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12th November 2011. I still do not have HD on my HD TV. It seems that Virgin wants extra cash for a different box and, not having seen the wonders of HD (or not noticed it) I am quite happy with my picture. However there is more HD news today : Channel 5 HD to launch on Freeview In the recent bidding for the fifth HD channel on the Freeview platform, only one channel submitted a bid, and that was Channel 5. It appears that regulator OfCom has granted Channel 5 the licence, and we can expect Channel 5 HD to appear on Freeview at some point in the future but Channel 5 HD may not be available to all parts of the UK when it launches.
The great switchover is currently happening and, if you are affected you will lose you TV signal if you do not have a set top box (cable or with an aerial). And, even if you have a digital TV with inbuilt Freeview there may be things you have to do. It is likely you will have to retune it. To do this press Menu on your remote, see Settings or Setup, then see either first time settings or default settings. You will see a message something like You are about to erase your settings. Click OK/Yes. You may be asked for a Pin. If you haven't't got one or can't find it try 0000 or 1234. Now watch for a minute or two while the TV scans for channels. If you are under 75 and need help try 08456 05 11 22. It will cost 4p a minute on a land line phone. If you are over 75 you can call them, free, on 0800 40 85 911.
When you have got all the channels you may find they are accessed by different numbers than you are used to. Your remote has probably got an EPG (Electronic Program Guide) button which can list programs. Make a note of these or, better still, try to rearrange them back to the numbers you have normally used. I have set mine to 1234&5. I then chose 6 as the BBC News channel. And 7 is now allocated to a channel for yesterday's programs.
What are the advantages of the Digital changeover ? Apart from the
improved picture quality there are a number of other improvements. Subtitles
:(although these were achievable before if you had teletext, using 888).
For blind people Audio Description (AD) may be available - an extra commentary
describing body language, expressions and movements. AD can also be found
on some DVDs and in some cinemas and theatres.
Picture size changing from widescreen to standard. Many more stations; repeat
of yesterdays's programs; freezing the picture; fine adjustments to brightness,
contrast, colour and sharpness and sound balance. Also many more input
options for computers and game consoles, DVD players etc.
If you are having problems (and are over 75) you can
call them free on 0800 40 85 911 or 0800 40 85 925. They offer a digital
box, home installation, and aerial check and replacement if necessary and
a 12 month after care service and freephone helpline. But there IS
a charge : £40 but some people may be exempt from this
http://www.digitaluk.co.uk/
(08456 50 50 50) Textphone for deaf people : 0800 85 936 is the main help
site on this subject. Another address for over 75s is
www.helpscheme.co.uk. You can email
them on Info@helpscheme.co.uk
or write to FREEPOST Switchover Help Scheme.
Under this scheme costs for delivery and installation are quoted as : Freeview digital box £40; Freesat box and dish £56; Freeview HD box £156; Freeview + Recorder £198; Freesat HD digital box £106 or with recorder £249. TV with Freeview or Freesat : From £218. I have to admit being more confused after reading this. Fortunately the rest of the leaflet explains each option in detail.
A very useful site can be found at http://www.cable.co.uk. It is not just about cable but also wider aspects of being 'connected', especially for older people.
Another good site dealing with this subject can be found at http://www.digital-tv-advice.co.uk/ This now includes case studies of how various areas have fared so far.
So, I decided to take action and shopped around for a new TV. I got one from BestBuy but, at 32" (the common standard) it proved too wide for my situation. They collected it rapidly and reimbursed me. I cannot speak too highly of BestBuy. Unfortunately they did not have a 28" TV and I had to buy one elsewhere. I got a Hannspree and am very pleased with it. It contains Freeview. No additional Set Top Box (STB) required. Even before replacing my aerial (in the roof) it autoscanned and found many stations. ITV1 and Channels 4 and 5 were missing. I found a digital aerial on the net for £12.50 + delivery, assembled it and replaced the aerial in the roof, rescanned for channels and found the rest. They were on channels 800 et seq. but I was able to 'Sort' the and reallocate them to numbers 3, 4 and 5. I was able to add BBC News channel as number 6 and Yesterday's programs as number 7. Being on Virgin Media and having cable TV as well (free) I was able to connect that to Scart 1 of the TV. With so many Freeview channels it is now almost redundant but will keep it there for now. Sometimes I like to record subtitles and will see if that works off Freeview. Altogether, I am very pleased with the changeover. I did have to read the TV manual occasionally but there were very few pages to look at.
