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NEWS: BBC reveals Freeview HD roll-out plans

Amy-Mae Elliott — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 12:29:55 +0000

London, Glasgow, Newcastle, Leeds, Bradford and Birmingham sorted for June's World Cup

The BBC has revealed the Freeview HD roll-out plans with a look at the timetable that will make the DVB-T2 high-def service available across the UK. ?

Apparently 50% of the population will see the HD upgrade in time for next June's World Cup while 98.5% of the population will be sorted by the end of digital switchover in 3 years' time.

London, Glasgow, Newcastle, Leeds, Bradford and Birmingham will be the first to get the HD goodness as these cities will receive signals by the end of March 2010.

In order to benefit from the new HD-ness, UK viewers will have to upgrade their Freeview kit. The Beeb says HD receivers - set-top boxes, DVRs/PVRs and integrated TVs - will be available from early 2010.

More precise timescales for your area can be viewed over at the BBC's press office site and we'll keep you posted with hardware news.

Tags: Home Cinema BBC Freeview Freeview HD HDTV

BBC reveals Freeview HD roll-out plans originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 17 Nov 2009 12:29:55 +0000

NEWS: Packard Bell announces oneTwo touchscreen all-in-one desktop PCs

Amy-Mae Elliott — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 17:05:34 +0000

Complete with Freeview tuner

Packard Bell has announced its oneTwo series of all-in-one touchscreen Windows 7 desktop PCs that offer a digital TV tuner built-in.

The all-in-one devices, with a "space-saving design and a single power-cord" combine a PC and a TV in a 20-inch 1600 x 900 resolution or 23-inch 1920 x 1080 resolution display.

Offering Windows 7 and boasting the new OS's multi-touch touchscreen experience, the PCs get Packard Bell's "TouchPortal" interface for all kinds of touchscreen fun and frolics.

The deskops offer up to six USB ports, a 5-in-1 card reader, an integrated webcam, jacks for audio in and out while graphics options comes in with either integrated graphics from Intel or discrete graphics, both supporting Microsoft DirectX10.

The oneTwo L boasts an Intel Core 2 Quad processor, an e-sata port, a slot in ODD, and 5.1-channel surround sound via the integrated 5 Watt stereo speaker system as well as an optional Blu-ray drive.

The oneTwo M is now available starting from ?599, while the oneTwo L - also available now - gets an estimated street price starting from ?899.

Tags: Hardware Packard Bell Desktop PCs Freeview Windows 7 All-in-one PCs

Packard Bell announces oneTwo touchscreen all-in-one desktop PCs originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 11 Nov 2009 17:05:34 +0000

NEWS: No answer from Freeview for those still without TV

Dan Sung — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 16:09:56 +0100

More channels lost and some signals scrambled

We've had an overwhelming response from Pocket-lint readers after yesterday's 30 September Freeview retune did not go according to plan. Millions of people across the UK took to their set-top boxes for the channel migration and it was well known that many thousands would lose access to ITV3 and ITV4 and that a handful with a very limited number of specific pieces of hardware would also retune to nothing whatsoever. However, despite an excellent pre-retune information campaign and judging by the crashing of the Freeview website, the overloading of the retune helpline and cries for help, not just on our pages but all over the Internet, it has not gone according to plan.

Pocket-lint has tried to contact Freeview but no one has come forward to speak and tell the public what is going on. The only message that we have received is that, from Freeview's end, the transfer of the channels has gone smoothly and that the migration is complete. For users up and down the country commenting on Pocket-lint, though, it seems a very different story:

"Have tried again and again to retune both last night and this morning, still to no avail. The helpline number has been reduced to inane instructions - I know how to retune, pity that Freeview doesn't! It's still getting stuck halfway through the retune scan and I'm still missing the vast majority of channels. Can't wait for round two of this nonsense when analogue gets switched off!!! Anyone know where else to get information?" Posted by Claire Shepherd, NI

"I have lost ITV ITV3 5 and probably more. Rubbish idea by someone to force us to re-tune when we will have to change for complete digital soon. I gave up in the end and now have to switch to analogue for the missing stations of ITV and Five. Posted by Sarah, Washington, Tyne & Wear, England

