Topic: Full Freeview unavailable to 10%

[Simon]

Full Freeview unavailable to 10%

Up to 10% of households will miss out on the full Freeview digital TV service, regulator Ofcom has admitted.



Freeview is broadcast in six "bundles" of multiple channels, three commercial and three public service.

Ofcom said the public service channels, including BBC One, ITV1 and Channel 4 must reach 98.5% of households.

But channels such as UKTV History and Sky Sports News only have to reach 73%. of households. They are set to reach 90% by 2012, when the UK turns digital.

Commercial decision

The figure of 73% is roughly the current coverage of the commercial channels.

This will be increased at switchover because the power of the digital signal, currently kept low to avoid interference with the old analogue signal, will be increased.

Digital UK was set up to co-ordinate and publicise the UK's gradual change to a purely digital TV signal.

Spokesman John Steel said: "It's a commercial decision for the non-public service broadcasters.

"Using 80 transmitters they can reach about 90% of UK households but to get the extra few per cent they would need to access nearly 1,000 extra transmitters.

"It's still a big step forward for everyone, it's just a smaller big step for some people."

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/entertainment/6161789.stm

[Clive]

I only use a tatty old aerial to pick up Freeserve and I suppose I get around 30 channels.  Would I receive any more if I erected a better aerial?

[Delgado]

I have Freeview, and the picture quality is superb, but sometimes get sound clipping-picture freezing and blocking. Will this stop when the power is increased?

   

[Simon]

I think it's safe to assume there would be an all round improvement when the power is increased, especially to areas where the signal may be weaker at the moment.

Clive, I get about 87 channels, but half of these are radio stations or teletext channels.  About 30 is the norm for TV channels, I think.

[mistybear]

I get 6. You guys are spoilt.

[Sandra]

I will keep my mouth shut about how many I get then MB, in case it upsets you 

Motorised satellite dishes rule 

[Simon]

Sandra has recently had complaints from the next county, that a structure in her back garden is spoiling their view.

[Clive]

 

[Sandra]

Thats more like Scrumpy Jacks I think 

Mines only 1.2 metre diameter, I think his is 3 metres 

In satellite matters size does matter 

I am going to see if my north facing rear garden will let me "see" the Clarke belt without my own or other nearby houses being in the way from ground level.
If I can clear the houses then I may see if I can get a 2.4 metre one set up 

Incidentally if anyone can get Hotbird on 13 east, TPS is listed as being in the clear on King of Sat at the moment, no one seems to know if its going to be permanent or if they are preparing to move to a different encryption.

The TPS package has about 7 film channels on it as well as some football.
Only TPS Star and TPS Homecinema were in english last night though, still if its free then 2 film channels are better than none 

[sam]

i wonder if you can pick up jupiters aurora with that thing... I mean sandra dish not jodrell!

[Sandra]

Dont think you could elevate it enough for Jupiter most of the time.
Youd have to wait until it got in alignment with the Clarke belt and somewhere between say 30 east and 30 west.

Presumably radio telescopes use a different frequency on their LNB too, thats if they actually use an LNB 

[sam]

im not convinced they do, for jupiter you need to have a reciever set to use 50MHz or so...

[Clive]

You can pick up Jupiter using a short wave receiver connected to a piece of chicken wire.  I listened to Comet Shoemaker-Levy crash into Jupiter back in 1994 using that method.  (long before you were born Sam!) 

[sam]

yes indeed clive, I just wonder if you can do it with the commercial satellite dish.


and not quite long before I was born, I even recall that happening, not that I was hugely aware of current astronomy at the time.

oh and here is the answer....

http://radiojove.gsfc.nasa.gov/help/faq1.htm#T2

T2. Can I receive Jupiter on my satellite dish?

No, your satellite dish was designed for microwave reception. Although Jupiter emits weak signals in the microwave spectrum they are not strong enough to be detected with a small dish. The radio Jove project monitors Jupiter and the Sun at 20.1 MHz. At this frequency Jovian signals are quite strong (and the Sun is even stronger). Most observers use the Jove dual dipole array. Some use Yagi antennas. A single dipole antenna is sufficient to pick up strong solar bursts.

I thought that might be the case...

[Clive]

A very comprehensive site Sam.  Good find!