All posts by Briantist
Below are all of Briantist's postings, with the most recent are at the bottom of the page.
Lambo: can you check you are in the coverage area? Click on LNRH on the interactive map at the to of the page. Or provide your full postcode.
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Richard E: Thanks for your comment.
I'm a little disappointed: In the last two weeks I've game-planned 20 different options for the future of the BBC from 2017, and I have provided extended analysis and I hope a little insight.
But, I have not expressed an opinion, so please don't characterise what I have written as such.
I don't see how I'm supposed to be defending the status quo, honestly. BBC, plc 2017: BBC announcement | BBC 2017 | ukfree.tv - 11 years of independent, free digital TV advice was clearly a game-play of the BBC plc by subscription.
Anyway, as you DO have an opinion, then I'm all ears to understand, if you are correct that subscription is the way ahead, how you expect the 10.3 million homes (with at least 5.2 million PVRs) to switch to subscription.
I'm just interested to know who is going to provide the hardware, the funding and do the installations.
If you can also let me know who will run the DTT subscription system - given that several previous attempts have been total abortions - that would be great too.
I look forward to your explaining "the obvious" to me.
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Richard E: Oh, I remember preparing the BT bid for that retune: VCRs has been set to use C35 by default C21 (474.0MHz) before switchover | ukfree.tv - 11 years of independent, free digital TV advice
Retuning the key factor for Channel 5 - Business - News - The Independent
thisisfive.co.uk > THE STORY OF FIVE
"Saatchi & Saatchi were appointed to help with the task of retuning around 3 million VCR's. Channel 5 had to visit ten million homes to check all households which could be affected. The retuning campaign cost £5million, with Saatchis responsible for through-the-line advertising. "
As I recall we didn't put in a sensible bid because there was excessive worry about having so many visits to people's homes: it was a easy route for con-men to find their way into vulnerable people's homes.
But .. when a home was visited, if anything was done, and most often it wasn't , then it was a 10 second job with a screwdriver.
It doesn't really compare with setting up a whole new subscription system, sourcing TWO BILLION POUNDS of hardware to fit into people homes. And that's before you remember that people use Freeview on second sets when they have Sky as their primary in 6.2m more homes. Most homes have more than one Freeview TV when they have Freeview.
The hardware costs are just the start of it, if you need to do home installs, they are not cheap.
I don't know if you've notice but The Treasury is rather strapped for cash at the moment, and it would be an illegal use of Lottery funds.
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ciaran mcparland: There are no reported problems: can you see My Freeview box has no EPG, is blank on FIVE, ITV3, ITV4, ITV2+1, has no sound or the channel line up is wrong | ukfree.tv - 11 years of independent, free digital TV advice ?
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I also note from BBC News - STV Glasgow digital TV channel June launch date that STV Glasgow will start June 2nd.
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R Shead: I presume that you mean by "ridiculous result" one that's not your choice.
It's not supposed to be a definitive list, just a way of arranging the different options.
"How many people pay for something?". The only way in which the scoring for this could be increased would be as a Poll Tax or an Oxygen Tax - and I doubt that anyone would think that that was a good idea. "
Well, the priciples I set out in the first part, BBC 2017: Which of these 14 options is best to collect 4 billion quid a year? | BBC 2017 | ukfree.tv - 11 years of independent, free digital TV advice says that "more people pay less" is better than a "per household charge" (the current situation). It is fair on single-person households that they pay half and where there's several working adults in a house, they contribute more. How is that unfair. Just screaming "poll tax" is just silly.
If you'd like to give me a score for "How many people who want to watch BBC programmes pay something towards them?" I would be interested. But given the BBC's current weekly reach is 97% then you're really only making a semantic change.
Still, the point is: it is a thought exercise.
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R Shead: Of course doing the encryption is trivial. There are two channels already encrypted on Freeview (BT Sport 1 and 2), but only 1% of viewing equipment can decode them.
So... the ten million new set-top boxes and PVRs. How is that done "overnight"? All existing Freeview boxes and TV sets have no capacity for decryption.
And.. who exactly paids for the two billion pounds (or more) of new hardware? How does that get shipped? What is the supply chain?
A system that encrypts a signal that no-one can de-crypt isn't likely to prove a popular proposition.
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Some Freeview user possibilities:
1) Main set, LCD flat screen, built in DVB-T. Standard set has no CAM slot. User would require a set-top box and viewing card.
2) Main set, LCD flatscreen, built in DVB-T2. User would require new set-top box and viewing card, connection via HDMI.
3) User has Sky subscription services on the main set, but the household has three other TV sets that use Freeview. Each would require new set-top box with viewing card. Issue with household having paid Sky for BBC subscription, shouldn't have to pay again to watch on DTT pay.
4) User has a YouView box on the TV. This will need to be replaced as YouView has not card slot. Viewing card etc.
5) Home uses Freesat. No subscription services, so this hardware will need to be replaced and user handed over to Sky subscription services.
6) Small family hotel has TVs in each guest room. Each TV will need to be replaced with a new set that can take a viewing card (and physically lock the card down).
7) Family home has several TVs, one in the "granny flat". Each would need to have a set-top box added.
8) Home containing a vulnerable user (poor eyesight or mobility), has special Freeview equipment fitted. This will need to be junked and changed for a subscription option.
and so on... it's not "trivial" when there are ten million homes like this.
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Wednesday 2 April 2014 1:44PM
Or this way http://www.barb.co.uk/vie….pdf
BARB Quarterly Reach - Quarter 4 2013 (Individuals 4+)
TOTAL TV 99.7%
BBC1 98.2%
BBC2 92.8%
BBC 3 78.1%
BBC 4 59.5%
BBC News 41.7%
CBBC 24.7%
Cbeebies 27.1%
BBC 301 12.7%
BBC Parliament 6.8%