The digital switchover – latest ‘Digital UK’ have published the final plans for the TV signals to be broadcast from the Oxford transmitter after the 2011 switchover. The signals will all end up back in the part of the frequency band that was used for analogue TV. (The c / d band) The power of the broadcasts will be increased significantly. The BBC and the ITV channels will end up at twice the power of the rest of the channels.

Details: Programs frequency channel power level

BBC (1&2) 53 100kW ITV etc. 60 100kW BBC (Other) 57 100kW Commercial 62 50kW Commercial 59 50kW Commercial 55 50kW

Recording devices and digital TV:

With the end of analogue TV fast approaching, most people now already have a digital TV source in their living rooms, typically a freeview box. The problem comes when trying to record. We are used to having one tuner in our TV and one our VCR, allowing us to watch one channel and simultaneously record another. With a freeview box this facility is lost as the freeview box can only be set to one channel. (You can’t turn it to BBC1 to view Eastenders and simultaneously switch to it ITV to record Emmerdale.) In order to regain this facility we will all end up with a digital TV (with a freeview tuner built in) and a digital recorder (also with freeview built in). In the switchover period this recording problem will probably be the thing to catch people out in trying to keep up with the switchover.

The solution for Sky customers is to upgrade for SkyPlus. For the rest of us it is to buy a digital recording machine. Most of these now use a computer hard drive to record the signals rather than a DVD disk (or a tape). For example Humax make a decent quality freeview hard disk recorder (PVR 9150) for £150.00 – available from Astley’s of Wallingford 01491 839305.