Analogue Switch off

It must have been quite a nuisance putting up a band III aerial just
for
ITV back in 1955, did they buy a new dual band TV (I & III) or just
get a
band III STB?

Yes there were set top boxes with valves. They were pretty good.
Connect the output to a band I aerial and you could wipe out
everyone's BBC reception for streets.

Bill

On Wed, 09 Feb 2005 07:38:00 -0800, wrote:

Peter Crosland wrote:
It is very easy to be cynical about the whole thing but it is an
astonishingly complex task to decide the best choice, and even more
complex
to actually implement it. I am glad neither are down to me!

Several things occurred to me...

Firstly, they can't make everyone happy. They'll be someone somewhere
who could get analogue (kind of), but can't get DTT. Cue Daily Mail
story!

Secondly, so "five" has to go on the second BBC mux? Interesting
bedfellows. Even lower bitrates too.

Thirdly, why no SFNs? Or near SFNs?

Fourthly: isn't this just a double tax on viewers?
Tax 1: you must buy new equipment.

No, the box is a cost not a tax. A tax is a charge by a public body to
provide services to the public.

The public tend to benefit from the taxes in terms of hospitals, roads,
schools etc, plus paying tax and having a government enables individuals
to shun responsibility and whinge about paying too much taxes while
demanding better schools and hospitals.


Tax 2: the government are going to take away MHz of previously FTA
broadcast spectrum and flog it off to the highest bigger.

No, this is paid for by the customer, whoever that may be, auctions are
generally recognised as a way to ensure that whoever gets the spectrum
uses it efficiently - unlike UHF analogue TV.


Remind me again - who is this switchover supposed to benefit? Last time
I checked I could receive 4 or 5 largely good quality (in terms of
picture and, sometimes, content) analogue channels, and goodness knows
how many crappy (sometimes in terms of picture, and often content!)
FreeView channels.

I just want to watch the few decent TV programmes each week in decent
quality on reasonable priced equipment. Like people in Australia are
going to be doing long before we manage to switch off analogue TV!

That is what you want, sure, but there are a whole load of other people
that perhaps disagree.

On Wed, 09 Feb 2005 15:34:10 +0000, wrote:



Peter Crosland wrote:

Like just about every other Ofcom consultation, you don't seriously think
they'll take any notice of what the average punter thinks do you? They -
and the business world - will do what they want anyway, whether we like it
or not.

It is very easy to be cynical about the whole thing but it is an
astonishingly complex task to decide the best choice, and even more complex
to actually implement it. I am glad neither are down to me!

Peter Crosland

Yes, let me think about this..Right got it:

1. Make operating costs per channel less by squeezing in more. More
dollars to broadcasters.
2. Free up bandwidth so that government can auction it. More dollars to
government.
3. Keep plugging digital so that the punter will not notice the con.
Earlier collection of aforesaid dollars.

Yes, it is truly astonishing how complex it all is. The cynics, I
suggest, are the *******s that are shafting us. O, yes:

4. Don't bother about quality.

As said, it is very easy to be cynical.

How outrageous, the money going to government, I mean it should go to the
people - what a con.

Now why aren't our schools/hospitals/roads/trains better, I mean I
am overtaxed, I can only go on one winter holiday and an summer
holiday - those city breaks are off as the government won't give
me a tax break for the nanny, I mean I have kids and am expected to have
lower living standard! As for the petrol tax on my 4x4, do you know how
much it costs to drive Tarquin to school and then those fines for me
speeding to school is just more revenue. At least the Daily Mails fights
for me.

In article , Max Demian
writes
"Prometheus" wrote in message
...
In article , ad
writes
Most aerials will last for years, my parents aerial been up for years, I
think it was put up when ITV started to broadcast, as they had to have a
new aerial then, the only reason it was replaced 4 years ago, was for On
digital. the same here, when I moved in, there was an aerial in the loft,
which worked well for analouge, but when I got On digital it would not, I
would never have replaced it if I did not subscribe to On Digital.

It must have been quite a nuisance putting up a band III aerial just for
ITV back in 1955, did they buy a new dual band TV (I & III) or just get a
band III STB?

