.SE's: mapC's Freeview map terrainC's terrain plot wavesC's frequency data C's Freeview Detailed Coverage
C
Chris.SE8:15 PM
Brian Butterworth::
ARGH! Thought I experienced a brief appearance yesterday when reading a post but it never happened again ..... but NOW just had it when re-reading this thread.
ADS appearing (twice) in the middle of the post - wherever there was a carriage return I think!
It makes reading a post almost impossible when there is complex technical content in the post.
Brian, is there anything you can do to stop them appearing part-way through posts like this? At the start or end would be acceptable, but not in the middle.
| link to this comment |
J
John Youngs10:10 PM
Well done Brian. I am not sure how large your support team are, or even if you are a loan operator.
I appreciate your efforts and it is good to see this site coming back to life.
Regards John .
| link to this comment |
Tuesday, 25 July 2023
C
Chris.SE9:41 PM
Spam - https://ukfree.tv/extras/…6481
Totally separate issue, all posts - Flags of posting country not appearing, just a placeholder.
| link to this comment |
Wednesday, 26 July 2023
M
Michael10:58 AM
Brian, you have been stalwart from the beginning. Thanks for all the input to update the site. Much appreciated!
| link to this comment |
Thursday, 27 July 2023
Brian Butterworth
5:38 PM
Wakefield
5:38 PM
Wakefield
Chris.SE: Ah, the flag codes are lower case, they have now returned.
| link to this comment |
Brian's: mapB's Freeview map terrainB's terrain plot wavesB's frequency data B's Freeview Detailed Coverage
Brian Butterworth
5:41 PM
Wakefield
5:41 PM
Wakefield
Chris.SE: I've made the code allow all forms of transmitter name variants such as the following.
"Beacon_Hill_A" => "Beacon_Hill",
"Mynydd_Pencarreg" => "Myndd_Pencarreg",
"ClactononSea", "Clacton-on-Sea" => "Clacton",
"Wyke" => "Wye",
"Winterbourne_Stickland" => "Winterborne_Stickland",
"Ilchester_Cresent" => "Bristol_Ilchester_Crescent",
"Gartley_Moor" => "Gartly_Moor",
"gartley_moor" => "Gartly_Moor",
"Glencolumbkille" => "Glencolumcille",
"Cwmafan" => "Cwmafon",
"Berwick-Upon-Tweed", "BERWICK-UPON-TWEED" => "Berwick",
"Churchdown" => "Churchdown_Hill",
"Henley" => "Henley-on-thames",
"Kimmeragh" => "Kilkeaveragh",
"Bincombe_(temporary)" => "Bincombe",
"Rostrevor_Forest" => "Rostrevor",
"Rouncefall_new" => "Rouncefall",
"Exeter_St_Thomas" => "Exeter_(St_Thomas)",
"Emley_Moor_(U)" => "Emley_Moor",
"GREAT YARMOUTH" => "Great_Yarmouth",
"Croydon_Old_Town" => "Croydon_(Old_Town)",
"Tarbert_Harris" => "Tarbert_(Harris)",
"Brighton_Central" => "Brighton_(Central)",
"Eastbourne_Old_Town" => "Eastbourne_(Old_Town)",
"Hastings_Old_Town" => "Hastings_(Old_Town)",
"HAZLER HILL" => "Hazler_Hill",
"Bincombe_Hill" => "Bincombe",
| link to this comment |
Brian's: mapB's Freeview map terrainB's terrain plot wavesB's frequency data B's Freeview Detailed Coverage
Brian Butterworth
5:50 PM
Wakefield
5:50 PM
Wakefield
Also fixed is the My Freeview predict system. It no longer calls the webserver as an API, which was causing the server to lock up!
As far as I can tell you can see all the technical information for a location, view the history, view the terrain plots, the map is interactive and the radio option works too.
I've also cached the images in CloudFront in the "Read this section" so they work with all browsers.
| link to this comment |
Brian's: mapB's Freeview map terrainB's terrain plot wavesB's frequency data B's Freeview Detailed Coverage
Select more comments
Your comment please