All posts by Dave Lindsay
Below are all of Dave Lindsay's postings, with the most recent are at the bottom of the page.
Nick: Which platforms TV channels choose to go on is up to them.
Challenge, Dave, Pick TV and Yesterday make themselves available on the Sky subscription service and via the Freeview Commercial multiplexes. These are decisions which they believe are better financially for them. Presumably they consider that the cost to be on Freesat is not as beneficial as being on Sky. Similarly, the outlay they make to be a on Commercial Freeview is better for them than not being on it.
Challenge and Pick TV are owned by BSkyB, so it isn't surprising that they don't make themselves available via satellite services that are in competition with Sky.
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Nick: This site is independent. The channel numbers above have not been updated since the changes which took place on 27th June.
Briantist: Can you update the channel numbers and powers following these changes?
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Nick: See Why do the six Freeview "multiplexes" have twenty different names? | ukfree.tv - independent free digital TV advice
Use the Digital UK site to find out channel numbers (tick the "Detailed view" box):
Digital UK - Postcode checker
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Nick: I said that your box tunes itself to Aldeburgh because in your posting at 10:12AM today, you said "my box tunes itself to stations from ch23, Aldeburgh".
You said subsequently in your posting at 12:12PM that your Aldeburgh aerial has an amplifier but the Sudbury one doesn't. Are these diplexed together or are they fed separately into your lounge (allowing you to connect to either but not both) or have you "combined" the feeds in some other way?
If the Aldeburgh aerial is connected, then just turn off the power to the amp, leave the aerial in during all of the scan. Turning off the power to the amp will mean that no signal will come out of it.
Or, if you still need to make your receiver avoid Aldeburgh during its scan, plug the aerial in when it gets to 30%. Some devices are more helpful than others, so obviously I can only be general. If it gives percentage progress, then 30% of the scan (which runs from 21 to 69) is about C35. If it gives no percentage and no UHF channel number and is simply a bar the goes across the screen, then you will have to guess or improvise. For example, can you hold a ruler up to the screen and measure the bar and hence work out roughly where the target point is for plugging in the aerial?
The target area is from 15% to 40% so there is quite a big area to aim for. I have calculated these on the basis of the highest channel from Aldeburgh and the lowest from Sudbury. If it has manual tuning, then use it to add any that are missing, if you get the aerial in a bit too late.
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Paul: See Freeview signals: too much of a good thing is bad for you | ukfree.tv - independent free digital TV advice
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Nick: It may be that you will have to trial PSB reception from each transmitter to work out which is best. With digital reception, variable or poor reception may only become apparent at certain times, e.g. momentary freezing may be intermittent. The automatic tuning process is unlikely to be able to make this decision for you.
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Nick: If a receiver gives information as to what channel/frequency it is tuned to, then this is usually given on the signal strength screen. A few don't, so there is little way of knowing, particularly if two possible transmitters broadcast the same regional programming.
Not giving this information is poor design in my opinion and it is not confined to "cheapo" devices. I came across a Sony RDR-HXD860 which gives no clue as to which UHF channel it is tuned to. I have a RDR-HXD870, which I believe superceeded it and that does give the channel number on the strength screen.
Some use frequencies instead of chanel numbers and C28 is 530.0MHz and C41 is 634.0MHz.
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Nick: I'm not familiar satellite receivers as I've never used one. However, I have read that "Freesat" branded set-top boxes will automatically tune in all services that are part of the Freesat offering. Other free-to-air channels can, I understand, be added manually. Presumably this is where manual tuning is available (I have no idea whether some devices are more restrictive than others, as is the case with terrestrial receivers).
See here:
List of free-to-air channels at 28°E - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Obviously this Wikipedia page is not forced to be up-to-date or correct.
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Tuesday 3 July 2012 12:26PM
Dave Whetstone: There is no further retune required for Over Norton. There was a retune affecting Suffolk, Essex and Kent so maybe the messages relate to that.