Full Freeview on the Tacolneston (Norfolk, England) transmitter
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The symbol shows the location of the Tacolneston (Norfolk, England) transmitter which serves 330,000 homes. The bright green areas shown where the signal from this transmitter is strong, dark green areas are poorer signals. Those parts shown in yellow may have interference on the same frequency from other masts.
Are there any planned engineering works or unexpected transmitter faults on the Tacolneston (Norfolk, England) mast?
Tacolneston transmitter - Tacolneston transmitter: Possible effect on TV reception week commencing 04/11/2024 Pixelation or flickering on some or all channels 
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Digital television services are broadcast on a multiplexes (or Mux) where many stations occupy a single broadcast frequency, as shown below.
64QAM 8K 3/4 27.1Mb/s DVB-T MPEG2
DTG-12 QSPK 8K 3/4 8.0Mb/s DVB-T MPEG2
H/V: aerial position (horizontal or vertical)
Which Freeview channels does the Tacolneston transmitter broadcast?
If you have any kind of Freeview fault, follow this Freeview reset procedure first.Digital television services are broadcast on a multiplexes (or Mux) where many stations occupy a single broadcast frequency, as shown below.
64QAM 8K 3/4 27.1Mb/s DVB-T MPEG2
DTG-12 QSPK 8K 3/4 8.0Mb/s DVB-T MPEG2
H/V: aerial position (horizontal or vertical)
Which BBC and ITV regional news can I watch from the Tacolneston transmitter?
BBC Look East (East) 0.8m homes 3.2%
from Norwich NR2 1BH, 16km northeast (37°)
to BBC East region - 27 masts.
70% of BBC East (East) and BBC East (West) is shared output
ITV Anglia News 0.8m homes 3.2%
from NORWICH NR1 3JG, 16km northeast (38°)
to ITV Anglia (East) region - 26 masts.
All of lunch, weekend and 80% evening news is shared with Anglia (West)
Are there any self-help relays?
| Gt Yarmouth | Transposer | 1 km S town centre | 30 homes |
| Lowestoft (2) | Transposer | Rotterdam Rd | 125 homes |
How will the Tacolneston (Norfolk, England) transmission frequencies change over time?
| 1950s-80s | 1984-97 | 1997-98 | 1998-2011 | 2011-13 | 2013-18 | 2013-17 | 17 Jul 2018 | ||
| VHF | C/D E | C/D E | C/D E | E | E T | W T | W T | ||
| C3 | BBCtvwaves | ||||||||
| C31 | com7 | com7 | |||||||
| C32 | _local | ||||||||
| C37 | com8 | com8 | |||||||
| C39 | +ArqB | +ArqB | ArqB | ||||||
| C40 | BBCA | ||||||||
| C42 | SDN | SDN | SDN | SDN | |||||
| C43 | D3+4 | ||||||||
| C45 | ArqA | ArqA | ArqA | ArqA | |||||
| C46 | BBCB | ||||||||
| C50tv_off | BBCB | BBCB | |||||||
| C52tv_off | C5waves | C5waves | |||||||
| C55tv_off | BBC2waves | BBC2waves | BBC2waves | -BBCA | -BBCA | -BBCA | com7tv_off | ||
| C56tv_off | COM8tv_off | ||||||||
| C57tv_off | LNR | LNR | |||||||
| C59tv_off | ITVwaves | ITVwaves | ITVwaves | -D3+4 | -D3+4 | -D3+4 | |||
| C62 | BBC1waves | BBC1waves | BBC1waves | BBCB | |||||
| C65 | C4waves | C4waves | C4waves |
tv_off Being removed from Freeview (for 5G use) after November 2020 / June 2022 - more
Table shows multiplexes names see this article;
green background for transmission frequencies
Notes: + and - denote 166kHz offset; aerial group are shown as A B C/D E K W T
waves denotes analogue; digital switchover was 9 Nov 11 and 23 Nov 11.
How do the old analogue and currrent digital signal levels compare?
| Analogue 1-4 | 250kW | |
| SDN, ARQA, ARQB, BBCA, D3+4, BBCB | (-4dB) 100kW | |
| com7 | (-9.6dB) 27.4kW | |
| com8 | (-10.2dB) 24kW | |
| Mux 1*, Mux 2*, LNR | (-14dB) 10kW | |
| Mux A*, Mux B*, Mux C*, Mux D* | (-17dB) 5kW | |
| Analogue 5 | (-18dB) 4kW |
Local transmitter maps
Tacolneston Freeview Tacolneston DAB Tacolneston TV region BBC East Anglia (East micro region)Which companies have run the Channel 3 services in the Tacolneston transmitter area
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Monday, 13 March 2017
S
StevensOnln111:08 PM
Trevor Birkbeck: Mux C was one of the commercial multiplexes that existed before digital switchover.
