All posts by Pete
Below are all of Pete's postings, with the most recent are at the bottom of the page.
Brian : Hope you have been listening to "NEVERWHERE" on BBC RADIO 4 (Ep.1 only Saturday 16th March 2013), BBC RADIO 4 EXTRA (Ep. 1-6, Sun to Fri 17th - 22nd March 201 inclusive). Best radio drama since THE HITCH HIKER'S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY & EARTHSEARCH I & II. Sounds great in (((STEREO))) ONLINE and ON FREEVIEW (708). Today's episode (Wed) featuring Richard Mayhew (James McAvoy) reminded me of a cross between Monty Python and Zpahod Beeblebrox surviving the total perspective vortex by eating a slice of cake.
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There is not much point extending DAB coverage until the quality of sound/bit rates improve. Why we are still in the position, 14 years after its launch, that higher quality sound is available through the TV and online than it is through DAB. People aren't daft. I only use the FM bit of my digital tuner since the BBC started putting most of its Radio 4 output in MONO on DAB in the evenings. I now have my CD recorder linked to the optical output of my new HD TV so that I can record all my radio in (((STEREO))) and play my favourite programmes in high quality in the car. There is DAB capacity out there, it's just that the BBC prefer to waste more licence fee payers money building transmitters before they improve the quality of sound. This is not helping the uptake of DAB in cars, which also shows the weakness of the tecnology. Whereas in weak signal areas you get a bit of hiss on FM, on DAB you lose the signal altogether. Increasing the number transmitters will not illiminate drop out in tunnnels and due to obstacles such as mountains and high buildings. You would need trillions of new transmitters to cover all the areas that FM, MW & LW can reach.
Nedbod
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NEVERWHERE is back for a well deserved repeat on BBC R4 XTRA this CHRISTMAS in ((STEREO)) on the TV and ONLINE. Mono on DAB of course !!
Have a Great Christmas Brian and team. Not posting too much these days, since I bought my FreeSat dish and HD TV no need, I'm very happy and so pleased JOHN LEWIS gave me a £50 goodwill gesture payment when their expert fitter came from Birmingham to Macclesfield to install the dish on my TV aerial pole. The chap from Leeds who came a week later to fix it to the wall had more of a clue.
Did you know, if you switch postcodes in the set-up with FreeSat, to either a Scottish, Welsh or Northern Ireland postcode you can watch their regions in HD (even at 6:30pm Mon-Fri). In STB mode you can pick up all the ITV and ITV+1 regions including ITV London HD (on Ch. 5068).
Nedbod
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RE BBC WALES / CYMRU : Not exactly all the relevant areas Brian. I can receive BBC Radio Wales & Cymru on DAB & FM and through my TV aerial (from Moyl-y-Parc) in Macclesfield which is miles from the Welsh border, whereas my friend in Cilfynndd near Pontypridd can't get them at all on his DAB & car radio in "WALES" !! I can also pick up Radio Wales on 657 & 882 kHz MW.
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Well you almost guessed correctly Steve, quite a delay before FM switch-off then, thank goodness. There is not much point extending DAB coverage until the quality of sound / bit rate improves. Why we are still in this position, 14 years after its launch, such that higher quality sound is available through the TV and online than it is through DAB. People aren't daft. I only use the FM bit of my digital tuner since the BBC started putting most of its Radio 4 output in MONO on DAB in the evenings. BBC 7 now BBC Radio 4 EXTRA has never broadcast in stereo on DAB, but has been in stereo since its launch on Digital TV and online (with a much higher bit rate than DAB), crazy. I now have my CD recorder linked to the optical output of my new HD TV so that I can record all my radio in (((STEREO))) and play my favourite programmes in high quality in the car. There is DAB capacity out there, it's just that the BBC prefer to waste more licence fee payers money building transmitters before they improve the quality of sound. This is not helping the uptake of DAB in cars, which also shows the weakness of the tecnology. Whereas in weak signal areas you get a bit of hiss on FM, on DAB you lose the signal altogether. Increasing the number transmitters will not eliminate drop out in tunnnels and due to obstacles such as mountains and high buildings. You would need trillions of new transmitters to cover all the areas that FM, MW & LW can reach.
Nedbod
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Nedbod: More is the pitty Willie / Mark. The government should have awarded the extra Multiplex to the BBC as soon as the Channel 4 Radio enterprise collapsed years ago so that the quality on all services could be improved. They can't see the wood for the trees.
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Nedbod: Apologies the repeat of Neverwhere was on BBC RADIO 4 not BBC R4 EXTRA. So it least it was available nationally in Stereo !!
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Wednesday 27 February 2013 11:32PM
Why is your transmitter icon bouncing up and down on the map, has their been an earthquake at Winter Hill. The red transmitter lights looked fairly stable from Macclesfield earlier this evening ,when I went to post a few letters. You can see Winter Hill from the post box.