Not enough bandwidth on PSB multiplexes for BBC services -- the Scottish problem
 

On Mon, 26 Oct 2009 18:09:59 +0200, J G Miller
wrote:

Following the decision of BBC to remove two of the BBC Red Button
interactive streams because of the loss of available bandwidth due
to the clearing of PSB-3 for HD, the BBC Trust has now suggested that
the method to be investigated for bringing BBC Alba on to the
terrestrial network would be to broadcast it during the evening on
bandwidth current dedicated to radio services.

From

http://www.bbc.co.UK/bbctrust/news/press_releases/october/alba_review.shtml

QUOTE

Part two will look at whether the channel should be made available on
Freeview. Due to cost and capacity restraints on DTT, the BBC Executive
have suggested finding room for BBC ALBA by removing the BBC's radio
stations from Freeview, in Scotland only, during BBC ALBA's broadcasting
hours. We will be considering this proposal and what option the public
would prefer.

The review will also consider whether the Gaelic zone on BBC Two Scotland
should remain.

UNQUOTE

Do the BBC radio services on PSB-1 actually use as much bandwidth as a
video stream, or would the quality of BBC Alba be strictly legovision?


So what channels does Scotland have that Wales doesn't? Wales has S4C
in addition to Channel 4. If there isn't sufficient soace on the mux
for Alba it would suggest there is cannel available to Scots, but not
to the Welsh.+
--
Cheers

Peter

Not enough bandwidth on PSB multiplexes for BBC services -- the Scottish problem
 

On Wed, 28 Oct 2009 08:30:12 -0700 (PDT), Owain
wrote:

On 28 Oct, 13:07, Petert wrote:
So what channels does Scotland have that Wales doesn't? Wales has S4C
in addition to Channel 4. If there isn't sufficient soace on the mux
for Alba it would suggest there is cannel available to Scots, but not
to the Welsh.+

We have TeleG (only broadcasts for about an hour a day) but also we
get QVC which I think they don't (or didn't) get in Wales.

Owain

I've never checked before, but the Welsh are graced with QVC on
channel 16 - so that's not it

Not enough bandwidth on PSB multiplexes for BBC services -- theScottish problem
 

Mike Henry wrote:

We have TeleG (only broadcasts for about an hour a day) but also we
get QVC which I think they don't (or didn't) get in Wales.

Owain
I've never checked before, but the Welsh are graced with QVC on
channel 16 - so that's not it

No, Wales have to miss out on CITV, Ch 72.

Scotland:
http://www.unsatisfactorysoftware.co...2&oair=1&prt=1

"Scottish Gold" is "TBC" on Mux 2. But the mystery for me is Mux B. It
contains the core radio stations 1-5, but in Scotland they are on Mux 2
and so under threat from Alba. They could easily be on Mux B in Scotland
too, from what I can see, and this problem wouldn't exist!?

I don't understand ? BBC R1-5 are on Mux B in Scotland on pre DSO'd sites, and
on Mux 1 (PSB1) on post DSO sites (namely Caldbeck, Selkirk, and their relays).

Mux B has to be cleared in post DSO areas to make way for DVB-T2/HD, so the
only space available for Alba will be on Mux/PSB 1, hence the plan to ditch
R1-5.


--
Mark
Please replace invalid and invalid with gmx and net to reply.

www.paras.org.uk

Not enough bandwidth on PSB multiplexes for BBC services -- the Scottish problem
 

In article ,
Brian Gaff wrote:
Its the commercial crap on Freeview which needs pruning and one only
needs to look at the viewing figures, and maybe with fewer commercial
stations, the commercial area will once again have enough money from
advertising to support their output.

You think the radio stations *on FreeView* get bigger audiences than the
'commercial' crap?

Can you provide some figures, please?

--
*Many hamsters only blink one eye at a time *

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

Not enough bandwidth on PSB multiplexes for BBC services -- the Scottish problem
 

"Mark Carver" wrote in message
...
Mike Henry wrote:
I don't understand ? BBC R1-5 are on Mux B in Scotland on pre DSO'd sites,
and on Mux 1 (PSB1) on post DSO sites (namely Caldbeck, Selkirk, and their
relays).

Mux B has to be cleared in post DSO areas to make way for DVB-T2/HD, so
the only space available for Alba will be on Mux/PSB 1, hence the plan to
ditch R1-5.

To be honest Mark, I think you are probably the only person in the world who
understands all these complications. One of these days your phone will ring
and a slightly embarrassed voice will whisper, "Err, is that Mr Carver? From
uk.tech.digital-tv? I'm from OFCOM Mr Carver. Look, I hope you don't mind me
ringing you, but well, we need a bit of help if you could spare a moment.
The fact is we've kept altering things about with the transmitters and
everything, you know, just generally changing things around . . . it always
seems like a good idea at the time, but, well, the fact is, we can't quite
seem to figure out just what's what any more. We've sort of lost track, and
it's all got out of hand, quite frankly. We took on some new whizkids,
straight from university, hoping they'd be able to figure it all out, but
they just seemed to make things worse! I don't suppose you could, well, sort
things out a bit for us, could you? Get it all back to how it should be.
Then we can start to muddle it up again." (feeble laugh).

