All posts by Briantist
Below are all of Briantist's postings, with the most recent are at the bottom of the page.
billy: 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 - independent free digital TV advice usually fixes the problem.
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Kevin Smith: Please see All about Freesat | ukfree.tv - independent free digital TV advice under "Where can I receive it?"
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Dick Baldwin: 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 - independent free digital TV advice usually fixes the problem.
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Phil: Additionally, please see the check-list on the Freeview signals: too much of a good thing is bad for you | ukfree.tv - independent free digital TV advice page.
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ben rohomon: No, it should not. Have you tried doing 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 - independent free digital TV advice ?
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jane: Might also be worth doing 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 - independent free digital TV advice too.
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Peter Smith: As long as whatever you transpose to is not allocated (C60-C69 for 4G mobile, C31-C38 for new mulitplexes) and C21+, C22+, C24, C25, C27, C28, C30 and C31 in use at Rowridge you will be fine, there is nothing in the RF signal to prevent reception if it transposed - this is what happens at relays anyway.
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ian from notts: There isn't much left on C23 and C26 these days, so it could be analogue signals from Crystal Palace.
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Mike Green: Hard to say without a full postcode, can you see Freeview signals: too much of a good thing is bad for you | ukfree.tv - independent free digital TV advice for a list of things to check?
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ben: This usually means the dish is aligned to a satellite, just not the right one.
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David: Can you use the checklist on the Freeview signals: too much of a good thing is bad for you | ukfree.tv - independent free digital TV advice page, as you didn't provide a full postcode.
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Alan Witts: Please see BBC to reduce satellite transponders from seven to six on 7 October 2011 | ukfree.tv - independent free digital TV advice .
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bruce: Do this 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 - independent free digital TV advice to your device.
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Jon Musselwhite: The transmitter is working normally. Please see Single frequency interference | ukfree.tv - independent free digital TV advice .
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Mick Lemon: Yes, this is as predicted. If you want all the multiplexes you will need to use the Waltham transmitter. Next year, the signals on SDN and ArqA will also deteriorate at your location for Nottingham.
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Lee.W: OK, see Single frequency interference | ukfree.tv - independent free digital TV advice if you have.
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Steve: You have not provided a postcode or model details of your equipment, so I can't really say specifics.
Some older Freeview equipment fails to store channel lists when there are more than 100 found, but generally speaking the problem can be sorted out by doing 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 - independent free digital TV advice .
But if that doesn't work, then you will probably need to get a couple of new Freeview boxes.
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Mick Lemon: Yes, Waltham is vertical southeast 124°, Nottingham is horizontal southeast 134°.
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John Daly: You now need a wideband aerial to receive all the services from the Bromsgrove transmitter.
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tony: Yes, see Freeview signals: too much of a good thing is bad for you | ukfree.tv - independent free digital TV advice .
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Jon Musselwhite: You do have a DVB-T2 "Freeview HD" receiver? See What does "Full HD Ready" actually mean? | ukfree.tv - independent free digital TV advice .
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Steve: The best first step is to try doing a "first time scan" with the two television sets connected directly to the rooftop aerial. A 1 year old device shouldn't have any problems at all.
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Judith Lee: Please see Digital Region Overlap | ukfree.tv - independent free digital TV advice .
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Rod Roberts: Please see Single frequency interference | ukfree.tv - independent free digital TV advice .
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John white: Please contact whoever provides your communal aerial system, you will probably find that everyone else has the same problem.
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Neil: No, there is no power reduction, please can you see Single frequency interference | ukfree.tv - independent free digital TV advice for help.
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Brian G: Can you please follow the BBC - Reception problems link and report the problem to the BBC via that method?
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Mike Dimmick: Thanks for pointing that out, I have changed the values at the top of the page to reflect the current output levels.
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Chris.SE: If you want to include a link, just post the URL as part of the text.
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Paul : Please see Single frequency interference | ukfree.tv - independent free digital TV advice .
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Alan T of Rushwick/Brian G: It would appear that there was a "undocumented" problem.
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IanH: You now need a wideband aerial to receive all the multiplexes from the Bromsgrove transmitter.
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dcollard: Very hard to say without a full postcode. Digital signals are not effected by Inversion as often as analogue ones were.
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frank: Please see BBC to reduce satellite transponders from seven to six on 7 October 2011 | ukfree.tv - independent free digital TV advice .