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Saturday, 10 June 2017
C
Christopher Webster4:26 AM
I see from next year we have yet another massive overhaul of the spectrum and we will see com7 & com8 removed!
Seriously? Com7 is the best Mux on Freeview, BBC News HD, RT HD, BBC 4 HD, 4seven HD & Channel 4+1 HD.
So we will loose the best mux, probably need a new aerial as we currently have a wide-band.
This whole DSO has been a farce, we have had two new aerials, two new set top boxes (one for the original DSO and one to get HD via DVB-T2)
Now it looks like another aerial will be required, possibly next year and with that the loss of 2 muxes, all for bloody mobile services.
It's almost as if the government are forcing people to subscribe to Sky, or at the very least, push all TV online via streaming so they can use the TX's solely for mobile services.
I thought the satellites dealt with mobile services?
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MikeP
10:30 AM
10:30 AM
Christopher Webster:
I'm afraid you've missed the point. The changes planned will mean that COM7 and COM8 will no longer be needed as other multiplexes are transferred to DVB-T2 coding which will provide more channels than currently available. So the COM7&8 services will transfer to new multiplexes and not be 'lost'.
As you already have a wide band aerial, you will not need to change that either as it already covers all the frequencies available for TV broadcasts now and in the foreseeable future.
Satellites cannot provide services to any conventional mobile phones. You need a specialised type of phone to get any signals from the communications satellites. 'Normal' phones use ground based transmitters all around the country and serve most of the populated areas but less so in the more rural areas.
So you will not lose anything and not have to obtain any new equipment if you already have DVB-T2 equipment for Freeview HD. All you will need to do is a proper retune. The cost to you is zero. Then you can enjoy all the available programmes that you currently enjoy and perhaps more as new services start.
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M
MikeB7:25 PM
Peterborough
MikeP: Totally agree. And why would anyone have to get a new aerial for HD services? Thats sounds like someone was conned.
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MikeB's: mapM's Freeview map terrainM's terrain plot wavesM's frequency data M's Freeview Detailed Coverage
Sunday, 11 June 2017
C
Christopher Webster3:26 AM
Hello MikeP,
Thank you very much for clearing up what will happen in 2018, to be honest we feel as if we have been conned throughout the DSO.
We originally had to have a new aerial installed when the digital services started and it had to be pointed to Tacolneston as we were receiving our signal from the Norwich relay.
I am not sure what aerial type was installed, but it cost over 150 with fitting.
We also at that time had to purchase a set top box, but we were unaware of what DVB-T and DVB-T2 was and at the time Tacolneston was not even transmitting any DVB-T2 muxes so we ended up with a DVB-T only set top box, when HD services started we had to purchase a DVB-T2 capable TV to get the HD channels but for some reason it would not work, we called in a guy who suggested we needed a wideband aerial, so we had one installed at a cost of 170, it must have worked because since then we have had HD and all the muxes transmitted from Tacolneston.
When I heard about the 700mhz band sell off and the changes in 2018 I feared we would have to spend yet more money!
It's good to know that no services or channels will be lost with the adaption to all the muxes becoming DVBT-T2, but i fear for people who only have DVB-T boxes or TV's as they will have to spend money on an upgrade.
Hello MikeB,
I fear you may be correct, not being technically minded it is of course possible we were conned in to buying a new aerial we did not need to get HD.
This is why we believe the whole DSO has been a farce. Aerial installers are taking advantage of people, as are TV and set-top box retailers.
On the plus side I now know what a multiplex is, what frequencies they are transmitted on and the difference between DVB-T and DVB-T2.
Thank you both for your replies.
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MikeB11:03 AM
Peterborough
Christopher Webster: My parents-in-law live in North Norfolk and I get a fair number of customers from there, so I understand the confusion to some extent - reception in that area is often difficult owing to the local geography.
The only reason you might have needed a new aerial at DSO was if your old one didn't work, or had become so degraded that a new one was required. There is no such thing as a 'digital aerial'. However, 150 plus VAT was reasonable, albeit it didn't seem to work!
Likewise, there was no need for you to buy a T2 equiped TV to cope with HD (I sold a lot of TV's at the time because people WANTED to upgrade, but they didn't have to) - if your TV was a flat screen, then a HD PVR would have both replaced your often by then useless VCR and got you HD on your TV. However, if you were in the market for a new TV anyway, no harm done.
However, you now have an HD TV with a HD tuner, and thats fine.
