marinyork said:
It's not irrelevent, more a kind of guide and for a long time wolfbane weren't even working on topography for after switchover, which I think was a great pity. As DTT already covers a large part of the population with a very large minority (<25%) not getting it it would be seen as a fairly good guide if you're in the 75% and not faffing around with an indoor aerial. You point about optimisation is also rather naughty, it'll still cause a bit of repointing of aerials and thinking about what services people want.
Ish. It depends where you point the aerial. It's where I think your previous post was a bit naughty as you know very well that a small number, potentially fairly large will have to repoint the aerial back towards primary. Out of date info now though with the mux migration with an intermediate proportion able to get migrated stuff.
It's not a misconception in the sense people could quite literally be quoting facts. DTT only covers about 75% of the country at the moment. You're also being a bit naughty on the bit I highlighted, you mean proper existing rooftop aerials.
I missed a bit earlier (in a hurry). Basically yes, since indoor aerials don't work well for analogue.
Indoor and set top aerials will work - but as with analogue the results are unpredictable. I don't like anecdotal evidence, but in this case it's all I have.
In Cheam, SW London, in a flat from which you can see the Crystal Palace mast at about 10 miles, an indoor aerial is useless for analogue. Works quite well for the existing digital (just don't walk in front of it). The 40 year old communal aerial in the roof space is however best, with perfect reception of digital.
Near Penzance, in a sheltered flat where reception is from a small repeater, a 96 year old relative of mine and 98 year old husband had to change. I had 3 phone calls. One was when an aerial contractor tried to persuade all of the occupants they
had to have a new aerial system. On my recommendation trading standards were asked to investigate, and are as far as I know still doing so.
Beware the con men will try to use this oportunity to get you.
The next call was to confirm that they needed one of the boxes with a RF output. Answer yes. Their set was one with two knobs. One with numbers 1 to 9 and a U on it, and VHF written underneath. The other with 21 to 68 written on it, continuous tuning, and UHF written under it. (It is a colour set). Those old enough to have been around in the 60s and early 70s will recognise this as a dual standard 405/625 set! It had a reconditioned tube in 1977.
A couple of days after Redruth and its repeaters switched I had the third call, to say it all worked OK, including the video recorder (connected as instructed) and what was all the fuss about?
Other relatives (in their 80s in south Devon) just bought the box, plugged it in a few years ago for Freeview. They followed the instructions, no problems. They also said that they didn't know anyone who had had any difficulties.
Friends who watch the Croyde Bay repeater (no pre switchover digital there!) from outside its coverage area had no problems and for the first time ever now get a good TV service - officially they are unserved by terrestrial TV and because of the topography can't get satellite either. (I bet TV licencing would still have 'em if they didn't buy a licence).
The other anecdote is from here. We receive the West service which changes next year, and can get the existing analogue and digital, provided the trees in front of the house aren't moving. To deal with the tree problem I have in the past tried to get analogue from Stockland Hill (West region and we're out of its service area). I couldn't, even on a high performance outdoor aerial. Pictures were always noisy with ghosting caused by nearby houses. I gave up, put up a dish and scrounged an old sky box to get the Freesat from Sky service for the main TV.
Stockland Hill switched last month. We can now receive digital services from it, downstairs on an indoor aerial. Just don't walk across the room.
While anecdotal all except the first example are typical experiences of the real world after the switchover. No new aerials needed, better reception than before. No problems whatever.
There was nothing in my original post which was 'naughty', it's just 100% accurate.
The new full digital service just replaces the now obsolete analogue service. Same transmitter sites, same or better coverage, same aerial groups (there might be some low power relays where that's not quite true but noone's likely to notice). All anyone neds to do is plug in the box, switch it on, and tell it to scan twice. Once when BBC2 analogue gets switched off, and again when the rest of the analogue service gets switched off. Thats it - done. Even a 98 year old can manage it.
Satellite changed from Analogue to Digital some years ago. This is simpler.
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