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- I've removed all the out of date URLs on the site - especially those on https://ukfree.tv/channels/compare_tv/Defunct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?
Thursday, 3 August 2023
Brian Butterworth
8:51 AM
Shoreham-by-sea
8:51 AM
Shoreham-by-sea
Chris.SE: I will look into that. I suspect what when I wrote the auto-link thing I didn't consider that mast would be use for both radio and TV as this is a new thing! AM radio didn't need line of sight whereas higher frequency DAB does.
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Brian's: mapB's Freeview map terrainB's terrain plot wavesB's frequency data B's Freeview Detailed Coverage
Thursday, 24 August 2023
S
Steve Donaldson1:33 AM
Brian Butterworth: When typing a comment with some characters the website drops them when it posts the message. I have found this in the past with the degree symbol (U+00B0). I have to workaround it by writing "deg" instead.
Now I find that the E-with-acute-accent (U00C9) does not render. I wrote "RTE" (with the accent on the E) and it rendered "RT"!
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Monday, 28 August 2023
J
John Ormerod3:58 PM
A developer's life is not always a happy one...
John
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Saturday, 23 September 2023
W
wz11:05 PM
Straw poll time...Radio 4Extra in mono on DAB?
You can't listen to Radio 4 Extra in stereo on DAB (all but for the want of an extra 32 to 64kB/s)
It is however available in stereo on BBC sounds and via sat.
Given that 4Extra is the BBC's premier archive drama and comedy channel and much of the now broadcast output was originally made and broadcast in stereo, even binaural (especially important for drama), and that BBC radios 1,2 and 4 started broadcasting in stereo around 50 years ago (10 years earlier or more than that for Radio 3 and some regional stations), this was a very odd decision by the BBC, (originally made when 4Extra was Radio7).
I want to be able to listen in stereo on DAB, I don't want to be forced to use the internet to listen to (almost) contemporaneous radio.
P.S.
I appreciate this is only on topic here because of DAB transmitters but still I'm not going to let that deter me...
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Sunday, 24 September 2023
S
StevensOnln111:59 AM
wz: The only way for the BBC to make all of their stations available on DAB in stereo would be to convert them to DAB+ which would lead to millions of older DAB radios being unable to receive them as there is no spare capacity left on the BBC National mux. The BBC have already announced plans to close Radio 4 Extra as a linear station and make archive content available on BBC Sounds, so it's unlikely that it will ever exist in stereo on DAB.
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Monday, 25 September 2023
The problem with local DAB multiplexes is that they do not seem to be maintained to the same level as regional or national DAB transmitter sites even though in many cases such as the multiplex at Fort Widley near Portsmouth they share the sights so there should be equal maintenance for the local multiplexes.
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Monday, 9 October 2023
C
Chris.SE2:16 PM
Brian:
There seems to be a bug in the system at present, posts did not appear to be returning to the page on which it's posted (hence 4 copies on the Bilsdale page_ BUT it seem it's because at the current time of posting they are taking a VERY VERY VERY long time to appear!
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