All posts by Mike Dimmick
Below are all of Mike Dimmick's postings, with the most recent are at the bottom of the page.
Lisa: You are getting BBC A from Sudbury *and* Rouncefall. That's the way it now works. The signal from both transmitters adds together and (hopefully) produces better results than from one transmitter alone.
The exact influence each transmitter has depends on exactly where you are and which way your aerial's pointing. Digital UK's predictor (trade view) shows the prediction only for aiming the aerial directly at one transmitter or the other, but signals from both transmitters, plus the interference from all other transmitters, are taken into account.
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Jim: Looking at the specifications in the manual for that device, it looks like it only has an analogue tuner, not a digital one. It *might* be possible to record the programme you're watching by selecting the SCART input, but it's not exactly clear how to do that, and you might need to check that the TV is outputting the received pictures on the SCART connection. (SCART was originally designed to send signals to an external box to decode teletext subtitles and send them back to the TV to be displayed, so it has some pins designed to carry signals from the TV to the box and some from the box to the TV.)
Otherwise you would need to add a Freeview set-top box, to decode the TV signals before sending them to the DVD recorder. Connect the Freeview box to the upper SCART socket on the recorder as shown on p14 of the manual.
If you don't have the manual, you can download a copy from http://www.liteonit.eu/en/firmware-and-other.html . Select Category: Audio/Video then Model Number: DD-A110.
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Robert M, jb38: The Hitachi HDR082 is a rebadged Vestel T825. These are known to have problems with 8K mode with a negative offset. There was a firmware update available, broadcast last year, but your box may not have received it. See Unofficial Vestel PVR Information (UK) - T825 Freeview+ for more information.
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Steve Wilson: If your aerial is pointing at Sudbury but the TV can't detect the BBC multiplex, either the TV doesn't support 8K mode or the signal is *too strong*, not too weak.
The new digital signal level for BBC A is over 14 times the previous level for Mux 1.
If you have a booster or other amplifier, remove it or turn it down. If that doesn't help, try adding an attenuator.
If you're connecting the aerial input of the TV to the RF output of the PVR, consider splitting the downlead from the aerial using a splitter, and connect each device to the downlead separately.
There is a partial list of equipment known to have problems with 8K mode at http://www.digitaluk.co.uk/2kequipment .
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Robert Turney: ITV1 analogue is still available from Sudbury for the next two weeks. After that, the power level for the D3&4 multiplex will match that for BBC A, so you should expect to get equally good results. However, Digital UK's predictor doesn't offer any prediction for Sudbury at that location.
From today, BBC A is also broadcast from the Rouncefall transmitter, which shows a good chance of reliable reception now. Rouncefall and Sudbury use the same frequencies and work together to provide coverage, there is a contribution from both transmitters. Again, in two weeks it starts broadcasting D3&4 at high power. However, Rouncefall will not provide the commercial multiplexes (mux A/SDN, C/ArqA and D/ArqB shown above).
The predictor shows a good chance of reliable reception for most multiplexes from both Crystal Palace and Dover after they complete switchover next year (April for CP, June for Dover).
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P O'Donnell: For you, Cathcart, Black Hill and Netherton Brae should all provide a good chance of reliable reception. Make sure that your box is tuned to the correct frequencies for the transmitter your aerial points to.
Cathcart and Netherton Brae transmit on vertical polarization, requiring the aerial elements to go up-and-down rather than side-to-side. If your box stores the first version it finds rather than the strongest/best quality, it may have chosen to store Netherton Brae as this uses the lowest frequencies out of all these transmitters. Cathcart is at 48° east of north, so close to north-east, while Netherton Brae is at 131°, roughly south-east.
Black Hill requires a horizontally-polarized aerial, elements running side-to-side, and it is on a bearing of 80°, a little north of due east. Only Black Hill provides the three commercial multiplexes.
For completeness, Digital UK also reckons that you could get a signal from the Glasgow West Central transmitter, but there's a poor chance of reliable reception.
If you think your box is tuning into the wrong transmissions, see Digital Region Overlap for ideas on how to fix it.
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Joe: Digital UK's postcode checker shows a good chance of reception from Black Hill, Craigkelly and Darvel. It's possible that your box has tuned into the wrong transmitter. See Digital Region Overlap for suggestions on how to fix this.
It could also be that signals from Black Hill are now too strong. If you have a booster, try removing it.
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el: Can you provide a full postcode, please, so we can see where you are and what the prediction is for that location.
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darral: You will usually get better results from a rooftop aerial than a loft aerial, and from a loft aerial than an indoor one. The height of the aerial is important, as the signals are severely reduced by adjacent buildings. The signal propogation - travel - is also affected by surrounding objects, particularly metal ones.
In addition, indoor aerials are typically too small. Aerials work best if the elements are the right size, typically about one-half of the wavelength they're trying to pick up. For mid-band channels that means about 25cm. Because they're too small, or designed more for appearance than function, they usually don't have any useful amount of gain.
If you provide a full postcode, I can check whether you might be able to get a full service from any transmitter, although the terrain of South Wales does make it difficult.
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Wednesday 6 July 2011 11:35AM
Ian: The 'HD Ready' logo indicates that the TV can show an HD source from elsewhere, it does not indicate that it can tune in to UK HD broadcasts. For that, you need a 'Freeview HD'-branded set-top box or PVR.
I'm afraid BBC West is not broadcast from the Ridge Hill transmitter, or any other transmitter that you are expected to get a usable signal from.