# Heads Up - National Freeview retune on September 30th!



## AMc (Mar 22, 2002)

http://www.freeview.co.uk/freeview/...ng/Freeview-national-retune-30-September-2009

In case you don't already know.



> *I've heard I need to retune my Freeview equipment on or after 30/09/2009 - is this true?*
> Yes - all viewers with a Freeview digital TV or box (including homes with Top Up TV and BT Vision) will need to retune their equipment on or after Wednesday 30 September 2009, to continue receiving their available digital channels. On the day, viewers should retune from lunchtime onwards.


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## BrianHughes (Jan 21, 2001)

This could be a pain - Here's hoping they do go away automatically.



> How do I remove the on-screen messages?
> 
> Leading up to the 30 September you may find messages appearing on-screen reminding you about the retune.
> 
> To remove the messages from your screen you need to press the yellow button on your remote control. If you dont, they will disappear after one minute. The on-screen messages will appear each time you change channel to a different broadcaster, for example, if you move from a BBC channel to an ITV channel. However, if you move from BBC One to BBC Two the messages will not appear again.


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## Ian_m (Jan 9, 2001)

Its certainly more than a minute the message appears. I am getting recordings with the message on screen for probably the first 5 minutes..... before it disappears.


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## TCM2007 (Dec 25, 2006)

Some boxed will kees over:

http://www.freeview.co.uk/freeview/...02/file/Split Nit Product List & Contacts.pdf

Several of these are on the "Tivo Supported" list.

Daewoo DS608P
Labgear DTT100
Triax DVB 2000T
Portland DP100
Daewoo DS700
Bush DFTA3
Ferguson FDT500
Ferguson FDT600
Thomson DTI1550
Grundig GDT1000
Grundig GDT1500T


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## OzSat (Feb 15, 2001)

These updates will take place during the morning of 30th September - the plan being the you will be able to rescreen you Freeview receivers in the afternoon.

There are also quite a few channel renumbers taking place at the same time - but only one is what I would call a popular fulltime service.

TiVo will have the new line-up available from around 6pm on 30th September if you force a download - so you can then tie-in your re-scanning to match.


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## steveroe (Oct 29, 2002)

A quick bump for tomorrow (Ozsat, maybe a sticky for a few days?)


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## digital_S (May 15, 2002)

The update was released around lunchtime. I just re-scanned my Sony VTX-D800U Freeview box that's connected to my TiVo and now have FIVE returned. (a whole episode of neighbours recorded with a black screen and "we have now moved" message.)

Have read that some people have reported ITV3 and ITV4 missing from their line up, but both channels are showing as usual on my line-up.

How's everyone elses?


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## Johnbyte (Nov 4, 2008)

digital_S said:


> Have read that some people have reported ITV3 and ITV4 missing from their line up, but both channels are showing as usual on my line-up.
> 
> How's everyone elses?


I had the missing ITV3 & ITV4 problem with my Humax F2-Fox T STB, resolved by resetting to factory default before rescanning.


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## OzSat (Feb 15, 2001)

TiVo should update now if you force a call.


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## Raisltin Majere (Mar 13, 2004)

I'm curious, my mate has retuned and lost ITV4. I have retuned and still have ITV4.

I've done a spot of googling and it seems that ITV4 has moved to a new mux and local relay transmitters will not be broadcasting ITV4. However, my mate lives a ten minute walk from me - is it really likely that we are served by different transmitters?

If so is there any way he can switch to the same transmitter as me? FWIW the two in question would be Beacon Hill (which I guess I get) and Torquay Town (which I guess he gets)


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## katman (Jun 4, 2002)

If his aerial was pointing at Beacon Hill he may be able to get the same as you but repeaters are often in a different part of the UHF band and of the opposite polarisation.

Look at the direction of the elements on both your repective aerials, yours are probably horizontal whereas your mates are probably vertical.

Aside from that, the reason local repeaters are installed is that the signal from the main transmitter cannot be recieved in that area so possibly a mute point anyway.

An easy way to tell if he is getting the same transmitter as you is to look at the tuning menu of an analogue TV and see what UHF channels the analogue broadcasts are set to.

It may also just be down to signal strength. Here right on the east coast, some of our Muxes are at dubious levels, not helped by a big shopping centre in line of site to Tacolneston and also UHF interference from the continent at times. There have been times when I have rescanned a freeview box and LOST channels becuase the mux strength wasnt good enough at the time, rescanning later worked.

How about getting him to bring his box to your house to set it up then trying it back at his, if he cant get anything he can always rescan again.