"My god i feel like im going mad, I've also lost itv2 and lots more. I also phoned up and all the lady could say was "what do you want me to do about it", and that people will just have to wait till it comes back. Friendly or what? Posted by hayley, suffolk, England

"I live in Bayswater and am using inbuilt freeview (opposed to a separate box), and we seem to have lost ITV2+1 E4 and Sky (which was 82). Is anyone else having these problems?? THIS IS SO STUPID AND FRUSTRATING!!" Posted by LC, UK

There also appears to have been interference of the new signals in Northern Ireland by neighbouring transmissions from the Republic of Ireland which could even be something far more permanent:

"Retuned my Pace PVR - but got RTE1, RTE2, TV3,and TG4 on positions 1-4 instead of the usual BBC etc - however cannot see pictures as they are the wrong mpeg version - why are Irish channels interferring with our Freeview? Signals come from the Limavady Transmitter. (My Sony TV retuned perfectly and I get all available channels) Posted by Alan, Northern Ireland

Moving the whole nation's radio and TV channels was never going to be a hitch-free procedure. There are simply too many households and too many variables, but the helpline set up by Freeview has not been able to cope with the case-by-case complaints nor the volume of calls. The worst part is that it's a national rate number. According to the Telegraph, the helpline received 200 calls a minute yesterday. If that continued for even a few hours, that's potentially thousands of pounds of the public's money to the phone line of a not for profit organisation.

There is still no advice available from Freeview beyond calling the helpline or going to the retune website, while many round the country still struggle. As one Pocket-lint reader quite succinctly put it, "Is this a conspiracy to get us all to buy Sky?"

UPDATE: The official Freeview response has come in. Here it is in full:

1) Are there still any problems from Freeview's end or has the transfer 100% completed?

There were no problems with the upgrade to the Freeview service, which was completed on schedule, and viewers were advised to retune from lunchtime onwards. Earlier in the day, the TV retune website experienced a high volume of traffic but continued to provide retuning information throughout the day - at times using an overspill page which included a basic retuning guide.

2) There seem to be a number of people who do not have the problem equipment as listed on the Freeview site but have either lost more channels than they should have or continue to be unable to receive anything at all. Do you know why this might be and is there any chance that it is nothing to do with their set up at home; problems with transmitters etc

Viewers are advised to perform a full retune, sometimes called a 'first time installation' or 'factory reset', in order to pick up all available channels in their area. It is rare for people to lose channels but sometimes a second (or third) retune may be required to resolve these issues. They should also check all cables and connections are secure. If, after this, viewers are still missing channels, we would recommend they contact the manufacturer. All signals are broadcasting as expected.

3) What advice can you give to people who have followed all the steps as laid out on the Freeview site but are still experiencing problems?

It is difficult to provide specific advice without more details, such as the make and model of equipment, but if viewers have performed a full retune more than once and are still experiencing problems we would advise contacting their manufacturer or retailer.

4) It's obviously a very large operation to migrate all the channels and make sure the public retunes. Did you expect there to be as many problems as there has been?

Again, there were no problems with the upgrade to the service. Experience shows that the majority of people find retuning straightforward, but some viewers do need a little extra advice. Help with retuning is available on the tvretune.co.uk website and via a helpline on 08456 051122. Viewers can also get advice on retuning from family and friends or their local retailer.

5) Many people have been getting an automated message on the help line which doesn't seem to help in many cases. Will you be setting up a problem solving line for case by case situations?

At peak times yesterday, a team of more than 300 advisors, backed up by recorded retune instructions, were helping several hundred callers a minute. We would recommend that viewers with specific equipment issues contact the manufacturer or retailer.

No answer from Freeview for those still without TV originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 01 Oct 2009 16:09:56 +0100

NEWS: The five best value Freeview set top boxes

Dan Sung — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 15:00:00 +0100

The most palatable ways to keep yourself in digital TV

So, you've just retuned your telly to find a very blank screen. Bit of a bummer. Yes, this 30th September Freeview day is all very well and good but for whatever reasons of incompatability or sheer age, your old digi box has just given up the ghost.

Fear not. Help is at hand, for we at Pocket-lint have put together a quick list of excellent value Freeview receiving set-top boxes for whatever you needs and whatever your budget and all are available to buy today.

