Your Tv Is About To Stop Working!

[the-rhymes]

So could we put some pressure on the government to get a better deal for our licence money? Ether by getting better transmitters sooner or a reduced fee until they sort it out?

 

Would the BBC website that they offer give us anything new?

[simon]

There are more channles available from Sky, but as has been posted by Simon, no E4 and no UK History.

 

And - to add. It's certainly true that 'Free To Air' and 'Free To View' using a Sky installation offers many more channels. However the huge bulk of the other free sateliite channels via 28E are shopping, God and offer channels which you don't actually want. Give or take a few minor pop channels. Satellite has some pop for free at 28E - Freeview has others.

 

E4 and UK History matter to me because they are actually channels which get watched in my house. And they're free with Freeviewq rather than Sky. Via Sky they were costing roughly £20 the last time I cancelled a Sky sub.

 

[ I watch UKTV History, Mrs Me watches E4 ]

 

Personally I feel I have the best solution. I have all free British and European satellite TV (most of which is never watched - but I use the radio side) and Freeview. Costs zilch.

[simon]

So could we put some pressure on the government to get a better deal for our licence money? Ether by getting better transmitters sooner or a reduced fee until they sort it out?

 

Sorting out the transmitters (switching to digital only) isn't an easy business. There are actually a fair few transmitters on the IOM. And it is also important that transmitters on different or close frequencies don't cause problems for other signals from nearby (including Scotland, England, Wales and the Irelands). Give 'them' the chance to get it right - it won't be simple. It isn't just a case of switching it over.

 

Talking about the Irelands. People in the west of the island may ultimately get the best deal. Since anyone who already gets the Irish channels (Ballaugh to Dalby roughly and higher ground facing west) should soon be able to get the additional Irish digital channels as well as UK Freeview. Which will be a great selection of free channels.

[matty]

So could we put some pressure on the government to get a better deal for our licence money? Ether by getting better transmitters sooner or a reduced fee until they sort it out?

 

Sorting out the transmitters (switching to digital only) isn't an easy business. There are actually a fair few transmitters on the IOM. And it is also important that transmitters on different or close frequencies don't cause problems for other signals from nearby (including Scotland, England, Wales and the Irelands). Give 'them' the chance to get it right - it won't be simple. It isn't just a case of switching it over.

 

Talking about the Irelands. People in the west of the island may ultimately get the best deal. Since anyone who already gets the Irish channels (Ballaugh to Dalby roughly and higher ground facing west) should soon be able to get the additional Irish digital channels as well as UK Freeview. Which will be a great selection of free channels.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I have heard the residents of Irelend do not have to pay for a TV license (I haven't checked this for accuracy) - but if it is true, then they would be receiving a much better TV service than the majority of the IOM who do pay for a TV license!!!

 

 

I understand that all the local rebroadcast transmitters will have to be upgraded for us to receive digital here, and obviously would have to be setup as to not interfere with nearby transmitters - surely anyone with a good knowledge of RF would be able to work this out.

 

Why is this taking such a long time??

 

Edited to remove a few typos

[Tempus Fugit]

When the 405/625 system change took place there was about a 10 year overlap to allow users of 405 line sets to get the expected life out of them, (maybe with the standard of equipment these days and the unrepairability of most of it, perhaps a couple of years would be enough ). It also allowed a progressive change-over within the capabilities of the manufacturers and installers, as it cannot be carried out instantly.

 

Also when the 625 standard was being developed there was extensive discussion on the new system specification, which seems to have been totally missing on digital broadcast systems which just appeared out of thin air.

 

The following may be helpful as to the planned change-over scheme, (found via the communications commission).

 

"The transition is expected to start in 2007 with the existing analogue BBC2 frequency being the first to be switched over to digital to carry BBC1, BBC2, ITV, Channel 4, Five and other new services. Later the analogue frequencies for BBC1, ITV and Channel 4 will switch over to provide many new choices for viewers, also without subscription.

 

What hasn't been adequately addressed in my opinion is the situation of multi-tv households with sets in various rooms, each needing a digibox.

 

Also to be considered is what arrangements are being made for the disposal of the mountain of analogue tv sets which will end up heading for landfill ?. I trust this will be completed before manufacturers or retailers will be made responsible for the recycling or disposal of their products at the end of their life (which presumably is another EU hairbrained scheme).

 

I note that Germany doesn't seem to have abandoned analogue satellite (still alive and well on 19.2ºE), it has been suggested that it is only the UK public that were gullible enough to pay for satellite tv which is why it isn't commion in Germany.

A phrase from a tv comedy years ago springs to mind which seems to fit the current plethora of junk tv channels and programmes ~ "never mind the quality, feel the width"