Bill

Not enough bandwidth on PSB multiplexes for BBC services -- the Scottish problem
 

On Thu, 29 Oct 2009 12:11:49 -0000, "Bill Wright"
wrote:


"Mark Carver" wrote in message
...
Mike Henry wrote:
I don't understand ? BBC R1-5 are on Mux B in Scotland on pre DSO'd sites,
and on Mux 1 (PSB1) on post DSO sites (namely Caldbeck, Selkirk, and their
relays).

Mux B has to be cleared in post DSO areas to make way for DVB-T2/HD, so
the only space available for Alba will be on Mux/PSB 1, hence the plan to
ditch R1-5.

To be honest Mark, I think you are probably the only person in the world who
understands all these complications. One of these days your phone will ring
and a slightly embarrassed voice will whisper, "Err, is that Mr Carver? From
uk.tech.digital-tv? I'm from OFCOM Mr Carver. Look, I hope you don't mind me
ringing you, but well, we need a bit of help if you could spare a moment.
The fact is we've kept altering things about with the transmitters and
everything, you know, just generally changing things around . . . it always
seems like a good idea at the time, but, well, the fact is, we can't quite
seem to figure out just what's what any more. We've sort of lost track, and
it's all got out of hand, quite frankly. We took on some new whizkids,
straight from university, hoping they'd be able to figure it all out, but
they just seemed to make things worse! I don't suppose you could, well, sort
things out a bit for us, could you? Get it all back to how it should be.
Then we can start to muddle it up again." (feeble laugh).

Bill


I'm going to apply for a job at Ofcom, because I cannot work out why
we can have S4C on channel 8 and all the BBC radio channels, while in
"see you jimmy" land Alba will require some or all of the BBC radio
channels to be dumped. Scotland appears to have the same number of
channels as Wales (with the exception of one that appears to broadcast
for about an hour a day) so what exactly is the problem?

I feel I undestand it all so badly I think I will apply for the CEO
post at Ofcom
--
Cheers

Peter

Not enough bandwidth on PSB multiplexes for BBC services -- theScottish problem
 

Petert wrote:


I'm going to apply for a job at Ofcom, because I cannot work out why
we can have S4C on channel 8 and all the BBC radio channels, while in
"see you jimmy" land Alba will require some or all of the BBC radio
channels to be dumped. Scotland appears to have the same number of
channels as Wales (with the exception of one that appears to broadcast
for about an hour a day) so what exactly is the problem?

In Wales, CITV seems to have been ditched to make room for S4C on Mux 2.
There's no technical reason why that can't happen in Scotland to make
room for Alba. In fact as Alba is an evening only service (?), and CITV
is a daytime service (I think ?) why not timeshare, unless CITV on Mux 2
is already timesharing with someone else ?

Anyway, Ofcom had made such a hash of things, coupled with the timebomb
of overlapping transmitter coverage after DSO in some areas, boxes not
conforming to specs, and soring channels in the wrong place, or hiding
them away on 800+, people having ITV 3 and 4 snatched away, not enough
bandwidth to provide decent SD pictures, etc, etc, the whole platform is
doomed IMHO.

Not enough bandwidth on PSB multiplexes for BBC services -- the Scottish problem
 

"Stephen" wrote in message
...

What they need is more multiplexes and there should be plenty of space: on
channels 35 and 37 at every transmitter after five analogue switch off,
and many more uhf channels after they re-engineer the COM multiplexes as
single frequency networks.

Five analogue switch off won't free any space from several of the large
transmitters down here in the south east. Channel five never quite made it
to such far flung transmitters as Dover, Rowridge and Hethfield.

Not enough bandwidth on PSB multiplexes for BBC services -- the Scottish problem
 

"Mark Carver" wrote in message
...
Petert wrote:
Anyway, Ofcom had made such a hash of things, coupled with the timebomb of
overlapping transmitter coverage after DSO in some areas, boxes not
conforming to specs, and soring channels in the wrong place, or hiding
them away on 800+, people having ITV 3 and 4 snatched away, not enough
bandwidth to provide decent SD pictures, etc, etc, the whole platform is
doomed IMHO.

Aye, we're doooomed I tell, ye! Doooomed!

Bill

Not enough bandwidth on PSB multiplexes for BBC services -- the Scottish problem
 

"Ray Pearce" wrote in message
...
"Stephen" wrote in message
...

What they need is more multiplexes and there should be plenty of space:
on channels 35 and 37 at every transmitter after five analogue switch
off, and many more uhf channels after they re-engineer the COM
multiplexes as single frequency networks.

Five analogue switch off won't free any space from several of the large
transmitters down here in the south east. Channel five never quite made it
to such far flung transmitters as Dover, Rowridge and Heathfield.

Could be a problem on the South coast. All the more reason to start using
VHF. Don't forget there's also Channel 36 which can be used at every
transmitter (possibly including those 3) after analogue switch off because
the requirement to keep it clear for analogue VHS machines and first
generation gaming consoles has ceased.