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ALL: One the switchover date, Wednesday 20th April 2011, the frequencies for the commercial multiplexes did not change.
However, following a retune event recently, the commercial multiplexes are now, like the PSB multiplexes, in a single-frequency network with two other transmitters.
This means that the BROMSGROVE transmitter is "out of group" for the commercial multiplexes - this means you need a WIDEBAND AERIAL NOW.
This is a UNIQUE situation, as most transmitters where this is the case also needed wideband BEFORE switchover.
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nathan williams: The allocation of channel numbers are a valuable asset to the company that owns them, they are very literally "worth millions".
UKTV has retained ownership of 27 by broadcasting Dave Ja Vu for one hour during the night.
The allocations, by DMOL, cannot be changed or revoked whilst a channel remains in the EPG.
Unlike Sky, where Sky decides which channels go where, Freeview has no "dictator", but operates as "free market".
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Simon: Please can you see Digital Region Overlap | ukfree.tv - independent free digital TV advice ?
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omar: If you do, beware that any future problems of any kind will probably be your problem...
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Steve P: It's here, but you found it automatically by typing in "Inversion Effect".
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Karen: Also see Freeview reception has changed? | ukfree.tv - independent free digital TV advice please.
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Mark: That's actually happened before, on the Black Hill page. TUTV replaced the CAM module for that person so they could use both ESPN and HDTV.
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Dave Brown: Gilvan does not transmit the service - see Will there ever be more services on the Freeview Light transmitters? | ukfree.tv - independent free digital TV advice .
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George: Try "Method 2" on What can I do when my Sky Digibox says 'No Signal' or 'Technical fault'? | ukfree.tv - independent free digital TV advice please.
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-- Belper, Derby and Stanton Moor - retune required on 5th October 2011 | ukfree.tv - independent free digital TV advice --
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-- Belper, Derby and Stanton Moor - retune required on 5th October 2011 | ukfree.tv - independent free digital TV advice ---
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---- Belper, Derby and Stanton Moor - retune required on 5th October 2011 | ukfree.tv - independent free digital TV advice ----
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joe khoo: Can you please see BBC to reduce satellite transponders from seven to six on 7 October 2011 | ukfree.tv - independent free digital TV advice .
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elizabeth duke: Please can you do 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 - independent free digital TV advice to the box?
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Chris.SE: Sorry, I forgot to enable the delay in the database, it is showing now.
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Mark Heselden: Sorry, it is an annoying artefact that I will get rid of when the Channel 5 transmitter comes off air.
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ALL: I have fixed the "stripe problem" - see Removal of Channel 5 and B transmitter mapping artefacts | ukfree.tv - independent free digital TV advice .
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Sue: please can you see the Single frequency interference | ukfree.tv - independent free digital TV advice page?
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Pogle: There is a transmitter on the Isle of Wight at Rowridge. Sometimes you can't use the "nearest" transmitter because there is, as there is in Kemptown, a massive hill in the way.
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Mark Lawrence : Please do 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 - independent free digital TV advice .
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Mazbar: There is nothing to complain about. The highest courts decided, back in the BSB vs Sky days that there were no planning issues with domestic or commercial buildings having any number of dishes. Only on Listed Buildings would anyone have to apply for permission to mount any number of dishes.
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Kath: Please try all three methods listed on the What can I do when my Sky Digibox says 'No Signal' or 'Technical fault'? | ukfree.tv - independent free digital TV advice page.
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NottsUK: It's the WTF channel with a new name. I have corrected the listings to show the channel.
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david: If they don't work then there could be either a problem with the box, the dish or the cables.
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Mohammed: Not really, Sky boxes are designed to work with any other satellites. You can use "add channels" but these are lost if you turn the power off.
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Mrs Peissel: Please see Single frequency interference | ukfree.tv - independent free digital TV advice .
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jack: The engineering information is provided by Digital UK and the BBC, the "over the next week" is their description.
You probably have too much signal, not too little - see Freeview signals: too much of a good thing is bad for you | ukfree.tv - independent free digital TV advice .
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ken: You can always use the "Zoom" feature of your web browser, press ctrl and plus.
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graham: DSO does not start until Wednesday 9th November 2011.
I can't really say what your reception will be like without a full postcode.
Have you tried doing 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 - independent free digital TV advice ?