HTH

Keith


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## DX30 (May 22, 2005)

It's certainly possible for your mate to be using a different transmitter. In my area we have 3 possible transmitters (2x main + 1 relay) and people use a variety. Sometimes a tall building or the like affects which gives the local best signal, or the one used may just be on the whim of the aerial installer. 

Possibly your mate could use the same transmitter as you. Get an aerial installer round and tell them what is wanted. They may need to replace the aerial if the old one is the wrong group (probably a good idea anyway if it has been up a few years), or they may just be able to point it at the new transmitter.


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## Raisltin Majere (Mar 13, 2004)

Okay, thanks for the advice 

One more query - regarding the analogue tuning, there is no analogue here we've had our switchover can I still tell that way?


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## Automan (Oct 29, 2000)

I only used to getting limited freeview which included five.
Now BBC channels break up, rare event before and no five 

I assume they have reduced the bandwith/error correction or something on some channels to make way for the HD ones?

Automan.


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## katman (Jun 4, 2002)

Raisltin Majere said:


> Okay, thanks for the advice
> 
> One more query - regarding the analogue tuning, there is no analogue here we've had our switchover can I still tell that way?


In a word.... no 

BUT.... if the analogue has been switched off then either they will have provided some muxes on the repeater transmitter or switched it off permanently as there would be nothing to broadcast. If your mates aerial is pointing at that then that could well be why.

Scaq his box at your house so you know it is setup for all channels then see what he gets back at home.


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## bigwold (Jun 4, 2003)

Automan said:


> I only used to getting limited freeview which included five.
> Now BBC channels break up, rare event before and no five
> 
> I assume they have reduced the bandwith/error correction or something on some channels to make way for the HD ones?
> ...


I too had unusual reception problems, on Crystal Palace which I assume you're not, early evenings Wed and Thurs which I was concerned might be due to a decrease in power or something, but tonight was OK. Hopefully the timing was just a coincidence. Weather maybe?


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## Automan (Oct 29, 2000)

My reception has not improved.
I can only guess the main bbc channels data rate has been reduced to make the space for BBC HD?

Searching around some sites seem to think this retune is one of many and another one may be due this November.

What fun - NOT!

Automan.


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## steveroe (Oct 29, 2002)

Is anyone else still getting the on screen reminder to retune when the turn to a "Five" channel?


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## tonywalk (Sep 10, 2002)

Automan said:


> .....and another one may be due this November


Naw, that one's for us in sunny Granadaland. When 4th November arrives, BBC2 analogue (Winter Hill main transmitter and all relays) goes walkies and the primary BBC MUX appears with BBC1, BBC2, BBC3, BBC News and cBBC.

On 2nd December the other three analogue channels say byeeee and the relays (mine - Broadbottom - being one of them) get a few more digital channels. What is peeing me off is that only 3 out of the 4 frequencies we currently use for analogue TV will be used for digital MUXs.

The "Essential Guide To The Digital TV Switchover" http://www.digitaluk.co.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0013/21208/Granada3mthLeaflet_june09.pdf
says for everyone to rescan on both dates so they're probably moving channels about on Winter Hill on those dates as well as enabling a few channels on the relay transmitters.


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## tonywalk (Sep 10, 2002)

steveroe said:


> Is anyone else still getting the on screen reminder to retune when the turn to a "Five" channel?


My niece mentioned she was still getting the message when I asked her how the retune had gone - made sure whole family knew to do it on the 30th.


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## OzSat (Feb 15, 2001)

There are still messages on some channels to remind you that you should have done it - even if you did it.


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## daveh (Sep 3, 2001)

This entire shambles should do wonders for Sky new subscriber rates.


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## Pete77 (Aug 1, 2006)

How can this be an improvement when I have completely lost the BBC and ITV Muxes from Crystal Palace on ch 22 and 25 and the National Grid Wireless Mux on ch 34 and only now have reception from Crystal Palace of the BBC Mux on ch28 and National Grid Wireless Mux on Ch 29 (and the latter is now subject to break up at times) and the BBC Mux from Midhurst on ch56?

On the plus side my Netgem IPlayer box copes with the changes but can't cope with the slashing in signal levels from Crystal Palace to the far southern wilds of Surrey that seems to have apparently gone hand in hand with these changes.

In particular I note that I still can't receive Channel 5 following the changes made on Freeview in this area.

Its lucky I don't have to rely on Freeview and can get all the channels I need on my FTA Sky box.


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## katman (Jun 4, 2002)

there was a caller on the radio the other day who said they now have loads more channels that they have no desire to watch and have lost the two that they used to watch.

Can anyone remember the early days of Digital TV when they said that Digital would do for TV what the CD did for audio. The emphasis being on QUALITY.

