Digital Switchover - Charlbury

Tue 11 Oct 2011, 13:09

I mean't to say ITV1 + 1 of course.

Tue 11 Oct 2011, 11:47

There is indeed an ITV + 1 channel, It's No. 33 on our set.

Incidentally I am still able to receive BBC1, ITV1 & Channel 4 when I select to receive an 'Analogue' signal. Channel 4 is not very good but the other two channels seem ok. (No. 10, 11 & 12 on our set)

Tue 11 Oct 2011, 10:47

Alex, you might look at www.ukfree.tv/helpme.php?faqid=1107051116 for a possible solution to the missing channels problem.

I was looking there to try & understand why I got BBC1 extremely well after switchover, but now have problems. Last week 2 extra slots for BBC1 were added, & each of these now has the Oxford local news. However, the original BBC1 slot is now blank. Last night it semed to be tuned in to receive the London local news.

Unfortunately, neither of the new BBC1 slots is perfect. This also affects other channels (BBC2 & BBCnews). I suspect I'll have to do a complete re-scan yet again ... at least 5 times in the last few weeks. I wish somebody could explain in simple terms why these problems keep re-emerging!

Tue 11 Oct 2011, 10:15

Of course i realise there's no itv1+1! I meant itv1 and itv2 and itv2+1

Tue 11 Oct 2011, 09:52

Are ITV 3 and ITV4 broadcast on a seperate channel to ITV1 and ITV+1? Just curious.

Tue 11 Oct 2011, 09:50

I wonder whether the supplier/operator informs its' advertisers that they are not reaching a load of largely well healed viewers.

Tue 11 Oct 2011, 09:09

Perils of living in a rural location.

Everyone is entitled to the same reception of BBC chanels as we all pay for the licence fee, but commercial channels are a different matter - commercial decision by the supplier / operator whether to spend the money in upgrading a relay station for a relatively few residents.

Same with broadband - its a commercial supply, not a right like a phone line.

Mon 10 Oct 2011, 11:31

Does anyone else think it slightly odd that we can receive ITV 1 and 2 but not ITV 3 or ITV 4! I know we're not missing much, but why shouldn't we have the same choice in Charlbury as anybody else. It's the same with the broadband speeds!We alsways seem to be behind everybody!

Sun 9 Oct 2011, 14:36

Thanks Frank

Sun 2 Oct 2011, 18:22

In answer to Alex, the Hannington transmitter is on a bearing of 165 degrees from Charlbury.

Sun 2 Oct 2011, 13:41

The licence fee is for the BBC - all of whose channels can be received.

Sun 2 Oct 2011, 13:20

A licence fee of repeats and rubbish. The only shows worth watching are 'Mock the Week'and QI!

Sun 2 Oct 2011, 11:38

"I think it is because the Charlbury relay is just not high-tech enough to give us more than channels than that"

It should be! So why do we pay our license fee?

Sun 2 Oct 2011, 11:35

Which direction is the Hannington transmitter in?

Mon 26 Sep 2011, 12:32

We use the Hannington transmitter and get most if not all of the digital channels. It uses the same horizontal polarisation as the Oxford one and although some distance away gives a perfectly useable signal. We do have an amplifier attached to the TV aerial - it must be attached directly to the aerial on the roof, not at the TV set however.

Mon 26 Sep 2011, 11:56

I think it is because the Charlbury relay is just not high-tech enough to give us more than channels than that. However, as others have said, the Oxford transmiter will become much more powerful,presumably after the 28th, and if you point your aerial to the Oxford mast you may be able to get all of the others as well.

I think it is just one of the prices we pay for living on the wrong side of the slope to the Oxford side of Charlbury.

Mon 26 Sep 2011, 11:19

I think it really sucks how Oxford will get 66 channels after the switchover and we only get 18. Why is this? Questions need to be asked.

Fri 16 Sep 2011, 21:03

Are you all afraid of heights or something?

;)

Fri 16 Sep 2011, 08:25

I would agree with Alan about using John Edwards. A really nice man.

Fri 16 Sep 2011, 06:47

I can highly recommend John Edwards of Carterton. Phone 07710 251438.
Good with all reception and internal points.

Fri 16 Sep 2011, 00:10

If, as John suggests, we may need to have our aerial re-pointing, then can anyone recommend anyone to do this; similarly extra internal tv points etc.

Thu 15 Sep 2011, 16:25

....and then there are those of us who pick their signal up from Hannington and the switchover doesn't happen until next February!

