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Rapid change in consumer TVs - too rapid?
TVs are becoming obsolete within six months or so.
Recent(ish) changes: HD Ready - FullHD (1080p) FreeView - FreeView HD 3D 'Smart' TVs with Internet software This seems to have created a wierd gap in the market place. As covered in many previous threads, there are still many TVs out there with FreeView but not FreeView HD. There are many TVs out there with low resolution screens. I looked in Argos the other day and there were two rows of TVs on display and not a single one was FreeView HD, and many were HD Ready instead of Full HD. On the other hand it is getting harder to buy a TV with a decent specification which does not have 3D and 'smart' capability. So is the future market to be a choice of 5+ year old very low spec. technology at £2-300 a pop or the latest bleeding edge technology up in the thousands? Although I can understand the attraction of selling cheap low res TVs, surely there is no justification in shipping TVs which don't support FreeView HD? Cheers Dave R -- No plan survives contact with the enemy. [Not even bunny] Helmuth von Moltke the Elder (\__/) (='.'=) (")_(") |
Rapid change in consumer TVs - too rapid?
David WE Roberts wrote:
: TVs are becoming obsolete within six months or so. : Recent(ish) changes: : HD Ready - FullHD (1080p) : FreeView - FreeView HD : 3D : 'Smart' TVs with Internet software ONLY if you want to have all these changes - and if you want them built-in to the TV .... generally a BAD idea to have internet/iPlayer built-on (as opposed to being provided via SKy+/YouView etc.) for example : I looked in Argos the other day and there were two rows of TVs on display : and not a single one was FreeView HD, and many were HD Ready instead of Full : HD. I am a little astonished at ALL TVs not being "Full HD" by now. Freeview HD is just not necessary for anyone getting HD via any other source and, if it makes the TV cheaper, that would be a good thing to omit. Mind you I would NOT expect Argos to be at the forefront of technology! |
Rapid change in consumer TVs - too rapid?
In article , David WE Roberts
wrote: TVs are becoming obsolete within six months or so. Recent(ish) changes: HD Ready - FullHD (1080p) FreeView - FreeView HD 3D 'Smart' TVs with Internet software You omitted: All the current models that are banjaxed by 4G. (Plus some that will probably end up going on sale *after* 4G.) Slainte, Jim -- Please use the address on the audiomisc page if you wish to email me. Electronics http://www.st-and.ac.uk/~www_pa/Scot...o/electron.htm Armstrong Audio http://www.audiomisc.co.uk/Armstrong/armstrong.html Audio Misc http://www.audiomisc.co.uk/index.html |
Rapid change in consumer TVs - too rapid?
Tesco have about 50 TV sets on display only 2 have Freeview HD and one of
these was a 3D as well. I do not think Joe Public understands about the separate HD stations. Regards David |
Rapid change in consumer TVs - too rapid?
I have just looked at Argos Web site and they have no Freeview HD built in TV sets. Regards David |
Rapid change in consumer TVs - too rapid?
In article ,
David WE Roberts wrote: As covered in many previous threads, there are still many TVs out there with FreeView but not FreeView HD. Many people had black-and-white TVs for more than a decade after colour was introduced. And I think that a trend away from having everything built in to the TV is actually a good thing. Why should you have to buy a new screen just because some new source is available? It would make more sense to have dumb monitors (or monitor + speaker packages). Of course, there are advances in monitors. For viewing in a good-sized room a "Full HD" screen is worthwhile. 3D is another example, but I have been consistently disappointed by it. -- Richard |
Rapid change in consumer TVs - too rapid?
On Fri, 16 Nov 2012 12:42:45 -0000, "David"
wrote: I have just looked at Argos Web site and they have no Freeview HD built in TV sets. Regards David Look more closely. :-) I bought one of these from Argos a few weeks ago: Samsung EH5300 40 Inch Full HD Freeview HD Smart LED TV http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Produc...er/5299696.htm There is also: Samsung EH530 46 Inch Full HD Freeview HD Smart LED TV http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Produc...er/7471089.htm Or LG: LG LS570T 42 Inch Full HD 1080p Freeview HD Smart LED TV http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Produc...er/9089149.htm Or Panasonic: Panasonic L19X5B 19 Inch HD Ready Freeview HD LED TV http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Produc...er/5299737.htm -- Peter Duncanson (in uk.tech.digital-tv) |
Rapid change in consumer TVs - too rapid?
