Next Freeview Retune - 2021

Channel Hopper

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On the 5th of January there will be some changes to the FreeView channel listing, at least around here.

They involve the removal of the temporary Christmas broadcasts , reverting back to their earlier names, but does anyone know a date when the transmitter pattern of the higher frequency muxes are to go ahead ?

Currently channel 55 is running some high definition content that is patchy at best in the depths of North Surrey, from Chobham up to Chertsey, and just south of Tolworth Rise, there are no relay transmitters that serve these areas so the only option is the installation of a satellite dish (not possible on two properties I have worked on this past month without a chainsaw).

Does anyone know if the up and coming sell-off to the mobiles will bring FreeView back down to sub 600 (606)MHz for Crystal Palace and elsewhere ?
 
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rolfw

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Channel 55 transmissions will simply disappear, there may be a couple of the channels moved to where there is space in other existing multiplexes, but most will be discontinued.
 

william-1

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A very weak signal here on Ch 55 from Sandy Heath UHF 49,600W
34 Merit,/ITV1 +1 64 FreeSports, 72 Quest Red +1, 83 NOW 80s, 86 More4 +1, 88 Together TV +1, 93 PBS America +1, 96 Forces TV, 106 BBC Four HD, 107 BBC News HD, 113 RT HD, 114 Quest HD, 205 CBeebies HD, 111 QVC HD, 112 QVC Beauty HD,

Only my Sony UHD TV can receive this 100% Signal Quality 66% Signal Level. Via a 48 Element Community Aerial,
My Panasonic HD TV tuner is not as sensitive so no signal on ch 55,

3 Multiplexes @ 180,000W
3 Multiplexes @ 170,000W

So it looks like we are about to lose more DTT to mobile broadband as I do not see how they can get all of these into the current multiplexes :eek:
 

rolfw

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Thery were never planned to be continued and probably there are some news articles or press releases about it, you may have to dig for them though.:)
 

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Digging:-
20 August 2020
Freeview has announced that it will no longer licence the Freeview HD brand to new TVs manufactured from 2021 onwards. In 2022 this will be extended to new set top boxes.
 

william-1

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Channel Hopper

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Digging:-
20 August 2020
Freeview has announced that it will no longer licence the Freeview HD brand to new TVs manufactured from 2021 onwards. In 2022 this will be extended to new set top boxes.
Very badly written, it suggest pre 2020 manufactured sets will still receive the broadcasts up at the top end.

(It also infers that newer televisions will no longer have a DVB-T2 tuner able to receive the full 21-69 grouping)
 

william-1

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I think I will stick with satellite TV
 

Stevenvc19

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Very badly written, it suggest pre 2020 manufactured sets will still receive the broadcasts up at the top end.

(It also infers that newer televisions will no longer have a DVB-T2 tuner able to receive the full 21-69 grouping)
It is unlikely that newer televisions won’t have a full range DVB-T2 Tuner.
The televisions are made for the European market. They only change the firmware on the televisions but the hardware is more or less identical for other countries.
I think there is a European law that states that a DVB-T and or DVB-C tuner is an obligation.
OTOH: with Brexit, the UK can make there own laws :)
but it is very unlikely that one would make televisions specific for the UK without a DVB-T tuner Or with a tuner that can only catch half of the DVB-T band.

If the tv isn’t certifried for freeview, it doesn’t automatically mean that the television won’t have a DVB-T2 tuner.
 

statalite

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The COM7 mux at UHF55 channels will be removed eventually but when exactly is not known publicly AFAIK.
Personally I would like to see the other muxes convert to T2 but that's asking a lot.
 

william-1

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There seems no end to the expansion of mobile broadband as they seem to have a bigger cheque book that FreeView TV DTT could end up with most of the band sold off,
UHF is not a good spectrum for mobile broadband as it cannot penetrate through buildings & obstacles like VHF can, so it is strange why they have chosen UHF ? As in an emergency you probably will not get the help you need with a UHF broadband device :eek:
 

Adam792

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COM7 on channel 55 from Ridge Hill is massively strong here, it comes in with no glitches on the log periodic aerial I have in the loft, which is split passively 4-ways (no amplifier).

Nice to have the full set of BBCs in HD, but the picture quality is noticeably poorer than the PSB3 HD channels (1-5). Been watching an Icelandic series on BBC Four HD recently and in any low light scenes, there's really bad colour banding. Not sure if this is purely bitrate-starving on COM7 though or the set top box (BT TV) being poor at processing the compressed image.

Not sure when COM7 will finally close - I would imagine at least another of the currently SD DVB-T multiplexes could switch to DVB-T2 at that point though - HD aside, it allows them to cram more lego-vision SD channels in!
 

rolfw

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Very badly written, it suggest pre 2020 manufactured sets will still receive the broadcasts up at the top end.

(It also infers that newer televisions will no longer have a DVB-T2 tuner able to receive the full 21-69 grouping)
Can't see where it infers limitation of received frequencies, but what I see it indicates, is that it will now only licence TVs that have smart functionality, as that's what customers require to utilise the full benefits of the package and as the vast majority of TVs now manufactured fit the bill, the separate operating software is unnecessary..
 

hexah

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If new DVB-T2 televisions recieve fewer channels it will be to stop interferece across the spectrum due to the 'barn door' effect.

I wonder if there will be any move to h.265 (or the better x.265 :cool:) like Germany has done with DVB-T2.
 

william-1

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Channel 55 still active here.

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