All posts by Dave Lindsay
Below are all of Dave Lindsay's postings, with the most recent are at the bottom of the page.
Wendy: On reviewing your previous postings made on this site I note you've asked about the same topic before and that I've replied:
How do I change the RF output channel on a Sky Digibox? | ukfree.tv - 11 years of independent, free digital TV advice
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Brian Wright, Stephen: It is not the case that ITV offer the "correct" local news in all regions. Indeed, most get that of another region as there are only four or five HD variants.
In your case it happens that there is a ITV HD Granada variant.
The reason that the BBC and ITV don't produce full regional HD streams is because of the additional cost to do so.
The purpose of the HD streams is to allow HD content to be viewed in HD. As the HD content is broadcast nationwide it follows that with separate regional HD streams, they would all be carrying the same thing!
Therefore the cost of having different regional HD streams is not justified although some armchair moaners clearly disagree!
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M. Morland-Chapman: It happened around July or August. The reason being that prior to the change it was only available from full-service transmitters.
Space was made on the PSB2 multiplex which is carried from all transmitters. Film4 was put in that space and so the space vacated on COM6 (where Film4 used to be) is now used by Film4+1.
The TV on the local PSB-only transmitter would have had nothing stored under 15 previously so when it did its update, the "new" Film4 got put on 15.
As your Toshiba TV has access to the full complement of channels, 15 is occupied by the "old" Film4 (now used for Film4+1). Thus, if it has checked for new services, it has probably found the "new" Film4. However, as 15 is already occupied it's probably put the "new" one in the 800s. Depending on the design of the set you may be able to swap the one in the 800s for the one on 15.
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Wendy: I would think that some will still, although I don't know for certain.
I suggest you check whether the one you're looking at has analogue before you buy.
Or you might have another TV which you can swap it for such as the LG 42LS3400 mentioned previously.
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David Anderson, S CRICHTON and others receiving Movies4Men from the Winter Hill transmitter in the North West:
Any apparent intermittent reception is due to the fact that the signal isn't as strong as the main Freeview ones. It is also aimed directionally towards Manchester rather than being the same strength in all directions (it's not omni-directional) from the transmitter.
The reason it "vanishes" is because the signal level has dropped, possibly slightly, and is below that which your receiver requires to resolve a picture. Contrast this with analogue reception where a small reduction in strength would cause a small reduction in quality.
So digital reception appears as "all or nothing", depending on whether the strength is above or below the threshold required.
As the signal for Movies4Men is not equal to the main channels then it is the case that there are those who are definitely served and get a reliable picture all the time; those who don't get it at all, and; those whose picture is intermittent.
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Tom : I don't understand the question. If there is no AM then you can't receive its AM signal!
If it has DAB then you might be able to receive Forth 2 on DAB, which has better quality sound than AM.
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Tom: If, as Mark suggests, it has a DAB tuner then you could try automatic scan. Or, scan channel (frequency) 12D whilst moving your aerial and observing signal strength.
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Stewart Smith: There's no such thing as a "analogue aerial" just as there is such thing as a "digital aerial".
An aerial's design is based on working across a particular range of frequencies. In the case of Wenvoe, which I guess is where your aeial might be pointing, aerials installed in the days of analogue would be expected to work, as all main channels are within Group B (that of the former four analogue channels).
If you decide to get a Freeview HD receiver - which isn't a bad idea considering that in 5 or so years' time some signals "may" switch to DVB-T2 - then you might be able to receive the new quasi-national HD services of BBC Four, CBeebies, BBC News and Al Jazeera (with more to come in the future). For these you "might" find that the existing aerial isn't good enough because they are below Group B on C31. See:
Aerials, TV Aerial and Digital Aerial
In the UK there are two digital terrestrial signal standards: DVB-T and the later DVB-T2. "DVB" stands for "digital video broadcasting" and the "T" is "terrestrial". At present standard definition broadcasts use DVB-T and high definition ones use DVB-T2. Thus a "Freeview HD" receiver can pick up DVB-T and DVB-T2 signals. So if, in the future, some standard definition signals were to be changed from using DVB-T to DVB-T2, what is presently known as a "Freeview HD" receiver will be required.
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John Randle: Too much signal maybe.
Check that it's tuned to Salisbury on C57 and not Rowridge on C24 for BBC by viewing the signal strength screen.
Something to do with extra wires near the TV owing to the Christmas tree lights, maybe.
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Monday 30 December 2013 7:18PM
Wendy: You will need a TV that has "the old" analogue and Freeview (digital).
The logical channel numbers are preset, yes. So 1 is BBC One etc. But that is for the digital side of the TV.
For sets that can receive digital and analogue there will be a button to switch between the two. Often this also allows one to change to the inputs (scart, HDMI etc).
You would store the Sky box under analogue channel number 1. Then whenever you wish to watch it change to analogue.
Just watch out and ensure your new TV has an analogue tuner! If it doesn't you could conceivably use an old VHS video recorder but this would perhaps be a bit of a messy solution.