ukfree.tv - independent digital television and switchover advice, since 2002

Spam filter changed to Akismet

Tue, 15 May 2012 15:51:57 GMT

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

Changes to BBC services for the Olympic Games

Mon, 14 May 2012 21:02:18 GMT

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 Bingo III - compatibility or improvements?

Mon, 14 May 2012 18:34:11 GMT

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

Ofcom channel bingo II - introducing the bands

Sun, 13 May 2012 18:08:51 GMT

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

Improvement to "Transmission frequencies" on transmitter pages

Fri, 04 May 2012 08:11:12 GMT

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

Freeview 2020 vs 4G mobile - play Ofcom channel bingo

Tue, 24 Apr 2012 18:52:54 GMT

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.

Arqiva statements on London Digital Switchover

Sat, 21 Apr 2012 17:00:29 GMT

"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."

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

Wed, 18 Apr 2012 06:58:54 GMT

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.

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

Sun, 15 Apr 2012 17:25:42 GMT

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?

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

Wed, 11 Apr 2012 18:40:05 GMT

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.

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

Thu, 05 Apr 2012 07:10:37 GMT

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.

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

Mon, 02 Apr 2012 05:55:16 GMT

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.

Commercial multiplex restrictions lifted today at Hunshaw Cross and Mendip

Wed, 28 Mar 2012 07:02:16 GMT

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.

Better multiplex listing icons plus Storeton Wales and Caldbeck Scotland details

Tue, 27 Mar 2012 09:13:13 GMT

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.

Switchover "completes" for Southampton, Portsmouth and Brighton

Tue, 20 Mar 2012 06:42:39 GMT

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.

High pressure causing channel loss through "Inversion"

Wed, 14 Mar 2012 23:00:00 GMT

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

Switchover completes for non-coastal West Sussex

Tue, 13 Mar 2012 07:10:15 GMT

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.

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

Fri, 09 Mar 2012 15:45:32 GMT

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

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

Fri, 09 Mar 2012 10:19:47 GMT

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.

Update on transmitter radiation patterns (BBC FOI request)

Tue, 06 Mar 2012 15:33:53 GMT

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

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

Tue, 06 Mar 2012 15:13:22 GMT

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

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

Mon, 05 Mar 2012 18:47:00 GMT

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

Major update to UK Free TV Freeview reception prediction system

Mon, 05 Mar 2012 14:35:58 GMT

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.

Saorview

Mon, 05 Mar 2012 13:41:34 GMT

Details of the digital transmitters in the RoI

UTV HD coming to Sky, Freesat and Freeview

Mon, 05 Mar 2012 13:32:59 GMT

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.

Transmitter symbol improvements on UK Free TV

Mon, 05 Mar 2012 12:28:41 GMT

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.

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

Thu, 01 Mar 2012 07:05:08 GMT

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.

Switchover starts in West Sussex

Tue, 28 Feb 2012 21:24:49 GMT

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.

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

Tue, 28 Feb 2012 21:10:19 GMT

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.

Are you really watching free TV in high definition?

Mon, 27 Feb 2012 16:37:20 GMT

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