"Martin" wrote in message ... On Fri, 16 Nov 2012 12:38:47 -0000, "David" wrote: Tesco have about 50 TV sets on display only 2 have Freeview HD and one of these was a 3D as well. I do not think Joe Public understands about the separate HD stations. Tescos also sell Freeview HD STBs. -- **** So the TV doesn't need any tuner in then as Tesco sell ordinary Freeview boxes as well. :-) Regards david |
Rapid change in consumer TVs - too rapid?
In article ,
Peter Duncanson wrote: I bought one of these from Argos a few weeks ago: Our local Argos had some TVs on display last time I was there. But they were set up as if to discourage anyone from buying them. They appeared to be fed from a VCR, and each had aspect ratio set in a different, wrong, way. -- Richard |
Rapid change in consumer TVs - too rapid?
Peter Duncanson wrote:
I have just looked at Argos Web site and they have no Freeview HD built in TV sets. Look more closely. :-) Or Panasonic: Panasonic L19X5B 19 Inch HD Ready Freeview HD LED TV http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Produc...er/5299737.htm How close would you have to sit to a 19" TV to tell HD from SD? Wouldn't your nose get in the way? |
Rapid change in consumer TVs - too rapid?
In article ,
David WE Roberts wrote: Although I can understand the attraction of selling cheap low res TVs, surely there is no justification in shipping TVs which don't support FreeView HD? Why? The progs on FreeView HD are pretty well all on SD too. So only those who want HD and are prepared to pay the extra actually need it. -- *Dance like nobody's watching. Dave Plowman London SW To e-mail, change noise into sound. |
Rapid change in consumer TVs - too rapid?
How close would you have to sit to a 19" TV to tell HD from SD?
I can very easily see the difference on my PC monitor from c.0.6m and my eyesight ain't wot it wuss Wouldn't your nose get in the way? ???? Ah, I think I've sussed it: you are Pinnocchio AICMFP :) -- Robin reply to address is (meant to be) valid |
Rapid change in consumer TVs - too rapid?
Jim Lesurf wrote:
You omitted: All the current models that are banjaxed by 4G. (Plus some that will probably end up going on sale *after* 4G.) Slainte, Jim Mr J Bloggs, of J Bloggs Precision Widgets and Grommets, decided to treat himself at Christmas 2013. He isn't a great TV watcher (far too busy), but what he does watch — mostly documentaries and news programmes — he enjoys, so he decided to buy a nice new telly. He did his research diligently and ended up with a high-end set with a really big screen and Freeview HD built in of course. Expensive, but he thought "Well, with all the money I've saved by not having Sky I can afford it." The telly was duly installed (at some extra cost), the speakers were arranged around the room, a nice new aerial was bolted to the chimney stack, and everything was splendid... for a few months. One evening in late March Mr Bloggs got home from the office absolutely tired out and not in the best of moods. He kicked his shoes off, poured a drink, and put the telly on. On the screen was the message "No Signal. Check aerial connection." He flicked through the channels. Some of them were working, but the picture was broken up and the sound was garbled. It wasn't long before he was on the phone. "That aerial you installed in December. There's something wrong with it. Can you come now?" The next morning (the request for instant service having been denied) the aerial installer explained that the problem was that a new 4G mast had appeared just down the road. The signals from it were overloading Mr Bloggs' masthead amplifier. The installer showed Mr B the spectrum analyser screen, which had a massive great signal on channel 61, something like 50dB above the TV multiplexes. "Well fix it then!" fumed Mr Bloggs. "OK, I'll try, though I might not get it as good as it was before. All I can do is take the aerial off the chimney and fix to the wall so the house screens it from the 4G mast. I can add a few filters, but the trouble is the TV signals are on frequencies so close to the 4G signals I doubt if they'll do much good." "Harrumph! I suppose you'd better do your best." "Yes, of course I will. By the way, the cost of all this will probably be about £150 + VAT" "What! I paid you £200 for the aerial only three months ago! It's under guarantee!" "I agree the aerial is under guarantee, but your reception conditions here are outside my control. I'm sorry but there it is." "Oh, I'm not having this!" "OK, well if you don't want me to do the work I'll be on my way. I'll invoice you by post for this diagnostic visit. It will be £60 + VAT. I suggest you take the matter up with OFCOM." Bill |
Rapid change in consumer TVs - too rapid?