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stephen: Please see What does "Full HD Ready" actually mean? | ukfree.tv - independent free digital TV advice .
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Jude: Please see Digital Region Overlap | ukfree.tv - independent free digital TV advice .
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Laura: You don't need an HDTV, only an Freesat HD box. You can watch HD channels, just not in HD quality.
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Emily: If you could provide a full postcode, it would be possible to provide some advice.
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Chris.SE: Yes, that's correct, I now run a filer on the Digital UK information to provide that message, rather than the "no problems" status that Digital UK show.
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Suzanne: I know I am coming to this conversation late, but just to check, you have eliminated everything on the Single frequency interference | ukfree.tv - independent free digital TV advice page?
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kevin robinson: Can you have a look at the Single frequency interference | ukfree.tv - independent free digital TV advice page?
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alan: Do a "first time install" again, and the box will ask you which region you wish to be part of, and then choose "England/North West".
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patrick list : Please see BBC to reduce satellite transponders from seven to six on 7 October 2011 | ukfree.tv - independent free digital TV advice - basically, do a "full retune".
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Ian: Sitefinder Mobile Phone Base Station Database shows there is Orange GSM, 3 UMTS, T-MOBILE GSM, Airwave TETRA, Vodafone GSM, Vodafone UMTS and O2 GSM on site as well as Lichfield DAB transmitter | ukfree.tv - independent free digital TV advice and Lichfield analogue radio transmitter | ukfree.tv - independent free digital TV advice .
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Trevor: Yes, here is the page from October 2007 Freeview on Bromsgrove TV transmitter | ukfree.tv - independent digital TV and switchover advice with the details on showing indeed that would be the case that Bromsgrove would be out-of-group.
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marc: If you television set does not have a digital tuner, you will need to use a Freeview box.
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Steve: You've conflated the two seperate parts of the ruling. In particular (2) only applies to showing in a pub, it does NOT apply to domestic consumers.
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Andrew W: It is probably worth pointing out that the £10m is ONLY for Sky to operate their EPG, the BBC hires transponders directly from SES Astra, which should be the expensive part of this deal.
It is also worth noting that the entire set up and running costs of Freesat EPG system was less than £2m with the ongoing costs almost unmeasurable.
Sky is basically rinsing money from BBC and ITV plc as a punishment for having lots of regional television.
A "normal" computer programmer would implement in an efficient way, and not treat the BBC One and ITV One as if they were over 50 channels.
Sky have created a system that basically is faulty in a way that costs the BBC £10m a year, more for ITV1 and about £5m for Channels 4 and 5.
Sky having to say that their costs are "legitimate" draws close attention to how they are nothing of the kind (as we will see).
I found the comment about the "national grid" quite comical. That company is highly regulated and very specifically does not provide electricity to anyone other than the domestic and commercial sales companies.
If the National Grid got 60% of its electricity from the PSBs I am sure it would not expect the PSBs to pay for it.
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David Pinfold: The BBC broadcasts the television and radio channels as unencrypted services on several satellite transponders:
Astra 2D at 28.2°E - LyngSat
These as leased to the BBC directly from SES Astra.
Freesat and Sky Subscriber Services Ltd provide a service to the viewer to provide automatic allocations of satellite transponders to what are called "logical channel numbers" so that the viewer can choose 101 for the BBC One variant for wherever they happen to live.
Sky do this by having a viewing card in the box. It has a serial number and Sky link the postcode to where the card was sent to one of the 70-odd regions shown in the map in the article (it's the genuine map from a Sky internal document).
Freesat do the same, but by asking the viewer to enter their postcode when they set up the Freesat box.
If, for the sake of argument, the BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5 refused to pay Sky to provide their channels - as ITV did for a time, there would be gaps in the EPG, but the viewer could follow an "add channels" procedure to view the channels.
However, Sky would be in a bit of a bind because they would be unable to handle 10 million homes calling their call centre for instructions, and the Broadcasting Act lists specifically that the channels removed (for the sake of argument) as "must provide".
To be honest, I suspect that Sky should probably back down on this one, because I suspect that if parliament takes proper notice they will see a company that makes billions of pounds in profit from two not-for profit broadcasters (BBC, Channel 4) and might start using the word "monopoly" in an unfavourable way.
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More here - Sky could soften cuts to BBC 'by waiving transmission fees' | Media | guardian.co.uk .
