menuMENU    UK Free TV logo Archive (2002-)

 

 

Click to see updates

Four million homes in Yorkshire, West Midlands "go digital" tonight

One in six UK homes will receive their last ever analogue television signals tonight - in a single stroke four million homes get high power digital television.

One in six UK homes will receive their last ever analogue telev
published on UK Free TV
Tonight, the number of homes with digital-only reception in the UK goes from one half (47.3%) to two thirds (62.5%).

Viewers in the West Midlands and most of Yorkshire that use the Brierley Hill, Emley Moor, Fenton, Idle, Keighley (and their relay transmitters) will have no analogue television from Wednesday 21st September 2011. Unless you use cable or satellite to watch television, if you don't use a Freeview box or set, your screen will be blank.

Most people need only perform a "full retune" on their Freeview box or TV, but it would be impossible with 4,002,886 homes covered by the transmitters, for no-one to have a problem.



From Wednesday 21st September 2011 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.

Do not expect a terrestrial television service from midnight until 6am - or a late as lunchtime on relay transmitters (see below).

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 7th September 2011 - you will have to do it again on Wednesday 21st September 2011.

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 without Freeview now have Freeview Light

If you had no Freeview service before, you will have the BBC channels digitally from Wednesday 7th September 2011. 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 7th September 2011 then you may need a new aerial.

If you are served by a public service (relay) transmitter, which are:

In Yorkshire, Addingham (3pm), Armitage Bridge (noon), Batley (9am), Beecroft Hill (7.30am), Blackburn In Rotherham, Bradford West (noon), Calver Peak (noon), Cleckheaton (noon), Conisbrough, Cop Hill (9am), Copley (9am), Cornholme, Cowling (noon), Cragg Vale (3pm), Cullingworth (noon), Edale, Elland, Grassington (9am), Hagg Wood (9am), Halifax (9am), Headingley (9am), Hebden Bridge (9am), Heyshaw, Holmfield (3pm), Holmfirth (noon), Hope (noon), Keighley Town (9am), Kettlewell (noon), Longwood Edge (3pm), Luddenden (noon), Lydgate (9am), Millhouse Green, Oughtibridge (noon), Oxenhope (3pm), Primrose Hill (9am), Ripponden (noon), Shatton Edge (noon), Skipton (9am), Skipton Town (noon), Stocksbridge (9am), Sutton in Craven (9am), Tideswell Moor (noon), Todmorden (noon), Walsden (1pm), Walsden South (4pm), Wharfedale (9am), Wheatley or Wincobank (noon).

In the West Midlands and use the Allesley Park (noon), Brailes (9am), Bretch Hill (noon), Bridgnorth (9am), Cheadle (9am), Earl Sterndale, Edgbaston (9am), Gib Heath (noon), Gravelly Hill (3pm), Haden Hill (9am), Hamstead (9am), Harborne (noon), Hartington (3pm), Ipstones Edge (noon), Ironbridge (noon), Kenilworth, Kidderminster (9am), Kinver (noon), Leamington Spa (9am), Leek (9am), Long Compton (noon), Oakamoor (noon), Perry Beeches (noon), Queslett, Redditch (9am), Repton (3pm), Rugeley (noon), Tenbury Wells (9am), Turves Green (noon), Whittingslow (noon), Winchcombe, Winshill (9am) or Woodford Halse

...you now need, from around from 6am (unless shown otherwise) on 21st September 2011 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.

Everyone who has digital-only terrestrial TV now has the ability to receive Freeview HD, see below.

Digital regional overlap

The old analogue TV signals provided lots of nations and regions for the public service channels, and these have large areas of overlap.

The old low power digital TV signals were at very low levels and reception of signals from more than one transmitter was a rare event.

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 of the latest 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".

The 800-899 is easy to access by pressing CH- from 1, and in most programme guides is just a single scroll up.

For more details, see: Digital Region Overlap

Freeview HD

Freeview HD will start on Wednesday 21st September 2011 from Brierley Hill, Emley Moor, Fenton, Idle, Keighley and all the relay transmitters. You will need a Freeview HD - DVB-T2 receiver to watch the channels. An HD "Ready" TV set with Freeview is not enough.