Did installers take advantage of people regarding aerials? Many did. Manufacturers got a lift, but to be honest, a lot of TV's were sold that would have been bought at some point anyway, but just at a later date. They really didn't try to take advantage of anyone.
But one of the problems with DSO was that Digital UK trained us all in the trade, often using their experience with the early DSO's, plus sent a very useful booklet out to everyone - many of which then didn't bother reading it. And then at least perhaps bought things they didn't absolutely require out of panic/ignorance, and at worst got taken for a ride.
The media printed often incorrect information, and frankly, a lot of people just didn't make any attempt to understand what they needed, confused themselves, and now complain they were 'fooled' to do the wrong thing.
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MikeB's: mapM's Freeview map terrainM's terrain plot wavesM's frequency data M's Freeview Detailed Coverage
Tuesday, 27 June 2017
C
Christopher Webster10:56 AM
@MikeP
I just did the math and currently over the 9 muxes the capacity is a total of 231.1 MB/s, when the switch to all DVT-T2 coding occurs (reducing to just 6 muxes) the capacity will be a total of 241.2 MB/s. (assuming they all use DTG6 (40.1 MB/s) ).
This will give a gain of just 10.1 MB/s capacity (enough for say 2 HD or 5 SD channels), obviously h.264 is way ahead of mpeg2 in terms of efficiency, but many channels at present are ridiculous frame sizes and bit rates (Sky News for example is a mere 544x576i anamorphic at an avg of 1.3 MB/s)
I can see the broadcasters maintaining these ridiculous frame sizes and bit rates just to cram more channels on to the muxes, maximizing ad revenue.
I was watching the cycling on ITV4 last night and even though it is 720x576i anamorphic the picture quality was pretty much unwatchable due to pixelation and the fast motion.
It was no better than some dodgy illegal stream using flash or a youtube video in 240p from 2008 :)
I hope h.264 addresses these issues, but I fear we will see the same poor PQ just in h/264 instead of mpeg2. I hope to be proven wrong.
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MikeB2:29 PM
Peterborough
Christopher Webster: ITV4 is SD isn't unwatchable - its perfectly fine on my HD Ready set, and even with cycling, the motion blur shouldn't be that bad and I have no idea what you mean by 'pixallation'.
If your motion blur is that bad, that says more about your panel than the bit rate of the transmission...
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MikeB's: mapM's Freeview map terrainM's terrain plot wavesM's frequency data M's Freeview Detailed Coverage
C
Christopher Webster3:36 PM
There is nothing wrong with my panel, it's a 28 Inch Benq with a decent 3000:1 contrast ratio (that's a real contrast ratio, not some made-up dynamic 10 billion to 1 'sales pitch' ratio) it also has a 4ms response time for GtG.
Why be so flippant, it is obvious that is a typo and I was referring to pixelation. :)
ITV4 is unwatchable when it comes to high motion sports like cycling which also has to deal with massive shifts in contrast (under the trees in dark shade to open sunshine on the open road and the colours of the teams kit and surrounding countryside, coupled with motorcycle and helicopter wide angle shots)
ITV4 is using around 2.5MB/s, that is pathetic when using mpeg2 for high-motion sports, especially at 576i anamorphic WS even on a modest 28" screen with a 1920x1080 native resolution.
How anyone can defend the PQ on Freeview is laughable, even the so-called 1080i HD is pathetic at 5MB/s - 6MB/s avg, compared to the SD it looks glorious, but compared to true HD it looks poor.
We now have manufacturers pushing 4K TV's, how good will they look up-scaling a 544x476i SD Freeview picture in mpeg2?
It's almost as if FTA is being used to force people to Sky, VM, Frreesat and on-line streaming services.
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MikeB5:05 PM
Peterborough
Christopher Webster: So your watching it on a PC monitor? With a 3000:1 contrast ratio? Bully for you. To be fair, a Sony X930 (4K) TV is pretty much double that, but OK.
But here's the thing - I've seen cycling on ITV4 in SD on a decent (but relatively cheap) LG 768 panel and on a top of the range Samsung HD, and neither case is there that much motion blur, or at least not enough to make it unwatchable. How close are you to the screen, and you using any motion control?
And what do you mean by 'True HD'? Since, as far as I'm aware, Sky also transmit in 1080i, there is no real difference between Sky and Freeview, so if you want 'true HD', then you'll have to use blu ray.
I always advise my customers to watch as much HD content as possible if they are buying a 4K set (which the bulk of them now are) - SD is a huge upscaling task for even the best set, and it wont look great on a 4k set.
You miss the point about T2, as Brian pointed out a decade ago -
The "secret" Ofcom plan for Freeview HDTV: DVB-T2
its not just the bandwidth that might increase, but the compression is that much more efficient as well.
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