Chris has been told by a resident that the switchover to digital TV in this area will be in 2012 – and that the signal strength will be low as we are distant from the transmitter that will be used (at Crystal Palace) .
The 2012 date is confirmed online here but does anyone have any information about the signal strength? Could this cause problems?
Signal strength will be increased from 20,000 to 200,000 watts at digital switch over ei: 10 times.
I still cant get Channel 5 on normal TV living in Rayleigh, although in Manchester last week the switchover to Digital has already happened.
It has been said that when the analogue signal at Crystal palace is switched off the digital transmissions will be increased in power. there is an information website but i can’t remember its’ address.Googling might help
Thanks Glenn
I seem to recall that the digital signal that is currently transmitted along with the analogue television signals is reduced in power so that it does not cause interference for viewers watching analogue TV. My understanding is that when the digital switch-over occurs and they switch off the analogue broadcast, the digital signal will be boosted so it will be available to more viewers in weaker signal areas.
I’m sure there will still be some areas where the digital signal will be poor, and unfortunately with digital you either get a picture or you do not, unlike analogue where you tend to get a reduced quality picture when the signal is weak.
Not sure where you will stand if you are unlucky enough to be in a poor signal area after the digital switch-over. Your options will be to get cable TV, satellite, or possibly TV over broadband. Satellite is the only one available everywhere, and you can get subscription free systems. Cable TV and Broadband TV depend on service providers having the infrastructure in your area, and there can be subscription fees involved.
There should be more information on the digital switch-over on the web. Try the BBC website for a link that you can follow. There are also various broadcasting enthusiast and trade websites that will have more information, including more accurate information on what channels you can receive in your area even when the official websites say that you cannot receive anything.
If you have upgraded to a Sky+ box, it is worth keeping your old Sky decoder box and buying a Freesat viewing card (around £20) for it. This will give you a second decoder to watch different free-to-air channels on another TV.
Obviously you will still need to connect the decoder to the dish. Ths Sky+ dish comes with extra connections points available to add extra decoder boxes.
We live in the Bull Lane area and we despair at the weakness of our current signal. We frequently can only receive BBC 1 & 2, Freeview is a complete waste of time and quite often we have to resort to watching BT Vision ‘On Demand.’ We don’t want to have to resort to paying Mr Murdoch but maybe we’ll just have to relent and give in to Sky like the existing masses.
Any ideas?
Alison, if you don’t want to pay a subscription to Sky, you can still get satellite TV through Freesat. The channel line up is similar to terrestrial Freeview. Check out their website http://www.freesat.co.uk
You pay once for the dish, box and installation, then nothing else. You can even get HD for no extra subscription cost, provided you specify an HD box. If you don’t fancy the set-top box, some TVs have freesat built in (Panasonic do one), but obviously you still need the dish. There is also Freesat+, with digital recording features.
That’s very helpful- thank you 🙂
This site has really interesting info on it, enter your address and you’ll get loads of info;
http://www.dtg.org.uk/industry/coverage.html
I don’t know if there has been a change to plans recently, but as originally published the transmitter to cover our District was to be sited at Burnham (I presume Burnham-on-Crouch!), in which case coverage should be rather good.
regards
Colin Seagers
The site BigBry mentions above details alternative transmitters. For my address in Rawreth Lane it includes ‘Rouncefall’ at 6 Kilometers distance on a compass bearing of 86 degrees and coming on line in 2011. By my calculation, this would put it on the high ground somewhere in Hockley. Can anyone advise where Rouncefall actually is?
I don’t think it’s built yet, but I may be wrong
http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?referrerid=109801&t=884619
Sorry, I got carried away and meant to add this link too:
http://www.digitaluk.co.uk/postcodechecker/
If you DON’T select that you’re in the trade it gives a nice simple list of what you should get now and then at switchover by clicking on the button ‘Full reception forecast and channel information for switchover’ which is an option after you enter your postcode.
A bit late with this post but I believe Rouncefall is the Radio mast in the fields near the footpath of the Roach Valley Way, between White Hart Lane in Hockley and Ashingdon.
Thanks Ian
Can I add that the resident who originally asked me about this is grateful for all the information!