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EXCLUSIVE More Freeview capacity coming 2012-2016

Good news for Freeview - seven new frequencies could be providing up to 35 new Freeview HD channels from the main 80 transmitters within a few years.

Good news for Freeview - seven new frequencies could be providi
Published on by on UK Free TV

It appears the Ofcom has decided that the UHF channels C31, C32, C33, C34, C35, C36 and C37 will be used for new Freeview services which will be rolled out on the 80 main transmitters by autumn 2016.

It appears that the seven UHF channels in the lower "digital dividend review" cleared spectrum for additional Freeview services.

600Mhz band

It is possible that these services could be used for seven single-frequency networks (SFN) multiplexes, or less if they are used for multi-frequency networks.

Ofcom could assign C37 to a second public service high definition multiplex, as it can be received by all aerial groups. This could provide BBC three and BBC FOUR in HD, with perhaps ITV 2 HD and ITV 3 HD plus E4 HD, as Ofcom expect to get five HD channels per multiplex by 2013 - Five HD is expected on the BBCB multiplex at the end of 2012.

aerial group performance

The remaining channels C31 to C36 will be receivable for group A, group B, group E group K and wideband aerial, and could provide high definition capacity to match all of the existing standard definition Freeview channels. (See also www.ukfree.tv link icon Aerial group performance).

Seven single frequency HD multiplexes would give Freeview HD another 35 high definition channels, making a total of 40 by 2016.

The six lower frequencies (C31-C36) will mean users of the following transmitters users require wideband aerials to watch the new services: Angus, Beacon Hill, Brierley Hill, Brighton (Whitehawk Hill), Carmel, Dover, Heathfield, Huntshaw Cross, Keighley, Limavady, Llanddona, Malvern, Mendip, Midhurst, Olivers Mount, Oxford, Plympton, Pontop Pike, Reigate, Rosneath, Salisbury, Selkirk, Tacolneston, Waltham and Winter Hill.

Ofcom has yet to consult on the actual usage and bidding process for these new frequencies.

The evidence

Arqiva is the company that owns all of the television transmitters in the United Kingdom, as well as two of the six Freeview multiplexes.

Regular contributor Mike Dimmock has pointed out that Arqiva have applied to South Norfolk District Council, to make changes to the Tacolneston transmitter, in which they say

"The decision has now been taken to reallocate spectrum at 600 MHz for additional terrestrial television broadcast services and OFCOM is tasked with the preparatory work leading up to the auction of this spectrum."

September 2011 - Arqiva Reference Offer prepared for OFCOM
Q2 2012 - Government holds Spectrum Auction
Q3 2012 new licences issued
Q3 2016 - Arqiva antenna works completed at Main Stations

Ofcom have been asked to comment.







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George Buchanan
Monday 29 August 2011 2:00PM
Rod Gray:

Your description of Gaelic as 'gobbledegook' will be offensive to many.
Briantist
Monday 29 August 2011 2:41PM
George Buchanan: It's not really offensive, just inaccurate, "gobbledegook" means "jargon", not "foreign".

It reminds me of when I was in Athens looking at the ancient amphitheatre and some loud-mouthed American was going on about "decoding" the wording - it wasn't encoded information, it was just Ancient Greek and required either reading or translation.
Maurice Webb
Monday 29 August 2011 3:10PM Deal
I get high signal strength and quality on all digital channels except channel 42 ( most ITV stations,4,5 and all other stations within Channel 42) On Channel 42 stations I rarely get any picture except when the weather is bad with low pressure prevailing and even then the picture quality is not reliable.
The analogue stations are not affected.
My Post Code is CT14 8HG. Why are Channel 42 stations the only ones affected in this way.?
Bill
Friday 2 September 2011 1:39PM
I've read that the White Space between 400MHz and 800MHz will be used for Local Broadband and MiFi.

www.zdnet.co.uk link icon UK start-up uses TV's white spaces for broadband | Networking | ZDNet UK

Will this interfere with Freeview reception? Or will it be lower power and squashed between the TV frequencies? (LU74HH)
Briantist
Friday 2 September 2011 2:03PM
Bill: The whole point of a "white space" device is that it will not operate using an allocated frequency. The transmitter discovers the frequencies in use in the area (GPS+database) and disables them.