The Cheapest One

Name: Argos STB101
Price: ?18.99
Storage: None

From time to time you'll see someone come out with a Freeview box for under a tenner but they generally run out of stock and discontinue the line very quickly. So, the one which you'll have to shell least pennies for at the moment is the Argos Value Range STB101 Digital Set Top Box - to give it it's full name. It's got a 7-day EPG, one SCART socket, an RF connnector and measures 3.5 x 25 x 18.5cm. Other than that, there's very little on the outside to distinguish it from a drill bit box. It has good reviews, not five star ones, but the point is that it works and will certainly fill the gap while you decide whether to completely upgrade your home cinema or not.

The Smallest One

Name: TVonics MFR-200
Storage: None
Price: ?39.49

When they say that the TVonics MFR-200 fits in the palm of your hand, they really mean it. We're not talking about sitting on your fingers here, it actually fits in just the palm area. If you want to get the pens and paper out, it's 27 x 70 x 54mm. It has an 8-day EPG, a parental control and works with absolutely any and every TV through a normal aerial cable. You can always pay a couple of quid more for the newer MFR-300 which attaches to the back of your set but, other than that, there's not a lot of difference. Looks great and works unbelievably well.

The Green One

Name: Sagem ITD63 Eco
Price: ?48.43
Storage: None

Again, no great features here aside an EPG and a remote control but the bonus with the Sagem Eco range is that you not only save money on the purchase but also on the power consumption over time as well. It runs at 7W and will sit in standy at 1W. Sagem constantly refreshes this range, so you'll receive contiuned customer support and always be able to find a similar replacement if you like the product.

The Features One

Name: Humax PVR9300T-G
Price: ?145
Storage: 320GB HDD

If you're a little more flush and want to buy something that does more than just act as a receiver, then you'll get excellent value from the Humax reconditioned scheme. The company sells on only what they term "Grade A" returns. That is to say that each is in excellent physical condition and has been tested to make sure that everything in them is in perfect working order. So, instead of paying a premium, you can get a box with twin tuners - so that you can record two channels while viewing a third - 320GB of recording space and HDMI upscaling so that if you have an HD Ready TV, it will have a go at taking the quality of your programs up beyond SD resolutions. It also comes with a one year guarantee just in case the company's tests missed something. Not bad for ?145.

The Luxury One

Name: Samsung DVD-SH897M
Price: ?249
Storage: 320GB HDD + DVD recording

If you really want to treat yourself, then the way forward is the Samsung DVD-SH897M. It's got the same upscaling, twin tuner and 320GB HDD options as the Humax box but also comes with a DVD player/recorder. DVD recording may arguably be something that's never quite going to take off with PVRs around but the flexibilty and added storage is a bonus plus it means one less unit under your telly. It will also upscale all your old DVDs to a better quality too. Nice, shiny and reassuringly expensive.

The five best value Freeview set top boxes originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 30 Sep 2009 15:00:00 +0100

NEWS: Quick guide to the Freeview retune on 30 September

Dan Sung — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 09:30:00 +0100

All you need to know to make sure you can still watch your telly

You may have noticed a rather annoying message on your TV screens for the last few weeks getting right in the way of Ian Beale, Holly Willoughby, Jeremy Clarkson and most of the United midfield. If you've taken the time to read the message, rather than scowl at it until it disappears, then you'll have noticed that there's something going down on Wednesday 30 September, and yes, there's a very good chance that it applies to you, so read on for all the info you're going to need.

What is this the Freeview retune all about?

In a nutshell, the TV broadcasts are upping sticks from where they currently sit in the electro-magentic spectrum and setting up camp elsewhere at another wavelength where there's more room. One of the problems with the current set up is that firstly, there's no extra bandwidth about for the upcoming Freeview HD channels to use - and they're going to use a lot of it - and, secondly, not everyone in the whole country can receive the section that carries Channel Five. So, all of the TV and radio stations are moving to a different wavelength where your digi boxes are not trained to look for them. On 30 September, you'll have to retune your box so that you can find out where they've gone.

Will I need to retune?

The retune will effect 18 million homes in the UK, so chances are, yes. If you use Virgin, Sky or Freesat you don't have to. Satellite and cable services go through those kinds of updates without you having to tell them to all the time, so they'll take care of that one for you. But, if any of your TVs in the house work on Freeview - including Top Up TV and BT Vision - then you will have to retune those sets and DVD/Video recorders.