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ian from notts: Here is a diagram showing how much viewing share the "pay channels" get -
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Des Collier: It is probably worth point out two things.
1) As all the BBC services are carried on digital multiplexes, there is nothing to be gained by closing a service at night, as you can't close "part" of a multiplex.
2) It can be argued that people who work unsociable hours (or people with insomnia) have to pay their Licence Fee as much as anyone else.
3) Some overnight services provide in-vision signing or are at least "narrative repeats" that are useful for people with PVRs.
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Mark A.: You seem to have your wires crossed here somewhere.
On satellite the interactive services are provided using indivdual MPEG2 encoded streams. They have their own PIDs (5300, 5300, 5500, 5600 and 5700).
There isn't really any limit to the number of audio streams (beyond the capacity of the satellite transponder) and any APID can be selected by the OpenTV/MHEG5 software to show alongside a video stream.
Sadly the Sky OpenTV software is incapable of switching PIDs during the normal running of a broadcast because it would be very sensible of the BBC could supply a "BBC One England" service in MPEG2 at very high quality and split it into lower quality regional services when required.
I rather suspect that the removal of "small" regions will get booted into the long grass as the relevant MPs will probably get wind of it.
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michael : I wonder if there are any figures on the usage of Medium Wave - I can't see that BARB breaks the figures down into different platforms.
I suspect that if you look at the cost-per-listener for the MW and LW services it probably doesn't justify keeping them running for ever.
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michael : I agree that responding to the consultation is a good idea, but the BBC Trust have pointed out that if you want to say "no" to a proposal then you need to make it clear where you think the money should come from.
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Alvin Pritchard: In the word of technology, due to Moore's Law, things keep changing. No one will ever "leave things alone".
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Ian Smith: The BBC Trust have indicated that there will be no changes to the regional structure of BBC One.
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Phil McCavity: But you have to admit that Sky make you pay for things that are free in such a nice way.
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sid: See The BBC wants to stop paying Sky ten million pounds a year for EPG listing | ukfree.tv - independent free digital TV advice please.
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It's probably worth seeing which BBC regions would get shunted from digital satellite:
Channel Islands - 48997 homes
Oxford - 415699
Northern Ireland - 647578
East Yorkshire/Lincolnshire - 715399
South East - 725392
South West- 770075
East - 848197
East Midlands - 887298
West- 909183
Cambridge - 965700
Wales - 1234236
South - 1421192
North East - 1585975
North - 1936494
Scotland - 2407092
West Midlands - 2883382
North West - 3095483
London - 4854895
So, Oxford then and East Yorkshire?
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trevorjharris: Re BBC TWO HD - the article was only covering the service changes, not programming changes within the channels.
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freddie: The regional variations you receive are down to the postcode that the viewing card in the receiver was sent to.
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Charlotte Tenneson: Please see ITV1+1, ITV1HD, BBC One HD regional services on Freeview | ukfree.tv - independent free digital TV advice .
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Ian: I think that if you look at that you will find that there are so few "directors" that even if you eliminated their remuneration entirely that it would not fund much in the way of programming.
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Mark: and BBC Radio Derby is one of the local radio stations that has yet to find a home on DAD as there is no local radio multiplex operating in Derbyshire.
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Gareth smart: It is not the ability to access other regions the BBC is going to remove but whole BBC One regions, they will not be accessible in any way (other than by Freeview) if they are removed from satellite.
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Dave: The Licence Fee, as one of two hypothecated taxes in the UK (the other is the London Congestion Charge) provides a way of the BBC being independent from government.
If direct taxation was used then the BBC would become a "state broadcaster" under government control, rather than a "people's broadcaster" under the "royal charter" as at the moment.
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John Fisher/John F: One "advantage" of having the BBC World Service radio being paid for by the Licence Fee is that duplication can be removed. Before the two services had to duplicate foreign staff because the had to be funded by different methods.
The "BBC World Service" is an independent news service under normal BBC rules and has never provided "propaganda".
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Ian: I would suggest that Sky are making a profit from appearing to sell something that doesn't belong to them. 73.1% of what people watch on Sky is provided without charge by the PSBs and Sky should behave like any other business and pay for what it claims to sell?
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trevorjharris: It is a common error to assume that everyone else does what you do.
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trevorjharris: The diagrams include Sky homes (they wouldn't have subscription channels on them otherwise).
