All posts by Mike Dimmick
Below are all of Mike Dimmick's postings, with the most recent are at the bottom of the page.
Pete B: I'm sorry, it doesn't look like there are any East Midlands transmitters providing a service at that postcode.
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Mary Thomson: Older equipment stores the first version of the channels that it finds, rather than the best quality version, or asking which region to store. See Digital Region Overlap for ideas on how to get it to store the version you want.
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Jason: See Compare Freeview and Freesat TV | ukfree.tv - independent free digital TV advice
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Elfan: You're in an overlap between Waltham and Sutton Coldfield. If the aerial points south-west to Sutton Coldfield, rather than east to Waltham or north-east to Nottingham, you'll have to wait for Sutton Coldfield to finish switch-over on the 21st of September. Or, get an aerial pointed to Waltham or Nottingham.
An old Sutton Coldfield aerial would be Group B, Waltham and Nottingham require a wideband aerial for all services (though HD is within the old analogue group).
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Charlotte: As long as you can get to the box's menu, you should be able to retune. What's the manufacturer and model number of the box, and that of the remote? Try TV Re-tune if you no longer have the box's manual.
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Mike O'Pray: I'd stick with Sandy Heath. Digital UK's prediction - which is far more accurate than the maps here - shows a good chance of reliable reception on all multiplexes from Sandy Heath except, currently, Mux C on C40, because it clashes with Sutton Coldfield BBC Two. Sutton Coldfield shows as variable on all multiplexes at present, and still variable on all the COM muxes after switchover.
On the 14th, ArqB, which carries ITV4 and Film 4, moves to its final channel and powers up. Mux C moves to C67 to replace it. (This is so Sutton Coldfield can launch a high-power digital multiplex on this channel a week later.) The coverage may be slightly better than ArqB at present, because Mux C is currently shown as staying in its present mode; it should be similar to what Multiplex B (BBC Four/CBeebies and BBC radio stations) delivered before 30 March. This may be an error, though, as Arqiva are keen to get the capacity increased ASAP so they can launch new services.
On 23 November Mux C will move to its final channel and power level, and it will definitely be in the higher-capacity mode. (We usually refer to it as ArqA after this change.).
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Doug B: The problem for you is that Crystal Palace's early HD service is also using C31. CP is closer and this multiplex is transmitting at half the power of Sandy Heath SDN. The problem is expected to go away on 18 April 2012, when Crystal Palace completes DSO.
The Sandy Heath SDN retune to C51, mode change to 8K mode, and power up to final power level, is scheduled for 9 May 2012.
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I don't agree that Ofcom couldn't legally require the operators to operate from more stations. The multiplex licences came up for renewal recently. Under section 10(3)(a) of the licences, Ofcom *could* have required a new Technical Plan from each licensee, and under 10(3)(b) could have required that that Technical Plan include all the relay stations.
If the current licensee didn't like this, they could simply have not renewed the license, and Ofcom open a new auction. Obviously it would be a gamble that anyone would take up the option to use all sites, but Ofcom certainly could have tried.
SDN renewed in 2010 so this process can't be done again until 2022. Ofcom's consultation on renewing ArqA and ArqB closed two weeks ago - the licences themselves won't expire until 2014. The outline plan is to *remove* terms from the licence, though, for example removing the requirement to fund and promote the DTT platform through the 'Freeview' company.
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chrisw: See the Digital UK predictor. There is too much information that the broadcasters are keeping private, or requires substantial money to purchase, for a self-help site to provide an accurate prediction.
For the postcode you've given, DUK show a low probability of reliable reception from Emley Moor, using a reasonably high-gain aerial. For Wharfedale it's shown as 100%.
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Wednesday 31 August 2011 2:59PM
Phil: You're twice the distance from the Sutton Coldfield transmitter and there's terrain blocking line-of-sight, so the signal will be reduced for that reason. Your friend could also be using the transmitter on The Wrekin, which has already switched over, though Sutton Coldfield is more likely.
Reception is expected to be substantially better on BBC channels after the 7th of September, and on all channels after the second stage on the 21st. You will need to do a complete wipe and retune (first time installation, full reset, full retune, default setting: different manufacturers call it different things) on *both* days.