When do I need to do it

Freeview is saying to get on the case any time from after lunch on 30 September 2009. The channels might not have all finished their migration before 1pm, so best to leave till after, otherwise you may have to do the whole thing twice. You might see that the the names of the stations are there but it doesn't mean that the actual broadcasts are, so hold off till the afternoon.

How do I retune?

Well, every set top box, TV, and recorder is slightly different but the typical scenario goes:

Step 1 - Turn on your TV

Step 2 - Press the Menu button on your remote control

Step 3 - Navigate to the Settings area and then Set Up and Installation

Step 4 - Select the option entitled "Full retune"/"Default settings"/"Factory settings" or a similar choice. It may give you a panic warning like "Do you really want to delete all channels" but there's no need to be alarmed. Just say yes. They'll come back.

Step 5 - Sit back with a cup of tea and wait while your equipment scans the aerial's input and locates the channels for you. You'll most likely see a progress bar letting you know how it's all going.

If your set top box or TV receives the aerial signal through a DVD or video machine, then make sure the recorder is on standby before you start tuning and if you're at any point prompted for a PIN or 4-digit code then try 0000 or 1234.

What will I find after I've retuned

Your equipment may switch itself off during the process but that's fairly normal, so don't worry. Turn you TV back on and you'll find that all the channels are there including a new one on 38 called Quest. You may also be pleased to see Five if you didn't have it before.

On the downside, there's an excellent chance that all your personal settings will be lost - including your favourite channel selections, whether or not you want subtitles on and the entire order in the onscreen TV Guide will probably have changed too. If you use a Freeview+ recorder, then you might also need to check the future recording settings to make sure your system is scheduled properly to catch your favourite shows.

The other bad news is that in areas where digital switchover has already occurred you will probably lose the Community Channel and 460,000 people in such areas who receive their signal through a relay transmitter will also lose access to ITV3 and ITV4.

Will the retune work for everyone?

Sadly not. There are a few people out there whose equipment will not cope with the retune because they cannot receive certain bandwidths and you will retune to find absolutely zip. Not fun. This is only true if you're using old equipment and many of the manufacturers of that hardware will be offering firmware updates to fix the problem. Unfortunately, some will not. The one's to watch out for are:

Set Top Boxes
Daewoo DS608P - Call 0870 100 25 25
Labgear DTT100 - No longer trading
Triax DVB 2000T - No longer trading
Portland DP100 - Call 0870 100 25 25

Set Top Box/TV combos
Daewoo SV900 - Call 0870 100 25 25
Bush IDVCR01 - 0871 230 177

A small handful of other systems may also have the odd teething problem, such as BBC channels moving up to the 800s, but it's only the ones above that you'll probably have to replace. Not fair, we know, but the good news is that the cheapest Freeview boxes start at ?7.

Err, Pocket-lint, it still hasn't worked?

It should all run relatively smoothly and will do for the vast majority of people but there's bound to be a hitch or two somewhere. It'd be difficult for such a big move to go entirely to plan. So, if you find yourself stuck, then the best thing is to call Freeview which has set up a hotline especially to troubleshoot any issues and sort out individual problems. The number is 08701 111 270 and if that's jammed up, then try your hardware manufacturer too. Good luck and see you on the other side.

Quick guide to the Freeview retune on 30 September originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 30 Sep 2009 09:30:00 +0100

NEWS: 80% of UK televisions now digital

Amy-Mae Elliott — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 09:22:02 +0100

Secondary set conversions sees new high

People getting secondary TV sets hooked up to Freeview has led to a new high for digital television in the UK, reports Ofcom.

The regulator's Digital TV Progress Report reveals that 80% of all televisions in the UK are now digitally-enabled.

23.4 million "secondary" sets were converted to digital, while nine out of ten main television sets are now connected to a digital decoder.

The Borders area, the West Country and south and west Wales are now switched over to digital with the rest of the UK due to switch before the end of 2012.

Today sees a digital "retune" that means consumers will need to retune their set-top boxes in order to continue receiving digital TV.

Read

Related links:

Feature - Quick guide to the Freeview retune on 30 September

Tags: Home Cinema Televisions Freeview Statistics Ofcom

80% of UK televisions now digital originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 30 Sep 2009 09:22:02 +0100