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jayTuesday 27 October 2009 10:31AM
oh well the slow death of freeview has begunMark A.Tuesday 27 October 2009 11:57AM
Better having an extra TV channel than an endless repeating video loop.
So move all multiscreen services, radio and TV channels+1 to the National only transmitter multiplexes
and only have TV channels (no radio, no TV+1 and no multiscreen) on multiplex BBC-A, BBC-B and D3+4
Jay, I hope this is not the death of Freeview as I am still waiting for the birth of Freeview and Channel 5.jay: That the great thing about digital TV multiplexes, services can be added and withdrawn as the need changes. jayTuesday 27 October 2009 1:43PM
@brianist: We can only hope, but we seem to be losing useful channels, interactive services in an area that doesn't have HD yet...
Just like DAB the b/w is getting miss used, or not used in a sensible way. What do we have 7 BABE on Couch channels.Stephen PhillipsTuesday 27 October 2009 2:18PM
Not the end of the world, but I did watch it from time to time.jay: No one has HD yet, that is the whole point. The services have to be reconfigured first before Freeview HD can be introduced. All digital transmitters are the same.
Please remember that the "text" services (such as Rabbit and "babe") use almost no bandwidth compared to a TV channel or live interactive service such as the late BBC News Interactive.
Stephen Phillips: When the interactive loops were started (first on satellite and then on Freeview and cable) they patched a gap between what was then the online "text" world and that of TV.
But you can watch billions of videos online now, such interactive loops do seem a bit dated.
Stephen PhillipsTuesday 27 October 2009 3:57PM
But not yet on my TV.
When are TVs going to start coing with built-in Wifi so you can use them on your home network?Stephen Phillips: The loops are only a couple of minutes and they were in quarter-screen resolution on Freeview. It's not really that much of a problem watching them on a computer.
If you use a PC with your TV you can stick whatever you like in the machine. Windows 7 Media Centre is rather good. sharealam: It is possible, there is new capacity on multiplex COM5 and COM6 in the switched over areas. The channels that use it are in free market competition. Charles StuartTuesday 27 October 2009 7:23PM
Trowbridge I really hated the news multiscreen, so I'm glad it's gone. I regularly pressed News Multiscreen when I actually simply wanted to read the news in text. I love teletext: it's something to do while the BBC shows it's interminable programme previews/promotions. (I'm really sorry that Ofcom is allowing Teletext to drop its news service.) I agree with Mark A, except that I do like the radio. Having it is a boon for my disabled mother who can listen to BBC radio using the TV remote control. I also appreciate it because the fidelity is better than on DAB. Back to the multiscreen: why was it ever devised? You can get the news headlines on BBC News Channel twice an hour, at least. There's also Sky News. Now if Sky News were to close or go subscrition, I would be upset.Charles StuartTuesday 27 October 2009 7:25PM
Trowbridge Oops! Unnecessary apostrophe. I really hate that error!Stephen PhillipsTuesday 27 October 2009 7:38PM
Brian
I am not an electronics hobbyist. My TV is in the drawing room. My computer isn't. I don't want to b*gger around getting another computer and linking it to the TV. I just want to buy a TV that can see and link to my wifi network.
Surely this will soon come? Why is it not yet here?
SteveStephen PhillipsTuesday 27 October 2009 9:46PM
All for a mere £550!
That's more than I was thinking of paying for a TV - and twice the cost of a decent PC cpu?Stephen Phillips: What is the point of paying lots of money for what is basically a valid-added computer monitor.
Save your money, buy a Media PC and use it with a computer monitor... Stephen PhillipsWednesday 28 October 2009 11:31PM
Brian - the £550 WAS the cost of the media PC you recommended me to buy in your purely gadgets link.
I am looking for a TV that, without me doing or paying ANYTHING, joins up with my home Wifi and receives and plays stuff like BBCi.
Surely a modest request?
I still have a CRT TV coz I am not satisfied with the products now offered as improvements.JMFriday 30 October 2009 6:20PM
We lost all our BBC channels on Tuesday 27th Oct and the signal to all channels is now really weak. Our Tv is only 4 months old and freview was fine until Tuesday 27th. What has happened to the Hannington transmitter?The_HighwaymanWednesday 25 November 2009 4:39PM
I wish to follow up on the story "BBC News Interactive closed on Freeview Tuesday 27 October".
