73% figure misleading

All the reporting yesterday implied that 73% of households were ready for
the digital switchover. Surely that is far from true. I'm pretty confident
that the 73% figure relates to households with digital TV on ONE TV or more.
In an age where the typical houshold has TVs in several rooms, how many of
that 73% actually have digital on every TV?

Add to that the fact that the majority of people have bought STBs will have
bought one single tuner, and will discover that they can no longer record
one channel while watching another.

What we therefore have is a huge number of TVs and recorders which are NOT
ready for digital, and I'll bet the real figure of digital conversion is
less than half that.

By way of example... My household has five TVs, two VCRs and a PVR - eight
devices with analogue tuners. We have two single-tuner STBs - theoretically,
we need another six!...

Adrian B

On Fri, 16 Sep 2005 09:57:08 +0100, "Adrian B"
wrote:

| All the reporting yesterday implied that 73% of households were ready for
| the digital switchover. Surely that is far from true. I'm pretty confident
| that the 73% figure relates to households with digital TV on ONE TV or more.
| In an age where the typical houshold has TVs in several rooms, how many of
| that 73% actually have digital on every TV?
|
| Add to that the fact that the majority of people have bought STBs will have
| bought one single tuner, and will discover that they can no longer record
| one channel while watching another.
|
| What we therefore have is a huge number of TVs and recorders which are NOT
| ready for digital, and I'll bet the real figure of digital conversion is
| less than half that.
|
| By way of example... My household has five TVs, two VCRs and a PVR - eight
| devices with analogue tuners. We have two single-tuner STBs - theoretically,
| we need another six!...

True.
Even with my $ky box, 4 TVs, 4 DTT boxes, and a DTT pci card in my
computer, I am not ready for analogue switch off. I will need another
Beeb Freesat or DTT box for the VCR under the lounge TV.

Still *I* have till 2012 to get things sorted :-)

--
Dave Fawthrop dave hyphenologist co uk
"Intelligent Design?" my knees say *not*.
"Intelligent Design?" my back says *not*.

"Adrian B" wrote in message
news:[email protected]
All the reporting yesterday implied that 73% of households were ready for
the digital switchover. Surely that is far from true. I'm pretty confident
that the 73% figure relates to households with digital TV on ONE TV or more.
In an age where the typical houshold has TVs in several rooms, how many of
that 73% actually have digital on every TV?

73% is about the percentage of homes that can receive DTV. The signal strength
is inadequate for the remaining 27%

At the moment 37% of homes don't have any digital TV.

--

Michael Chare

In article [email protected],
"Adrian B" writes:
What we therefore have is a huge number of TVs and recorders which are NOT
ready for digital, and I'll bet the real figure of digital conversion is
less than half that.

It's government by management summary.
--
SAm.

Adrian B wrote:
All the reporting yesterday implied that 73% of households were ready
for the digital switchover. Surely that is far from true. I'm pretty
confident that the 73% figure relates to households with digital TV
on ONE TV or more. In an age where the typical houshold has TVs in
several rooms, how many of that 73% actually have digital on every TV?

Add to that the fact that the majority of people have bought STBs
will have bought one single tuner, and will discover that they can
no longer record one channel while watching another.

What we therefore have is a huge number of TVs and recorders which
are NOT ready for digital, and I'll bet the real figure of digital
conversion is less than half that.

By way of example... My household has five TVs, two VCRs and a PVR -
eight devices with analogue tuners. We have two single-tuner STBs -
theoretically, we need another six!...

Adrian B

I'm sure the vast majority are in a similar position. Until the
switchover there is no point in me buying Freeview euipment, as it's not
possible for me to receive it. I have 4 D-Sat receivers.
--
Adrian A

"Adrian" wrote in message

I'm sure the vast majority are in a similar position. Until the
switchover there is no point in me buying Freeview euipment, as it's not
possible for me to receive it. I have 4 D-Sat receivers.
--
Adrian A

I don't blame you - you'll also get boxes for less money, and/or with better
features in 3+ years time. However, I suspect that there will be a serious
shortage of boxes shortly before or at switchover in each area. Whether the
shortage is serious enough to delay the switchover, remains to be seen.

I also wonder about all those "portables" sitting in bedrooms and kitchens
which rely on loop aerials for their patchy analogue reception. STBs are
unlikely to work without a proper aerial feed - even after the power is
turned up.

Adrian B

"Michael Chare" wrote in message 73% is
about the percentage of homes that can receive DTV. The signal strength
is inadequate for the remaining 27%

At the moment 37% of homes don't have any digital TV.

You are right. I've picked the wrong figure, but even at 63%, the proportion
which are fully digital will be much lower - perhaps below 10% ???

"Adrian B" wrote in message
news:[email protected]
"Adrian" wrote in message

I'm sure the vast majority are in a similar position. Until the
switchover there is no point in me buying Freeview euipment, as it's not
possible for me to receive it. I have 4 D-Sat receivers.
--
Adrian A

I don't blame you - you'll also get boxes for less money, and/or with
better features in 3+ years time. However, I suspect that there will be a
serious shortage of boxes shortly before or at switchover in each area.
Whether the shortage is serious enough to delay the switchover, remains to
be seen.

I also wonder about all those "portables" sitting in bedrooms and kitchens
which rely on loop aerials for their patchy analogue reception. STBs are
unlikely to work without a proper aerial feed - even after the power is
turned up.

Adrian B
I have a portable with a loop aerial and it works fine using an old philips
ondigital box.

Dave

"Michael Chare" wrote:
At the moment 37% of homes don't have any digital TV.

If that's the Ofcom figure, it's rubbish. It doesn't count non-Sky
or expired-subscription Sky satellite sets.

I'm intending to buy a second tuner and I've already got the kit
to send pictures to screens in other rooms. How many channels does
your household watch at once? ;-)

"Sam Nelson" wrote in message
...
In article [email protected],
"Adrian B" writes:
What we therefore have is a huge number of TVs and recorders which are
NOT
ready for digital, and I'll bet the real figure of digital conversion is
less than half that.

It's government by management summary.
--
SAm.

Spot on.