BBC to help pensioners go digital

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/6155518.stm
--
rbel

"rbel" wrote in message
...
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/6155518.stm
--

Great I thought now I have several Digiboxes.

But note it says
"That's why we're going to give extra help to people over the age of 75 and
those with significant disabilities."

--
Regards,
David

Please reply to News Group

In article ,
says...

"rbel" wrote in message
...
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/6155518.stm
--

Great I thought now I have several Digiboxes.

But note it says
"That's why we're going to give extra help to people over the age of 75 and
those with significant disabilities."

I have a significant disability - that of trying to find much to watch on all
those minority channels digital TV is crammed with!
--

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"rbel" wrote in message
...
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/6155518.stm
--
rbel

About time. I've helped a few of my elderly neighbours get sorted now -
fearing they'd be left stranded when the switchover came. It's something
that seems so straightforward to us, but you'd be surprised what it's
actually like for an elderly person, with an aging mind, who is quite
comfortable with analogue and set in their ways. For some it has been very
confusing.

However, It give me a great feeling when I visited an old neighbour the
other day, who told me he watches UKTV History for hours on reliving his war
days - and told me loves his Freeview set-up for the radio channels too.
Made me feel all warm inside.

"Dom Robinson" wrote in message
...
In article ,

says...

"rbel" wrote in message
...
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/6155518.stm
--

Great I thought now I have several Digiboxes.

But note it says
"That's why we're going to give extra help to people over the age of 75
and
those with significant disabilities."

I have a significant disability - that of trying to find much to watch on
all
those minority channels digital TV is crammed with!
--

Huh? What channels are they?

On Thu, 16 Nov 2006 20:15:49 +0000, rbel wrote:

|http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/6155518.stm

The corporation would then provide and install the equipment to convert one
television set per household to Freeview.

Instructions on how to use the equipment would also be given.

"It would cut the level of administration needed to run the scheme and
encourage people to take up the offer of help by making the process more
simple," said Mr Woodward.

The help will be free of charge to eligible households in receipt of
pension credit, income support or income-related jobseekers allowance.

Others will be expected to pay a "modest" fee.


B*gg*r that is something else I miss out on.
The effective tax on my income is enormous :-(

--
Dave Fawthrop dave hyphenologist co uk For Yorkshire Dialect
http://www.gutenberg.org/author/John_Hartley
http://www.gutenberg.org/author/F_W_Moorman
19,000 free e-books at Project Gutenberg! http://www.gutenberg.org

On Thu, 16 Nov 2006 22:04:14 GMT, "Slitheen"
wrote:

|
| but you'd be surprised what it's
|actually like for an elderly person, with an aging mind, who is quite
|comfortable with analogue and set in their ways.

Ouch that hurt :-(

--
Dave Fawthrop dave hyphenologist co uk
"Intelligent Design?" my knees say *not*.
"Intelligent Design?" my back says *not*.
More like "Incompetent design". Sig (C) Copyright Public Domain

On Thu, 16 Nov 2006 22:08:15 +0000, Dave Fawthrop
wrote:

|http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/6155518.stm

The corporation would then provide and install the equipment to convert one
television set per household to Freeview.

Instructions on how to use the equipment would also be given.

"It would cut the level of administration needed to run the scheme and
encourage people to take up the offer of help by making the process more
simple," said Mr Woodward.

It seems to mean the BBC are going to have to install equipment and
give training courses for *seven million* people! How on earth are
they going to find enough technically knowledgeable staff to do that
when they haven't got enough to make decent programmes?

Rod.

B*gg*r that is something else I miss out on.
The effective tax on my income is enormous :-(

Gordon Brown's first true love was means testing. So digital means
testing is naturally the new, improved method of delivery for the
Project.

And sadly the BBC's help may come too late to protect some of the more
challenged old folks from the sharks. I have found the BBC's "ads"
about digital switchover already causing concern. Anyone know of
charities/agencies they could be pointed to for advice?

--
Robin (in "declining 50s" - and thinking ahead to the switchover to
retinal implants)

rbel wrote:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/6155518.stm

Forget that. Tax Money will be spent on fancy equipment which will
eventually be abandoned as it's too complicated or _seems_ too
complicated to use.

rant mode="annoyed"

I've spent this afternoon installing a 32" LCD TV set (Toshiba 27WLT56)
for some elderly friends. This is meant to be progress.

1) The manual is just hopeless. It leaves a lot to be found out by the
user playing. Some old folk are generally not as inquisitive as the
young. Very small writing not helped by also being re-printed by a dodgy
laser printer with character set problems.

2) Their VCR used to just connect through RF on the old TV. Had to fit a
SCART lead into AV2 on the set as RF performance was hopeless and
changeover fussy. Had to explain that there is no 'channel 8' button to
switch over to viewing the video. Instead, either hope that when the
video is powered up, the set auto switches to it, and when the video is
powered off - the set goes back to receiving the digital tuner
broadcasts. Fine ye say.

However Toshiba, for some explicit reason, have made the easily knocked
remote control channel buttons flip the set into Analogue tuner (ATV)
mode when AV2 is active. And to get back to programmes from the digital
(DTV) tuner it's now not a question of switching the VCR off. That
doesn't work. Nope - you have to press a 'source select' button and move
an up/down cursor thingy back to DTV and wait.

3) Grid style TV guide uses an up/down/left/right/OK button arrangement.
If OK is pressed on a highlighted programmme grid cell, then the set
will either change over channel (if programme is currently showing) or
pop up a horrendous dialogue inviting recording of selected program.
Three button clicks to get this rubbish off the screen, if all the user
wanted to do was change channel and wait for the programme to appear
later on.

4) 'press red','subtitles','text' is a scary trip into more button
pushes, mangled mixed graphics and no clear instructions how to 'back out'.

5) The remote has very many small buttons, and the users are short
sighted with weak eye focusing so the glasses have to come off to
examine the remote at each button click. So IR commands generally end up
directed at the ceiling rather than the set! The remote also has a side
slide switch to shift its functions to control Toshiba VCR's and DVD
players rather than the TV. Easily knocked by accident.

6) I suggested to change channels by punching the in channel number.
Printed them a list of freeview channel numbers from a website. If it's
channel 1-9 it's easy. With two/three digit numbers, you have to be
quick to punch the remainding digits - or they will be ignored. Not a
problem as due to 5) above the remote is pointing at the ceiling anyway.

7) VCR will only record from analogue 1-5. Could have got that working
with SCART AV2 output from the set's inbuilt tuner to record from the
digital tuner. But then so much to explain, and gymnastics with remote
controls and menus to program both video and TV. Did suggest changing
video to PVR, but they don't understand the concept - and that will be
another 'thing to learn' / 'have going wrong'. They handle recording 1-5
with their VCR fine. Just press the record button when the programme
starts....

8) They want to buy a DVD player so that their grandchildren can watch
the new fangled DVD's when they come over...

Oh, I can't wait for the phone calls ;-(

/rant

--
Adrian C