All posts by Tim Peel
Below are all of Tim Peel's postings, with the most recent are at the bottom of the page.
Hi KMJ.
Thank you very much KMJ. I really have become very confused over the past few months to work out exactly what is happening and when. This is the first time that I have seen a direct listing of all the crucial changes to effect us - it's a shame that when the letters were posted out to us all, telling us of DSO, that they didn't give us all a timetable then. We must have had 5 or 6 letters asking us if we wanted new aerials etc, but not a word as to when we would need the change.
Very grateful - KMJ.
Regards,
Tim.
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Hi.
All but BBC ONE, TWO etc, gone from Freeview. There was due to be a retune for Waltham today, is this part of the retune? If not, when do we have to retune? I note that there are 'engeneering works' causing possible disruption to the digital signal from Waltham this week anyway.
Can anyone verify that it's not just me thats lost all signal!
Regards,
Tim.
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Hello again.
Thank you to all those who have posted a response to my original request. The services came back bit by bit in the early hours, just before 6:00am. The channel 26, which was occupied by MuxA, are no longer in their original position, and as others have posted, they now occupy a different frequency (channel 29, 538.0 MHz). There doesn't appear to be any changes within the other Mux's, but a complete re-tune would probably be worth while.
I only wish Waltham could switch now along with Nottingham! Even though I live in Nottm., we point towards Waltham, Nottingham being too difficult to receive. So unlike most of the city, we have got to wait 'till August before HD services appear - Most annoying!!!
Regards,
Tim.
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Hi.
Performed re-tune to move C26 to C29 (MuxA) as planned on 30th March. All ok, but when searched for D3&4 on C31, no channels found.
Subsiquent re-tunes have not identified any channels on C31. Is this due to come on line on 13th April with the next re-tune, or is there just a delay in D3&4 appearing from Waltham (Above notes say D3&4 would appear towards the end of March this year, ie with the last re-tune).
Thank you. Regards,
Tim.
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Hi Mike.
As well as tonight's move of Mux 2, my Mother's TV is also indicating a move for the 'red button' BBC Interactive service. Also, EPG for 301(Eng) (ie the red button) ends from the 13th. Just were is this being moved, since it currently resides alongside CBeebies and BBC FOUR on Mux B, nothing to do with Mux 2.
Regards,
Tim.
PS. I guess we will lose all output from Waltham from midnight tomorrow morning 'till approx' 6:00am, as a fortnight ago!
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Thank you Brian.
I watch DVB-T from a Computer, hence need to know the new Mux to feed into DVBViewer software. Much appreciated.
Tim.
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Hi.
I am in Nottingham, overlooking the Trent Valley, in direct line with Waltham. This is in the wrong direction to be effected by any Sandy Heath signals. I performed the re-tune on my DVB-T tuners in my PC just before 6:00am on the morning of the 13th. This worked fine. Today, I also re-tuned my Mothers TV, which also uses the same aerial, and again no problems.
However, in the past, I have had difficulties with too much signal, since there is a great deal of difference in the sensativity of PC tuner cards/USB Devices. I have to use an amplifier (even though there is nothing in line with Waltham mast!!!), but this proved too strong for an AverMedia USB Stick I was using (very high sensativity). I got around the problem by using an Attenuator (bought from Maplins) for around £5. This reduced the strength sufficiently to the more sensative devices, thus making the signal stable again.
I still lose all signals, however, in very good weather, when the 'temperature inversion' problem strikes.
As for multiple signals, I don't know about specific Digi-Box designs, but on a number of PCs, I have been using the very good DVBViewer program (around 15 euros still, I think). The pro version allows for any number of tuners (so if you have six, in theory you can record absolutely anything from Freeview all at the same time!) to co-exist in the same machine, and will differentiate between more than one signal. For some frequencies, the stronger Waltham signal is chosen by the software, but a much weaker Nottingham version still is indicated in the provider listings, but can be egnored.
Sorry for the long post. I will say, though, that even though re-tuning worked for me, it did cause the software to crash once(never done before), and the quality, as mentioned in someone's previous post, has seemingly dimminished slightly. Oh for HD! Roll on August.
Regards,
Tim.
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Hi.
I posted a short while back enquiring about the changes to the BBC's Red-Button Video output, which resided on the BBC FOUR,CBeebies Mux B, and it's planned move to Mux 1. It transpires that, although there no longer exists an EPG entry for the 301(eng) channel on Mux B, there still remains a brodcast from this PID (eg, video loops of Formula One, CITV Extra etc). There is a PID on Mux 1 along with BBC One and Two for the Red Button, but no output from the channel.
Has the planned changes actually taken effect yet, or are they just in the process of moving the video output? Can anyone tell me what is happening with the BBC Interactive services.
Also, Steve C., I had an idea that C31 was to be an 8K mode service, ready for switch-over in August. This would mean that some boxes/TV's indeed will have to be scrapped. If your TVs/Boxes are Full-HD, as opposed to just HD-Ready, I guess there won't be a problem. I don't have a problem because most DVB-T defvices for PCs are software dependant for decoding, ie the hardware can already cope with any transmission modes for DVB-T. The one TV in our house (Mother's) which is Freeview, is Full-HD, but only purchased at Christmas.
I really wish Offcom had made a better job of DSO altogether. Besides brief re-tune messages on TV, and forums like this, there has been no public information whatsoever as to equipment requirements/change-over timetables, or any such details. Just letters (very numerous) telling us that DSO will happen (sometime), and we can get a free box if we wish. All very, very poorly done!
Tim.
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Hello Andy.
Presumably if you are Nottingham City Centre (such as Victoria Centre Flats) you will be able to get both Nottingham's Transmissions, which are now switched over (and assumed to be high power now?), and Waltham's.
Being East of the City, we point our aerial at Waltham, but even before DSO at Nottingham, it was possible to pick up Nottingham's Signal. I use a PC and a Program called DVBViewer which will discriminate between the two signals.
However, my Mother's TV upstairs, also using my aerial, has no problems. I have a Wide-Band, multi-element, high gain aerial, horizontally polerized, and directed only at Waltham (highly directional).
Do you know what direction your aerial lies in, and where your main signal was being received from prior to 13th April (ie before Nottingham DSO'ed)?
Even if it is a new TV, are you sure it is able to cope with 8k mode transmissions (if aimed at Nottingham)?
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Friday 18 March 2011 10:23PM
Hi.
The above switchover details are very confusing. Our TV now gives us a warning that we need to re-tune after 31st March (I guess this is because Nottingham will be switched over after this date). We, however, point at the Waltham transmitter (as Nottngham is too hard to receive in our area) and so I assume our output will not be affected. I have just read though, that two new Mux will appear (I think C29 is one of the channel) at this time. Is this also for Waltham, and in which case, what services will they carry. In fact, looking only at waltham, do we need to do anything before August 17th?
Thank you, Brian.
Regards,
Tim (Nottingham East).