If there are some stations you are unable to get with Freeview, take a look at my other page on that subject HERE (TV on your PC)
FREESAT ? For information on this please click
HERE
Freesat was set up to ensure that everyone can access the best of digital
satellite TV, for free, no matter where they live in the UK. freesat is a
not-for-profit company owned by the nation's two most popular broadcasters,
the BBC and ITV. The analogue TV signal is being switched off, area by area,
and by 2012 every single television in the UK will need to be digital. Freesat
is a brilliant way to switch your TVs over to digital: Getting freesat
means you don’t need to manually retune your TV or digital box during
switchover - a hassle-free choice.
• No monthly bills – just a one off payment. • Full coverage
wherever you live in the UK. • Great option to convert all of the TVs
in your house to digital – whether in your lounge, kitchen or bedroom.
After the digital switchover in your area any TV that's not converted to
digital when switchover takes place will no longer be able to receive TV
programmes. Digital UK's website has full details about which regions are
switching and when. Check out the Digital UK website.
Will my TV work after switchover with freesat? Yes. If you have freesat you
have digital TV, so provided your freesat digital box is connected to your
TV, it will be ready for digital switchover.
Do I need to convert all of the TVs in my home? Yes, you will need to convert
each of the TVs in your home to digital. freesat is a great option to convert
all of your TVs – whether in your lounge, kitchen or bedroom.
How do I get freesat? freesat is a satellite TV service, so
you’ll need a satellite dish. You can use an existing
dish if you already have one, or you can have one easily installed
for around £80. And after this one-off payment, it's free forever.
Do I need to convert the TV in my caravan? Yes. freesat is great for caravans;
we have full UK coverage and even have boxes that run from a 12V power supply.
You’ll need a satellite dish – we recommend you speak to your local
caravan dealer to discuss what is best for you.
Help with the switchover See http://www.helpscheme.co.uk/
Some people are eligible for help with the digital switchover.
Will I have to pay? We will ask you to pay £40 towards:
If you are eligible and you also get pension credit, income-related employment and support allowance (ESA(IR)), income support or income-based jobseeker's allowance, the help will be free.
An earlier note : Please note that some of the older set top boxes are unsuitable for downloading the latest Freeview standard. These were made by Daewoo, Labgear, Triax and Bush. There is no alternative to getting a new set top box (or get a new TV with Freeview built in) as the manufacturers are blaming DMOL, which performed the signal upgrade.
VirginMedia have a help site HERE But come back, using the back arrow. Also Which ? does a free guide. Phone 0800 389 6525
Between now and 2012 Britain (and most of Europe) will gradually switch over to Digital Television. For an idea of the timescale see the map below. This not only means that the digital signals will be available to people in those areas but that soon afterwards the normal (analogue) broadcasts will be switched OFF. An area of Cumbria has already switched and lost its analogue signals on the 17th November 2007. Next came Border TV, followed by the West Country, Wales, North, Central, Yorkshire, Anglia then London, Tyne Tees and Ulster. Existing TVs can be used, with a cheap set top box and in some areas you may need a rooftop aerial as well, as an internal aerial is often unsuitable for this. If you wish to check whether you need a better aerial take a look at www.freeview.co.uk. Make sure the aerial erector is a Registered Digital Installer, who displays the digital tick logo . Some areas may even find it difficult to receive the new signals and may have to consider satellite dish or cable alternatives. Fairly inexpensive set-top boxes are already being sold to enable standard TVs to receive Freeview, which is a digital service. The set-top box is connected to the TV via a SCART cable and is intelligent enough to search for available channels. If you have a video recorder (tape or DVD) this will also have to be connected to the se-top box (and then on to the TV). If you have a PVR (Personal Video Recorder), which has an internal hard disk, you will find that this is capable of recording one program while you are watching another. Some of this complexity may be avoided if you buy a new TV, which must have that 'digital tick logo', if it is not to require a set-top box.
Unfortunately, there is great confusion in the area of the new televisions, which are on sale in every large electrical retailer and on the net. There are various logos on these sets such as HD Ready and 1080P FULL HD. This refers to the number of lines they display. Some have 720 and more expensive ones have 1080. TV's with less 32" wide are unlikely to show the difference. Many PCs can receive television but these, too, are likely to require a new digital TV tuner card in order to receive the new signals (and be connected to the rooftop aerial). If your old TV does not have a SCART socket (or two) in the back, then you will need a digibox with a built-in modulator to connect to the aerial socket on the back of the TV. An example is the Humax F2FOXT.
For further details do contact the official organisers of the switchover, which is www.digitaluk.co.uk or phone (08456 50 50 50) but I can imagine there may be a long wait (at your expense)
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