All posts by Michael Perry
Below are all of Michael Perry's postings, with the most recent are at the bottom of the page.
Simon:
I think Jamie is referring to your local Freeview transmitter, even though you are discussing a Sky box. You need to find a channel that is not used by any of the Freeview transmitters in your area so that their signals do not interfere with the signal from your Sky box. So if a local transmitter were to be using, say, channels 21, 23, 26, 28 and 31 then they are the channels to avoid using - and allow 'space' between channels to minimise the risk of interference.
A postcode would help to identify your local transmitters (both main and repeater ones) so you can find what channels are already used and select one that is unused at present.
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Lee:
I live 3 miles from Calne and know the transmitter there, near John Bentley School. There is no chance of it ever getting any of the commercial services as the coverage area has too few customers, so there is little potential for sufficient advertising income being generated.
Depending on where in Calne you live you just may be able to get signals from Mendip, but many parts of Calne are hidden from that by the hills. Oxford Road, New Road and some parts of Quemerford can't use Mendip, partly because of the hill in Castlefields Park. Best to look at where your neighbours aerials are pointing and which way the small elements across the main arm are positioned. If they are vertical and the aerial points in the general direction of John Bentley then they are using the 'relay'. If the aerial points south west and the elements are horizontal, then they are using Mendip. The most useful indicators are your immediate neighbours aerials.
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Ron Keesing:
Sky will always try to sell something, in this case they are trying to coerce you into buying Multi-room subscription at extra cost. So they are not a good source for any assistance with you problem.
As jb38 states, it is more likely to be a problem with the connection from the Sky box to your second TV and I suggest you take his advice on checking where the fault actually is.
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Deirdre:
NICAM is a system used to try to improve the sound quality on analogue signals, originally developed in the 1970s. It is not used in digital transmissions at all as it works very differently. So you video recorder is an analogue type recording onto cassettes (either VHS or betamax perhaps). It is therefore unable to receive or record Freeview programmes which as digital signals. So you can only use to to playback existing recordings buit not to make new ones directly from your aerial.
My advice would be to get a decent 'Freeview +' Personal Video Recorder (PVR). You may wish to consider buying an HD type - especially if you have an HD capable TV set.
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ms agnes townsley:
Programme 401 on Sky is Sky Sports 1.
Many programmes on Sky have a teletext service accessed by pressing the Text button on the Sky remote control.
On FreeSat, not the same as Sky, there is an information channel. See Information TV > The Company > Receive our channels for more information, and it give the programme numbers for other information services as well.
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@800man:
There are no plans currently to roll out 5G in the UK for a few years yet. See Ofcom: no 5G networks in UK until 'at least 2018' as it rolls out white space trials (Wired UK) for a related story.
See also 5G - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia for a discussion.
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PaulN :
It has been pretty much standard practice with small transformers of the type used in such power units to have a small safety cut-out fuse included, mounted so that any excess heat in the windings causes it to fail safe. Such heat would normally be the result of a fault either in the windings themselves or the secondary side components. A correct repair would be to replace the transformer if available and you are competent at such repairs, remembering that you are dealing with mains voltages (230 Volts). Replacing the whole power unit as perhaps a better, safer alternative, but make sure you use the correct unit to maintain safety of all equipment connected.
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Frank:
There is no such thing as a 'digital' aerial. All UHF aerials are designed to receive all signals within bands 4 and/or 5 but are tailored to better suit certain sections of the frequency bands. A wideband aerial has poorer reception in the lower frequencies, so for Rowridge you would be best using a Group A aerial, but be careful about reception angle as mentioned above (the more 'bars' across the boom the narrower the angle and more difficult to aim at the transmitter - especially if it is beyond the horizon!).
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PeteP:
Try removing the aerial amplifier, coupling the two coaxial plugs together, you can get such couplers very cheaply. Then check the signals. It is often the case that the signal can be too strong and hence causing either pixelation or apparent loss of signal.
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Wednesday 30 October 2013 10:27PM
Jamie, et al:
I am inclined not to agree. My Freeview PVR is now 7 years old and doing very well thank you. My Sky+ box is now 8 years old and still doing well, my TV set is 11 years old and doing well too! Plus a 14" TV I self-built is still working fine (with the help of a Freeview box) after 22 years!
The cheaper/poorer built equipment may have a useful working life that is shorter than better and more expensive designs, but 10 years would be the normal life expectancy. In my experience in the TV industry (since 1960!) equipment is often changed before the 'end of life' because of the new features being desired, not particularly because of equipment failure. Another factor is often termed 'design obsolescence' where the item is deliberately designed to have a short useful life and is relatively inexpensive.
You only get what you pay for.