Apart from DS readers, how many members the public understand what is about to happen? How many will loose recordings scheduled on BBC 4 HD and how many will watch these extra channels anyway? Not every TV and very few PVRs follow such changes, usually it results in Humax recorders re-tuning and loosing their schedules while their owners are on holiday much to their annoyance.

It is only when the Humax is switched on once the retune event timer is activated that the retune message pops up with its poor default action if no one does anything. I doubt if it is usual for a Humax owner to leave their Humax switched on or use reminders.

BTW The next hidden timer is already in the schedule for Humax+ HD boxes for 27 Jul 2016 15:00

Why, why, why are these extra SD streams 544x576?!?

I thought the BBC usually tried to increase the quality of their channels showing sport during events like this?

It's not like there is a lack of space, according to digitalbitrate COM8 is still half empty.

Because that is what Arqiva have ......

Just got a popup on BBC 1 HD linking to text page 9991.

The popup I just got also gave a date 27/7/2016 retune PM may be required

Really? Their encoders don't support 704x576?

This afternoon there were about 6/7 streams after a re-scan with looping video.

They do but that is not the offer that Arqiva is likly to have made......
Or the BBC could afford ....... for an ad hoc service,
After all there are no 704 pix services on com muxes

So you are saying that Arqiva just don't offer 704x576 commercially on DTT?

The SD streams average 1.5Mbps (RB1 24/7 & RB4 may even be only 1Mbps) with the HD stream averaging 4Mbps.

In comparison (and there is no comparison really) the Satellite RB SD channels are 704x576 averaging 3.5Mbps.

I think iPlayer may be the better bet somehow.....

EDIT - Obviously I forgot that DSat = MPEG2 vs. MPEG4 for DVB-T2. But still, Satellite is 704x576 vs. DTT at 544x576.

iPlayer for the TV screen was updated in May for "HD" from 1289*720 to 960*540 without a general out cry so does that matter?

Yes it's called dumbing down.

Got the extra red button services on now after a scan.

I'm getting the BBC Olympic channel on 114.

They're showing some London 2012 footage. Which is nice.

Not so nice is the bright white plasma/OLED destroying DOG upper right, which oddly extends into the overscan area.

I hope they get rid of that for the Brazil Olympics. I'm not going to risk permanently damaging my screen to watch it.

Good. Death to overscan! Much as I hate DOGs, is that really still a problem with modern equipment? I've never come across it.

On a tangentially related matter, series links are not set up on the temporary CBBC HD channel on LCN 97.

Thanks a bunch BBC. I've had to re-tune my Humax box and lose my favourites list to get BBC 4 again, then delete all those new Olympics channels. It wouldn't have been so bad, but I reorganise the original order to group all my most watched channels together.

I had to change the setting to screenfit to get it all in, do they have to keep showing the Mo Farrer on loop? show loads of other stuff to make it interesting while we wait for Rio.

I guess it depends on what you mean by modern equipment. I've seen TV displays damaged by prolonged exposure to bright static graphics. Not normally a problem with LCD TVs, but other types can be susceptible. And some of those TVs are amongst the best ever made and irreplaceable, so it would be nice if broadcasters took a bit of care with this sort of thing.

Now that all devices have an Info button on the remote, there's no excuse whatsoever for putting these idiotic DOGS on the screen. They should be banned.

Indeed. Questions should be asked in parliament

Hunax has come out of standby and is indicating red button something or other.

Perish the thought that the BBC is trying to provide a better service for those who are interested in the Olympics.


Changes happen, that's a fact of life.

Might be just personal preference, but I've never found the need for overscan with HD. The first thing I do is set the TV to Screen Fit/Just Scan, otherwise you're missing out on the whole picture!

Arqiva seem to think that having a widescreen resolution where the horizontal pixels are less than the vertical ones is a good idea. Or maybe they just think everything is still in 4:3 format!


I agree in the main, but it's still annoying when some SD channels manage to have those black and white dots at the top of the screen that are exposed with overscan off.

I thought most TVs allowed for a different setting when the resolution changed, I know my Sony does, I have full pixel for HD and normal for SD

Some do and some don't, and generally that only applies to internal tuners. If using a PVR or external HD box, people generally have them set to 1080i/p and just leave it at that, so the tv will only see a 1080i/p signal no matter whether it's actually an SD channel or not.