Spam filter changed to Akismet

I have changed the UK Free TV spam filtering system to Akismet.

Changes to BBC services for the Olympic Games

The BBC is making changes to their services over the period of the Olympic Games to allow viewers to get the most from the event. In particular BBC three will broadcast during the daytime for the first time, BBC Parliament will close on Freeview and CBBC in the unswitched regions (North East and Northern Ireland) will require a retune.

Ofcom channel bingo II - introducing the bands

A second look at how the long-term use of the broadcast frequencies used to provide Freeview may chance over the coming years.

Freeview 2020 vs 4G mobile - play Ofcom channel bingo

Ofcom is consulting about the long-term use of the broadcast frequencies used to provide Freeview. A large range of options are being considered from expanding Freeview to provide 50% more services, to reducing the service to three multiplexes by 2030 to make way for 4th Generation mobile broadband. However, new technologies, such as High Efficiency Video Coding (HVEC) and Internet Protocol Television, could provide a better television service.

April 18th - retune at Rowridge, Oxford, Stockland Hill and Hannington

The London region retune today allows four transmitters that have been waiting for the Crystal Palace transmitter to release its analogue frequencies. In particular, Rowridge (Southampton and Portsmouth) users need to retune and those as far away as Devon (Stockland Hill), Oxfordshire and Hannington (Hampshire, Berkshire and Surrey) may have more channels today.

Five million London homes must 'full retune' when switchover ends on 18th April

If you are one of the millions of people who live inside the M25 - or up to 15 miles outside the capital's orbital motorway - you will need to perform a 'first time' retune on your Freeview TV or set-top box when you get up for breakfast on Wednesday morning.

Almost five million London homes begin switchover this week with a retune

If you live inside the M25, or up to 15 miles outside the capital's orbital motorway, you will need to retune your Freeview TV or set-top box on Wednesday morning.

Better multiplex listing icons plus Storeton Wales and Caldbeck Scotland details

I have made changes to the pages that display the multiplex listing for the transmitters to improve the clarity, and also have recoded the site to allow transmitters with services from more than one region (Storeton and Caldbeck) to display correctly.

High pressure causing channel loss through "Inversion"

High pressure does not just bring cold at this time of year, it is causing quite random loss of Freeview and analogue reception.

Final mapping updates: new server, region overlaps, HTML5 radiations and pre-DSO

The mapping updates on UK Free TV have been finalised, with some new features and a dedicated new web server.

Update on transmitter radiation patterns (BBC FOI request)

The BBC have responded to my request for an update to the sites that they have provided the "radiation patterns" for.

Switchover starts in Hampshire, West Sussex coast plus Brighton and Hove

If you live in the Rowridge (Southampton, Portsmouth, Poole, Worthing) and Whitehawk Hill (Brighton and Hove) transmitter areas your digital switchover starts this week

UTV HD coming to Sky, Freesat and Freeview

Under the new ITV/STV/UTV arrangements, UTV HD will soon be showing on Freeview and Freesat, in addition to Virgin TV in the province.

DAB retune on 1st March 2012 for Capital, Heart, Choice, XFM, LBC and Kiss

Due to technical reconfiguration of the digital radio services, on 1st March you may have to do a "retune" on your DAB receiver to continue listing to your local Capital, Heart, Choice, XFM, LBC and Kiss stations.

Channel Islands retune to get ITV2 and ITV3, 29th February

If you live on the Channel Islands and watch television using Freeview, you will need to retune on 29th February 2012 to make way for 4G broadband - and to get ITV2 and ITV3 for the first time.

Saorview updates

Continuing improvements to the information about the free-to-air terrestrial digital television service in Ireland are being made to UK Free TV.

Region maps now show in enhanced format

I have now updated the mapping system to show the television region maps in higher resolution

Arqiva statement on Hannington transmitter group

Arqiva confirms switchover completion details

Improvements to UK Free TV transmitter mapping launched

With the tenth anniversary of UK Free TV coming up in June, I have taken the opportunity to update the mapping used on the site, for a third time.

Digital TV transmitters in Ireland - update

I have started to add information to UK Free TV about the Saorview transmitters in the RoI.

2013 - post-switchover changes to Freeview transmission frequencies

To provide for the new mobile broadband services (4G) a number of changes will be made, and these will result in retuning events.

