Digital reception on Radio 4
 

DTT reception item on "You and Yours" yesterday
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/console/b00t189b
13:13 - 18:25

You might agree with me that it was basically a waste of 5m 12s

--
Graham.

%Profound_observation%

Digital reception on Radio 4
 

"Graham." wrote in message
...
DTT reception item on "You and Yours" yesterday
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/console/b00t189b
13:13 - 18:25

You might agree with me that it was basically a waste of 5m 12s

--
Graham.

%Profound_observation%


The particular problems discussed were fairly clearly due to the Freeview
boxes choosing the wrong distant signals. A possibility which the so called
"expert" barely mentioned.

It should be made illegal to produce boxes that can't cope with this
situation in a straightforward, easy to understand way that the average user
can understand.

--

Brian Gregory. (In the UK)

To email me remove the letter vee.

Digital reception on Radio 4
 

On Fri, 23 Jul 2010 19:45:27 +0100, "Brian Gregory [UK]"
wrote:

"Graham." wrote in message
...
DTT reception item on "You and Yours" yesterday
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/console/b00t189b
13:13 - 18:25

You might agree with me that it was basically a waste of 5m 12s

--
Graham.

%Profound_observation%


The particular problems discussed were fairly clearly due to the Freeview
boxes choosing the wrong distant signals. A possibility which the so called
"expert" barely mentioned.

It should be made illegal to produce boxes that can't cope with this
situation in a straightforward, easy to understand way that the average user
can understand.

Could there also ba a 2k/8k issue if boxes stop working during
switchover?

It was pretty poor - a succession of statements of the obvious. Like
getting a motoring expert on to say that you need to be sure to check
that the handbrake is disengaged before you start to drive. It is
very important to put petrol in the vehicle ...

Digital reception on Radio 4
 

"Graham." wrote in message
...
DTT reception item on "You and Yours" yesterday
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/console/b00t189b
13:13 - 18:25

You might agree with me that it was basically a waste of 5m 12s


No because it gave a good insight into attitudes at Digital UK and the BBC.

I thought he fellow from Digital UK - Simon Crine (Director of Corporate
Affairs), was either absolutely hopeless or deliberately disingenuous.

Summary:
He said the job of Digital Uk was to provide whatever advice and assistance
they can through the switchover process. He recommended all viewers check
their aerial, wires and equipment first because they generally found
problems were not due to the signal.

The presenter Shari Vahl then gave the experiences of two viewers who had
'really good digital reception with a freeview box before switch-over' and
no reception at all after switch-over. Simon could give them no advice or
assistance at all, merely noting they had found expensive alternative
solutions.

As one viewer's problem was the 2k/8k issue he would have had to concede the
problem that had cost the viewer 'several hundred pounds' to have a
satellite system was due to a change in the transmitted signal, thus
contradicting his earlier statement that problems were usually the viewers
fault.

Shari Vahl twice said that it cost the viewer 'several hundred pounds' to
have a satellite system installed to replace previously working aerial and
digital box. (no doubt the installer had specially flown in from Texas)
Simon Crine did not question or appear concerned about the cost described.
Listeners were probably aware they could get an almost free install from
Sky, but they now knew for certain that if they made the Freesat choice
installation was going to cost them 'several hundred pounds'. Is that
knocking Freesat TV or what ?

In this non technical presentation we were advised that 'as the pressure
rises the digital signal becomes less good quality', and that aerials that
were installed in the winter could well be useless in the summer. Simon
seemed quite happy with this, adding that it was a problem in analogue days
too. So that's all right then.

The viewers problems presented had the potential to educate and inform but
it did none of that, instead it was superficial farce at a level far below
that of a children's comic. That's clearly how seriously these two
organisations take the issue.