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ROGER AUSTIN: I can't think of a box where the incoming SCART signal is output as an RF signal, the RF is generated from the output of the frame generator system in the decoder.
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Paul: The commercial multiplex are now at their maximum level, which is half the power of the PSB ones.
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ian from notts: There was good Inversion conditions so that is probably the reason. Once switchover is complete, the network should operate correctly even when there are "atmospherics".
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Roy: The Hastings transmitter is not within reception range at the postcode location. Freeview on Hastings TV transmitter | ukfree.tv - independent free digital TV advice shows the transmitter.
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shell: Hard to help without a full postcode - I would see Freeview signals: too much of a good thing is bad for you | ukfree.tv - independent free digital TV advice .
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Trevor: "would be out of group" means that the planning for the transmitter put the commercial multiplexes on frequencies where a wideband aerial would be required.
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Ian: Have you checked everything on Single frequency interference | ukfree.tv - independent free digital TV advice ?
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Hannelore Braunsberg: You might need to look at Freeview signals: too much of a good thing is bad for you | ukfree.tv - independent free digital TV advice .
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Nedbod: The coverage for all multiplexes from this transmitter should be the same.
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Mike Green: 10kW is the final power level, so yes you will have to use Freesat/Sky if you want more channels.
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evans: Please see Freeview modes | ukfree.tv - independent free digital TV advice .
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Jordy: I have put the new provisional dates up, but, as per my agreement with Digital UK, they show as "to be confirmed".
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wendy fulford: You can get Freesat boxes for as little as £30 and you can watch whatever channel you like on the other set, not just the one showing in the "main room" as with a video sender.
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Robert Lee: They are mostly 1440x1080, but sometimes the source material is lower resolution. The BBC have operated BBC HD at 1920x1080 for testing purposes. A comparison of TV, HDTV and computer monitors | ukfree.tv - independent free digital TV advice for more.
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wesley dilworth: There is no need to "disable it", just use the other device as before.
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Ed Myer: The channel moved multiplexes, you may need to use 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 - independent free digital TV advice to get your device to show the channel again.
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Mr. E.Ellul: I am really confused by that... if your question is about getting 5* and 5USA using Freesat, you can't because the channels are not free-to-air.
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Derek Q: See Single frequency interference | ukfree.tv - independent free digital TV advice please.
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Karl Thomason: Sounds like you are using a Freeview box with the TV, and if this is the case then you will have to press "AV2"
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David Lewin: The digital switchover should have no effect whatsoever on FM/AM/DAB radio services.
The only time there are issues is the sites where a new mast has been put up and the radio services have to be moved from one mast to the other.
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Moray christie: See How can I get Channel 5 on Sky in Ireland? | ukfree.tv - independent free digital TV advice please.
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Andy gardiner: If you use the Bromsgrove transmitter, you now need a wideband aerial to see those channels.
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ned: Please see Freeview reception has changed? | ukfree.tv - independent free digital TV advice for help.
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Steve P: Let me just go though those points
"Clearly BBC has an interest in getting its broadcasts offered via satellite, and should be prepared to pay a proper price for the service of broadcasting them. "
Yes, the BBC does, that is why it has a contract with SES Astra, who own the satellites to provide them with the capacity.
SES Astra is a Luxembourgian company and has nothing at all to do with Sky.
"But if that can be done WITHOUT automatically making them available to Sky subscribers I can see no reason why BBC should pay anything to Sky. Rather Sky should be paying BBC a great deal to be allowed to include BBC channels in its service. "
Yes, the BBC's services can be watched as they are free to air. Any MPEG2/DVB-S (or MPEG4/DVB-S2) receiver connected to a dish pointing at Astra 2D can receive them - that is a Sky box with or without a subscription, a Freesat box or a "generic" receiver.
"I simply do not understand the EPG issue. Does Sky have a satellite EPG monopoly? We have one TV on Freesat (NOT from Sky) and it certainly has an EPG. Where from? "
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Steve P: ...contined
Yes, Sky have a monopoly in so much as a "monopoly" does not mean "100% of the market", just that the market is dominated by a single supplier.
The Freesat EPG is provided by Freesat (backed by the BBC) and costs a few thousand pounds to run. The Sky EPG is "claimed" to cost an fortune to run, but this money goes a) to Sky's profits and to b) the encruption company which happens to be another part of NewsCorp (NDS Datacom).
