To be honest I wouldn't be surprised if 105 being reserved for BBC Three HD for no sound or logical reason was a factor in the decision to do this new deal with Sky. It wouldn't be viable to offer it on LCN110 or whatever ridiculous slot they'd end up with. And obviously they don't get the endless cash handouts from licence fee payers that the BBC currently have at their disposal to fund such a service.
So yeah, in summary, C5 HD on Freeview is not happening now. That much is obvious. Maybe many years down the road that will change, but in the short to medium term it's absolutely dead. I'm sure the many on here that are apparently rubbing their hands with glee at the prospect of Snog, Marry, Avoid and Al Jazeera in HD will rejoice. But for fans of content like top movies. the best international drama and good documentaries, this is certainly a big blow. But not an unexpected one after they were effectively bullied out.
Makes more sense to take the Sky dollar than support a still underdeveloped platform that couldn't be less accommodating if it tried.
Sky & Virgn 1 Freeview 0.
Trust you to come out trying (and failing) to fight C5's corner! There was perfectly good sound and logical reasoning for BBC3 getting 105 - first come, first served. Which is why Al Jazeera will be ahead of C4's extra HD channels. 'Freeview' was very accommodating - C5 had plenty of chances to launch C5 HD and for whatever reason they cocked it up every time. They were certainly not bullied out! LCN110 isn't ridiculous anyway, it's only 5 places further down.
Don't get me wrong, I would have preferred to see C5 HD over BBC3 and Al Jazeera. But this is all entirely C5's fault, and if they don't sort it out soon, they will be left behind and losing viewers when all the other main FTA channels are in HD apart from them.
But for fans of content like top movies. the best international drama and good documentaries, this is certainly a big blow.
Let me fix that for you....
But for fans of content like 1980's family movies, endless CSI and repeats of stuff that was on National Geographic, this is certainly a big blow
After making a few enquiries I have discovered both the BBC and Vestel are aware of a problem concerning COM7 and some Vestel boxes losing HD channels when running a full scan within the Crystal Palace area, so hopefully this will be resolved soon.
Currently scanning channel 33 (Com7) results in the loss of HD channels on my Akura (Vestel clone) HD STB.
I have managed to get the HD channels back by deleting just the HD channels found after running a full scan and then manually scanning just channel 30.
After making a few enquiries I have discovered both the BBC and Vestel are aware of a problem concerning COM7 and some Vestel boxes losing HD channels when running a full scan within the Crystal Palace area, so hopefully this will be resolved soon.
Currently scanning channel 33 (Com7) results in the loss of HD channels on my Akura (Vestel clone) HD STB.
I have managed to get the HD channels back by deleting just the HD channels found after running a full scan and then manually scanning just channel 30.
FYI the Vestel firmware on my STB is 2.44(UK)
Ah so this is a box incompatibility issue from one box manufacture, I suppose it could be solved with a firmware update?
been updated to list the switch on dates as December 2013 for COM7 and COM8 from Sutton Coldfield. Also states the power - it looks significantly down when compared to the 6 main multiplexes.
been updated to list the switch on dates as December 2013 for COM7 and COM8 from Sutton Coldfield. Also states the power - it looks significantly down when compared to the 6 main multiplexes.
I've not seen any public domain statement from Arqiva, the BBC, or Ofcom, if there hasn't been one, then Brian Butterworth is once again dressing up speculation as fact
I've not seen any public domain statement from Arqiva, the BBC, or Ofcom, if there hasn't been one, then Brian Butterworth is once again dressing up speculation as fact
I'd agree, and it was originally stated in one of the Arqiva documents that Sutton Coldfield would be on air in December, so the site has no new information.
I'd agree, and it was originally stated in one of the Arqiva documents that Sutton Coldfield would be on air in December, so the site has no new information.
Indeed, and the ERPs are not news either, the ERPs of 6.4 and 8.3 kW were stated provisionally in Ofcom and Arqiva documents back in February, again I've not seen any official confirmation or updates of those ?
26 November for CP and 10 December for Divis. Postcode checker gives the launch dates and the ERP's. The ERP's listed on the DUK postcode checker are higher than previously thought, 36.3 and 10.5kW respectively.
Just tried the address/postcode checker now that COM7 is on it and my COM7 reception from Crystal Palace shows as 99/100, despite the much lower power; in fact it shows as higher than COM4, COM5 and COM6 at full power, presumably due to possible interference on the latter.
26 November for CP and 10 December for Divis. Postcode checker gives the launch dates and the ERP's. The ERP's listed on the DUK postcode checker are higher than previously thought, 36.3 and 10.5kW respectively.
Hmm, that's only just gone live as I checked it yesterday. Sandy Heath 10th December! What is this crazy talk? It was one of the last ones on the original list, September next year or something!
Sandy Heath showing as 10 Dec 2013, C32 43.7 KW (compared to PSB3 HD 180 KW)
Emley Moor showing as 10 Dec 2013, C32 50.1 KW (compared to PSB3 HD 174 KW)
Both are considerably higher power than the previous figures, especially Sandy Heath where the previous figures were lower than the original pre DSO 10KW and had me very concerned whether I would get it. Given the lack of interference on C32 I expect these will give as good coverage as PSB3 HD.