I now note that Teletext on ITV / CH4 / C5* / Sky have major closures scheduled for Dec 14th/15th (*I understand CH5 never had Teletext access as such from Freeview).
Is this also to free up multiplex bandwidth for HD services, or is this for commercial reasons ?The_Highwayman: Teletext Ltd is a commercial company, they have decided to remove the news and editorial services, leaving only Teletext Holidays. 
Untitled Page
- this has nothing to do with HD.
Teletext's news and information service is switching off on December 14/15. But Teletext will still operate commercial services including Teletext Holidays, Teletext Cars, Teletext Games and various services for mobile phones.
Teletext Holidays on Freeview channel 101; commercial channels on Freeview channels 102-107; and the teletextholidays.co.uk, thisistravel.co.uk, inluxury.co.uk and villarenters.co.uk websites will all continue.
Owner Associated Newspapers confirmed the decision to close the editorial service, saying it had been loss-making in recent years and no viable business model could be found.
Teletext on ITV and C4 on Sky will close on Monday, December 14. Other services will end on Tuesday, December 15:
* Teletext on ITV, C4 and FIVE on analogue TV
* On Freeview: Teletext on ITV and C4, 100, the Teletext Extra news service
* Editorial on Channel 986 on Freesat. PeteSaturday 28 November 2009 1:26AM
Why are the BBC having to remove one of their Red Button channels (302) on Freeview plus their News interactive channel whilst at the same time there has been a growth in rubbish sex channels and shopping channels on Freeview. Surely the government should prioritise public service channels paid out of the license fee over the above drivel !! I don't see why the BBC should reduce services on the free to air platform, just at a time when many viewers are receiving it for the first time (i.e. those on relay transmitters). Pete, MacclesfieldLutonFanSaturday 28 November 2009 1:46PM
I understand that after the analogue teletext switch off on ITV in december, the user will still have access to subtitles(until DSO). If teletext has been switched off, how will subtitles be activated?LutonFan: The company "Teletext Ltd" will no longer be providing a service, but the teletext system will still be there providing subtitles on page 888. PeteSaturday 28 November 2009 2:25PM
LutonFan: I think you will find that digital Teletext is also disappearing in December 2009, leaving just BBC Digital Text and possibly Skytext on Channel 11 : Sky Three. Shame as BBC text does not have the year high & low share prices and fewer weather pages than Ceefax and we have already lost many BBC 2 financial weekend pages which do not exist on digital. The BBC 64QAM signal is also slightly worse than the previous 16QAM which was more robust and carried fewer channels. The acid test being moving football grass in Sports programmes which was actually clearer on ANALOGUE BBC !! Pete, MacclesfieldPeteSaturday 28 November 2009 2:34PM
Briantest: To be honest I think there are far too many trashy commercial channels on Freeview as it is with more and longer ad breaks than ever some over two minutes longer than ITV & Channel 4 used to broadcast just a few years ago. I'd much rater have extra capacity and advert free content than poor quality commercial rubbish any day. Why should SKY always get the cream to exploit the poor. Pete, Macclesfield. Pete: I think you will find that 64QAM 8k mode at the much stronger power levels is more stable than 16QAM 2k mode.
LutonFan asked about the teletext subtitles... PeteSaturday 28 November 2009 7:32PM
More stable yes, better picture quality NO, actually worse and actually worse than analogue even in areas of good analogue reception like ours. Freeview BBC was stable enough here in Macclsfield from Winter Hill anyway. Yes LutonFan did ask about the subtitles but surely no harm in adding a bit of extra info re the text service, as he was implying that it was just analogue text that was going not the digital service as well ? Any reason why the post informing you of the relay situation was removed ? ie 5 transmitters only broadcasting the full 6 multiplexes in the NW and 66 transmitters only broadcasting three ? PeteNedbodSaturday 28 November 2009 7:46PM
Ofcom do control advertising rules, but in doing so Ofcom allows Sky and Digital commercial channels longer ad breaks and more per hour than the traditional terrestrial channels ITV1, Channel 4 / S4C and Five. Some ad & trailer breaks on SKY are over 5 minutes, eg those in LOST also with annoying buttons which spring up in the middle of recordings advertising forthcoming series !! and people actally pay for this DOGness!!! as I say more fool them. Nedbod - as you may have gathered I am no lover of SKY to put it mildly.updates
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