What does the Freeview interface look like? Anyone got any pics?
Freeview is simply a programming service received through various DTT receivers; there is no such thing as a 'Freeview Box' and thus no common interface (except on the Goodmans/Bush/Alba boxes which are all clones of each other). The only cross-brand interface remains the old ONdigital interface on older OD boxes.
RE: The Jazz FM Crash thingy on Tetris:
Strangely enough it doesn't crash on my Pace Freeview box, just simply doesnt play Jazz FM over Tetris. It does play for all the other games though lol!
By the way is it just me or does anyone know why my EPG only shows the program now and next? i want to see whats on later and it only shows previous, now and next. (and no i'm not talking about the search and scan bar).
Strangely enough it doesn't crash on my Pace Freeview box, just simply doesnt play Jazz FM over Tetris. It does play for all the other games though lol!
BTW, just as I predicted, F2P has now become decidedly non-free. The quite good darts game has been withdrawn, and 2 of the 3 games are now chargeable - yet it's still being advertised as a free service. Surely a breach of the trade descriptions act there?
My Goodmans GDB3 (the same box is also made under the Bush and Alba brands) is fine with everything. I'm not normally a fan of Goodmans, but in this case they've excelled themselves - a nice fast box with excellent connectivity (in the face of the extremely limited approach taken by some manufacturers - the only thing missing is that the RF output doesn't broadcast the box's signal), better ratio switching (you can still force 14:9 even if a 16:9 switching signal is being sent - so I can watch all widescreen material in 14:9, something I've been wanting to do ever since the start of digital, and perhaps crucially for some people, I can also watch widescreen material in 16:9 letterbox even if a 14:9 switching signal is being sent), and the software supports everything that the broadcasters are doing. And apart from anything else, it's not too pricey, being somewhere in the middle of the price range (£74.99 when I bought it, I think it's now come down slightly).
The BBC have said that they will not be making anything which doesn't work on the ITV digital boxes, which more or less rules out any exciting MHEG 1.06 applications. Anyway - I thought 1.06 wasn't going to happen anymore?
I'm not disputing you, but when was this said and who said it? At the start of Freeview the BBC made it very clear that they would not be offering any support to users of ITV Digital boxes - which by definition means that these boxes would in time be left behind. Now they are saying that they won't do anything to disadvantage ITVD users? Isn't that effectively supporting those boxes if they won't embrace the technology of newer boxes? Seems a very odd policy to take.
The BBC have said that they will not be making anything which doesn't work on the ITV digital boxes, which more or less rules out any exciting MHEG 1.06 applications. Anyway - I thought 1.06 wasn't going to happen anymore?
I'm not disputing you, but when was this said and who said it? At the start of Freeview the BBC made it very clear that they would not be offering any support to users of ITV Digital boxes - which by definition means that these boxes would in time be left behind. Now they are saying that they won't do anything to disadvantage ITVD users? Isn't that effectively supporting those boxes if they won't embrace the technology of newer boxes? Seems a very odd policy to take.
I can't remember when or who said it, but it was definately in a press release or on the BBCi website. I think they said that they wouldn't make MHEG1.06 applications until a certain date (2006 I think). What they might do however is have two version of each application - one for the newer boxes and a stripped down version for the older ones.
Good idea! By the way, does anyone know why When i look at my signal details on my Pace Freeview Box i am at approx 36% for Standard Channels and 39% for BBC Channels? My Picture quality is fine and the interactive services load so quickly, i just can't understand it why the little bar still only shows 39% Signal!
