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Freeview channel numbers change on September 19th 2012

Following a consultation earlier in the year, from lunchtime on Wednesday 19th September, you will have to retune to get the new numbers allocated to some Freeview channels; in particular those used for News, Adult, Children and high definition services.

Following a consultation earlier in the year, from lunchtime on
published on UK Free TV

DMOL (DTT Multiplex Operators Ltd), the company that manages the channel numbers used on Freeview, have decided to make some changes to the allocations to allow the Freeview platform to grow over the next three to five years.

The changes will happen from lunchtime on Wednesday 19th September 2012. In summary the changes are:

  • Adult channels move to 171-198
  • News channels move to 131-150
  • Children's move to 121-130
    Proposed changes to the News and Children's genres will be put on hold pending the outcome of an appeal by Sky. All other changes will continue as planned on 19 September 2012.
  • HD channels move to 101-120
  • General entertainment channels now have 1-99
  • Text services move to 200-224
  • MHEG services move to 225-299
  • Interactive channels stay on 300-320
  • IPTV channels move to 400-499
  • Radio stays at 700-750
  • Manufacturer allocation remains 800-899


Adult channels move to 171-198

The "adult" channels on Freeview move up from 92-99 to start from 171. Channel 170 and 199 will be "bookend" pages to note the presence of the adult channels for those who flick up and down the channels.

171 Television X; 172 smileTV2, 173 smileTV3, 174 Babestn, 175 PARTY, 176 Blue, 177 Babestn2, 178 Playboy.

News channels move to 131-150

131 BBC NEWS, 132 BBC Parliament, 133 Sky News, 134 Al Jazeera 6-8, 135 Al Jazeera Eng, 136 Russia Today, 137 Community. Proposed changes to the News genre will be put on hold pending the outcome of an appeal by Sky. All other changes will continue as planned on 19 September 2012.

Children's move to 121-130

121 CBBC; 122 CBeebies, 123 CITV. Children's genre will be put on hold pending the outcome of an appeal by Sky. All other changes will continue as planned on 19 September 2012.

HD channels move to 101-120

The "normal" order of channels is restored to HD:

101 BBC One HD; 102 BBC HD [or BBC TWO HD]; 103 ITV1 HD or STV HD; 104 Channel 4 HD; 105 S4C Cirlun.

Note that S4C Cirlun is due to close at the end of the year. BBC TWO HD is planned to replace the BBC HD channel at some point in 2012.

General entertainment channels now have 1-99

There will be twice as many channel numbers now for "general entertainment", allocated on a first-come first-served basis. Most channels do not move numbers, except

48 Food Network; 49 The Jewellery Channel.

Channel 8 is reserved for the Local TV services in England and Northern Ireland, 45 for Local TV in Scotland and Wales.

100 is a "Navigation page", but only on Freeview HD.

Text services move to 200-224

200 BBC Red Button; 201 Teletext Holidays; 202 Rabbit; 203 Gay Rabbit; 204 1-2-1 Dating; 205 Mail Travel; 206 Sky Text.

MHEG services move to 225-299

225 VISION; 226 CCTV; 227 Sports Tonight; 228 Connect 1; 229 Connect 2; 230 Connect 3; 231 Racing TV; 232 The Space.

Interactive channels stay on 300-320

301 301; 302 302; 303 301 HD; 304 Channel 0; 305 TUTV Anytime 1; 306 TUTV Anytime 3; 307 TUTV Anytime 5; 208 TUTV Anytime 6.

IPTV channels move to 400-499

These will be used in future.

Radio stays at 700-750

No changes to radio.

Manufacturer allocation remains 800-899

No changes to manufacturer allocation.

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Comments
Thursday, 9 August 2012
I
Iain davies
sentiment_satisfiedGold

9:53 PM

This is becoming a right farse, when DSO was over everyone thought at last no more re-tunes. Who pays for this? Every time there is a re-tune I toddle off to my people and re-tune and say this is it now! They think I'm telling porkies, or some kind of halfwit that I don't know what I'm talking about.

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Iain davies's 351 posts GB flag
Saturday, 11 August 2012
John Buchanan
10:57 AM

"hear, hear" as to farce. This much worse than DSO. every Freeview set or box in the country has to be retuned. Who will be providing the help to all the over 75-year olds who needed help with DSO? When and how are the general public going to be told about this? I will have retune my TV, PVR and then go and do same with my father and my daughter. And to make it worse, I am away on holiday that week, as I was in June for DSO on Bluebell Hill.

