[Corin]

Originally Posted by Dan Folkestone

Does anyone know if/when they plan to launch DTT in Belgium

Vlaanderen has had 100% DVB-t coverage since 2004, and reception of the multiplex on Channel 40 from Egem in West Vlaanderen (see coverage maps at)

<http://www.digitale-televisie.BE/modules/dtv/?id=4>

has been reported numerous time by Digital Spy members throughout the South East during the summers of 2004 and 2005.

[JamesE]

Originally Posted by Corin

Vlaanderen has had 100% DVB-t coverage since 2004, and reception of the multiplex on Channel 40 from Egem in West Vlaanderen (see coverage maps at)

<http://www.digitale-televisie.BE/modules/dtv/?id=4>

Hartelijk bedankt voor het informatie.

[danfolkestone]

Thanks for the information about Belgian and Dutch DTT. I hadn't seen anything about them before. I'll have to try moving the aerial around a bit! I'm surprised I haven't picked anything up before though - we often get 2 belgian channels without moving the aerial on analogue. I had assumed that any channels must be encrypted, but I see that they are not!

[tedjrr]

Originally Posted by tellytart1

.......And as a light aside - here's the insiders names for the systems:

NTSC - Never Twice the Same Colour
PAL - Perfection At Last
SECAM - System Essentially Contrary to the American Method

Wasn't it :-

PAL - Prey and learn

SECAM - Supreme effort contre les Americans?

The Russians were suppost to have bitterly regretted letting De Gaule flog them SECAM!

[tedjrr]

Originally Posted by Andy Herne

.......Can anyone explain how analogue TV gets to the islands these days and why ITV Channel still only uses the 4:3 format on satellite? I know the old UHF / Microwave link was made redundant by satellite and fibre a few years ago.

I recall that all the channels from Stockland Hill used to be received off air at the SABRE reception facility in Alderney, then microwaved over to Fremont Point for rebroadcast? Also that ITV/C4 moved from the Stockland Hill / SABRE facility to a microwave link at Cherbourg which received TVS / Meridian (replacing Westward / TSW) and C4 from Rowridge which were then sent on to Fremont?

Perhaps someone could provide the whole story?

Only part of the story alas.

BBC1 and BBC2 are off-air Astra feeds directly into Fremont Point. When BBC1 CI opts-out their output is back-hauled to London via Plymouth, with FP being fed over the sat, and the actual opt-out taking place in Plymouth. Don’t know if BBC CI retain the ability to do a local physical opt for use in extremis?

C4 is fed by BT fibre ISTR direct to FP.

ITV is fed by NTL/Aquiva (presumably actually the same BT) fibre direct to Fremont Point, and then tromboned via CTV in St Helier via a Jersey Telecom analogue link. CTV’s part of the path is apparently SDI right through all of their kit, which seems to suggest that the Jersey Telecom link is the only component impinging on a more normal ITV operation. ISTR that the signal sent to the CI is normally a Meridian broadcast feed originating in Feltham, into which CTV insert their local spots etc. With this sort of configuration, I can’t see why they don’t just play-out all of CTV’s adverts and recorded shows from Kent House, and just back-haul the news and puffin bits?

In order to get it fixed, enough viewers will have to complain. Try writing to Shapps to say that you prefer TF1!

[ney]

Originally Posted by Andy Herne

Most of the French analogue TV channels are receivable across the more eastern and southern parts of the island. Quality if reception varies with location and weather but on the whole its pretty good. You'd probably be less likely to have access to these channels in smaller hotels and guest houses but a few of the larger hotels may carry one or two along with the usual 4 channels, CNN, etc, etc.

Where I was staying in St Helier 7min walk from the town centre only picked up channels 1-4 and only had Sky in the sitting room next to the bar and not in the rooms. Most of the BBC news came from Plymonth but a 5min news came from St Helier. Ceefax was the south west with Channel Island round up news. Teletext on ITV1 said Channel Island but most of the local news on that was from Portsmouth and Southamton wiith a Channel Island news round up pages.

Darren

[Tadpole]

Originally Posted by Jersey_boy

Its called TNT incidentally.

Jersey_Boy
Saint Helier

Try: http://www.tnt-gratuite.fr - you'll need some knowledge of French to get around the site.

Click on "TNT, 18 chaines gratuites" (translates as: TNT, 18 free channels) to get the channel list.

And no, I can't pick them up from the West Midlands lol.

Channels :

TF1 - http://www.tf1.fr
France 2 - http://www.france2.fr
France 3 - http://www.france3.fr
Canal+ - http://www.canalplus.fr
France 5 - http://www.france5.fr
M6 - http://www.m6.fr
Arte - http://www.arte-tv.com
Direct8 - http://www.direct8.fr
W9 - http://www.w9.fr
TMC - http://www.tmc.tv
NT1 - http://www.nt1.tv
NRJ 12 - http://www.nrj12.fr
LCP - http://www.assemblee-nat.fr/lcp/index.asp
France 4 - http://www.france4.tv

[derk weasel]

Originally Posted by Tadpole

Try: http://www.tnt-gratuite.fr - you'll need some knowledge of French to get around the site.

