The great digital switchover

[Plax]

Is a pile of b*ll*cks.

I now have no BBC2.

We've never been able to get Freeview here. Apparently they've boosted the digital signal today.

My TV has a built in Freeview box. Whereas previously I just had a black screen, now I have a black screen with the odd attempt at trying to show an extremely scrambled picture.

They are switching the analogue signal off completely here on the 18th November. If the reception doesn't improve by then (allegedly it should) then I'm cancelling my TV licence in protest. After all no point in having a licence if you can't watch any telly. Not that I watch much telly anyway. Since you only need a licence to watch live broadcasts, I can watch BBC iplayer and enjoy getting harassed by the TV Licensing gastapo instead. Who needs telly when you can play with them.

I wonder how many people will actually stick two fingers up at them.

 

[Noodley]

Is a pile of b*ll*cks.
I now have no BBC2.

At last! Somebody else who can't get BBC!

We lost BBC1 and BBC2 and some other BBC(whatever) channels.

Pain in the arse. I don't watch TV much but most of the stuff I do watch is BBC

 

[Crackle]

4th November here. I'm waiting to see what happens but have pretty much decided to go Freesat.

 

[yenrod]

> The great digital switchover

Turn TV on - find 'nowt on' = go out for ride instead

 

[Plax]

> The great digital switchover

Turn TV on - find 'nowt on' = go out for ride instead

Or in my case write a load of crap on Cycle Chat instead!

 

[Davidc]

You needed to re-scan the channels on your box/ TV set recently. If you didn't you'll have lost a load of channels including Five.

During the course of the switchover BBC2 analogue will vanish, When it does you have to go into the menu of your box or digital TV and do a scan.

At that stage, on a transmitter which has never had Freeview, you'll get some channels, including BBC2, on digital only.

When the final switchover comes you need to rescan your box again. Then all channels appear on digital and none on analogue.

If your transmitter didn't have Freeview before switchover don't expect to get a full complement of the new digital channels. ITV4 is one you won't get so if thats the case and you want the cycling - get a freesat box & dish.

Edit: Nothing worth watching on before switchover, more of nothing worth watching after, if you get satellite theres even more of nothing worth watching. Can't win.

 

[yenrod]

 

[alecstilleyedye]

Nothing worth watching on before switchover, more of nothing worth watching after, if you get satellite theres even more of nothing worth watching. Can't win.

we spend loads getting virgin's version of nowt worth watching…

 

[Plax]

You needed to re-scan the channels on your box/ TV set recently. If you didn't you'll have lost a load of channels including Five.

During the course of the switchover BBC2 analogue will vanish, When it does you have to go into the menu of your box or digital TV and do a scan.

At that stage, on a transmitter which has never had Freeview, you'll get some channels, including BBC2, on digital only.

When the final switchover comes you need to rescan your box again. Then all channels appear on digital and none on analogue.

If your transmitter didn't have Freeview before switchover don't expect to get a full complement of the new digital channels. ITV4 is one you won't get so if thats the case and you want the cycling - get a freesat box & dish.

I did a rescan today, and will do so on the 18th also. I don't have the full compliment of channels (and none that you can actually watch), but they said as much on their website.
To be honest I'm not really bothered, I only switched the telly on today to have a play. I'm not going to go to the expense of buying new equipment for something I won't watch and this may well be an opportunity to actually stick two fingers up at the TV Licensing Agency, and save myself a few quid.

 

[alecstilleyedye]

i can remember, as a child, staying in north wales not far from plax's neck of the woods, and the telly never worked then. i'm amazed that anyone near mount snowdon bothered with tv, it so seemed to affect the picture…

 

[Davidc]

I did a rescan today, and will do so on the 18th also. I don't have the full compliment of channels (and none that you can actually watch), but they said as much on their website.

You won't 'til the next stage - the idea was and presumably still is that you don't lose any you had before.

this may well be an opportunity to actually stick two fingers up at the TV Licensing Agency, and save myself a few quid.

I was shown last weekend what you get from TV Licensing when you stop having a licence - and they also send someone round aparrently. Its obscene! They almost try to tell you that you have to have to have a TV licence to be allowed to carry on breathing.

 

[Brains]

We live in central London and have never been able to get Channel 5 or freeview channels, so it's 1,2,3 & 4 only.
When Digital comes here (no doubt the week before the Olympics in 2012) the telly will become for the DVD machine only and the license will be canceled

 

[Plax]

i can remember, as a child, staying in north wales not far from plax's neck of the woods, and the telly never worked then. i'm amazed that anyone near mount snowdon bothered with tv, it so seemed to affect the picture…

Funnily enough I can get 4 Irish channels with a lot better reception! Even funnier is that S4C has the worst reception of the lot.

I was shown last weekend what you get from TV Licensing when you stop having a licence - and they also send someone round aparrently. Its obscene! They almost try to tell you that you have to have to have a TV licence to be allowed to carry on breathing.

I've heard horror stories too. I can almost see why people just carry on with paying for a licence just to save themselves the hassle. It's almost tempting to read up with the laws and have some fun with them. I wonder if they would go through with getting a warrant if you refuse to let them in when they turn up etc. I read one story where a guy wrote to them and invited them around at a specified time for tea and bicuits and to check the property. Apparently they didn't turn up and he never heard from them again.

 

[Noodley]

You needed to re-scan the channels on your box/ TV set recently. If you didn't you'll have lost a load of channels including Five.

During the course of the switchover BBC2 analogue will vanish, When it does you have to go into the menu of your box or digital TV and do a scan.

At that stage, on a transmitter which has never had Freeview, you'll get some channels, including BBC2, on digital only.

I have re-scanned (over 20 times now) and although I cannot get BBCs 1,2 & (whatever) on digital I can still get BBCs 1&2 on analogue.

 

[darkstar]

Even in Liverpool we didn't always get BBC, seems ridiculous in the sticks in this day and age, let alone in a city!
We got virgin media instead and that works really well, the on demand service is sick.