All posts by Mike Dimmick
Below are all of Mike Dimmick's postings, with the most recent are at the bottom of the page.
Helen: Are you continuing to watch channels via the Sky box, in the same way as you were for subscription channels? You should at least be able to watch the BBC's other channels and everything else listed at Compare Freesat and Freesat-from-Sky TV | ukfree.tv - independent free digital TV advice under 'Freesat-from-Sky'.
Make sure that the encryption card is still in the box.
It's possible that if the box hasn't contacted Sky for a while, that the card hasn't been updated with the latest information, but I don't see how they could then have disabled the subscription access!
If it really has stopped working you could replace the Sky+ box with a Freesat+ box, which will be able to record and timeshift (these features are disabled by Sky on their boxes if you stop paying for the subscription.) However, you will lose the channels shown in the 'Channels on Freesat-from-Sky, but not on Freesat' section.
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Peter: There is no engineering work and no changes are taking place. The PSB transmissions are already at maximum power, although not at maximum height just yet (to protect services at Rowridge). However, this hasn't changed since the beginning of April.
The commercial multiplexes remain on low power and on their pre-switchover antennas until their final channels are released by later switchovers at other sites. However, 'low' is a relative term: it is the same power level used by the multiplexes before switchover. ArqB has changed mode, however, which means the power on that multiplex (which carries Film4) has been effectively halved. This was done to increase the capacity, in order to carry Sky Sports 1 & 2 for BT Vision and Top-Up TV customers.
If you have lost PSB services as well, the most likely explanation is that you have too much signal. Remove or turn down any boosters you have.
Looking back at your old posts I see you previously provided the postcode MK10 7AL. A look at the terrain shows that line-of-sight is blocked, so you're more susceptible to changes in weather conditions than some, however, the Digital UK prediction is still for a very good chance of reliable reception.
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Rob: The reason we generally suggest a rooftop aerial is that it will be free of surrounding metal and hard surfaces, so will pick up fewer reflections, and is generally higher up and more likely to have clear line-of-sight to the transmitter, which produces the strongest signals.
However, at only 16km away the signals are likely to be more than strong enough for reliable reception, and indeed probably strong enough to overload the amplifier and cause intermodulation. I'd try out the attenuator.
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Wilf: The signal levels for the commercial multiplexes from Stockland Hill are currently still a little low, to protect the analogue services from Rowridge. Once it switches over in April next year, Stockland Hill's services will go to their full power levels which should improve reliability.
However, because they will still be co-channel with Rowridge, there is still a lower chance of reliable service compared to the PSB services.
I'd wait until next April before deciding whether to change the aerial.
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John Bull: The BBC have changed their transmissions to use a new mode. Official Freesat receivers are supposed to automatically pick up this change. Try turning the box off at the wall for a few minutes and turning it back on.
If not, see if the box has a reset or retune option. If that doesn't help, see the other suggestions at BBC HD to switch to DVB-S2 on 6th June 2011 | ukfree.tv - independent free digital TV advice .
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John Morrans: You could be one of the people in the area that is currently no longer covered by the ArqB multiplex. At switchover, they changed the mode but didn't increase the power level to match, meaning the coverage area actually shrank slightly. C60 clashes with ITV1 from Brierley Hill, which is also vertically-polarized.
You must have already had a wideband aerial to get digital service from Lark Stoke, so the chances are that you should get at least as reliable a service after the change in September as you get from the public service channels now. To confirm, we would need a full postcode.
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ian orpen: You need a BT Vision or Top-Up TV branded PVR, along with a subscription to the appropriate service, to decrypt the Sky Sports channels. Top-Up TV sell, or used to sell, a Conditional Access Module that fits into the standard slot, but it can only be used for ESPN and G.O.L.D. There's some restriction from Sky, who claimed that Ofcom's ruling forcing them to make the sports channels available to BT did not cover using a CAM.
They don't explicitly say you can record the sports channels, but I'd be surprised if you couldn't. You may find you can't watch them back if you stop subscribing.
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Steve, Rob: I'd assumed that since Rob said the problem started 'a few' weeks ago, it was more likely to be a reception issue.
It's now 8 weeks since the second step and 10 since the BBC multiplex changed modes. If the problem started that long ago then yes, it could be a TV that does not support 8K mode - Mux 1/BBC A, 2/D3&4, B/BBC B/HD and D/ArqB have all switched into the 8K mode but Mux A/SDN and C/ArqA have not yet done so.
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Jonathan Wilson: If there was a problem with the mode, you wouldn't be getting the BBC channels or ITV1, C4, C5 and the other services on the D3&4 multiplex.
You probably are dropping enough signal on the run from one box to the other to cause the problem. It's best to split cables as close to the aerial as possible, and make sure that if you add any amplification, it is only just enough to offset the loss through the splitter (and you amplify before the split).
The root cause probably is that ArqB is still on very low power. It will reach the final level when it moves to the final channel on 21 September.
Lark Stoke is no longer a relay - as digital signals generally did not reach from main transmitters to their relays, all transmitters (even if previously classified as relays) were fed digital signals independently. Brian says by using a high-speed Synchronous Digital Hierarchy link leased from BT, though I think with satellite backup.
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Tuesday 7 June 2011 12:31PM
Briantist: I note that Ofcom have published an updated version of the Digital Switchover Timetable - publication date of 21 April 2011. They have also released an updated version of the Table of Stations on the same date.
Ofcom | Supplementary licence documents in relation to DSO