"I would certainly think that including BBC in an EPG was a very small thing compared to the benefit to Sky, who would certainly lose huge numbers of subscribers if they did not include BBC channels in their offer."
I would think a substantial number of viewers would stop subscribing to Sky if the PSBs had their channels erased from the Sky Guide.
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michael: "We hear nothing of provision for a national emergency"
That bit is actually addressed, as the mobile phone system has a special "emergency" protocol built into it. At one point in the past my phone was one of those devices allocated for emergency priority, for reasons I am not able to disclose.
I can't quite see the logic is saying that MW or LW is needed in "an emergency" as I can't think of many people who would have such a device.
There is no logical reason why an analogue network would be needed "in an emergency" given that everyone has access to Freeview...
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NottsUK: I understand this to be the case, but as ever I guess we will only see when it happens.
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+ BBC wants to force Sky to drop retransmission fees | What Satellite & Digital TV +
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+ ITV backs retransmission fee review | News | Broadcast +
"ITV has said it would back a review into whether public service broadcasters should be compelled to pay premium platforms to carry their channels.
The commercial broadcaster stopped short of supporting the BBCs repeated calls to completely drop retransmission fees to the likes of BSkyB.
However, it confirmed it would throw its weight behind a review of the current arrangements.
ITV would not be drawn on what it hoped to achieve from such a review, which could be carried out by the government or Sky itself. A spokesman simply said: We are supportive of the need for a review of the current arrangements.
Commercial PSB broadcasters are understood to be interested in actually reversing the fees by charging Sky for the right to show their channels, although the BBC has distanced itself from this move.
Mathew Horsman, director of media research and advisory firm Mediatique, said that based on arrangements in the US - where Fox has retransmission agreements with cable operators - the broadcasters could collect up to £120m a year in retransmission consent fees.
The issue could be examined by the government in the new communications bill or through secondary legislation, Horsman said, paving the way for ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5 to negotiate terms with Sky.
The issue is being revisited on the back of a report commissioned by the BBC, which claims the UK is the only territory in which PSBs pay for their channels to appear on platforms.
The report, which has not yet been published, was cited by director of public policy and strategy John Tate in a blog post this morning.
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+ C21Media: +
The BBC has claimed it could make "substantial additional annual savings" and ease its cuts programme if it did not have to pay retransmission fees to BSkyB.
The corporation's director of policy and strategy John Tate has said the £10m (US$15.7m) the BBC currently pays each year to ensure its TV and radio output is carried by the Rupert Murdoch-owned satellite platform "could go back into programme making."
He added that the £50m it will pay Sky over a five-year period would "cover all the costs that we are currently planning to take out of local radio and BBC4 combined."
"The BBC currently pays Sky a fee so that it can be broadcast on their platform, this was something that was agreed many years ago in order to help satellite broadcasters justify the investment they needed to build their platform. The question now is whether or not this money is still flowing in the right direction," said Tate.
The comments come a week after the BBC outlined plans to cut 2,000 staff in a bid to make savings of around £670m a year by 2016/17, after the licence fee was frozen by the government last October.
C21 first reported the cost of the BBC's Sky retransmission fees last year, after a freedom of information request revealed the corporation had shelled out £30m (US$48.2m) over the previous three years.
Speaking at the Edinburgh International TV Festival last year, BBC director general Mark Thompson also raised the issue. He pointed out that Murdoch's US network Fox receives distribution fees from the local cable companies that carry its channel, and called for a similar set-up in the UK.
The BBC does not pay any fees to platforms such as Virgin Media, BT Vision or TalkTalk, which all carry its channels for free. In countries such as France, Germany and Spain, cabsat platforms pay terrestrial networks to retransmit their feeds.
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U: To answer your question, C21Media: says
"In countries such as France, Germany and Spain, [cable and satellite] platforms pay terrestrial networks to retransmit their feeds."
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Stuart: As I recall the court took the view that it was OK for Sky to recoup the costs of the "free dish and box offer" by making EPG charges to broadcasters.
I don't think that Rapture TV had any funds left to contest the matter further.
Sky is a very unique company in that it charges BOTH the suppliers and customers for the services.
Sky have also used the "free box and dish offer" to turn most of their profits into losses over the last decade or so, which means they have had to pay very little tax indeed.
Probably why you don't see much of UK Uncut on Sky News.