Help with Freeview, aerials?
How do I get a test card with Freeview1
I would like to know if it is possible to receive UK terrestrial Freeview servic2
I have been told I would receive too much singal from my Freeview tansmitter as 3
Can my Freeview box receive more than one BBC and ITV region?4
Is it true that my 87 year old mother is entitled to a FREE upgrade when the ana5
In this section
Should the UK close down the TV networks to allow for more mobile broadband? 1
UK Digital switchover ends - Northern Ireland completes on 24th October 20122
The last day of analogue television in the UK - goodbye PAL3
2 days left of analogue television - goodbye teletext4
3 days of analogue to go - goodbye to NICAM 7285
Changes to Saorview frequencies and power levels, 24th October 20126

Comments
Tuesday, 20 September 2011
M
Mike Dimmick
sentiment_very_satisfiedPlatinum

5:25 PM

Briantist: For the relay times, it looks like you've used the times from Stage 1. The stage 2 times are:

By 6am EMLEY MOOR, Blackburn in Rotherham, Conisbrough, Cornholme, Edale, Elland, Heyshaw, Idle, Keighley, Millhouse Green, Wheatley
By 7.30am Beecroft Hill
By 9am Batley, Cop Hill, Copley, Grassington, Hagg Wood, Halifax, Headingley, Hebden Bridge, Keighley Town, Lydgate, Primrose Hill, Skipton, Stocksbridge, Sutton in Craven, Wharfedale
By 12 noon Armitage Bridge, Bradford West, Calver Peak, Cleckheaton, Cowling, Cullingworth, Holmfirth, Hope, Kettlewell, Luddenden, Oughtibridge, Ripponden, Shatton Edge, Skipton Town, Tideswell Moor, Todmorden, Wincobank
By 1pm Walsden
By 3pm Addingham, Cragg Vale, Holmfield, Longwood Edge, Oxenhope
By 4pm Walsden South

By 6am SUTTON COLDFIELD, Brierley Hill, Earl Sterndale, Kenilworth, Malvern, Queslett
By 9am Brailes, Bridgnorth, Cheadle, Edgbaston, Haden Hill, Hamstead, Kidderminster, Leamington Spa, Leek, Redditch, Tenbury Wells, Winchcombe, Winshill, Woodford Halse
By 12 noon Allesley Park, Bretch Hill, Gib Heath, Harborne, Ipstones Edge, Ironbridge, Kinver, Long Compton, Oakamoor, Perry Beeches, Rugeley, Turves Green, Whittingslow
By 3pm Gravelly Hill, Hartington, Repton

Seems odd that they would do things in a different order at Stage 2 compared to Stage 1, but that's what it says.

I suspect Walsden South is 4pm because it depends on Walsden, which depends on Todmorden, which has a retune on BBC A. Todmorden depends on Cornholme, which also has a BBC A retune. Nice big chain there!

link to this comment
Mike Dimmick's 2,486 posts GB flag
M
Mike Dimmick
sentiment_very_satisfiedPlatinum

5:27 PM

Edgbaston isn't auto-linking - it should point to Edgbaston digital switchover date | ukfree.tv - independent free digital TV advice .

link to this comment
Mike Dimmick's 2,486 posts GB flag
KB Aerials Sheffield
sentiment_satisfiedSilver

7:07 PM
Sheffield

Looks like fun and games tomorrow - ive already got a full day of retunes to do that I acquired on the 7th of september as some people simply cannot do the retunes no matter how hard you try and explain

one guy who was in his 80's I went to on the 7th had such a vast array of different branded products in 5 different rooms that it was impossible to explain the tuning method of every different component

Along with a guy in Eckington ( S21 )who could never receive Emley moor before is chomping at the bit to get correct regional news !

Got to say I told him it may be possible but untill I test reception I dont know if its possible!

I think theres going to be a lot of people who can now receive the correct news who have NEVER been able to and by changing their aerial from a group A to a group B on Emley

From what I can see people in sheffield are sick and tired of being told about scarbourgh and lincolnshire from Belmont or Central from Waltham transmitter !


Keith KB Aerials Sheffield

link to this comment
KB Aerials Sheffield's 274 posts GB flag
KB's: mapK's Freeview map terrainK's terrain plot wavesK's frequency data K's Freeview Detailed Coverage
J
John Gleeson
7:57 PM

Bang goes totally live TV. There will always now be a slight delay. Will that always be the case?