On Fri, 16 Nov 2012 14:43:33 +0000 (GMT), "Dave Plowman (News)"
wrote: In article , David WE Roberts wrote: Although I can understand the attraction of selling cheap low res TVs, surely there is no justification in shipping TVs which don't support FreeView HD? Why? The progs on FreeView HD are pretty well all on SD too. So only those who want HD and are prepared to pay the extra actually need it. There is a regional exception in Northern Ireland. The seventh Freeview mux, "Nimux", which carries RTE1 (SD), RTE2 (HD) and TG4 (SD) uses MPEG4 so needs an HD tuner. Also the TV and radio DTT broadcasts directly from the Irish Republic, Saorview, use MPEG4. -- Peter Duncanson (in uk.tech.digital-tv) |
Rapid change in consumer TVs - too rapid?
Richard Tobin wrote:
appeared to be fed from a VCR, and each had aspect ratio set in a different, wrong, way. Isn't that how TVs are supposed to work? (:-)) I find it quite common to see installed TVs with clearly wrong aspect ratios. |
Rapid change in consumer TVs - too rapid?
"Dave Plowman (News)" wrote in message ... In article , David WE Roberts wrote: Although I can understand the attraction of selling cheap low res TVs, surely there is no justification in shipping TVs which don't support FreeView HD? Why? The progs on FreeView HD are pretty well all on SD too. So those who want HD and are prepared to pay the extra actually need it. I bought a new TV in John Lewis earlier this week and don't think that looking around a showroom with dozens of tellies on display that there were that many which didn't have inbuilt Freeview HD, and with the price difference seemingly very little these days, I suspect that it's more likely a matter of manufacturers still having millions of DVB-T chipsets and warehouse's full of old stock to try and foister off on to an uninformed public, without offering too much in the way of discount. Also I would have thought that from the broadcasters point of view, the quicker the DVB-T can superseded with the much more robust and spectrum efficient DVB-T2, the better. |
Rapid change in consumer TVs - too rapid?
"Martin" wrote in message ... On Fri, 16 Nov 2012 14:43:33 +0000 (GMT), "Dave Plowman (News)" wrote: In article , David WE Roberts wrote: Although I can understand the attraction of selling cheap low res TVs, surely there is no justification in shipping TVs which don't support FreeView HD? Why? The progs on FreeView HD are pretty well all on SD too. So only those who want HD and are prepared to pay the extra actually need it. and it's not as if there are 15 HD channels available like there are on Dutch cable TV. -- Although there easily would be once we've gotten rid of the dinosaur DVB-T and replaced it with DVB-T2 :-) |
Rapid change in consumer TVs - too rapid?
"David" wrote in message ... I have just looked at Argos Web site and they have no Freeview HD built in TV sets. There are lots of them he http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Search...REEVIEW+HD.htm -- JohnT |
Rapid change in consumer TVs - too rapid?
On 16/11/2012 14:43, Dave Plowman (News) wrote:
In , David WE wrote: Although I can understand the attraction of selling cheap low res TVs, surely there is no justification in shipping TVs which don't support FreeView HD? Why? The progs on FreeView HD are pretty well all on SD too. So only those who want HD and are prepared to pay the extra actually need it. Think more 'DVB-T2' and less the noddy term 'Freeview HD' which the UK uniquely uses to describe DVB-T2. Before the wazzcocks at Ofcom do away completely with DTT, it's a fair bet that existing muxes will be converted to T2 (coz T2 isn't about HD per se, but about more 'bits per Hz') As Peter D points out, there's already a T2 mux in N Ireland, that carries SD services. So (confusingly) a Freeview HD banded receiver is required to receive them. The seeds of confusion are starting to sprout. -- Mark Please replace invalid and invalid with gmx and net to reply. www.paras.org.uk |
Rapid change in consumer TVs - too rapid?
