Digital Switchover - UTV Region (DigitalUK)

endakenny

After analogue has been turned off, how long will it take for UTV and Channels 4 and 5 to appear on DTT on the relay transmitters?

The Cush

endakenny wrote: »

After analogue has been turned off, how long will it take for UTV and Channels 4 and 5 to appear on DTT on the relay transmitters?

Depends on the transmitter you get your signal from - http://help.digitaluk.co.uk/al/197/146/article.aspx?aid=8281&tab=search&bt=4

endakenny

The Cush wrote: »

Depends on the transmitter you get your signal from - http://help.digitaluk.co.uk/al/197/146/article.aspx?aid=8281&tab=search&bt=4

Thanks.

reboot

endakenny wrote: »

Thanks.

Very helpful,many thanks.Anything similar for the Carn?

formerly scottish paddy

reboot wrote: »

Very helpful,many thanks.Anything similar for the Carn?

Clermont Carn: On 24th October 2012;
Analogue turns off (all transmitters) at 10:00am
Saorview on Ch. 52 (full power, 160kw) starts 1:00pm
(All relays already on at full power)

On 7th November 2012;
Saorview on Ch. 53 (low power) turns off at 1:00pm

reboot

Top Man,thank you.
Hoping to have a look on 24th,with group B /V already receiving Kilkeel (IOM from Rear of Yagi)Not far from Kilkeel above Analong,but still needing an Amp.Aerial must be there 25years.Just a nightmare to get at it as its on a 20ft.pole on chimney pot.Good luck to all on the day and thanks again to Boards for the help and support for the last two years.(Formally MUSA)

The Cush

reboot wrote: »

Very helpful,many thanks.Anything similar for the Carn?

http://www.rtenl.ie/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/SAORVIEW-at-ASO-Rev-1.4.pdf

SRB

mrdtv2010 wrote: »

Yes, usually in testing period when they start playing the correct 7 day EPG data out on satellite you know they are getting ready to go. According to the satellite transponder websites (lyngsat, kingofsat) that second BBC1HD (which we now know is going to be BBC1NIHD) has actually been quietly testing for several weeks!

Not really any need to test the NI HD output on air, as such, it's just a matter of switching the source from BBC1 HD England to BBC1 HD NI. The outgoing feed from Belfast can be tested without being put to air.

Iderown

formerly scottish paddy wrote: »

Clermont Carn: On 24th October 2012;
Analogue turns off (all transmitters) at 10:00am
Saorview on Ch. 52 (full power, 160kw) starts 1:00pm
(All relays already on at full power)

I'm in Bangor (North Down) and will report on Saorview reception on Ch52V from Clermont Carn sometime next Wednesday (24th) afternoon - family permitting.
I'm technically outside the service area for Saorview from CC. The analogue channels are fair to good (RTÉ1 is best, TG4 worst). I'll post the aerial, masthead amp and receiver details also.

Mr. Rabbit

Iderown wrote: »

I'm in Bangor (North Down) and will report on Saorview reception on Ch52V from Clermont Carn sometime next Wednesday (24th) afternoon - family permitting.
I'm technically outside the service area for Saorview from CC. The analogue channels are fair to good (RTÉ1 is best, TG4 worst). I'll post the aerial, masthead amp and receiver details also.

Yep, will report from Jordanstown Co. Antrim as well. Analogue reception here is better than Divis but no Saorview, although when I do a retune it often stops on 53 for a number of minutes but receives nothing.

Still, hopefully all this will change from 1 pm on Wednesday, and at least there's always the NI Mux !

reboot

The Cush wrote: »

http://www.rtenl.ie/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/SAORVIEW-at-ASO-Rev-1.4.pdf

Good info,thanks,won't throw the toaster out quite yet in the Mournes.

pluto_322

I am only a few miles across the border from Derry (in Inishowen) but because of hills the only available NI signal in this area is from Brougher (Ch 28). For the most part, Brougher signal is excellent - intensity 85% & quality 90%. I have noticed on a number of occasions that quality has reduced to as low as 58% - most recently this afternoon in perfect weather conditions. Quality reduction has caused the picture to distort rendering it unwatchable. I'm wondering if it's the broadcast levels that have reduced or are there other reasons - such as Hollywell Hill whose RTE frequencies are very close to Brougher. I receive a consistent Saorview signal from Fanad (Ch 55). Any ideas (comments) on intermittent quality reduction would be welcome.

Richard

Slightly tangential, but due to the NI switchover, "Pages from Ceefax" will be broadcast for the last time early tomorrow morning at 4:45 (on BBC2, throughout the UK).