Actually, Ofcom is proposing that FM is used for whitespace, not the "TV band" - media.ofcom.org.uk link icon Ofcom | Ofcom considers future of FM radio band .
Scott
Saturday 3 September 2011 9:20AM
What does it mean that C37 can be received by all aerial groups? Group C/D starts at channel 48 according to the details elsewhere.
KMJ,Derby
Saturday 3 September 2011 7:37PM
Scott: Whilst the recognised frequency range for a group C/D aerial is C48 to C68, in practice C37 would still be received with an acceptable signal strength unless it was in a poor signal area. Many viewers to the Waltham transmitter watched Channel Five on C35 using their original group C/D aerials without difficulty, in some cases, because the propagation was better on the lower frequencies, the reception on Channel Five was better than that on BBC2 on C64!
Mike Dimmick
Friday 9 September 2011 4:24PM
Briantist: Did you ever see Arqiva's study on possible multiplexes 7 and 8 using the DDR frequencies? You might have missed it, as it is entitled "Ch 21 to 60: Creation of Layers 7 and 8 in released Spectrum".

stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk link icon http://stakeholders.ofcom….pdf

The section about Service Insertion Points, having to carry SI data for all multiplexes on each mux, and SFNs having to carry SI data for all regions that are part of the SFN, is quite interesting.

The new sites suggested, that don't carry the COM multiplexes after DSO, are Whitehaven, Camlough, Poole, Peterhead, Chartham, West Runton, Aldeburgh, Londonderry, Strabane, Exeter St Thomas, Weymouth, Stranraer, Cambret Hill, Newhaven and Eastbourne. They actually say 97 sites but only list 96; Rowridge VP is one of the 96 and I'm not counting that as a 'new' site.
Briantist
Monday 12 September 2011 4:44PM
Mike Dimmick: Thanks for that link, I had a briefing from someone at Arqiva a while ago about using "reduced MFN" because SFN are problematic in the UK because of the transmitter locations.

I've given it a skim-read, I will give it a proper in-depth read this evening.
Briantist
Thursday 22 September 2011 3:37PM
Ah, I see that Ofcom | 600 MHz band and geographic interleaved spectrum has been published...
Martin
Tuesday 10 January 2012 4:03AM
Hi Brian, I haven't posted anything in a while but I want to just go back to my post I made on Thursday 18 August 2011 at 5:37PM. I was talking about future proofing and upgradeable hardware in tv's. Well under 5 months down the line at CES 2012 Samsung are showing us this is possible. Read this BBC report about it:-

BBC News - Samsung's 'future-proof' voice-controlled television

On top of that they have incorporated an Xbox Kinect style controller to replace the remote. It looks like Samsung are watching consumers ideas about future tv developments. Where people have been using a Kinect gestures to control a tv on Youtube.
Mark Fletcher
Tuesday 10 January 2012 6:14PM Halifax
Scott.Saturday 3 September 2011,9.20am.That is true,the group C/D aerials normally works between frequencies 48 and 68,some superior quality group C/D Yagi and X-beam antennas can work as low down as fr 41,but as low down as fr 37 is pushing the boat out a wee bit !
Briantist
Tuesday 17 January 2012 8:58AM
Martin: Thanks. I would also read BBC News - CES postscript: Smart TVs get ready for prime time ...
kamran
Saturday 21 January 2012 11:07PM
It would be nice to have a Asian Community Channel- Thank You
ian holdsworth
Wednesday 1 February 2012 2:39PM
i would more great tv noy tlus 1 channals or cellicast eg babestation psychic tv or 3rd partu shopping just new channals with programs for entertainment like pick tv
Stu Davies
Thursday 9 February 2012 9:36PM Buckley
When will freeview HD be available in CH7 3AP
Mike Dimmick
Thursday 9 February 2012 10:36PM
Stu Davies: It already is, and has been since November 2009 from the Winter Hill transmitter. You need a Freeview HD-branded TV, set-top box or PVR. Just 'HD Ready' is no good - see www.ukfree.tv link icon What does "Full HD Ready" actually mean? | ukfree.tv - independent free digital TV advice .

If you're looking at the manual, check that it lists DVB-T2 as well as DVB-T, if the Freeview HD logo doesn't appear.