On 16/11/2012 12:04, David WE Roberts wrote:
TVs are becoming obsolete within six months or so. Recent(ish) changes: obsolete suggests useless. just because a new tv comes along with a new feature doesn't mean you can't still watch tv on your existing one. i have the ultimate smart tv - a pc connected to my tv - it beats any of the built in web apps on tvs hands down. -- Gareth. That fly.... Is your magic wand. |
Rapid change in consumer TVs - too rapid?
On Fri, 16 Nov 2012 18:01:37 +0000, Mark Carver
wrote: On 16/11/2012 14:43, Dave Plowman (News) wrote: In , David WE wrote: Although I can understand the attraction of selling cheap low res TVs, surely there is no justification in shipping TVs which don't support FreeView HD? Why? The progs on FreeView HD are pretty well all on SD too. So only those who want HD and are prepared to pay the extra actually need it. Think more 'DVB-T2' and less the noddy term 'Freeview HD' which the UK uniquely uses to describe DVB-T2. Before the wazzcocks at Ofcom do away completely with DTT, it's a fair bet that existing muxes will be converted to T2 (coz T2 isn't about HD per se, but about more 'bits per Hz') As Peter D points out, there's already a T2 mux in N Ireland, that carries SD services. So (confusingly) a Freeview HD banded receiver is required to receive them. The seeds of confusion are starting to sprout. Have some more confusion - The Saorview muxes (mixed SD and HD) from the Irish Republic that are receivable in Northern Ireland are DVB-T using MPEG4. They need a "Freeview HD" branded receiver, not SD. The Republic is supposed to be switching from DVB-T to DVB-T2 in 2013. -- Peter Duncanson (in uk.tech.digital-tv) |
Rapid change in consumer TVs - too rapid?
On 16/11/2012 14:34, Norman Wells wrote:
How close would you have to sit to a 19" TV to tell HD from SD? Assuming it is 1920 x 1080 native resolution, then answer is the same regardless whether the screen is 19, 29, 39, or 199 inches, about 2.5 to 3.5 x picture height. -- Mark Please replace invalid and invalid with gmx and net to reply. www.paras.org.uk |
Rapid change in consumer TVs - too rapid?
"Jim Lesurf" wrote in message ... In article , David WE Roberts wrote: TVs are becoming obsolete within six months or so. Recent(ish) changes: HD Ready - FullHD (1080p) FreeView - FreeView HD 3D 'Smart' TVs with Internet software You omitted: All the current models that are banjaxed by 4G. (Plus some that will probably end up going on sale *after* 4G.) Do you understand what the 4G problem really is? It will only affect you if you live in certain transmitter areas. tim |
Rapid change in consumer TVs - too rapid?
On 16/11/2012 18:25, Peter Duncanson wrote:
Have some more confusion - The Saorview muxes (mixed SD and HD) from the Irish Republic that are receivable in Northern Ireland are DVB-T using MPEG4. They need a "Freeview HD" branded receiver, not SD. That would ensure reception. However that's not to say a UK DVB-T1 receiver couldn't necessarily receive RoI HD, it may well have an MPEG 4 decoder, which would also be OK for French DTT The Republic is supposed to be switching from DVB-T to DVB-T2 in 2013. Really ? ! -- Mark Please replace invalid and invalid with gmx and net to reply. www.paras.org.uk |
Rapid change in consumer TVs - too rapid?
"Dave Plowman (News)" wrote in message ... In article , David WE Roberts wrote: Although I can understand the attraction of selling cheap low res TVs, surely there is no justification in shipping TVs which don't support FreeView HD? Why? The progs on FreeView HD are pretty well all on SD too. So only those who want HD and are prepared to pay the extra actually need it. and most who "want" it will be getting it through SKY so a Full HD TV will be completely wasted on them as well tim |
Rapid change in consumer TVs - too rapid?
