The switchoff begins ...

JB wrote:




Actually, just watching Breakfast now, the guy in charge of the equipment
was saying how the old folks found it easier to use PVRs to VCRs because
they don't have to bend down to insert the tape.



Fine if someone buys them for you. I would love a nice Pace PVR myself,
but no way am I going to buy one.

Ben wrote:

Twice it have been put back, we was suppose to be fully converted by
2008, then it was 2010, now 2012. I thin it will be pushed back again.


Its never been announced publicly like this before though, and in the
summer the government are due to make public a detailed plan. I think

They are waiting till after the election, before they upset people.
The government may not even take any notice of Offcom.

once this happens they'll stick to it nomatter what. Governments have
this idea that it looks weak to go back on a plan, so doing something
unpopular when they said they would do it is better than not doing it.


The government is weak anyway.



I do not want to see analogue go, digital is not a patch on analogue and
it never will be.


Personally, my digital reception is much better than anything I've ever
achieved with analogue.


I expect you got bad analogue then, those of us with very good analogue
can tell the difference and digital is very poor.
Even my parents notice and they are in their 70's

I have said it before and I will say it again. Just because it got
digital in its name, it do not mean it is any good.
People have this idea, that anything digital is better.


In a newsgroup like this its easy to forget that 99% of people don't
even know what digital means. But then, they don't know how the old
analogue systems work either.


But they know the quality. I give you an example, My sister was given a
DAB radio for Christmas, she notice the difference in the quality of the
stations and if she can notice, then I should think anyone can.
So the radio went back to Dixons and a normal analogue was purchased in
its place.


OK, I'll admit I have an agenda here (apart from never having had a
decent analogue picture anywhere I've lived). Ofcom has already said
which parts of the old TV band they'll shove all the existing channels
into when analogue is switched off, and which parts they'll sell off.
The frequencies they're selling off fall into two separate bands. Its my
hope that one of those bands will be sold to mobile phone companies for
DVB-H and the other will be sold off for HDTV. Well, actually its my
hope that the whole lot is used for HDTV, but we have to be realistic.


Mobile phone companies have got enough of the spectrum and stick enough
of their towers everywhere as it is. I thought they would have learn
their lesson from the 3G system. that have not taken off and the Mobile
phone companies have lost millions because of it and then our phone
rates goes up to pay for it. We should get5 back to using a phone for
one reason and that is to receive and make calls. do you know that it is
getting impossible to buy a bog standard mobile phone, with out a camera
and all the other battery draining crap on?

As for HDTV, I doubt it will come to terrestrial, Dsat is the best place
for that.
Another thing thing I got no interest in. the T.vs cost too much and at
the moment, I doubt any of the so called flat panel T.V is up to it anyway.
The CRT is still the best/

"JB" wrote in message
...

"JB" wrote in message
...

"Matti Lamprhey" wrote in message
...

I
wonder what they did about people's VCRs, though

I'm sure the house featured on News24 had a Pace recorder. Pretty neat
trail if they were each given one of those for their VCR.

Actually, just watching Breakfast now, the guy in charge of the equipment
was saying how the old folks found it easier to use PVRs to VCRs because
they don't have to bend down to insert the tape.

Great! Are we all going to get free PVRs when analogue switches off? If not,
it's not a very realistic trial.

--
Max Demian

The government can go back on what it likes really even when its set a law
on the statute book it can still be overturned by paliament. As for waiting
till 95% have access to a digital signal that will present no problem for
the spin docs. By one definition it probably could already be claimed that
at least 95% have access should they wish to purchase a receiver. Maybe not
access to DTT but Certainly SKY. Thats not the point though the point is the
government will basically do what it wants when it wants. With the
forthcoming election it might be quite entertaining, don't think it will do
anything else other than entertain, to question your MP/prospective MP about
some of the technicalities of digital TV policy.

As for any digital refuseniks they will simply be put under house arrest
without access to email or telephones - Just kidding I hope. In the end I
suspect lots of boxes will be given away to the elderly and the low incomed.




Looking at the aerials up this street alone, most of them could not even
cope with digital T.V, there are some with Sky I must admit, but not
that many. It is going to be a long hard slog to get the refuseniks to
update and change over. We was told that 95% of people would have to
have access to digital T.V, before the analogue was switched off, the
government can not go back on that.

On Tue, 29 Mar 2005 20:55:03 +0100, Ad wrote:

Jim wrote:
Article @ http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/4390579.stm

2 small towns (Ferryside and Llanstephan) in Carmarthenshire go
completely digital from 0400 on Wednesday.


And go back to analogue in a months time.