Given Sandy Heath is one of only two sites getting a new antenna (if I recall correctly) it can actually be optimised for the COM7 and COM8 frequencies which may account for the large increase in power.
I note Sandy Heath mentions a reduction of reception sometime in 2014, presumably when another transmitter starts using C32 somewhere nearby-ish.
Sandy Heath showing as 10 Dec 2013, C32 43.7 KW (compared to PSB3 HD 180 KW)
Emley Moor showing as 10 Dec 2013, C32 50.1 KW (compared to PSB3 HD 174 KW)
Both are considerably higher power than the previous figures, especially Sandy Heath where the previous figures were lower than the original pre DSO 10KW and had me very concerned whether I would get it. Given the lack of interference on C32 I expect these will give as good coverage as PSB3 HD.
Given Sandy Heath is one of only two sites getting a new antenna (if I recall correctly) it can actually be optimised for the COM7 and COM8 frequencies which may account for the large increase in power.
I note Sandy Heath mentions a reduction of reception sometime in 2014, presumably when another transmitter starts using C32 somewhere nearby-ish.
I wonder about the ERPs, it's unusual (in the UK) to quote ERPs over about 10kW with such accuracy, and I do wonder if someone has used out of date log tables to calculate the ERPs, but in the absence of any unified single source of information, it's the best we've got to date !!
Checked the Rowridge situation and it seems to confirm that VP isn't getting the new muxes. Shame really as that's the only way to get all the current muxes on full power.
Once COM7 launches, Rowridge HP will just end up a hotpotch of strong, weak and even weaker signals, so it seems I will definitely be relying on satellite to get the new HD channels that will be on that mux.
Indeed, and the ERPs are not news either, the ERPs of 6.4 and 8.3 kW were stated provisionally in Ofcom and Arqiva documents back in February, again I've not seen any official confirmation or updates of those ?
DUK postcode checker now confirms COM7 Sutton Coldfield as Dec 10th (a retune event), with a reception change in 2014.
Power is listed as 81.3kW (200kW for the other muxes), but my postcode gives much better reception figures than the existing COM muxes, dropping in 2014 to be slightly better.
Comments
By that point the other big broadcasters will have started dabbling in UHD of course.
Don't get me wrong, I would have preferred to see C5 HD over BBC3 and Al Jazeera. But this is all entirely C5's fault, and if they don't sort it out soon, they will be left behind and losing viewers when all the other main FTA channels are in HD apart from them.
Channel 5 - A whole new meaning to the words "catch up TV".
But for fans of content like 1980's family movies, endless CSI and repeats of stuff that was on National Geographic, this is certainly a big blow
Currently scanning channel 33 (Com7) results in the loss of HD channels on my Akura (Vestel clone) HD STB.
I have managed to get the HD channels back by deleting just the HD channels found after running a full scan and then manually scanning just channel 30.
FYI the Vestel firmware on my STB is 2.44(UK)
Ah so this is a box incompatibility issue from one box manufacture, I suppose it could be solved with a firmware update?
As I said 'up thread' a couple of weeks ago, CP Mux 7 may not be radiating a fully compliant SI stream at present, so this may not be Vestel's 'fault'
http://www.ukfree.tv/txdetail.php?a=SK113003
been updated to list the switch on dates as December 2013 for COM7 and COM8 from Sutton Coldfield. Also states the power - it looks significantly down when compared to the 6 main multiplexes.
I've not seen any public domain statement from Arqiva, the BBC, or Ofcom, if there hasn't been one, then Brian Butterworth is once again dressing up speculation as fact
I'd agree, and it was originally stated in one of the Arqiva documents that Sutton Coldfield would be on air in December, so the site has no new information.
Indeed, and the ERPs are not news either, the ERPs of 6.4 and 8.3 kW were stated provisionally in Ofcom and Arqiva documents back in February, again I've not seen any official confirmation or updates of those ?
Hmm, that's only just gone live as I checked it yesterday. Sandy Heath 10th December! What is this crazy talk? It was one of the last ones on the original list, September next year or something!
Emley Moor showing as 10 Dec 2013, C32 50.1 KW (compared to PSB3 HD 174 KW)
Both are considerably higher power than the previous figures, especially Sandy Heath where the previous figures were lower than the original pre DSO 10KW and had me very concerned whether I would get it. Given the lack of interference on C32 I expect these will give as good coverage as PSB3 HD.
Given Sandy Heath is one of only two sites getting a new antenna (if I recall correctly) it can actually be optimised for the COM7 and COM8 frequencies which may account for the large increase in power.
I note Sandy Heath mentions a reduction of reception sometime in 2014, presumably when another transmitter starts using C32 somewhere nearby-ish.
I wonder about the ERPs, it's unusual (in the UK) to quote ERPs over about 10kW with such accuracy, and I do wonder if someone has used out of date log tables
Once COM7 launches, Rowridge HP will just end up a hotpotch of strong, weak and even weaker signals, so it seems I will definitely be relying on satellite to get the new HD channels that will be on that mux.
DUK postcode checker now confirms COM7 Sutton Coldfield as Dec 10th (a retune event), with a reception change in 2014.
Power is listed as 81.3kW (200kW for the other muxes), but my postcode gives much better reception figures than the existing COM muxes, dropping in 2014 to be slightly better.