"the dog from that film you saw" wrote in message ... On 16/11/2012 12:04, David WE Roberts wrote: TVs are becoming obsolete within six months or so. Recent(ish) changes: obsolete suggests useless. just because a new tv comes along with a new feature doesn't mean you can't still watch tv on your existing one. i have the ultimate smart tv - a pc connected to my tv - it beats any of the built in web apps on tvs hands down. not so sure about that. I have the same and it can be a bit of a pain to find a catch up program via a search box as I have go across the room to type on the keyboard instead of using the on-screen keyboard that the hummy offers for forward reservations. tim |
Rapid change in consumer TVs - too rapid?
On 16/11/2012 18:38, tim..... wrote:
Do you understand what the 4G problem really is? It will only affect you if you live in certain transmitter areas. No, it will have the potential to affect reception of any UHF channel between 21 and 60. For instance a masthead amp, that blindly amplifies anything it receives between 21 and 68 (and in reality an even wider band than that) under the right conditions could be saturated by a local 4G transmission. It'll make no odds whether you're watching Ch 21 or 60. The same will apply to the front end stage of your DTT tuner. However it'll be easier to deal with in Ch 21-31 areas, because a filter can be inserted in front of the amp/receiver. Far more difficult to deal with, if you need to receive something between 55 and 60, a very sharp cut off filter will be required, which will be tricky (read expensive). -- Mark Please replace invalid and invalid with gmx and net to reply. www.paras.org.uk |
Rapid change in consumer TVs - too rapid?
Mark Carver wrote:
On 16/11/2012 14:34, Norman Wells wrote: How close would you have to sit to a 19" TV to tell HD from SD? Assuming it is 1920 x 1080 native resolution, then answer is the same regardless whether the screen is 19, 29, 39, or 199 inches, about 2.5 to 3.5 x picture height. So, for a 19" 16:9 set, about two feet then. |
Rapid change in consumer TVs - too rapid?
In article , Rick wrote:
I suspect that it's more likely a matter of manufacturers still having millions of DVB-T chipsets and warehouse's full of old stock to try and foister off on to an uninformed public Especially so if you are looking in Argos. Their selling point is cheapness[*], not quality. [*] by non-Internet standards, of course. -- Richard |
Rapid change in consumer TVs - too rapid?
Are you the (Christopher( Robin who went down with Alice?
If you are expect a call from the vice squad soon. I am not he. But why would the vice squad be interested in pursuing a child who "went down" with an adult nanny? I would have thought the offence - if any - would have been Alice's. -- Robin reply to address is (meant to be) valid |
Rapid change in consumer TVs - too rapid?
On 16/11/2012 13:12, Richard Tobin wrote:
In article , David WE Roberts wrote: As covered in many previous threads, there are still many TVs out there with FreeView but not FreeView HD. Many people had black-and-white TVs for more than a decade after colour was introduced. And I think that a trend away from having everything built in to the TV is actually a good thing. Why should you have to buy a new screen just because some new source is available? It would make more sense to have dumb monitors (or monitor + speaker packages). Of course, there are advances in monitors. For viewing in a good-sized room a "Full HD" screen is worthwhile. 3D is another example, but I have been consistently disappointed by it. It may be a good thing to not have those features in the TV - but you can't buy it. I bought a set last year. I knew (from my research here among other places, and thanks everyone) that if I wasn't careful I'd get a set that wouldn't receive the latest HD when it finally came along, and that the inbuilt speakers will be rubbish whatever, and that my VCR was for the chop. So I went to buy a monitor. You can't. The only large monitors are niche market jobs for airport displays and such, and have silly prices. So I ended up with a Sony with built-in HD decoder and network connection. I haven't yet bought the external speakers, but I will. I have bought the HD PVR - which means I really don't need the inbuilt HD tuner. Or the network functions. On the other hand I quite often watch TV on my screen here - which is a 24 inch 16:10 PC monitor attached to a box with external surround speakers... Andy |
Rapid change in consumer TVs - too rapid?
