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Digital Switchover - Regional Timetable

From OFCOM (February 2005)

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NG
noggin Founding member
Nick Harvey posted:
Why on earth would you asume that Ceefax would be available ANYWHERE until 2011?

I would expect Ceefax to be long gone by 2008 in ALL regions.

Page 888 would be retained on analogue for the Luddites, but on the digital platforms it'll be removed and you'll have to switch the subtitle option on, as you already do on ITV on digital.


Suspect the skeleton DSat service currently running will continue - as it was re-instated for analogue cable viewers in Europe who couldn't do without their listings and recipe information!

(There were a number of complaints when European cable head-ends switched from analogue off-air to DSat sources for their BBC One and Two feeds - which they pay the BBC to rebroadcast - and CEEFAX disappeared as a result)

As for 888 subtitles - they will have to remain in some form. AIUI the Sky subtitles system is effectively just sitting across 888 in the receiver - though of course "teletext" over Sky digital is not broadcast in the same way as "teletext" over analogue, though the source data is the same.
NG
noggin Founding member
cwathen posted:
Quote:
The regions chosen to go first seem the obvious ones, the timescale seems realistic - even though there will be a lot of slippage allowed! The only pity that I see, is that the Meridian region isn't going to be switched sooner.

How can switching the Westcountry TV region over first be obvious? It's got more people dependent on what are presently analogue-only relays than you can shake a stick at, much of it is relatively poor and so many people simply couldn't afford to maintain the same level of equipment provision they have now with analogue gone, and present DTT coverage is poor.

Beyond that, other areas of TV delivery are much less developed, with cable existing only in Plymouth, and with there being countless premises which are unable to have a satellite dish (aswell as the generally poorer nature of the region meaning that many people are unable to afford a Sky subscription - yes I accept that you don't need Sky to have satellite, but the perception that you do is still far too ingrained to be changed any time soon).

I feel it's been selected for political reasons moreso than anything else - there are less people in the region, it's an area of the country which is often given such scant regard by the media and by the government that it might as well not exist (ever heard of the expression that 'the country stops at Bristol'?) so there will be less complaints received, and less importance attached to them.

There is a stronger case for turning London off first, but of course that will never happen because it would be political suicide, the media would have a field day.

Border was doubtless also included for the same reasons.


Surely the population density of the regions being switched first is a major issue. If you chose regions with fewer people in to switch first you will have time to gear up for the more populous regions later? If you start with the less populous regions then you won't have as many complaints to deal with initially?

Be interesting to see the total populations in each region and see if this is the reason for the timetable?
NG
noggin Founding member
tvarksouthwest posted:

While the means to receive teletext remains, the broadcasters have an obligation to provide it. I pray the BBC and ITV will have a rethink.


What total bobbins.

Just because a manufacturer provides reception capabilities why should the broadcaster have to provide content?

Do all record companies have to release music on MiniDisc because I can buy a minidisc player?

Did all the TV companies in the UK start broadcasting analogue stereo in the early 80s, just because loads of TVs with analogue stereo reception (on a proposed, but never adopted, UK version of the German ZweiTon system) were sold?

Did all film companies have to release VideoCDs of their films because Philips CDi players that could play them were on-sale ?

Analogue switch-off is all about that - switching off. You have to start somewhere. If continuing with "analogue" teletext is going to cost the broadcasters money, when they are about to cease transmissions, then surely it shouldn't be a priority.

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