Talk:Digital terrestrial television in the United Kingdom

Reception of DTT After Switchover
I have removed the part that said some people wont be able to receive Terrestrial TV after DSO. This is technically correct - after DSO DTT will only cover 98% of the population. However, this is exactly the same coverage level as ATT, so having this point doesnt really serve any purpose. Idf 14:18, 20 April 2006 (UTC)

The Engineering Channel
What is this and when does it broadcast? --Surveyor13 13:37, 10 August 2006 (UTC)
 * Carries software updates, and over night. The DTG site shows what its carrying and when. --Kiand 13:44, 10 August 2006 (UTC)
 * But it isn't a channel - you can't watch it. It is also carried on MUX 1 and B. Therefore I don't think it should be included as a "channel" --Surveyor13 20:06, 10 August 2006 (UTC)
 * I think it should, but maybe a note could be made at the bottom of the article telling people that it does not appear on the EPG? --tgheretford (talk) 20:32, 10 August 2006 (UTC)
 * I think the Engineering Channel should be kept in. The multiplexes are used for more than "standard" channels. Keeping these services in gives specific information of what each multiplex is used for. Also, I think the note mentioned by tghe-retford should be expanded to include a small description of the purpose of this service. RobWill80 23:45, 10 August 2006 (UTC)

RSLs
Anybody know anything about future potential carriage of RSLs after DSO? —The preceding unsigned comment was added by Fursday (talk • contribs) 07:03, 9 December 2006 (UTC).
 * Ofcom has extended all analogue RSL TV licences to 30 June 2007. They have published two reports on feasability and technical issues with digital local TV (digital TV RSLs): http://www.ofcom.org.uk/tv/psb_review/digital_local/ and http://www.ofcom.org.uk/radiocomms/ddr/documents/tech_tv/
 * In addition, Cable and IPTV provide alternative delivery mechanisms for local TV. —Md84419 (talk • contribs) 00:35, 18 March 2007 (UTC).

S4C
"Five, S4C and S4C2 will move to a public service multiplex at the start of digital switchover, using the bandwidth created by switching from 16QAM to 64QAM mode, so will be transmitted from all 1,154[7] UK transmitters. Multiplexes A, C and D will only be transmitted from the current 80 transmitters after switchover but with higher powered signals (and in 64QAM mode"

After DSO, S4C and S4C will NOT be broadcasting from all 1,154 transmitters in the UK. At the moment, these two channels will only be broadcast inside Wales. Pennywisepeter 15:00, 29 December 2006 (UTC)

Reallocation of analogue channels
"At each transmitter, three of the analogue transmission channels will be reallocated to a digital multiplex, but at a power level about 10dB less than the current analogue signals." - I removed this sentance as it is not universally true that three analogue channels are reallocated - it varies from transmitter to transmitter. The 10dB statement while technically correct is misleading in that the received coverage area will typically be as good as or better than analogue even though DTT transmitters are using less electricity (http://www.digitaltelevision.gov.uk/pdf_documents/publications/Digital_SwitchoverTrial_Report.pdf) Md84419 23:44, 17 March 2007 (UTC)

Arquiva
"National Grid Wireless bought by Arqiva

National Grid Wireless (the owner of two Freeview multiplexes and the company responsible for the distribution of the BBC’s Freeview and radio services) has agreed to sell its business to Arqiva (the company that broadcasts multiplexes A and 2) for £2.5 billion. Arqiva bought their existing transmission sites from NTL for £1.27 billion back in 2004." - http://www.deeteetee.co.uk/, from http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=amd_Pyqg_IPw.

Question though - the article indicated Arqiva broadcasts muxes A and 2, which are noted as something else in the article. Can we get confirmation on this and then change accordingly...?

I've added a link
I've added a link to a petition which is against the switchoff of the analogue signal, is that okay?-GeorgeFormby1
 * I have removed it on the basis of precedent. If this link is allowed we will end up with links for every other petition on any topic imaginable, including but not limited to provision of space for HD on DTT, turning off analogue early to allow for HD/everyone to receive Freeview, keeping Sky's proposed pay service off DTT, allowing Sky's proposed pay service, taking Mux B off the BBC, moving Film4 to mux 2 so that everyone can receive it post DSO, Reduced licence fees for those with Sky, increased licence fees for those with digital, reinstatement of no pay requirement on Muxes B,C and D, removal of shopping channels, forcing ITV to reinstate the ITV News channel, stripping SDN of its mux licence etc., etc., etc. Pit-yacker 16:23, 7 May 2007 (UTC)

Sound
Can someone please elaborate about the sound capabilites on DTT. I understand that channels currently include only stereo, which may occasionaly be encoded with the analogue Dolby Pro Logic (surround matrix). Do any channels have Dolby Surround II or Dolby Digital 5.1?