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John Buchanan's 12 posts GB flag
J
jijones
11:47 AM

I notice channel 8 will become local tv in september. At the moment it is channel four from Welsh transmitters. Are we going to lose "four" in Wales? Congratsulations on very helpful site.

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jijones's 6 posts GB flag
Monday, 13 August 2012
J
jijones
2:47 PM
Buckley

Sorry. Just re-read the news and realise my mistake. Local TV going to be channel 8 England and 45 for Wales. Thank you!!

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jijones's 6 posts GB flag
jijones's: mapJ's Freeview map terrainJ's terrain plot wavesJ's frequency data J's Freeview Detailed Coverage
M
michael
sentiment_satisfiedGold

8:32 PM

Don't hold your breath. Local TV will only be commercially viable where programmes attract enough viewers to render advertising remunerative to bonus-hungry company directors. But, heck, the shopping and even lesser channels thrive, so maybe...

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michael's 869 posts GB flag
M
Mark Fletcher
sentiment_satisfiedGold

9:53 PM
Halifax

Michael.You may have a good point there concerning Local TV in your earlier text today at 8.32pm.You never know if Local TV ever does take off it will ultimately go down the road as ITV have done,almost national with only the local news bulletins and local commercial advertising left.
History will repeat itself here !

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Mark Fletcher's 673 posts GB flag
Mark's: mapM's Freeview map terrainM's terrain plot wavesM's frequency data M's Freeview Detailed Coverage
Tuesday, 14 August 2012
M
Maureen
9:42 AM
New Milton

Every afternoon until mid evening freeview channels from 10 to 31 disappear. A few return by 8pm but the rest are gone till morning.

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Maureen's 1 post GB flag
Maureen's: mapM's Freeview map terrainM's terrain plot wavesM's frequency data M's Freeview Detailed Coverage
M
Mark Fletcher
sentiment_satisfiedGold

1:36 PM
Halifax

Maureen.New Milton,BH25 5SZ.Having checked with the BBC Reception Test link provided with your text there are no problems reported as such.
I would strongly look up single frequency interference as a likely culprit !

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Mark Fletcher's 673 posts GB flag
Mark's: mapM's Freeview map terrainM's terrain plot wavesM's frequency data M's Freeview Detailed Coverage
Thursday, 16 August 2012
P
pat williamson
6:10 PM
Weymouth

my postcode is DT40RG and I am considering switching to Freeview, instead of Sky on my three year old Sharp TV. At the moment, when I remove the sky view card, my TV will let me watch most basic channels but I cant get ITV3, which is what we watch a lot.
Please can you tell me if I can get Freeview at my postcode, in Weymouth, and if I should get a set top box to receive ITV3. I notice also that in September 2012 the channels will change. My husband cant use the computer so could you send me a freeview information pack in the post please at 386 chickerell road, weymouth, DT40RG

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pat williamson's 1 post GB flag
pat's: mapP's Freeview map terrainP's terrain plot wavesP's frequency data P's Freeview Detailed Coverage
Dave Lindsay
sentiment_very_satisfiedPlatinum

6:57 PM

pat williamson: This is an independent site which isn't connected to any organisation involved in broadcasting, including Freeview.

You appear to be in a bungalow served by a communal terrestrial aerial which is pointing at the Weymouth transmitter. Unfortunately it doesn't carry ITV3 and isn't likely to in the future.

The Weymouth transmitter carries the following only:
- All BBC TV and radio stations
- ITV1, ITV1+1 and ITV2
- Channel 4, Channel 4+1, E4 and More 4
- Channel 5
- The two BBC HD channels, ITV1 HD and Channel 4HD.

For this reason, ITV3 is only available to you via satellite.

"Freesat from Sky" (FsFs) is available, although I'm not sure of the one-off cost. Maybe someone else reading this knows how much Sky charge existing customers for a FsFs card. Sky advertises the service on its website and says that the card is £175, but doesn't say whether this applies to Sky customers:
FREESAT from Sky - Call now to order

It also says that "For security reasons Viewing Cards may be inactivated from time to time. In this situation, if you wish to continue to receive all the encrypted Free to View channels, you will have to purchase a new viewing card at our then applicable standard charge." Only Sky could get away with offering a service that is free of any subscriptions and available for a "one off" payment that "may" need paying for again!!


There is also a service called "Freesat" (not to be confused with the afformentioned Freesat from Sky) which carries ITV3. This works with your existing dish and will require a different set-top box.

"If" the cost of a FsFs card is £175, then you may be better off getting a "Freesat" box.

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Dave Lindsay's 5,724 posts GB flag
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