Ceefax has been kept going, even through most people in the UK can't get it.BBC2 isn't closing down again until early Saturday morning - not sure what they'll do then.

byrnefm

Richard wrote: »

Ceefax has been kept going, even through most people in the UK can't get it.BBC2 isn't closing down again until early Saturday morning - not sure what they'll do then.

Has not all BBC2 analog stations shut down now (NI being the final one)? Why next Saturday (which is after ASO)? Apologies if I'm missing something here!

Richard

byrnefm wrote: »

Has not all BBC2 analog stations shut down now (NI being the final one)? Why next Saturday (which is after ASO)? Apologies if I'm missing something here!

No, I mean that when BBC2 shuts down for the night it carries (on all platforms) Pages from Ceefax in vision, accompanied by music. When they close down tonight (or actually tomorrow morning) they'll do this. Next weekend, Ceefax will no longer exist, so they'll have to do something else when they shut down for the night.

The Cush

Richard wrote: »

Slightly tangential, but due to the NI switchover, "Pages from Ceefax" will be broadcast for the last time early tomorrow morning at 4:45 (on BBC2, throughout the UK).

Ceefax has been kept going, even through most people in the UK can't get it.BBC2 isn't closing down again until early Saturday morning - not sure what they'll do then.

Digiguide shows "Pages from Ceefax" in the BBC2 schedule for next Sat morning 04:00-06:00. Blank for that following Mon morning.

Mr. Rabbit

Next weekend, Ceefax will no longer exist

Well, not quite.

You can still access teletext via Aertel and even Threetext on Sky, so I assume this will continue after Wednesday ?

You must use a scart lead and connection though. For some reason it doesn't work using HDMI inputs.

watty

Because there are no "empty lines" in a Digital Signal for Teletext. It only works EVER by HDMI if the set box internally decodes Teletext to Video. Sky Boxes and Freeview and Freesat boxes will not.

STB

Might have been mentioned already. Caught an advert tonight that Eamon Holmes is doing a live DSO program which will be broadcast on UTV and BBC NI on Tuesday from 10.35pm



http://www.u.tv/magicbox/

mrdtv2010

STB wrote: »

Might have been mentioned already. Caught an advert tonight that Eamon Holmes is doing a live DSO program which will be broadcast on UTV and BBC NI on Tuesday from 10.35pm



http://www.u.tv/magicbox/

Yes, Mary Peters will be televised pulling the plug on Divis analogue at the end. BTW over on ds more confirmation that BBC1NI HD starts on Wednesday.

The Cush

STB wrote: »

Might have been mentioned already. Caught an advert tonight that Eamon Holmes is doing a live DSO program which will be broadcast on UTV and BBC NI on Tuesday from 10.35pm



http://www.u.tv/magicbox/

Posted the info way back in page 52 of this thread when it was first announced, no harm mentioning it again in case someone missed it.

mrdtv2010 wrote: »

Mary Peters will be televised pulling the plug on Divis analogue at the end.

The simulcast programme is scheduled to end at 2330 on BBC1 and 2335 on UTV. If Mary Peter's is to pull the plug at the end are they planning to switch off analogue early?

lawhec

pluto_322 wrote: »

I am only a few miles across the border from Derry (in Inishowen) but because of hills the only available NI signal in this area is from Brougher (Ch 28). For the most part, Brougher signal is excellent - intensity 85% & quality 90%. I have noticed on a number of occasions that quality has reduced to as low as 58% - most recently this afternoon in perfect weather conditions. Quality reduction has caused the picture to distort rendering it unwatchable. I'm wondering if it's the broadcast levels that have reduced or are there other reasons - such as Hollywell Hill whose RTE frequencies are very close to Brougher. I receive a consistent Saorview signal from Fanad (Ch 55). Any ideas (comments) on intermittent quality reduction would be welcome.

Your straight line distance from Brougher Mountain will be roughly 40 miles or 60km give or take. It's unlikely you'll have a clear line of sight as numerous hills will be in your path even if the near horizon is clear. Combining the weather with these two factors can give some unpredictability as to how good the signal path may be in certain weather conditions.

Over the years with the low-power Freeview network operating in the UK, some people especially with fringe reception have found different weather can give better reception - some when it's dry, some when it's wet. Personally, the low-power Freeview muxs I've found transmitting from Brougher that is co-channel with Holywell Hill analogue TV (Muxs A, B, C & D) seemed to come in with slightly better signal quality in wet conditions, though it never gave a direct cause for concern. In some other places I've also noticed reception, both digital and analogue, can depend where the line-of-sight is not clear on recent weather conditions - if hills or mountains are in the way, the type of soils at the summit, the shape of the summit (round or jagged) and how wet they are can influence the conduction at certain radio frequencies.