Digital UK's postcode checker lists Moel-Y-Parc as the 'most likely' transmitter, from which the likelihood of HD reception is shown as variable, due to strong interference from Sutton Coldfield. To be honest I'd expect you to be using Winter Hill, with Storeton Wales supplying Welsh channels (including S4C Clirlun), if you want them. The Wrekin is also shown as a good option.
andrew hidle
Thursday 26 April 2012 9:32PM
HI reading the statement about more channels to freeview between 2012 and 2016 i am very pleased coming back to freeview from virgin media these last few months i thankfull some new channels are coming what i would like to see are some channels thats on the sky , virgin media like the

a discovery channel
c s i [ crime channel ]
news news news channel abc 24 hour news
a channel like bravo which had old tv series and old black and white films
freeview answer to m tv music channel
plus another 14 channels of various out pot
andrew hidle
Sunday 29 April 2012 2:24AM
well reading all messages most people are thinking about sky television , sky taken over virgin media channels wasnt the right thing to do what i would like to see is sky televison to loase its liciness to broadcasting then we can get all the televison station free it would also make a different as well that all broadcast channels that includes all bbc tv and radio stations to do the same then its a free market place for broacasters yes i am pleased someone asked about country music televison yes all channels that subsription based on freeview should be also free there should open up uk gold thats think of television programmes from the 1970s and 1980s that teenagers havent even watched love thy neighbour jewl in the clown etc come on freeview please take note
ian holdsworth
Thursday 3 May 2012 11:17PM
when are the 3 new freeview chanals due 2 start chanal 47 on 47 tv stars and tv news
Kev Mitchell
Monday 16 July 2012 5:30PM
Are there any plans for anymore HD channels available for Freeview HD ?
Mike Dimmick
Monday 16 July 2012 7:06PM
Kev Mitchell: There will be a fifth slot available on the BBC B multiplex after the Olympics have finished (while the Olympics are on, this will be 301 HD, the HD version of the first additional Olympics video stream - there is already a placeholder on channel number 304). There are suggestions that Channel 4 might have leased the space to run some E4 HD/Film4 HD service, as C4 changed the names of the service licences fairly recently to mention '(HD)'. Nothing has been published, though.

After that, additional capacity can only come from launching new multiplexes, or converting existing ones to higher-capacity modes. New multiplexes are now unlikely until 2015 or later, because Ofcom are looking into releasing C49-C60 for mobile phone/broadband, following a decision at the last World Radiocommunications Congress to put that on the agenda for the next WRC. There's space available, and costs and template contracts had been drawn up, but releasing those frequencies means that the space available for new multiplexes would most likely have to be used for existing services instead.

Converting existing multiplexes is also fairly unlikely in the short term, as the existing services would then become unavailable to anyone without a Freeview HD box. It will depend on how quickly people take up Freeview HD, or another TV service that carries the same channels.

It's technically possible to put an HD channel on an unconverted multiplex, but it would occupy about one-third of the capacity, meaning four SD channels would have to close (at least - four slots would have to be freed up, and many slots are time-shared for different parts of the day) so it's pretty unlikely to happen.
Paul Scott
Thursday 16 August 2012 3:23PM
More documentary or film channles would be nice - the archives the mainstream channels have on these, would be a real boon to freeview - we only have Quest and Yesterday (When the latter's not showing old period-set TV progs). also only really Film 4 is of any good, movies for Men is on Freesat but even that's a bit lame.
Stuart Owens
Thursday 13 September 2012 1:45PM Wrexham
Why is there two Al Jazeera channels on two separate EPG numbers? Both broadcast on COM6 so can't they timeshare on the same EPG number?
Al Jazeera Eng is on air 1800-2300 on ch.83 and Al Jazeera 6-8 is on air 0600-0800 on ch.84. Surely they could timeshare on the one channel number to save being on two different channel numbers at different times of the day?
Viv
Thursday 20 December 2012 10:31AM Loughborough
Hi - wonder if you can enlighten me...
I bought one of Tesco's Freeview HD boxes (STBHDIS2010) recently, mainly for HD channel access but also for the iPlayer TV access offered via Channel Zero. Channel Zero recently had their licence revoked by OFCOM and have stopped broadcasting.
1) Do you know of any other way of accessing on-demand services with this box at present?
2) If not, what prospects are there of doing so in future ?
I was relieved to see from your recent post that HD services are definitely going to expand, so the box should be of some use for this at least...



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