Ofcom Bingo III - compatibility or improvements?

In the final part of this short series of articles on the future of the Freeview UHF frequency allocations looks at how technological improvements to digital television systems - may provide more with less

Improvement to "Transmission frequencies" on transmitter pages

Following comments and suggestions, and with an eye to the future of Freeview and 4G mobile broadband services, I have improved the layout of the "transmission frequencies" on UK Free TV

Arqiva statements on London Digital Switchover

"The Digital Switch Over process for the Crystal Palace transmitter group, serving 12 million people in Greater London and parts of the Home Counties, has been successfully implemented by Arqiva."

Why do the six Freeview "multiplexes" have twenty different names?

There are twenty names - 1, 2, A, B, C, D, PSB1, PSB2, PSB3, COM4, COM5, COM6, BBCA, BBCB, D3+4, SDN, ArqA, ArqivaA, ArqB and ArqivaB, given to the six terrestrial digital services... why?

Channel 4-seven is now in the Freeview EPG in switched-over areas

The placeholder for Channel 4's new catch-up channel, 4-seven is now on the ArqB/COM6 multiplex showing up as channel 47. It does not appear in areas where switchover happens later in the year.

Commercial multiplex restrictions lifted today at Hunshaw Cross and Mendip

The out restrictions that were placed on two transmitters commercial services at switchover were lifted today. Viewers using the Mendip transmitter will need to retune, and those on the edges of the Hunshaw Cross will have the full Freeview service from today if they retune.

Switchover "completes" for Southampton, Portsmouth and Brighton

If you live in the Rowridge (Southampton, Portsmouth, Poole, Worthing), Salisbury and Whitehawk Hill (Brighton and Hove) transmitter areas you will need to take action on Wednesday morning as high power digital television services bring digital and high definition television to everyone.

Switchover completes for non-coastal West Sussex

If you live in the Midhurst transmitter area (West Sussex, above the South Downs), you will need to take action on Wednesday morning as high power digital television services bring digital and high definition television to everyone.

Sky halves EPG charges for public service broadcasters and saves BBC local radio

Sky is set to lower the charges it makes to the four public service broadcasters after complains that the prices were excessive. The BBC will have 5.5m back, 5.7m will go to ITV, 2.3m to Channel 4 and 600k to Channel 5. This is enough to reduce the proposed cuts to BBC local radio.

ITV1+1 new regions licensed by Ofcom, Arqiva A/B extended to 2026

ITV1+1 will have services for Westcountry, West, Tyne Tees and Anglia added shortly and Freeview multiplexes C and D extended by 12 years.

Major update to UK Free TV Freeview reception prediction system

UK Free TV now has a new, improved system for showing the transmitters you can receive signal from - including a new graphic display system to show cross-section diagrams - and it now includes Saorview (free terrestrial TV in Ireland) transmitters.

Transmitter symbol improvements on UK Free TV

UK Free TV now uses different symbols for Full Freeview, Freeview Light, Saorview, DAB, FM transmitters, with a new icon for engineering works and transmitter regions.

Switchover starts in West Sussex

If you live in the Midhurst transmitter area your digital switchover starts this week, with two weeks before analogue stops forever and high power digital replaces it.

Are you really watching free TV in high definition?

There are many hurdles you have to jump if you really want to watch free television channels in high definition.

Football in pubs ruling upheld by the High Court

The legal ruling by the European Court of Justice earlier this year has been upheld by the highest court in England, meaning that pub landlady Karen Murphy can use her Greek satellite decoder to show any football match she likes to her customers.

Freeview Engineering Channel will close for London Olympics and Paralympics

There will be no Freeview or Freeview set-top box upgrades provided during the London Olympic games.

Switchover ends in Berkshire and North Hampshire

If you live in Berkshire and North Hampshire, you will need to take action on Wednesday morning as high power digital television services bring digital and high definition television to everyone.

BBC satellite services moving to Astra 1N on 24th February 2012

Between 3am and 5am on 24th February 2012 the BBC will be moving all their satellite television services from the Astra 2D satellite, which is being decommissioned.

Northern Ireland "mini multiplex" (NIMM)

I have added information to the UK Free TV database to cover the so-called mini-multiplex that will carry three Irish channels, TG4, RTE1 and RTE2 in a very special multiplex from three transmitters in Northern Ireland.