Click on "TNT, 18 chaines gratuites" (translates as: TNT, 18 free channels) to get the channel list.

And no, I can't pick them up from the West Midlands lol.

Channels :

TF1 - http://www.tf1.fr
France 2 - http://www.france2.fr
France 3 - http://www.france3.fr
Canal+ - http://www.canalplus.fr
France 5 - http://www.france5.fr
M6 - http://www.m6.fr
Arte - http://www.arte-tv.com
Direct8 - http://www.direct8.fr
W9 - http://www.w9.fr
TMC - http://www.tmc.tv
NT1 - http://www.nt1.tv
NRJ 12 - http://www.nrj12.fr
LCP - http://www.assemblee-nat.fr/lcp/index.asp
France 4 - http://www.france4.tv

well i is up in cambs and i am picking up someting on ch 606, no picture but i have foreign audio, sounds french (if my 5 years worth of french lessons at school are anything to go by) lol?

[Barry.Williams]

Originally Posted by television2004

I think you will find its more the case of the UK doing things different.
405 lines instead of around 625 lines in 1946.
first of all 405 line NTSC
then 625 lines Pal with different audio 6Mhz (Europe 5.5Mhz).
No VHF transmissions so more transmitters needed for shorter range UHF.
Digital TV (Satellite or Freeview) no teletext.
MPEG 2 when MPEG 4 gives better bandwidth saving.
Selling off VHF and UHF frequencies for the governments digital dividend!

405 lines was pretty much the worldwide standard at that time

There were VHF TV tranmissions, they moved to UHF to provide more channels. You could only fit about 3 TV channels in the VHF bandwidth available. The lower the frequency the longer the range but the fewer the channels you can fit in. These standard are pretty much worldwide. Nearly all TV is now on UHF

MPEG2 is quite new. It takes time for new stndard to be implimented. You cannot really chase a moving target. At some point you have to put a stake in the ground and decide what to go with.

[Barry.Williams]

Originally Posted by tedjrr

Wasn't it :-

PAL - Prey and learn

SECAM - Supreme effort contre les Americans?

The Russians were suppost to have bitterly regretted letting De Gaule flog them SECAM!

At the time PAL was seen as the best of the three Systems. The other factor that always comes into these things is cost. Its no use design the best technology in the world if its to expensive and no one will buy it. These things are nealy always a trade off between price & technology.

[nwhitfield]

MPEG 2 isn't new. It was included in the DVB standards created back in 1996, and had already been around for some time then.

405 lines was never the world standard; US transmissions used 525 lines from as early as 1941.

On the continent there was a wide range of options, including several operating on 441 lines, with 819 lines in France and Belgium, and many other countries adopting a 625 line system after the war.

So, in no sense at all was 405 lines "pretty much the world standard."

More misinformation from Mr Williams...

Nigel.

[prg594]

Originally Posted by tedjrr

Wasn't it :-

PAL - Prey and learn

SECAM - Supreme effort contre les Americans?

The Russians were suppost to have bitterly regretted letting De Gaule flog them SECAM!

NTSC - Never Twice the Same Color!

[IanL]

Bringing back this topic from the dead to add a little I've just experienced.

Because Channel Islands terrestrial TV is changing from Analogue only to Digital only this month, I decided to see what, if anything, I could receive on freeview-equipped TVs, and also a PC with a DVB-T card. Both worked, but with some intermittent signal loss, so I decided to try a distribution amplifier I happened to have - it made matters worse. I then fed the antenna signal through my Sony DVD Recorder (which, I assume, demodulates and remodulates), and then through the amplifier. The result - superb reception of the French channels which are not encrypted. Highly unscientific and a better result than such mucking about really deserves, but it may be useful to others.

Interestingly, the TVs (Sony and LG) will not decode the unencrypted HD channel (even though they are "HD Ready"), but the PC software (DVBViewer) will do so - 1080 lines on (I assume) DVB-T, not T2. Any ideas why this should be so?

[Ray Cathode]

Hi IanL we look forward to hearing about your DSO.

To receive everything terrestrial inc UK and French transmissions you will need a DVB-T2 receiver, now only £50 in Comet on the mainland. That is according to the Digital UK information here.http://www.digitaluk.co.uk/transmitt...NAL27Oct10.pdf but you might not get all French text services.

HD ready only means a screen that will display 1080i and could be only 720p. It does not encompass a TV with the correct HD tuner. You are right about the French HD using DVB-T with MPEG-4. Whatever you were using successfully would be capable of receiving MPEG-4. Original UK SD equipment can't do this. You need a DVB-T2 box which will get both country's broadcasts in SD & HD.

French DSO completed in Brittany this last summer. Very convenient for CI viewers.

What will be interesting to us will be which channels get sent to Jersey. It looks like CTV will be unable to do an HD channel. You should get BBC ONE HD, C4 HD and BBC HD channel. There is also a question over which independent radio stations and text channels you will get. eg We get Heart but will Jersey get it too?