Compression Technologies.
The statements on the page saying that current channels could be converted to Hi-Def without increase in bandwidth is flat out wrong. For the Hi-Def freeview trial (and for the Hi-Def satellite transmission) a Hi-Def channel at 1080i or 720p was/is taking between 16-24mbps, that's a whole Mux of SD channels at the moment. Even with new compression technologies a Hi-Def channel would take the space of at least three (and more likely four) existing SD channels.

The chart on this page http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H264 will give you an idea of bandwidth requirements for HD, the BBC and C4 have stated they will use H264 level 3.1 - level 4 for their transmissions. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 86.26.250.158 (talk) 16:26, 28 January 2008 (UTC)

Clean up / page split
I've marked this page for a cleanup as I believe it has a number of areas for improvement:


 * The channel list dominates the article and makes it quite long so I propose splitting into a separate article
 * Some of the content strays off-topic and into the topic of another article, eg Top Up TV, statistical multiplexing
 * Some of the technical details are out of date (eg the plans for HD)
 * There are some dead images that need fixing
 * The overall style and tone could be improved

I lack knowledge on the subject to rewrite the whole article, but I am willing to help rewrite the technical section as this is the area I know most about. I agree with the comments above that this section contains some dubious technical claims about HD and is missing key information such as the video, audio and text standards currently being used.

I've never done any major edits to a Wikipedia article before so I will wait for the input from others before doing anything. Woonix (talk) 17:27, 3 September 2008 (UTC)
 * Support Agreed it needs cleaned up and split, it also lacks references. Give me a bit to think the best way forward an i will purpose my idea then see how it goes down with yourself and others--Andrewcrawford (talk) 17:39, 3 September 2008 (UTC)

"Future channels" section
Does anyone have any references for this section, or have previous editors just made the information up? ZanderSchubert (talk) 10:13, 25 December 2008 (UTC)
 * It is all verifiable with references, its just that adding references is something people rarely, if ever do (that's something for the whole Wikipedia community to discuss). It's easy to edit an article but much harder to find and enter references into an article. I may do it later, add references where needed and remove unverifiable text. --tgheretford (talk) 11:20, 25 December 2008 (UTC)
 * I referenced the whole section. I did remove some rumours about the bid TV slot not being renewed which has allowed Discovery to gain a 24 hour slot. All I can find about bid TV's slot not being renewed are discussions on the Digital Spy forums, which would not meet reliable sources to meet verifiability, therefore until sources which are acceptable can be found, I removed that rumour from the article. --tgheretford (talk) 14:27, 26 December 2008 (UTC)

CBBC/BBC3 & CBeebies/BBC4
The broadcast hours (Not TV programmes) CBBC & CBeebies are (aproximately) 0530 - 1858 The broadcast hours (Not TV programmes) BBC3 & BBC4 are (aproximately) 1858 - 0530 This is taken from the EPG as fresh "This is ..." programme titles as well as the text image for each channel switching on/off at these times Will1701 (talk) 13:54, 24 April 2013 (UTC)

Multiplex should be transport
This is a often incorrectly used and misleading term for a H.222 TS. I recommend using Transport or TS in place of it in the article. Multiplexing in tech speak normally refers to the combining of multiple electrical or optical signal pulses into single multiplex pulses by either offsetting by time or interleaving. Certain tech specs commonly and incorrectly use the word when referring packet data interleaving. Just as Hz has become inappropriately used for anything relative to a second when it's a measure of electrical pulses in a second.Helmboy (talk) 13:52, 20 November 2013 (UTC)


 * The term 'Multiplex' is that which is quite specifically used by the multiplex operators, the broadcast regulators, and other relevant broadcast authorities in the United Kingdom. Although you may personally disagree, its widespread usage by the official authorities themselves really would seem to make it the correct term to use. Bonusballs (talk) 15:55, 20 November 2013 (UTC)

External links modified
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LTVmux
Please can the article be updated to include the LTVmux, including history, and technical specification. John a s (talk) 23:19, 12 January 2020 (UTC)
 * Looking at List of DTT channels in the United Kingdom and sorting by multiplex shows channels for LTVmux (local TV mux) as Sony and Sony Movies, Tiny Pop, and loads of local TV stations; channels for NImux (Northern Ireland mux) as TG4, RTE2, RTE4 and RTE Radio, and channels for GImux (Geographically Interleaved mux) as Sony, Sony Movies Classic, Clubland TV, Spotlight TV and TV Warehouse.
 * The Ofcom website gives more details about the above 3 muxes (https://www.ofcom.org.uk/spectrum/information/transmitter-frequency).John a s (talk) 20:15, 22 January 2020 (UTC)

COM7 closure
Please can the article be updated following the closure of the COM7 mux on 30/6/22. John a s (talk) 07:49, 27 July 2022 (UTC)