A set top box? With valves? Where would you put the aspidistra?

It was a valved tuner to convert the band III signal to the fixed (BBC)
frequency in band I of the TV, the one I had (long after 625) was a
plinth screwed under the TV

--
Ian G8ILZ

"Prometheus" wrote in message
...
In article , Max Demian
writes
"Prometheus" wrote in message
...

It must have been quite a nuisance putting up a band III aerial just for
ITV back in 1955, did they buy a new dual band TV (I & III) or just get
a
band III STB?

A set top box? With valves? Where would you put the aspidistra?

It was a valved tuner to convert the band III signal to the fixed (BBC)
frequency in band I of the TV,

I didn't know they existed.

the one I had (long after 625) was a plinth screwed under the TV

Ah, not a set *top* box then.

--
Max Demian

"Max Demian" wrote in message
...
"Prometheus" wrote in message
...
In article , Max Demian
writes
"Prometheus" wrote in message
...

It must have been quite a nuisance putting up a band III aerial just
for
ITV back in 1955, did they buy a new dual band TV (I & III) or just
get
a
band III STB?

A set top box? With valves? Where would you put the aspidistra?

It was a valved tuner to convert the band III signal to the fixed (BBC)
frequency in band I of the TV,

I didn't know they existed.

the one I had (long after 625) was a plinth screwed under the TV

Ah, not a set *top* box then.

--
Murphy had a 625 UHF converter built into plinth during the 960s, but if it
was more recent I can only think of Luxor or Solora who had a Teletext
upgrade which was fitted in the same manner underneath the receiver.



Max Demian

On Mon, 14 Feb 2005 23:38:19 -0000, "Max Demian"
wrote:

"Prometheus" wrote in message
...
In article , ad
writes
Most aerials will last for years, my parents aerial been up for years, I
think it was put up when ITV started to broadcast, as they had to have a
new aerial then, the only reason it was replaced 4 years ago, was for On
digital. the same here, when I moved in, there was an aerial in the loft,
which worked well for analouge, but when I got On digital it would not, I
would never have replaced it if I did not subscribe to On Digital.

It must have been quite a nuisance putting up a band III aerial just for
ITV back in 1955, did they buy a new dual band TV (I & III) or just get a
band III STB?

A set top box? With valves? Where would you put the aspidistra?

Yes indeed there used to be set to boxes so BBC TV only sets
could get ITV. I installed one or two myself.

--
Les Hellawell
greetings from
YORKSHIRE - The White Rose County

In article , Max Demian
writes
"Prometheus" wrote in message
...
In article , Max Demian
writes
"Prometheus" wrote in message
...

It must have been quite a nuisance putting up a band III aerial just for
ITV back in 1955, did they buy a new dual band TV (I & III) or just get
a
band III STB?

A set top box? With valves? Where would you put the aspidistra?

It was a valved tuner to convert the band III signal to the fixed (BBC)
frequency in band I of the TV,

I didn't know they existed.

They were before my time, I was given a faulty set with one by a school
friend when they were moving house.

the one I had (long after 625) was a plinth screwed under the TV

Ah, not a set *top* box then.

I suspect that most "Set Top Boxes" are sitting with the VCR under the
TV.

--
Ian G8ILZ

In article ,
says...

Most aerials will last for years, my parents aerial been up for years, I
think it was put up when ITV started to broadcast, as they had to have a
new aerial then, the only reason it was replaced 4 years ago, was for On
digital.

You mean they were watching VHF/405 line TV up till then?




I meant the only reason the old ITV one was replaced 4 years ago.

In article ,
says...

It must have been quite a nuisance putting up a band III aerial just for
ITV back in 1955, did they buy a new dual band TV (I & III) or just get
a band III STB? Still 45 years life from an aerial and its co-ax is
impressive, although not as impressive it working for UHF TV since the
405 TV close down.


I got something wrong here I think :-)
I was not born in 1955 and I certainly remember the aerial being
installed, only just mind you.
Maybe they did have another aerial then, but the one they replaced have
been up for a bloody long time.