menuMENU    UK Free TV logo Archive (2002-)

 

 

Click to see updates

All posts by Michael Perry

Below are all of Michael Perry's postings, with the most recent are at the bottom of the page.


An interesting thought: How many TV sets in current use have the facility to use any form of Conditional Access Control system built in?
I have not seen any TV on sale in the UK that has that already built in and enabled, though some designs can have such fitted during manufacture (and possibly as a retro-fit after market addition). So the fact that Sky have such a system built-in to their boxes so that they have control over whether you can watch anything and what you can watch means they have the expense of collecting the subscriptions and managing the system. So if the BBC funding were to go towards a subscription controlled access model then all TVs would need some form of access control - which is not currently fitted as standard in the UK. And how does that fit with a Public Service Broadcasting (PSB) model?

link to this comment
GB flag

Mazbar
I am a retired 'professional'! I don't follow why you mention Sky as that is a digital satellite service, unless you are using a Sky box with an RF output and you are refering to that 'local' source being seen on your TV?

link to this comment
GB flag

Mazbar
Other equipment outputs RF signals and some later Sky 'boxes' do not unless an 'add on' modulator is fitted.

link to this comment
GB flag

Dave Lindsay

One possible alternative to get around the channel allocation similarities between Waltham and Emley is to use a coaxial switch with one aerial on Emley and the other on Waltham, the output being connected to the TV/box/etc. I successfully used one such for many years living in Swindon and getting both Oxford and Mendip signals. The advantage of a switch is that there are no significant losses and no common or adjacent channel problems. The down side is that you have to manually change the switch over to swap between sources, so you could not record programmes from both transmitters while the equipment is unattended (a common reason for recording) and you would need to remember to operate the switch at the right time if you were present. Having said that, two separate aerials feeding separate TV/PVR combinations os not such a problem - if you have the equipment and other household members do not mind the extra boxes and associated cabling!

link to this comment
GB flag

I agree with MikeB, most people only want to watch the TV programmes and are not interested in how they arrive on the screen. A significant proportion of the viewing public are not 'technically minded' in terms of TV and often many other technologies leave them disinterested - as long as it works. So a lot of people don't read user manuals (I used to write software user manuals so am keenly aware of how important they can be and how crucial it is to use the right form of words to convey the required meaning).
So I wish more people would RTFM!

link to this comment
GB flag

Liveth21:
It would appear from a quick search on Google, using 'satellite reception Nigeria' as the search criteria, that you may be in luck as there seem to be several services available. You would, of course, need a suitable dish of the required size for the location and aligned to the appropriate satellite (there may be more than one receivable but they might be in different orbital positions) and set the receiver tuning to find the available programmes. It may be worth looking at http://www.satcure.co.uk/….pdf unless you already have that information.

link to this comment

Carmen:
There is no way the Freeview terrestrial Digital TV signals can be received in Malta. I am not aware of any satellite services receiveable in Malta carrying UK TV programmes either, but you should make enquiries of local TV shops in the area you are considering. You may well be able to receive local TV broadcasts and some of those may be of interest. Otherwise it is down to using the internet, but even then there may be a problem because of copyright restrictions as most providers check whether the IP address in use is in the UK and if it is not they often block the service.

link to this comment
Forces TV
Thursday 26 March 2015 7:27PM
Trowbridge

Frederick C Taylor:
Each programme broadcaster determines whether they wish to include a subtitle service. This website has no connection with any broadcaster nor Freeview, so it would be more appropriate for you to contact the providers of the programmes you prefer to watch. I sympathise as I have a serious hearing loss as well.

link to this comment
Freeview reception - all about aerials | Installing
Sunday 29 March 2015 8:11PM
Trowbridge

Keith
I would suggest you look at any designed specifically for caravan use that are either a log-periodic design or possibly a wide band type. The log-periodic would be better as it will suit reception now in in the foreseeable future. Don't fall for the scam of a 'digital' aerial, there is no such thing, any UHF aerial can receive Freeview signals. The only issue you will need to conside is how many elements your aerial will need and that depends on where you are in relation to the transmitters, so a post code would help.

link to this comment
What price for an aerial installation? | Rigger's zone
Sunday 29 March 2015 8:21PM
Trowbridge

allison:
The typical cost of an aerial is between about £20 and £45, it's the fitting and setting that costs rather more. As a former service engineer and technical trainer of service engineers I have fitted my own aerials for many years and have rarely paid more than £30 for a good log-periodic type that serves me with all the available programmes. A few months ago I moved and fitted a new log-periodic that cost me £28 all in and fittred it myself with no problems and we get all the avaiable multiplexes with no difficulties. So the costs you mention are not 'cheap' but should be considered about average.

link to this comment