All posts by KMJ, Derby
Below are all of KMJ, Derby's postings, with the most recent are at the bottom of the page.
David: Freeview equipment needs to have a DVB-T2 tuner to receive the HD channels currently on air, and yes it is expected that over time services will migrate to DVB-T2 transmission, so starting with the COM muxes in about 2018, viewers without suitable equipment will no longer be able to view the affected channels. The extra channels you mention which are due to start next year will be DVB-T2. They will use frequencies in the C31 to C37 section of group A and be transmitted at lower power than the existing services. As they are only planned for a few sites viewers who are in range might need to use an additional aerial pointing to a different transmitter in order to receive them. Advice regarding aerials is more difficult, as really any aerial needs to be suitable for the power and frequencies of the transmissions being received at the time. Eventually, if suggested changes take place to free up more spectrum for mobile phones, all transmitters will be using frequencies in either group A or group K. It is best not to replace aerials which are currently working ok until it becomes necessary in the future.
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colin1951uk: There is a plan for the COM muxes to each work as a SFN using C22, C25, C28. from all/most of the existing full Freeview sites. For this to take place it would be necessary to adopt DVB-T2 working. Whether the services on each mux decide to become HD, or remain as SD depends on the capacity versus number of services carried, and whether the broadcasters are interested in HD! It is likely that the shopping channels, for example, will remain in SD, as it is possible to fit in up to three SD channels instead of one HD channel. Remember that the Northern Ireland minimux carries SD channels on a DVB-T2 transmission. The new low power muxes currently being added to thirty sites are a carrot to encourage viewers to purchase DVB-T2 equipment in preparation for the possible change to DVB-T2 for the COM muxes in 2018. If and when PSB1 and PSB2 change to DVB-T2 is for Ofcom to decide, but will probably depend on how soon the majority of viewers aquire DVB-T2 Freeview tuners.
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Robert Hamilton: You are within range of a number of transmitters which give varying degrees of reliability according to the DUK predictions. The best reception is predicted to come from Rouncefall which is roughly NE of your location. This carries Look East for local news, but is only a Freeview lite transmitter. The fact that your aerial is set for Crystal Palace suggests that this is the most reliable full service transmitter, despite a "variable" prediction on five of the muxes. Sudbury is the only full service "Anglia" transmitter, giving variable reception on two of the COM muxes, but good reception on the other four. Whether the COM muxes would prove to be troublesome from Sudbury can really only be discovered .by trying it out, but it is fair to say that a number of posts have been made on this site about problems with ArqA and ArqB from that transmitter.
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Linda Dale:I'm not sure why BT would tell you to manual tune to C57, as that number is the position in the channel list when you have already stored BT sports. Try a manual tune for C41, the frequency for the SDN mux from The Wrekin to see if there is any signal present. Unless you have local obstructions in the signal path you are predicted to have good reception on all muxes from THe Wrekin, that is of course when using a suitable aerial ie Group K mounted for horizontal polarisation.
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Bill: When scanning for channels unplug the aerial between C38 and C47. That way you miss out the Sutton Coldfield frequencies. Make sure aerial is plugged in again at C47 for the remaining Waltham frequencies. The problem of lost channels when switching to standby is usually down to the memory capacity of the tuner being exceeded. If you have a channel delete facility removal from the channel list of non-viewable channels (pay TV) also provides a solution to this problem.
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bill: I would guess that when scanning with the aerial plugged in it would pause when C29 was found, then when it moves on try unplugging aerial till half way again. It looks like it is down to trial and error! Odd that it gives you a choice when multiple regions are found (a feature found on more recent models) yet omits to offer a manual tuning option. It remains to be seen too whether Sutton Coldfield BBC1 and ITV are found later as "new" channels.
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rob: When you buy a new box for DVB-T2, make sure that it includes a scart socket for connecting it to older equipment. Sadly some penny-pinching manufacturers are producing boxes with only HDMI for output.
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MikeB: The problem arises when the viewer has no intention of replacing their CRT tv, they merely want to add a DVB-T2 tuner to receive additional channels or continue to receive channels in the event of a DVT switch-off. I feel manufacturers should be required to provide connectability for older equipment as part of the process of encouraging viewers to aquire DVB-T2 tuners. Likewise anyone buying a tv could still want to connect games consoles, VCRs or DVD players that have scart outputs. Personally I find the harsh rasping sound on the present range of tv sets is enough reason to postpone indefinitely the purchase of any new flat panel model.
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rob: There is no scheduled re-tune for the remainder of this year. Unless there are technical changes to the configuration of the multiplexes you only need to re-tune if a new service is added to an existing mux (and you wish to view it) or a new mux is introduced which you wish to receive. 2014 will see local TV and/or additional HD muxes added to a number of masts, but your existing services are expected to continue on the current frequencies until around 2018 before frequencies could once again be shuffled about.
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Sunday 6 October 2013 2:37PM
FLYBY: There have been some technical changes to a number of services including H&C. You will need to re-tune to restore reception.