All posts by Bill Kocher
Below are all of Bill Kocher's postings, with the most recent are at the bottom of the page.
I have been told that Newhaven digital transmissions caused problems with French transmissions, so it was switched off. Does anyone know if this is fact? Heathfield is only TV transmitter nearby and no digital signal available in Newhaven. We have to use FreeSat to get digital pictures.
DAB also patchy.
I have freesat from Sky at present as I live in Newhaven and there will be no digital signal until 2012! I see you say you can get non Freesat programs with the Humax, but I couldn't see how from the downloaded manual. Are they just the ones you don't need a sky card for? When do you think Channel Five will come on board? When there are Freesat PVRs, does anyone know if they will be able to record HD channels? Thanks for that. I think I will hold on for now as I don't want to spend even more money. Hopefully more chanenels (Five) will be on line then. Hi,
Reading all this green screen nonsense makes me worry about getting new gear. I am planning to get Humax HiDef PVR, when it appears.
I have a Toshiba 32" LCD WLT68. has anyone used this with HD box of any kind, and if so does it work? Although I have decided to go the Freesat route, (Humax HDR on order) I was surprised to see that after switch over, chart above shows CH4, ITV and BBC HD channels will be available. Is this really going to happen?
As I already have a dish, it looks as if I will get far more channels now, than waiting 4 years for what's on offer! Briantist:
Sorry I wasn't doubting your info, it was just I had heard Newhaven was getting a 'cut down' service for some reason, so it was a surprise to see the HD channels there.
As for Freesat, I've joined the many others waiting to get their boxes due to Humax not anticipating the level of demand for what appears to be a very good product!
I wait in hope.
A very useful and informative site. Keep up the good work. Thanks for the instructions re copying files as I have found it almost impossible following Humax Manual.
As for HD over SD, I find on my 32 Toshiba any prog filmed in HD looks almost the same as the HD broadcast. Remember the box is upscaling SD picture, you are not seeing SD, so how it can be better on Freeview I don't know. As I can't get Freeview, I can't look to see!
Also just found US site that says they will switch off at analogue TV end of Feb! No it will take years as here. I gather the new president has asked for a delay until June, but it does make you think how slow we are in this country. See 
http://www.dtv.gov/
BK (BN99HT) Users of iPlayer should remember that although you won't be charged for BBC content, lots of cheap broadband offers restrict the amount of how much you can download each month. I have an unlimited BT account, but it costs more. iPlayer is downloading video and this will use up your amount if you are watching everyday. Just checked my box and no iPlayer entry on red button.
Checked network on menu and router has allocated an IP address etc. But BT hub says no ethernet devices detected.
Or is it not available everywhere? Thanks Peter,
I presume we just have wait to be told it is ready to use. iPlayer on Humax! Has anyone posted about this as all I can see is loads of people banging on about these b?%*!y plugs? I use an ethernet cable to box that is downstairs. Bit of a pain to wire, but gives best signal.
I have found iPlayer often doesn't give Higher quality or it won't work despite my connection being at least 6MB. I want to use Higher quality as that is very low res as it is, but we won't ever get HD until we get speeds of 20, 30 40Mb downloads.
Trying to watch Click!, BBC News channel, when choosing programme, it showed something else instead. Still it is only in Beta, so hope for improvements. Also good when we have iTVplayer 4OD etc as well. Well a month later, now iplayer shows up in red button menu, higher quality runs fine and appears to be better quality than earlier. Maybe that's just my old eyes seeing things! Briantist,
Sorry for your loss.
Keep up the good work with the site. I find it very useful, but family come first.
All the best. Considering the cost cutting the BBC are having to do and with talk of threats to BBC4, the one intelligent channel on TV, I don't see why the BBC should pay Sky millions just to go on their EPG. I think they should pay the BBC for being able to broadcast their programmes, which our licence fees have paid for. Any programme that people start watching in any numbers is bought up by Sky, so then you have the choice of paying Sky or not watching further episodes. True Blood, Mad Men to name just two! I live in Newhaven where the Freeview (when we get it in May) will be the cut down service, not the full one. The only way to get a full Digital TV service here is satellite. It would be good to see all 'free-to-air' broadcasts on Freesat, without us having to give our hard earned cash to the Murdochs!
I was facinated by your other post showing most people using Sky are mostly paying to watch free-to-air broadcasts!
P.S. I am not much of a sports fan, so can live without Sky! I live in Newhaven, so finally on Wednesday my TV's digital tuner will get it's first use. I've had the set for 5 years!!! Thanks for the comments. Just some background info, I like most residents of Newhaven, haven't waited years for digital tv, so have had to opt for satellite to get it. I went for a Freesat Humax HD recorder which gives me all the TV I need, without giving the Murdochs even more money!
jb38 the TV is a Toshiba WLT68. I checked just now and BBC2 giving blank blue screen. Will try after 9am to tune in to the first lot of digital channels.
Unfortunately when I bought the set there were no HD Freeview sets, so will only be watching HD on Freesat.
Just after 9am I was finally able to tune into all the BBC channels.
The quality of the old analogue signal was awful and also in 4:3.
Digital picture vast improvement, but still softer than on Freesat in SD. Could play with TV settings, but that will affect Freesat picture as well.
I find the Standard Def picture on Freesat very good if original broadcast is done in HD.
At least now I will be able to record two channels on Freesat and still be able to watch another channel on Freeview. Briantist,
I remember when I first got the TV I was not impressed with the picture. Then found people on the net saying turn of ALL the picture enhancing settings, which improved things.
I need to check the settings to see if they are off as I have altered them recently.
Thanks. Briantist,
Re picture quality on my Toshiba TV on Freeview.
You were correct, I found two noise reduction settings, DNR and MPEG NR were both set to ON. Now they are off, both Freview and Freesat pictures look similar in quality.
Re Newhaven only having Public Service channels.
Can't see why that couldn't include ITV3 and ITV4 before including +1 channels. Also aren't 5* and 5USA also free to air?
Will there be any room for adding extra channels in the future? David,
It's switchover day so that's why. At 6.45 I checked and found the other 3 analogue signals have gone, but no new digital ones.
As this site has pointed out, a full rescan done after 9am should get the full 'Freeview Light' package. My aerial points direct to Newhaven transmitter.
But I notice in Newhaven, many house down the hill have roof top aerials that point to Heathfield including a friend of mine. He was getting the analogue signal, but will he get the digital signal?
He has asked me to set up his TV when he gets back from holiday, I just hope he won't end up with a blank screen.
Will he have to get a new 'vertical' aerial pointing at the Newhaven transmitter?
Dave,
Thanks for the advice. My friend is still away, but I will comment again after I find out if his TV will tune in to Heathfield. My Freesat box keeps giving No or Bad signal reports in the evening. Anyone else having this problem. I can switch to Newhaven Freeview for some channels, but no use if watching Tour de France on itv4. Also love SKYs ad for watching all BBC Olympic HD channels on SKY. Aren't they are free to watch elsewhere, so why pay SKY! 
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