Between now and 2012, the UK has to “go digital”. The extra choice is great, and more and more people are switching. But is it all good news? Are you happy with the switch-off of analogue telly? Should we wait till we’re ready, or plough ahead?
We have a new pages of notes at www.frequencycast.co.uk/analogueswitchoff.html
We’re also asking for your votes via this page… as well as your comments here on our blog - for possible inclusion in a future show…
October 2nd, 2007 at 9:01 am
I have embraced the digital age, with D.A.B. and satellite TV and the addition of Freeview boxes in the bedrooms of the B&B I run down here in Cornwall, which is due to be one of the earliest areas to switch over, in 2009.
It is only since doing all this that I have seen the horrendous future that lies in wait when this enforced switchover takes place.
For Freeview television, unless the signal is improved enormously, it is going to mean unwatchable programmes during certain weather conditions and for radio, if that happens, it will mean being unable to listen in most parts of the house.
At the moment, the freeview signal is fine on cloudy, dull days. But as soon as we get high pressure the digital signal breaks up and the picture fragments in horizontal blocks. At the same time, the analogue picture remains crystal clear. Is this how it’s going to be after the switchover? Is there any part of the country where the signal is supposed to be strong enough to counter this problem?
My fear is that the country will only wake up to what has happened after the switchover takes place and that millions of pounds in our taxes and licence fees will have bene poured into an unworkable system.
Radio is even worse, with the signal varying enormously in just a few feet. I have just bought a personal DAB radio and at the top of my garden it picks up 33 stations. Move further down and they drop off one by one and inside the house it picks up none at all, except right by the kitchen window. What a total shambles!
I listen to Radio 5 through AM still and all the time get bombarded by jingles proclaiming “on D.A.B radio, on digital television and on-line” without any mention of the only service that works in many places -AM. This is all part of the BBC’s obsession with digital broadcasting even though the executives must go home and realise the signal just doesn’t work in many places.
Like yourselves, I welcome the choice given by Digital television. I could not live without the horse racing, football and other sport I watch through Sky but the enforced switch off of the analogue system is the biggest confidence trick played on the British public.
I cannot see why we cannot continue with both services and at a time when we are all minded about the environment the extra power being used to run these boxes and the enormous impact of the dumping of millions of out of date TVs is totally wrong and unacceptable. For radio, the impact is also there with these devices being extremely power wasteful, using batteries at an alarming rate.
There, that’s my rant on the subject!
November 20th, 2007 at 4:07 pm
Hi Michalf,
at last someone saying something i can agree with!!
i live in Devon and since i discovered how much more digital is going to cost us, i have been horrified at how many people /organisations just don’t want to know.
most important in your comment was the enormous rate that your radio battery is being used up. i found out the difference between the power consumed by analogue and that used by digital when my children bought me a wind-up DAB/analogue radio. If it is wound up for 60 seconds it gives you one hour of analogue radio time but only 3-5 minutes of digital time!
I think the Maths means this is costing at least 12 times as much - 1200%??
i would love to be proved wron. The only comments i had so far (from my MP)is the amount that will be wasted by leaving tvs on stand by . . - what about the actual amount of electricity consumed to just listen to the radio - never mind TV costs!
I would love to know if you, or anyone in Cumbria, has/have noticed any difference in your bills?
What annoys me is people bang on about how much a light bulb uses?
but the potential waste of energy involved in this switch over is enormous.
it must be the worst ‘green’ issue ever - the whole country going through this waste.
i want to smash that patronising little robots head in - appearing on TV every night. it’s telling you you’ve got to change your Video recorder now.
Must go now but am not finished ranting.
Ve
P.S They will tell you that all will be well when the analogue signal is switched off - but no-one has any proof of this
February 6th, 2008 at 6:18 pm
I’ve just bought two DAB clock radios, after returning the analogue ones purchased last week (on my husband’s instructions). Only to find that DAB is not yet available in our area!!!
How frustrating is this. Now do I return these two (more expensive) radios and buy the analogue versions, only to find that they won’t work once the switch-off occurs? Or hang on to the non-working at present DAB radios, in the hope that one day our area will be included? Or return the radios and wait, at least I shall have a worthwhile guarantee, and in the meantime no radio to wake up to?
Either get on and do the job and provide us with a service that is usable, or leave well alone. It was good enough for my grannie, so for heaven’s sake stop worrying about what else you (the government) can do with all this extra space on the unused analogue lines or wires or whatever they are.