Other possibilities include TV3 analogue at Holywell Hill (channel E29) causing adjacent channel interference in certain conditions though it would have to be quite strong to have an effect. If no major reduction in quality occurs after Wednesday, this might be the culprit. Another one could be possible co-channel interference from the Malin relay which is on the same frequency (E28) - although it might not be strong depending on the terrain, under certain conditions its reception might come in stronger than normal and cause the reduction in signal quality.

lawhec

watty wrote: »

Because there are no "empty lines" in a Digital Signal for Teletext. It only works EVER by HDMI if the set box internally decodes Teletext to Video. Sky Boxes and Freeview and Freesat boxes will not.

Not to mention that teletext via SCART can only be delivered over the composite signal if you wish to view it via the TV's teletext decoder - it isn't sent over RGB or sync pulses. On some TVs that are linked up to a satellite or cable receiver it won't display teletext if the input is from an RGB source because once they see that they'll ignore the composite source transmitted in parallel. Only way to fix that is to adjust the settings of the satellite or cable receiver to output only CVBS or composite over SCART.

pluto_322

Thanks for your reply Lawhec. Best to wait until after analogue switchoff on Wednesday to check for remedy - if needed.

NB. Don't think it's possible to receive Malin signal in this area.

lawhec

The Cush wrote: »

The simulcast programme is scheduled to end at 2330 on BBC1 and 2335 on UTV. If Mary Peter's is to pull the plug at the end are they planning to switch off analogue early?

I'm going with an educated guess and say that the additional five minutes UTV have is a bumper for advertising & promos before leading into UEFA Champions League highlights. It's not implausible that the switch-off will happen before midnight, IIRC there was at least one case during DSO in England where an analogue channel was shut before midnight.

Nevertheless, The Magic Box show is proof that Eamon Holmes is now so big, he requires being on two channels at the same time!

As to when the new high-powered multiplexes get powered up - at DSO1, Mux 1 from Brougher remained on air past the BBC Two analogue switch off until the programme on BBC One was finished, which was at 12.39am. This would tie in with the BBC A mux launch at Divis one minute later if Mux 1 was also pulled at Divis at the same time as that at Brougher. As Divis again has no feeder pulls to do as the analogue & new digital transmission systems are already in place and ready to go for the latter, it shouldn't take long for Divis to start at it at least for the D3&4 mux once Mux 2 is shut down and the other new multiplexes can also be fired up - though interestingly Mux A/SDN will be remaining on their current frequency of E23 (albeit with zero offset). Brougher will need feeder pulls though like at DSO1, which took nearly 90 minutes from the shutdown of Mux 1 to the powering up of BBC A. Not sure what needs to be done at Limavady - I don't think there are brand new aerials in place for DTT that aren't currently used for analogue, if that's the case it'll be like Brougher - but if it is, it'll be like Divis.

The Cush

lawhec wrote: »

It's not implausible that the switch-off will happen before midnight, IIRC there was at least one case during DSO in England where at analogue channels were shut before midnight.

Did one of the recent ASO's start about 23:50 IIRC?

BBC1 Tyne Tees 23:45 - http://forums.digitalspy.co.uk/showthread.php?p=61327767#post61327767
Meridian - post midnight

lawhec

The Cush wrote: »

Did one on the recent ASO's start about 23:50 IIRC?

I think it was either in the Tyne Tees or Meridian ITV region that it happened, but I can't exactly remember which one.

mrdtv2010

The Cush wrote: »

Posted the info way back in page 52 of this thread when it was first announced, no harm mentioning it again in case someone missed it.



The simulcast programme is scheduled to end at 2330 on BBC1 and 2335 on UTV. If Mary Peter's is to pull the plug at the end are they planning to switch off analogue early?

UTV will still be broadcasting on cable and satellite and BBCA DTT stations will stay on the air apart from potential switching breaks. Its only the analogue and low power DTT stations that will go off probably straight after the Magic Box. It took them a couple of hours to bring back later GB DSO regions and this region has a large number of repeaters and two DVB-T2 networks to bring up. I also would not be surprised if BBC1NI HD via satellite suddenly appears as well.

The Cush

mrdtv2010 wrote: »

UTV will still be broadcasting on cable and satellite and BBCA DTT stations will stay on the air apart from potential switching breaks. Its only the analogue and low power DTT stations that will go off probably straight after the Magic Box.

I'm aware of that, if analogue does switchoff at 2330/2335 will it be the earliest for any of the UK regions?

Richard

The Cush wrote: »

Digiguide shows "Pages from Ceefax" in the BBC2 schedule for next Sat morning 04:00-06:00. Blank for that following Mon morning.

I read elsewhere that Digiguide can't handle a programme correction where a programme is replaced by nothing.

FWIW my Freeview HD box shows "Pages from Ceefax" for later this morning but "This is BBC TWO" for Saturday.

Apparently something special is planned for just before 6am today on BBC2.