All posts by Mike Dimmick
Below are all of Mike Dimmick's postings, with the most recent are at the bottom of the page.
Stan Ball: Note that Mux C has moved from C48 to C51 in order to let Sandy Heath have C48; in turn this allows Sandy Heath to release a channel that Sutton Coldfield will need next week.
It means you will need to delete and retune all Mux C channels as well as the BBC ones.
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chrism42: No, it probably doesn't apply in Cambridge, I think it just applies to the south face. The power might still be restricted too, though, not just the position.
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Richard: No, it's definitely stronger. See Freeview signals: too much of a good thing is bad for you | ukfree.tv - independent free digital TV advice for the problems this can cause for viewers close to the transmitter.
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Dawn: For other suggestions, see Digital Region Overlap. The only real solution is a new box that tunes in best quality signals and/or asks you which region to use if it picks up more than one.
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Richard: No, there will not be any new multiplexes. The 'local' services on C56 are at least 18 months away. It will require some engineering work as you'll have spotted that Ofcom are proposing three different services using the same channel - the aerials will have to be carefully constructed to avoid these services interfering with each other.
There could later be services in the C31-C38 range, but Ofcom have not yet confirmed that they are not going to flog these to mobile phone or wireless broadband companies.
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Jon: See PARAS - Professional Aerial Riggers Against The Sharks for advice on communal aerial systems. It's possible the system will have to be retuned and recalibrated after switchover completes, as the channels used are different and digital needs much cleaner amplification than analogue, where a digital service takes over a frequency from an analogue one.
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A G Halden: You need to retune your box, these channels have moved from C48 to C56. You should do a full reset, also called full retune, default setting, first-time installation, virgin mode, or reinstall all channels.
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Nedbod: Next Wednesday; the conflict is with Sutton Coldfield Mux D which will not release C55 until it completes switchover.
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John: No. The BBC actually loses capacity at switchover, which is why they shut down the second and third interactive streams a couple of years ago.
Before switchover: 2 x 18 Mbit/s
After switchover: 1 x 24 Mbit/s
The BBC's second multiplex is converted to DVB-T2 at 40 Mbit/s to provide the HD services; they must provide the capacity directed by Ofcom to commercial PSB channels.
Arqiva's capacity increases from 2 x 18 Mbit/s to 2 x 24 Mbit/s. To allow new channels to launch before switchover completes, the BBC have agreed to match Arqiva's new capacity with the unused space on pre-switchover Mux B. Sky Sports 1 and 2 launched in this space (BT won the auction and Sky are required to wholesale the channels) which uses all the new capacity on Arqiva B. There are several transmitters that haven't yet got Arqiva A at full capacity - the final channel or power level isn't yet available - so nothing has yet launched in the new capacity there.
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Thursday 15 September 2011 7:19PM
Alan Peachey: If you're in the south-east of the Sandy Heath region, or you could get analogue reasonably reliably from Crystal Palace as well, it's probably a channel clash with the early HD service from CP, which is also on C31.
I'm surprised that they were that short of channels that they end up engineering a clash at this point in the process!