On 16/11/2012 18:58, Norman Wells wrote:
Mark Carver wrote: On 16/11/2012 14:34, Norman Wells wrote: How close would you have to sit to a 19" TV to tell HD from SD? Assuming it is 1920 x 1080 native resolution, then answer is the same regardless whether the screen is 19, 29, 39, or 199 inches, about 2.5 to 3.5 x picture height. So, for a 19" 16:9 set, about two feet then. Yes, about the right sort of distance for a 19" set on a breakfast bar in a kitchen for instance. How large is your PC screen, and how far away do you sit from it ? -- Mark Please replace invalid and invalid with gmx and net to reply. www.paras.org.uk |
Rapid change in consumer TVs - too rapid?
On Fri, 16 Nov 2012 18:39:59 +0000, Mark Carver
wrote: On 16/11/2012 18:25, Peter Duncanson wrote: Have some more confusion - The Saorview muxes (mixed SD and HD) from the Irish Republic that are receivable in Northern Ireland are DVB-T using MPEG4. They need a "Freeview HD" branded receiver, not SD. That would ensure reception. However that's not to say a UK DVB-T1 receiver couldn't necessarily receive RoI HD, it may well have an MPEG 4 decoder, which would also be OK for French DTT The Republic is supposed to be switching from DVB-T to DVB-T2 in 2013. Really ? ! I may have jumped ahead a bit there. This document: http://rtenl.ie/wp-content/uploads/2...quirements.pdf Minimum Receiver Requirements Irish Digital Terrestrial Television says All IRD shall support DVB-T demodulation; the support of DVB-T2 is currently optional but will change to mandatory from 1st January 2013 for the Irish DTT network. [IRD = Integrated Receiver Decoder] -- Peter Duncanson (in uk.tech.digital-tv) |
Rapid change in consumer TVs - too rapid?
Bill Wright wrote:
Jim Lesurf wrote: You omitted: All the current models that are banjaxed by 4G. (Plus some that will probably end up going on sale *after* 4G.) Slainte, Jim Mr J Bloggs, of J Bloggs Precision Widgets and Grommets, decided to treat himself at Christmas 2013. He isn't a great TV watcher (far too busy), but what he does watch — mostly documentaries and news programmes — he enjoys, so he decided to buy a nice new telly. He did his research diligently and ended up with a high-end set with a really big screen and Freeview HD built in of course. Expensive, but he thought "Well, with all the money I've saved by not having Sky I can afford it." The telly was duly installed (at some extra cost), the speakers were arranged around the room, a nice new aerial was bolted to the chimney stack, and everything was splendid... for a few months. One evening in late March Mr Bloggs got home from the office absolutely tired out and not in the best of moods. He kicked his shoes off, poured a drink, and put the telly on. On the screen was the message "No Signal. Check aerial connection." He flicked through the channels. Some of them were working, but the picture was broken up and the sound was garbled. It wasn't long before he was on the phone. "That aerial you installed in December. There's something wrong with it. Can you come now?" The next morning (the request for instant service having been denied) the aerial installer explained that the problem was that a new 4G mast had appeared just down the road. The signals from it were overloading Mr Bloggs' masthead amplifier. The installer showed Mr B the spectrum analyser screen, which had a massive great signal on channel 61, something like 50dB above the TV multiplexes. "Well fix it then!" fumed Mr Bloggs. "OK, I'll try, though I might not get it as good as it was before. All I can do is take the aerial off the chimney and fix to the wall so the house screens it from the 4G mast. I can add a few filters, but the trouble is the TV signals are on frequencies so close to the 4G signals I doubt if they'll do much good." "Harrumph! I suppose you'd better do your best." "Yes, of course I will. By the way, the cost of all this will probably be about £150 + VAT" "What! I paid you £200 for the aerial only three months ago! It's under guarantee!" "I agree the aerial is under guarantee, but your reception conditions here are outside my control. I'm sorry but there it is." "Oh, I'm not having this!" "OK, well if you don't want me to do the work I'll be on my way. I'll invoice you by post for this diagnostic visit. It will be £60 + VAT. I suggest you take the matter up with OFCOM." Bill Better stock up on dishes and HD Freesat STBs for Astra 28east Steve Terry -- Get a free GiffGaff PAYG Sim and £5 bonus after activation at: http://giffgaff.com/orders/affiliate/gfourwwk |
Rapid change in consumer TVs - too rapid?
