Saddleworth digital TV transmitter (no analogue)

Saddleworth digital switchover schedule

Note: This is the only schedule for digital switchover. Digital services cannot be introduced before the dates listed for "testing purposes" as they will generally use the same transmission frequencies as the services they replace. Another alternative, available today, is Freesat.

Saddleworth Full Freeview transmitter details - full details of the Freeview services fron Saddleworth.

December 2009 S M T W T F S - - 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 - -	BBC One North West, BBC Two England, ITV-1 Granada and Channel 4 analogue switched off. It will be necessary to perform a full rescan of your Freeview box on this day.
March 2010 S M T W T F S - 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 - - -	The following Freeview digital services will be available: 50 BBC HD 51 ITV1 HD 52 Channel 4 HD It will be necessary to perform a full rescan of your Freeview box on this day.

Transmission frequencies

Before Sunday 15th November 1998

C42	C45	C49	C52
C4	BBC TWO	ITV1	BBC One

Sunday 15th November 1998 to Wednesday 4th November 2009

C39+	C41-	C42	C44-	C45	C47	C49	C51-	C52	C54*
Mux C	Mux 2	C4	Mux A	BBC TWO	Mux 1	ITV1	Mux B	BBC One	Mux D

After Wednesday 2nd December 2009

C42	C43	C45	C48-	C49	C51-	C52
Mux BBCB	Mux NEW7	Mux BBCA	Mux ArqB	Mux D3+4	Mux SDN	Mux ArqA

Colour bands denote aerial groups: Red:A Yellow:B Green:C/D Brown:E Grey:K Black:Wideband

Notes

'Out of group' frequencies are marked with a star. Analogue power output 2,000 Watts, post switchover average digital multiplex output will be 343 Watts.

To receive signals from this transmitter, the aerial must be mounted for vertical polarization - the elements going from top to bottom.

Before switchover, the public service broadcasting multiplexes were 1, 2 and B; afterwards they were first PSB1, 2 and 3 but now called BBCA, D3+4 and BBCB. The commercial multiplexes A, C and D had initial post-switchover names COM4, 5 and 6; now they are SDN, ArqA and ArqB. At switchover BBCA, ArqA and ArqB will switch from 16QAM to 64QAM mode transmission, so five multiplexes will transmit in the 64QAM (2/3) 8k mode. BBCB is used for Freeview HD (DVB-T2, 256QAM), and has a pre-switchover service on selected main transmitters.

Upgrade to Wideband aerial requried to watch all Freeview channels during dual running of analogue and digital television. After switchover an existing group B aerial will provide all digital TV services.

Comparison of analogue and digital signal levels

Analogue 1-4
	2kW
SDN, ARQA, ARQB, BBCA, D3+4, BBCB
	400W (-7dB)
Mux1*, Mux2*, MuxA*, MuxB*, MuxC*, MuxD*
	40W (-17dB)
*-pre digital switchover (DSO). Decibel values compare to strongest signal value.

The aerial must be mounted vertically, with the elements in the up-down position

See full list of analogue transmitters for a complete list of shutdown dates.

itv1 - Winter Hill transmitter area*

Date	Incumbent ITV company
3rd May 1956 to July 1968	Granada Television (weekdays only)
5th May 1956 to July 1968	Associated British Corporation (weekends)
July 1968 to date	Granada Television
1st Feb 1983 to 31st Dec 1992	TV-am (breakfast)
1st Jan 1993 to date	GMTV (breakfast)
Note	For digital switchover this region is now known as Granada.

* The Saddleworth transmitter was not an original ITV VHF 405-line transmitter: the historical information shown above includes the details of the company reponsible for the Saddleworth transmitter when it began transmission.

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