Until they sort out a decent teletext

Why do they insist on using a hierarchical menu system for teletext when people
know and love the page number system of analogue teletext? Now the BBC have a
strange hybrid system where you can enter a page number - it would be nice if
the page numbers were the same on both systems, but they're not.

Also ITV DTV Teletext is nigh on useless unless the TV sound is on the
background - or a small picture is used as on the BBC version. I never bother
with ITV teletext for that reason.

JPG

"Ad" wrote in message
...
JB wrote:


Truth be told I seriously doubt people living in such associations will
accept not having television in the future.

Maybe if/when the analogue is switched off, something may be done.


No matter what they say now when people start to move out and others
won't move in The Association will soon change their minds and find the
necessary money.

Where will these people live? finding rented accomdation around here at a
decent price is not easy and since the housing association gets there
tenants from the housing list now, I do not see them being short of
takers.



You're seriously trying to tell me that you think people (the vast majority
anyway) would be willing to live in an apartment block that they couldn't
get TV in?

I don't see it happening myself

"Ad" wrote in message
...


for switching off analogue before we do. Its time to pull our collective
fingers out and get on with it.

Why? Do not give me the same old rubbish that it cost broadcasters more
to transmit in digital and analogue. that is not our problem.

Quite, but it's not their problem if you can't get their transmissions
either. If there is sufficient viewing figures (and I suspect that
milestone has already passed) then the broadcasters really won't care if you
can't get TV any more.

digital need to be improved before analogue is switched off, even Dsat is
not very good considering that i got a much larger bandwidth than
terrestrial.



Looking at the aerials up this street alone, most of them could not even
cope with digital T.V, there are some with Sky I must admit, but not that
many. It is going to be a long hard slog to get the refuseniks to update
and change over. We was told that 95% of people would have to have access
to digital T.V, before the analogue was switched off, the government can
not go back on that.


I disagree. When the options are digital or nothing most will switch pretty
damn quickly.

On Wed, 30 Mar 2005 11:22:38 +0100, "JB"
wrote:

|
| "Ad" wrote in message
| ...
|

|
| Looking at the aerials up this street alone, most of them could not even
| cope with digital T.V, there are some with Sky I must admit, but not that
| many. It is going to be a long hard slog to get the refuseniks to update
| and change over. We was told that 95% of people would have to have access
| to digital T.V, before the analogue was switched off, the government can
| not go back on that.
|
|
| I disagree. When the options are digital or nothing most will switch pretty
| damn quickly.

Also the cost of DTT is already falling are a huge rate. Remember the Beeb
were initially saying that a DTT STB cost GBP100, now it is down to GBP40.
In 2010 it will be down GBP10 or lower.


--
Dave F

Jim wrote:
Article @ http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/4390579.stm

2 small towns (Ferryside and Llanstephan) in Carmarthenshire go
completely digital from 0400 on Wednesday.

If you read elsewhere (e.g. digital spy DTT tech forum), you'll find
out the truth about this "trial" (which is really just a PR stunt)...

Analogue isn't being completely switched off - BBC 2 Wales analogue is
being left on - it carries programmes which are not available on the
BBC2W digital variant.

All residents were given a STB for each TV, and a free Pace Twin to
replace each VCR.

Ferryside has been provided with 4 DTT muxes, even though relays like
this will probably only get 3 in the final plan.

There were engineers and a telephone helpline available for residents
to aid switch over.

The residents were given the choice: keep digital and dump analogue, or
go back to analogue only. Only 2% wanted to dump digital in favour of a
return to analogue - maybe they valued conventional teletext over extra
channels and a free PVR?

So this trial was never going to "fail", and is in no way
representative of what will happen in the rest of the country.

If we were all going to be treated this well, given free equipment and
help - also, if the picture quality was improved, and DTT teletext beat
the analogue version, I can't imagine _anyone_ would have _any_
complaints about analogue switch off.

As it is, I think there will be plenty of complaints - fully justified,
if you ask me.

Cheers,
David.

JB wrote:
You're seriously trying to tell me that you think people (the vast
majority
anyway) would be willing to live in an apartment block that they
couldn't
get TV in?

I don't see it happening myself

It's very simple - come analogue switch off, the DTT broadcasts will
move into the vacated analogue frequency slots - virtually _all_
working TV aerial systems will receive them without any modification.

The need for a _new_ aerial to receive digital TV is a transitory phase
- I wish people were told this - many could save =A3200 - though if
everyone took that approach (i.e. wait!) switch over would be pushed
further back.

So, in a sense, the landlord is perfectly right - why should they spend
money to "fix" a system that is working for analogue now, and will work
for digital after analogue switch off?

Unless it puts residents off renting, what is the incentive to do
anything about it?
(if you think that's a disappointing attitude, don't rent otherwise
you'll be very disappointed!)

Cheers,
David.