A "digital ready" aerial surely means one with a black plastic stub on the end of it signifying that it can recieve UHF 21-68 and not just a small part of the spectrum specific to a particular area (my nan and grandad in Wales have a "green" aerial which covers IIRC late 30s to early 50s.
A "digital ready" aerial surely means one with a black plastic stub on the end of it signifying that it can recieve UHF 21-68 and not just a small part of the spectrum specific to a particular area (my nan and grandad in Wales have a "green" aerial which covers IIRC late 30s to early 50s.
Black = Wideband = UHF Chs 21-68
Red= Group A= UHF Chs 21-37 (was 34 before C5 came along)
Yellow= Group B = UHF Chs 35-53 (was 39 to 53)
Green = Group C/D = UHF Chs 48-68
Brown= Group E = UHF Chs 35 to 68 (was 39-68 )
I think the biggest problem of the digital switchover will be the numberr of "cowboys" who try to take advantage of the analogue switchoff. With Selkirk and its relays scheduled to lose analogue in the second half of 2008, there will be dodgy aerial installers and the like swarming in from all over the UK. "You need a new aerial, love"...I can hear them now. There will be dozens of white vans full of cheap wideband aerials and poor quality coax cable. How do I know this?...from past experience. In the 70s, when a local relay transmitter opened at Jedburgh for instance, you got people knocking on doors telling householders, "We're the only people authorised by the local council to put a new aerial up for you". Then, when Channel 5 was introduced from Selkirk, BBC 1 from Jedburgh was switched from 51 to 68 to prevent interference from the Selkirk C5 signal on 52. Channel 5 paid for new aerials for people in Jedburgh and Galashiels (where the relay also hadd BBC 1 moved from 51 to 6. They used the cheapest materials possible...some outdoor aerials barely lasted one winter...and one person I know wondered why, after a few months, his reception had deteriorated. Turns out the aerial installers hadn't bothered to remove the old group B aerial and replace it but cut the cable and attach a new aerial to it then stick it onto a beam with Blutak!
No...it isn't, nor is it on Galashiels. But, because they needed to use channel 52 for 5 from Selkirk, they had to move BBC1 from 51 to 68 at both Jedburgh and Galashiels. And they had to pay for the aerial work in both towns. Interestingly, the relay at Yetholm still radiates BBC1 on 51. The move to channel 68 caused problems...the higher frequency is much less tolerant of even minor obstacles. Even some viewers with line of sight to Jedburgh get much grainier pictures on BBC1 than on the other three.
I think a big problem, which doesn't seem to have been highlighted, is going to be when they realise they cannot watch one channel and video another any more - unless they have an extra Freeview box attached to their video.
And that will be annoying!
People will need sockets for their television, for their DVD player, for their video, two for Freeview boxes and (for some, like me) another for the aerial booster.
I suspect the Border switchover will go so badly that (with an election looming) the government will kick analogue switchoff back for the foreseeable future.
In addition, one report said that all the extra Freeview boxes plugged in and on all the time will scupper the government's carbon emissions targets.
I think the biggest problem of the digital switchover will be the numberr of "cowboys" who try to take advantage of the analogue switchoff. With Selkirk and its relays scheduled to lose analogue in the second half of 2008, there will be dodgy aerial installers and the like swarming in from all over the UK. "You need a new aerial, love"
I know loads of people who seem to think you need a new aerial for digital. In a lot of cases, you don't at all. Selling "digital aerials" is a total con. The only time you need a new aerial is if you live in a weak signal area and need a higher gain one, of if you have a Band A (or similar) aerial, and some digital signals are on higher frequencies. Sadly, I know quite a few people who have done this- my aunt got a new aerial to get Freeview, even though her old one was fine. If I can get a strong DTT signal on a cheap indoor aerial, there's certinally no need for anyone to change their rooftop ones at all.
In addition, one report said that all the extra Freeview boxes plugged in and on all the time will scupper the government's carbon emissions targets.
Though there is the fact that the digital transmissions are on significantly lower power than the analogue ones. I get my TV through emley moor, the analogue signals are 870kW, whereas the digital transmisisons are only 10kW, apart from Mux D which id 4kW. I have no problem recieving any, despite being on the fringe of Emley Moor's coverage area,
Surely most people would buy a Freeview box and try it on their existing aerial before getting a new one installed. Do people seriously go about it the other way round?
Surely most people would buy a Freeview box and try it on their existing aerial before getting a new one installed. Do people seriously go about it the other way round?
Yes, I know quite a few people who have been convinced they need "Digital Aerials" and set them up beforehand (as I said, that's what my aunt did) and I've seen a lot of those high gain aerials (that people tout as "digital") put up round here recently- even though we live in a strong signal area (like I said, I can get Freeview no problems with a cheap indoor aerial).
The main problem will be of time. On a certain date, say the 26th of August 2008, BBC 2 analogue services from Selkirk and its relays will disappear. Overnight one multiplex, carrying the main BBC channels, will be switched on at higher power from Selkirk and, for the first time, from the relays. People may, or may not, have purchased digital boxes in advance. As I understand it, the remaining analogue channels are to be switched off within a month to six weeks. That, I believe, will be impossible. In a previous post, I mentioned the switch in channel from 51 to 68 at Jedburgh. It took months to complete the aerial changes (I won't say to everyone's satisfaction). With thousands of video recorders, second and third sets etc to be adapted and hundreds of aerials needing upgraded or replaced, I think the process will take much longer than they're planning for. To say nothing of those in remote valleys who get a very marginal analogue signal and may get nothing at all. There are, because of hills, trees etc, quite a few households where satellite ain't a viable alternative.
I think the biggest problem of the digital switchover will be the numberr of "cowboys" who try to take advantage of the analogue switchoff. With Selkirk and its relays scheduled to lose analogue in the second half of 2008, there will be dodgy aerial installers and the like swarming in from all over the UK. "You need a new aerial, love"
I know loads of people who seem to think you need a new aerial for digital. In a lot of cases, you don't at all. Selling "digital aerials" is a total con. The only time you need a new aerial is if you live in a weak signal area and need a higher gain one, of if you have a Band A (or similar) aerial, and some digital signals are on higher frequencies. Sadly, I know quite a few people who have done this- my aunt got a new aerial to get Freeview, even though her old one was fine. If I can get a strong DTT signal on a cheap indoor aerial, there's certinally no need for anyone to change their rooftop ones at all.
All the New Aerial thing has to be aload of b*llocks, fair enough if you live in a region where reception is 50/50, probably due to hills or what have you. We got my Nan a Freeview box a few months ago, it works fine, even though she has a really old aerial, probably from the 1970's as the Aerial cable is brown, not white like todays. The reception on the SDN MUX does break up from time to time, but it does for us on our Freeview box, our aerial for this one is only 5 years old.
BTW We weren't conned here, we only got a new aerial as the old ones fell off during bad weather one Winter.
. They used the cheapest materials possible...some outdoor aerials barely lasted one winter...and one person I know wondered why, after a few months, his reception had deteriorated. Turns out the aerial installers hadn't bothered to remove the old group B aerial and replace it but cut the cable and attach a new aerial to it then stick it onto a beam with Blutak!