In article ,
Andy Champ wrote: So I went to buy a monitor. You can't. The only large monitors are niche market jobs for airport displays and such, and have silly prices. It's pretty well always been the case. Quantity of production makes a TV usually cheaper than an equivalent monitor - even although it has all those extra electronics. -- *Time is what keeps everything from happening at once. Dave Plowman London SW To e-mail, change noise into sound. |
Rapid change in consumer TVs - too rapid?
On 16/11/2012 14:46, Bill Wright wrote:
Jim Lesurf wrote: You omitted: All the current models that are banjaxed by 4G. (Plus some that will probably end up going on sale *after* 4G.) Slainte, Jim Mr J Bloggs, of J Bloggs Precision Widgets and Grommets, decided to treat himself at Christmas 2013. He isn't a great TV watcher (far too busy), but what he does watch — mostly documentaries and news programmes — he enjoys, so he decided to buy a nice new telly. He did his research diligently and ended up with a high-end set with a really big screen and Freeview HD built in of course. Expensive, but he thought "Well, with all the money I've saved by not having Sky I can afford it." The telly was duly installed (at some extra cost), the speakers were arranged around the room, a nice new aerial was bolted to the chimney stack, and everything was splendid... for a few months. One evening in late March Mr Bloggs got home from the office absolutely tired out and not in the best of moods. He kicked his shoes off, poured a drink, and put the telly on. On the screen was the message "No Signal. Check aerial connection." He flicked through the channels. Some of them were working, but the picture was broken up and the sound was garbled. It wasn't long before he was on the phone. "That aerial you installed in December. There's something wrong with it. Can you come now?" The next morning (the request for instant service having been denied) the aerial installer explained that the problem was that a new 4G mast had appeared just down the road. The signals from it were overloading Mr Bloggs' masthead amplifier. The installer showed Mr B the spectrum analyser screen, which had a massive great signal on channel 61, something like 50dB above the TV multiplexes. "Well fix it then!" fumed Mr Bloggs. "OK, I'll try, though I might not get it as good as it was before. All I can do is take the aerial off the chimney and fix to the wall so the house screens it from the 4G mast. I can add a few filters, but the trouble is the TV signals are on frequencies so close to the 4G signals I doubt if they'll do much good." "Harrumph! I suppose you'd better do your best." "Yes, of course I will. By the way, the cost of all this will probably be about £150 + VAT" "What! I paid you £200 for the aerial only three months ago! It's under guarantee!" "I agree the aerial is under guarantee, but your reception conditions here are outside my control. I'm sorry but there it is." "Oh, I'm not having this!" "OK, well if you don't want me to do the work I'll be on my way. I'll invoice you by post for this diagnostic visit. It will be £60 + VAT. I suggest you take the matter up with OFCOM." Bill I knew there had to be a reason I went for Freesat... -- David Kennedy http://www.anindianinexile.com |
Rapid change in consumer TVs - too rapid?
Mark Carver wrote:
The seeds of confusion are starting to sprout. An acceptance that sprouts taste OK is a sign that a person has matured from a teenager to an adult. Bill |
Rapid change in consumer TVs - too rapid?
Mark Carver wrote:
However it'll be easier to deal with in Ch 21-31 areas, because a filter can be inserted in front of the amp/receiver. Far more difficult to deal with, if you need to receive something between 55 and 60, a very sharp cut off filter will be required, which will be tricky (read expensive). "Yes, course I can fix it love. It just needs a set of ceramic filters. It'll be about £600. Is that all right?" Bill |
Rapid change in consumer TVs - too rapid?
Bill Wright wrote:
Mark Carver wrote: However it'll be easier to deal with in Ch 21-31 areas, because a filter can be inserted in front of the amp/receiver. Far more difficult to deal with, if you need to receive something between 55 and 60, a very sharp cut off filter will be required, which will be tricky (read expensive). "Yes, course I can fix it love. It just needs a set of ceramic filters. It'll be about £600. Is that all right?" Bill Yer but are they digital? Whole new industry opening up for the screwdriver experts. Steve Terry -- Get a free GiffGaff PAYG Sim and £5 bonus after activation at: http://giffgaff.com/orders/affiliate/gfourwwk |
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