Due to the Digital Switchover, not that I'm experiencing any reception problems, I will still miss analogue teletext, as I'm able to access teletext pages far quicker there than I seem to be able to in Digital TV mode. As well as that I don't as far as I know think you can access text mixed with picture like you can on Ceefax. I found this very useful for keeping abreast of the latest sports results like cricket, football etc, while at the same time watching a programme such as a film. On Digital text you only get either split screen or a full page of text in which you are unable to see the TV picture that you want to see. You can only hear the TV sound. Do you know if this can be modified?

Recently I went to the England v India cricket Test Match @ Edgbaston in which I also took a DAB radio to listen to the commentary on 5Live Sports Extra. However it was rather disconcerting though to hear the live commentary up to nearly 2 seconds after witnessing the action in the flesh at the ground. Again is there no way around this happening with digital broadcasting?

Do you know if there's any likelyhood of BBC local radio stations ever appearing on Freeview? I know that stations like Radio Scotland, Wales, Cymru, Ulster do in their respective regions. I would like to see it happen. Radio stations don't use up anything like the bandwidth TV stations need, do they?

In a small way sad to see analogue broadcasting diappear.

link to this comment
John Gleeson's 13 posts GB flag
Briantist
sentiment_very_satisfiedOwner

8:08 PM

John Gleeson: TV is still live, it is just not instantaneous. Please see How digital television works | ukfree.tv - independent free digital TV advice .

You can't modify the layouts on the BBC Red Button service, there are just "the bridge" (transparent overlay), "quarter screen" and "full screen". That's it. If you want more, try online.

DAB radio is also multiplexed, there is an inbuilt delay in the system, so no you can't do anything about it.

Also, BBC local radio will not appear on Freeview because the TV regions are much larger than the radio ones and the BBC regard it as impracticable to put them on.

link to this comment
Briantist's 38,915 posts GB flag
Briantist
sentiment_very_satisfiedOwner

8:20 PM

Mike Dimmick: Thanks for pointing that out, I have corrected the article.

link to this comment
Briantist's 38,915 posts GB flag
J
jordan
sentiment_satisfiedBronze

9:11 PM
Wolverhampton

brian when analog switches off on sutton coldfield will it got to a black screen on brierley hill and then it will go off

link to this comment
jordan's 25 posts GB flag
jordan's: mapJ's Freeview map terrainJ's terrain plot wavesJ's frequency data J's Freeview Detailed Coverage
J
John Jordan
9:45 PM
Sheffield

John Gleeson: I couldn't agree more. After using Ceefax daily for more than 20 years I too now miss it. I was wondering (Briantist/Mike) if the Bilsdale analogue service will continue with Ceefax until it switches next September? Or maybe the BBC will pull the Ceefax plug when Crystal Palace switches? Being able to receive Bilsdale means, if I'm sad enough, I could set up an aerial just for a Ceefax fix. I know, I need to get out more!

link to this comment
John Jordan's 10 posts GB flag
John's: mapJ's Freeview map terrainJ's terrain plot wavesJ's frequency data J's Freeview Detailed Coverage
Briantist
sentiment_very_satisfiedOwner

9:49 PM

John Jordan: Ceefax, or what is left of it, will continue until the final shutdown in Nortern Ireland in late 2012.

As you would expect, the current service is fed from the BBC News CMS that drives the website, Red Button and mobile services.

There is also a residual service on some BBC World broadcasts that carry, for some reason, a very small UK news service.

link to this comment
Briantist's 38,915 posts GB flag
Briantist
sentiment_very_satisfiedOwner

9:56 PM

jordan: Brierley Hill is "line fed" so it is not dependant on the off-air output of Sutton Coldfield, however, I would expect there will be a synchronised turn off of services over all the main ("Full Freeview") transmitters.

link to this comment
Briantist's 38,915 posts GB flag
Select more comments
Page 1

Your comment please
Please post a question, answer or commentUK Free TV is here to help people. If you are rude or disrespectful all of your posts will be deleted and you will be banned.







Privacy policy: UK Free Privacy policy.