Thu 15 Sep 2011, 11:09 (last edited on Thu 15 Sep 2011, 11:11)

From what I understand, what can be obtained on Freeview Digital after 28th September will depend on at which transmitter your aerial is pointing.
If you receive TV from the Oxford transmitter, you should get the full range of Freeview channels (over 100 including High Definition and Radio). I have received the current range satisfactorily for several years now, but had to retune on Monday as the frequencies changed, and will need to do so again on 28th September when the operation is completed.
If you receive your TV from the Charlbury booster transmitter, then, if you have a digital TV or a digital converter, you should get 21 Freeview channels now, plus another 12 on 28th September.
One factor, which you may find helpful, is that the OXFORD transmitter will be increasing the power of its transmissions quite dramatically. When this happens (I think on 28th September), most people in Charlbury should be able to receive Freeview from the Oxford transmitter instead of the Charlbury one. To do this will involve moving aerials to point more or less in the opposite direction and changing them from vertical to horizontal polarisation, but, unless you know what you are doing, I would recommend that you get advice from an aerial installer.

Thu 15 Sep 2011, 10:13

The idea -- and it's from the BBC's help page -- is that it reboots the processor in your digital TV or recorder. It is the first in a list of simple ways to overcome problems of the switchover. It works the same way that rebooting your computer often works to iron out a minor glitch.

And I've always been able to get Dave here in Charlbury: great fun for a few days, then you realise you're watching the same episodes of Top Gear and HIGNFY over and over again.

Thu 15 Sep 2011, 08:56

I also have Freesat (this is for a bedroom and don't look down on people who don't! It's not much more than a dustbin lid fcol! I don"t see how unplugging a tv for a few minutes is going to make the blindest bit of difference! It's a machine!

Thu 15 Sep 2011, 08:07

A friend with problems (sorry, I'm a smug Freesat user!) says she tracked down some advice on the BBC website to unplug her TV for 20 minutes. And 20 minutes later it was working again. I guess you should unplug all the gadgetry too.

Thu 15 Sep 2011, 05:26

The Digital UK website seems to suggest that even after the 26th we will only get a possible 20 TV Channels (including HD). I was really looking forward to receiving the channel DAVE (the rest of the country seem to get it on Freeview CH25). Alas, it would seem this would not be the case in lil' ol' Charlbury!

Wed 14 Sep 2011, 23:02

The website www.ukfree.tv/shutdowndetail.php?tx=SP344197 has some details on the switch over and which channels are available.

Wed 14 Sep 2011, 20:24 (last edited on Wed 14 Sep 2011, 20:25)

Only BBC channels here, and all of the BBC ones as far as I know, but I have not had digital until today, so am not sure. We get out broadcasts from the Charlbury relay station, not Beckley

I did a complete scan to find everything and like Katrina have no ITV, Ch4 or Ch5. I scanned at about 7.30 this evening so it is not due to an early in the day scanning session; I presume the other channels will appear on the 28th, though the Digital UK website does not make things totally clear.

It states that of the three groups of channels, BBC-A, D3&4 and BBC-B-HD, only BBC-A came live today on the relay, the others will be live on 28th, and I presume D3&4 is ITV, Ch4 & Ch5.

Anyone know for sure about this?

Wed 14 Sep 2011, 16:45

At last. All those channels we didn't watch are back. Thanks for the help.

Wed 14 Sep 2011, 12:16

It did say on the Digital UK website this morning that the Charlbury relay would not have its switchover completed until mid morning, but the main Oxford transmitter would be switched at 6:00 am. You may have lost channels if you retuned betwen those times, but they should all be available without waiting a fortnight.

Wed 14 Sep 2011, 10:41

If you go to the Digital UK website, from the Home Page go to the "when do I switch" box, enter your post code (to be more accurate you can enter the house name or number as well), click the "I am in the aerial installation trade" box then click GO. The next page will give you the Transmitter information for the Transmitters that you are able to receive. It also gives you the Coverage Prediction for the Channel Groups you will be able to receive today, after "Switch Over 2" day as well as the other switches and power up-grades between now and 2013.
It's a bit technical but I hope it helps.

Wed 14 Sep 2011, 08:47

You get them back on the next retune in a fortnight, I think.

Wed 14 Sep 2011, 07:41

We have had to re-tune this morning as well and have lost ITV, CH4 & 5 and that is all i have noticed so far. (we live next door to Russell so will be interesting to see if its the same!)

Wed 14 Sep 2011, 07:28

We've had to re-turn this morning and appear to have lost lots of channels.

Wed 14 Sep 2011, 00:28

So what's the lowdown? Why can't I still get the Freeview channels less than a day before the switchover?