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NottsUK: Yes, I saw that, I just meant that actual dates when services move tend not to get much announcement.
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Phil Martin: Sorry, but the answer is "no". The UKTV channels are part of the Sky subscription system on satellite. You can watch them online using the links in the panel in the right hand column.
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Karen: Please see Single frequency interference | ukfree.tv - independent free digital TV advice for help.
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Paul: There seems to have been "Reduced Quality" events going on that would effect reception. It would seem these have now ended.
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glenn: There are several ways that 5.1 audio is encoded, and various broadcasters use different systems at different times.
The best thing to do to resolve your problem is to turn OFF anything that says "Dolby digital" audio and use the "stereo" option.
If you don't actually have 5.1 speakers, then different parts of the sound will disappear, in particular the "dialogue speaker" audio.
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L Forbes: You should be able to get all the Freeview channels from 1st November 2011, if you can hang on until then.
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Terry: Right...
You can use the "RF link" with a 3D-enabled television, but there isn't a hope that the 3D picture will work via RF.
Freeview comes via an aerial, Freesat from satellite. If you want Freesat you will just need a Freesat box and a cable from the LNB.
You can use a diplexer to mix satellite and aerial signals together but if you can run separate cables this is a much more reliable solution.
If you split the "magic eye" cable it usually stops the magic eye working. You can always use the RF1 output if you want to connect another TV via RF, however.
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keith: Please do this 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 - independent free digital TV advice .
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Brian Hudson: First please try 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 - independent free digital TV advice and then see Single frequency interference | ukfree.tv - independent free digital TV advice .
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Eoin OSullivan: Also here BBC to reduce satellite transponders from seven to six on 7 October 2011 | ukfree.tv - independent free digital TV advice .
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Stephen Platt: Please see Will there ever be more services on the Freeview Light transmitters? | ukfree.tv - independent free digital TV advice .
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Jules Goldsmith: If you do the three methods on the What can I do when my Sky Digibox says 'No Signal' or 'Technical fault'? | ukfree.tv - independent free digital TV advice page you should get Channel 5, but you need a viewing card for 5* and 5USA. The card costs £25 from 08442 411 602.
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Zaina: There's not much you can do with a Sky+HD box without a satellite connection.
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Leah: The answers are on the Upgrading from Sky+HD to Freesat+HD | ukfree.tv - independent free digital TV advice page.
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del: Please do this 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 - independent free digital TV advice .
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lesnicol: Broadcasting territorial exclusivity with a decoder card is contrary to EU law | ukfree.tv - independent free digital TV advice ...
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mr wainman: Also see Freeview intermittent interference | ukfree.tv - independent free digital TV advice please.
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Graeme Young: Please also see More Freeview capacity - COM7, COM8 and COM9 - in the 600MHz band | ukfree.tv - independent free digital TV advice .
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Rich: Switch over and PC-based systems | ukfree.tv - independent free digital TV advice might be helpful.
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Patrick: Thanks very much for the link and the post. No problem with links to good sites.
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Nicola: Please can you see Single frequency interference | ukfree.tv - independent free digital TV advice ?
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Jo W: As Hutton doesn't carry those multiplexes, you will be getting them from Mendip or Wenvoe.
You can usually resolve the "not storing" problem by doing this: 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 - independent free digital TV advice .
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Jackdaw: Please see Will there ever be more services on the Freeview Light transmitters? | ukfree.tv - independent free digital TV advice .
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Alastair Lloyd: Please see Will there ever be more services on the Freeview Light transmitters? | ukfree.tv - independent free digital TV advice .
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isabel munro: Please try 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 - independent free digital TV advice .
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hilary bloor: Freeview needs and aerial, but you can use FreeSAT with a separate connection to an existing dish.
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Hannah: Please see Single frequency interference | ukfree.tv - independent free digital TV advice for help.
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Mr John Clark: Please see Will there ever be more services on the Freeview Light transmitters? | ukfree.tv - independent free digital TV advice .
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Arthur Lewin: I would have a look at Freeview intermittent interference | ukfree.tv - independent free digital TV advice .
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Christopher Hall: Also see Will there ever be more services on the Freeview Light transmitters? | ukfree.tv - independent free digital TV advice .
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Thursday 29 September 2011 10:49PM
Keith Ratcliffe : It could be Freeview signals: too much of a good thing is bad for you | ukfree.tv - independent free digital TV advice ?