[BKM]

Originally Posted by tedjrr

Wasn't it :-

PAL - Prey and learn

SECAM - Supreme effort contre les Americans?

I knew it as:-

PAL - People are Lavender (could do subtle hues!) or
PAL - Pay for Added Luxury (as it needed an extra delay line)

SECAM - System Entirely Contrary to the American Method

[Ray Cathode]

Not forgetting "Never Twice the Same Colour"

[Martin Phillp]

Originally Posted by Ray Cathode

We get Heart but will Jersey get it too?

I doubt it as I think Heart bought space from ITV for their station, which is why it's not available in the STV and UTV regions. UTV used their space to stream their own radio station U105 in NI.

Heart also have their West Midlands station to viewers who receive ITV1 Central from Sutton Coldfield.

[brumlad36]

Originally Posted by BKM

I knew it as:-

PAL - People are Lavender (could do subtle hues!) or
PAL - Pay for Added Luxury (as it needed an extra delay line)

SECAM - System Entirely Contrary to the American Method

I learnt PAL as "Perfection At Last", being the best colour transmission system available at the time.

Chris.

[brumlad36]

Originally Posted by Ray Cathode

Hi IanL we look forward to hearing about your DSO.

French DSO completed in Brittany this last summer. Very convenient for CI viewers.

Hi Ray,

I'm looking forward to whenever the north-east coast of France is DSO'd. Do you know when this takes place, eg at Lille?
I may then be able to receive the UHF TX's in Lincoln. I used to get the Band III TX even during "flat" conditions.

Chris.

[Winston_1]

Originally Posted by IanL

Interestingly, the TVs (Sony and LG) will not decode the unencrypted HD channel (even though they are "HD Ready"), but the PC software (DVBViewer) will do so - 1080 lines on (I assume) DVB-T, not T2. Any ideas why this should be so?

The TNT HD channels use MPEG4 DVB-T. I guess your 2 TV's cannot decode MPEG4.

[Ray Cathode]

Originally Posted by brumlad36

Hi Ray,

I'm looking forward to whenever the north-east coast of France is DSO'd. Do you know when this takes place, eg at Lille?
I may then be able to receive the UHF TX's in Lincoln. I used to get the Band III TX even during "flat" conditions.

Chris.

From what I can see, most of Northern France has already DSO'd especially the larger transmitters. They are quoting a date of 1/2/11 for completion in the Northern zone and I think that this is mainly local relays getting going. There is good information here on firstly French analogue transmitters and secondly on the French TNT digital rollout.

http://www.csa.fr/infos/operateurs/o...sion_sites.php
http://www.csa.fr/TV_numerique/tnt_zones_france.php

[brumlad36]

Originally Posted by Ray Cathode

From what I can see, most of Northern France has already DSO'd especially the larger transmitters. They are quoting a date of 1/2/11 for completion in the Northern zone and I think that this is mainly local relays getting going. There is good information here on firstly French analogue transmitters and secondly on the French TNT digital rollout.

http://www.csa.fr/infos/operateurs/o...sion_sites.php
http://www.csa.fr/TV_numerique/tnt_zones_france.php

Thanks for that Ray,

Thank goodness for Google Translate! There is a favourite site in Lincs where I take a portable TV and aerial in the car. I can still get French analogue on Chs 21, 24 and 27. Well, they were there during the October "lift".

Chris.

[IanL]

Thanks, Ray, for the link - very interesting, and thanks, too, to the other answerers.

I have not been able to identify from whence my French TV transmissions come. I am in the south of the island, and my antenna points north towards Fremont, so I assumed something like Cherbourg, but I do get one "local" station, TV Rennes, which suggests I may be getting reception in the backlobe - quite impressive if that is so. I can see the mux frequencies in DVBViewer, so I could pin down the source(s) if I could locate a reference. I've tried http://www.csa.fr/infos/operateurs/o...sion_sites.php
but it seems to be out of date - it omits departement 50.

I have not been able to locate a list of the Freeview channels we can expect, which is surprising seeing the big day is just over a fortnight away, but I will post once it has happened.

[Ray Cathode]

Originally Posted by IanL

I have not been able to identify from whence my French TV transmissions come. I am in the south of the island, and my antenna points north towards Fremont, so I assumed something like Cherbourg, but I do get one "local" station, TV Rennes, which suggests I may be getting reception in the backlobe - quite impressive if that is so. I can see the mux frequencies in DVBViewer, so I could pin down the source(s) if I could locate a reference. I've tried http://www.csa.fr/infos/operateurs/o...sion_sites.php
but it seems to be out of date - it omits departement 50.

Try this http://www.tvnt.net/multiplex_frequences.htm

Rennes is in the list.

[Franglais]

Reading this through I'm guessing if you wanted a TV that can operate in the UK (read Channel Islands and S.E. England) to receive both the French and local UK TV programmes you'd be better off buying a TV in France and bringing it across to the CI and/or S.E, UK? Likewise, if you're an ex-pat in a UK tv receivable area in France, you're better off buying a TV in the UK and bringing it to France although, I think, it would'nt work quite so well with local French TV tansmissions especially with pay channels like C+?