All posts by Mike Dimmick
Below are all of Mike Dimmick's postings, with the most recent are at the bottom of the page.Syd Wall: Try asking on the forums at Toppy.org.uk ~ Index . Particularly, see if there's a firmware update for the box - the TF5800 is known to have had a problem with the 'Split NIT' that only surfaces when you retune it. Try Toppy firmware updates . (RG47SH)
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My Freeview box has no EPG, is blank on FIVE, ITV3, ITV4, ITV2+Wednesday 6 April 2011 3:14PM
Reading
J Lowe: You need to retune. Mux 1 on C53 has closed and been replaced with the high power BBC A multiplex on C28.
It's recommended you do a full reset on the box on both DSO days. For the PVR-9200T, if you're using the most recent firmware 1.00.23, it resets all channels when you select Automatic Update.
If you have an earlier version, you should select Default Setting - you will have to reprogram your recordings, it will forget which channel the RF output was on, and it will go back to 4:3 output.
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Paul: Check that the box is not on the list of Split NIT equipment - http://www.digitaluk.co.uk/splitnit . Otherwise, check the manufacturer's website to see if there are any software/firmware updates available. (RG47SH)
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Sutton Coldfield (Birmingham, England) Full Freeview transmitteThursday 7 April 2011 6:12AM
Reading
Patrick: Digital UK's predictor gives you a better chance of picking up the early HD services from Lichfield than from most of the other possibilities. It does think that The Wrekin could be better than Lichfield from the 20th, but you might lose Mux A. You might *gain* Mux D - the prediction from Sutton Coldfield is for variable results.
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Sutton Coldfield (Birmingham, England) Full Freeview transmitteThursday 7 April 2011 6:13AM
Reading
Duff76, Ryan: It's hard to help without a full postcode to see where you are and what might be causing a problem.
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Sutton Coldfield (Birmingham, England) Full Freeview transmitteThursday 7 April 2011 6:23AM
Reading
Gordon: Please see 'Freeview reception has changed'. We're not aware of any issues at Sutton Coldfield.
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Sally Black: Your only real option is this relay, which is slightly north of due west from you (282°). It requires the aerial to be polarized vertically - with the rods going up-and-down, not side-to-side.
It currently transmits analogue signals and will switch to digital starting in five weeks (11 May). If you can get a reasonably clear analogue picture now you should get good results from digital. Don't worry too much about ghosting, digital handles that better.
While it's low power, you are pretty close. My guess is that something like a 40-element log periodic could give good results - see Online TV FM DAB Aerial sales . (RG47SH)
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Ian Hildrew: It's not on Digital UK's list of equipment known not to work with 8K mode, but that list is not complete. Check the manual to see if it claims to support 8K mode.
There's a post at Digital Spy Forums - View Single Post - List of IDTVs and STBs incompatible with 8k which describes attempting to use this box in 8K mode in France. Tunes in if you do a manual tune, but then forgets the mode.
It is on the list of equipment that doesn't handle the Split NIT properly. This change was made towards the end of 2008 but if you haven't retuned it since then, you wouldn't have noticed the problem before. Reports are that it puts the BBC channels up in the 800s.
I believe software updates were broadcast to fix the problem, but Grundig no longer trade in the UK. Grundig sold their set-top box business to Thomson in 2003. The Thomson DTi1000 is pretty much the same box I believe, but I can't find manual update instructions. You could try phoning Thomson on 01788 541 970.
Still, it might be easier to get a new box! (RG47SH)
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Stewart: The information is on the individual pages for each transmitter, and also on TV Re-tune and on Digital UK's postcode checker.
It was not feasible to give the tuning data on individual channel pages because it was different at each of the 81 main pre-switchover transmitter sites. After switchover it will be over 1000 sites, because BBC channels are broadcast from all the relays.
For The Wrekin, Bromsgrove and Lark Stoke, the BBC A multiplex is on C26. Sutton Coldfield has not yet switched and Mux 1 is on C41.
And you don't have to request it - an automatic retune should pick up the channel from somewhere, although some boxes just store the first version they find rather than the strongest version. (RG47SH)
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Wednesday 6 April 2011 1:40PM
Reading
philip williams: The first stage of switchover at The Wrekin happened this morning. The low-power multiplex 1 was turned off, along with BBC Two analogue, and the high-power BBC A multiplex started up in their place.
BBC One analogue has temporarily been moved to BBC Two's old frequency, so you won't see anything if you select channel 1 on an analogue TV (or in a digital TV's analogue mode), and if you select 2, you'll get BBC One.
You won't see any new digital services yet. The HD services are the only new ones, and they don't start for another two weeks. You need Freeview HD-branded equipment to receive these channels.
You could also be using the Wrexham Rhos transmitter to your north-west, or Winter Hill to the north-east. The Wrekin is to your south-west. Wrexham Rhos and Winter Hill switched over, fully digital, over a year ago - late 2009.