At what point down the line did they abandon that and go for QUANTITY giving us the video equivalent of a 56kbps Real audio stream 

The idea of having lots of channels to give more choice, I rather foolishly thought, meant "a greater choice of programs" rather than "a greater choice of channels on which to watch the same crappy programs". GRRRRRRR


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## Automan (Oct 29, 2000)

Yes the main BBC channels are now no longer usable for me via freeview.

Thus I have to now power up my Sky+ HD or FreeSat+ boxes to watch just the BBC news.

When the changeover is over in 2012 will they permit more UHF channels to be used or is this how it is to be forever?

Automan.


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## Ashley (Apr 20, 2002)

There will be fewer UHF channels (some are being sold off!) and one multiplex will be for HD (starting 2010)

The Freeview multiplexes will be increased in power however.


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## Pete77 (Aug 1, 2006)

Ashley said:


> There will be fewer UHF channels (some are being sold off!) and one multiplex will be for HD (starting 2010)
> 
> The Freeview multiplexes will be increased in power however.


But why have areas that have not yet reached digital switchover been affected by the current Mux alterations when it actually seems to have made it possible to receive less and not more channels.

Even the promised addition of Channel 5 has not happened. What Mux is that on now?


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## mikerr (Jun 2, 2005)

The major change was:

FIVE swapped muxes with ITV3
ITV4 swapped muxes with ITV2+1

So in theory 500,000 more people can now receive FIVE,
at the expense of losing access to ITV3

A good summary is here:

http://www.ukfree.tv/fullstory.php?storyid=1107051621

So now you can get the five major channels BBC1/2 ITV1 / C4 / FIVE from just the two main muxes


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## Ashley (Apr 20, 2002)

See here for the mux allocations.
http://www.dttmuxes.co.uk/


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## mikerr (Jun 2, 2005)

FIVE is also now sub-ofcom quality at 544x576 and a lower bitrate - though that should be fixed "in a couple of weeks".


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## Pete77 (Aug 1, 2006)

It seems that I am between the proverbial rock and a hard place between now and digital switchover here in 2012 as Crystal Palace remains the only transmitter I can possibly get all six Muxes from but Mux A and Mux C and Mux 2 are now no longer receivable here without a massive aerial upgrade.

See www.digitaluk.co.uk/postcodechecker/main/trade/rh5+5ga

I had all six Muxes from Crystal Palace receivable through the same communal aerial until three years ago but then Mux A (SDN) went missing permanently and Mux C became erratic. However Mux 2 was always fine but following the Tv Retune event it seems to have now also vanished permanently. As things stand I can now only get Mux1, Mux B and Mux D from Crystal Palace and Mux 1 and Mux B from Midhurst. Yet 10 years ago I could get all 6 Muxes from Crystal Palace at only half the power output.

It appears to me that signal levels down here in the deep south of Surrey on Mux A, Mux C and Mux have unfortunately been lowered in favour of more resilient reception elsewhere in the London area that is closer to Crystal Palace....................

The dilemma will remain after digital switchover in 2012 as all 8 Muxes then in operation will only be receivable from Crystal Palace and I will be able to get New Mux 7 but not New Mux 8 from Midhurst.


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## Automan (Oct 29, 2000)

mikerr said:


> FIVE is also now sub-ofcom quality at 544x576 and a lower bitrate - though that should be fixed "in a couple of weeks".


So they transmit it in a format just right for my old Archos AV700 with it's 4" screen 

Automan.


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## Pete77 (Aug 1, 2006)

Automan said:


> So they transmit it in a format just right for my old Archos AV700 with it's 4" screen


Or of course for reception on a modern portable DTT capable device.


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## TCM2007 (Dec 25, 2006)

Pete77 said:


> See www.digitaluk.co.uk/postcodechecker/main/tra...


That link's got your postcode in Pete - not a good idea unless you want stalkers in your "hard tennis court, indoor swimming pool, gymnasium and sauna set in 15 acres of communal grounds."


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## Pete77 (Aug 1, 2006)

TCM2007 said:


> That link's got your postcode in Pete - not a good idea unless you want stalkers in your "hard tennis court, indoor swimming pool, gymnasium and sauna set in 15 acres of communal grounds."


I think the more worrying stalkers on the forum have probably already worked out where I live.

I'm sure anyone who cares about it also still knows your real world identity and real address despite your self enforced change of forum name a year or two back.

Most of my worst enemies live much closer to home here and already know my address so I doubt that a few Tivo fanatics working out where I live is really going to make a big difference.

Oh and I did actually make it less specific by removing the property number but Digital UK would not provide a report on an area wider than an individual postcode.


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## TCM2007 (Dec 25, 2006)

I was joking about stalkers - identity thieves, less so!


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