It's going to be difficult ..12 months to get it right, who's going to fund it?
Perhaps Access Devices should go door knocking to try and get people to buy their STB's, as they seem fine with Text.
Perhaps you ought to pop to your local Currys and buy a Matsui TUTV1 for £35...then you wouldn't have all these problems
I don't blame the box manufacturers
- I think the MHEG spec is the wrong type of thing for a reliable device like a TV, people dont expect their TV to behave like a PC
- there seem to be too many variables and grey areas in MHEG.
Whoever chose it - that's the people to blame.
Many people here in this forum dont use text services they want widescreen films and loads of extra channels.
But for the ordinary (wo)man in the street they just want their bog standard tv programmes and text services to work...
It's going to be difficult ..12 months to get it right, who's going to fund it?
By all sounds, your Onn box is vestel, Vestel software is not compliant, you'd be well within your rights to get a refund and report Asda/Onn to trading standards. You may want to report this to the DCMS and DTI who probably will be able to take legal action.
Therefore your complaint against teletext or the mheg system is not valid.
Compliant boxes intepret the software as stipulated by guidelines by the DTG, all non-compliant boxes aren't non-compliant for nothing.
It's just not working for you because you've bought a crap box. Of which I have 4, and won't upgrade until the situation changes.
I've just proven to you now that your problem is with the manufacturer and yes, it is they who are to blame for misinforming you that you were buying a compliant box when it isn't. I've also mentioned many, many times today that the only grey areas with mheg are down to all the non-compliant boxes uses mheg 5 v1.05.
There is a reason why those boxes work ironeagle, its because they are compliant. Rarities in fact.
I've shouted and stamped my feet for months on this issue and no-one seems to care, the reason being for the exact same reason in your 2nd to last paragraph. People are buying any box that they are told will get freeview or buying boxes in good faith that they are digital tick certified when they are not. They are buying boxes which simply are not compliant with digital terrestrial television in the uk as stipulated by the digital television group.
What are we going to do about it, the very fact no-one has replied to me on this apart from pioneer, worries me. How many people think they have digital tick boxes when they don't, how angry should these people be to find out. Unless people start getting angry at the manufacturers, the lay man or women on the street will continue to get ripped off and find services like teletext won't work. In fact one huge problem with uncompliant boxes is handling AFD's correctly and even when they do work, we can find something to blame broadcasters for because they sometimes give out the wrong code with their broadcast.
I keep saying that we're complaining on behalf of all those people who dont have the internet and so cant write like this
who've bought a Freeview box and junked it because it doesn't do what they have already.
If you dont need interactive and widescreen and loads of mind blowing channels, you just need your tv to work, youre waiting till the last minute to get a box on the basis that it will work. Chances are that it wont.
I check ebay from time to time for an iplayer or sony going cheap - they dont - is there a reason?
Perhaps Access Devices should go door knocking to try and get people to buy their STB's, as they seem fine with Text.
Perhaps you ought to pop to your local Currys and buy a Matsui TUTV1 for £35...then you wouldn't have all these problems
Just wondering if it does s-video?
12V adapter?
I know the Onn box doesnt
Unless we the people putting money in their pockets do something, those who have no idea about what's going on will be buying obsolete equipment that doesn't work properly and in my opinion will have been ripped off in a huge scandal in the switch to digital. Further to that, we actually have employees of companies like Curry's posting on here stating that they are selling equipment stating that they have digital tick certification when nothing could be further from the truth.
Companies like Curry's are actually breaking the law by doing this in the same way we've seen recently with illegal branding of organic food which is far from organic. The digital tick logo is licensed so the government would be well within their rights to take legal action for falsely using their logo. Not only that they could be done under the trades description act for indirectly stating that equipment is compliant when it certainly is not.
I guess I'm the employees mentioned?
I flagged the digital tick issue up with head office, and was told that becuase of the type of licence we have with the authors of the tick mark then we can label all equipment with a digital tuner with digital tick POS. I was very specific in my query (mentioning MHEG5 v1.06 compliance and potential legal implications) and was told all our equipment complies (which I'm quite sure is not the case). I have clarified that my merchandising is correct as per head office instructions.
Surely the govt would have something to say if we were wrong (this is a lot of stores involved)? It's a confused situation for sure, but I have done everything I can to highlight it.
Not blaming you Russellely and I know you've queried but your bosses are either completely stupid or are intentionally breaking the law to boost profits.
Digital switchover certification mark scheme promotional licence
A single promotional licence, enables an organisation (for no fee) to use specific certification mark artwork to:
a. promote the digital switchover certification mark scheme
b. inform consumers about products and services that have been registered as fully complying with the standards set by the scheme;
c. educate consumers on what to look for when considering options to prepare for digital switchover
No fee is payable for licensees of this scheme (for more details see “how to apply” section). Licensees have access to artwork that can be used to promote the scheme and guidelines on how this artwork must be used. Promotional licence collateral packs are also available which feature branded point-of-sale materials (for more information about these packs, see “digital collateral” section).
Basically, you can't promote equipment without this license, it doesn't mean do the job of the government by certifying boxes. They also are not informing customers about certified equipment, in fact selling the equipment as certified when it isn't.
I really can't understand why this issue is being ignored by everyone? We are converting the whole country to digital using equipment that isn't fit for the job!!!
Teletext is now no longer available via millions of Freeview boxes and so DTT viewers have given up on Teletext and are using the BBC's Ceefax as never before.
Teletext recently made changes to the MHEG delivery of its service on the ITV1 flagship channel such that millions of older Freeview receivers freeze when viewers try to navigate past the first few pages.This MHEG disability does NOT only affect the old OnDigital/ITV Digital boxes as Teletext says but also boxes on sale up to only 12 months ago.
For a commercial organisation this should be a catastrophe when stuffing the pages with active advertising has simply turned off viewers' boxes.However Teletext are remarkably sanguine about the whole disaster hoping no doubt that investors won't notice.
"Who cares about Freeview? - it is the Sky punters who count - only the poor watch Freeview"
I rang Sagem Support yesterday. Apparently they could not get a fix for the Teletext reboot problem into their recent download (apparently to fix interactive services).
However, Sagem promised a fix soon.
ps. Why is Freeview still apparently run as only a "hobby"?
I rang Sagem Support yesterday. Apparently they could not get a fix for the Teletext reboot problem into their recent download (apparently to fix interactive services).
However, Sagem promised a fix soon.
ps. Why is Freeview still apparently run as only a "hobby"?
Teletext now has a problem with all 4 DTT products I have access to.
My IDTV can get into the index, but accessing the pages causes an MHEG freeze.
My GDT1000 can also get into the index, but usually switches straight to standby on accessing a page.
A Sony DX30 freezes on trying to get past the index.
My FVRT145 displays most pages OK, but if you exit teletext from a full screen MHEG page (i.e. with no inset showing the current programme) the screen goes blank.
I really can't see what whizzbang features are in there that require MHEG 1.06 or what is so special about the advertising that it is worth making it inaccessible to the majority to be able to show it to the few.
Have just spent a few days travelling in hotels which I think use satellite to access their tv and text services. BBC has analogue style text page but with the message along the lines of text services no longer available on satellite - press the red button - which of course their wasnt.
Did anyone ask the BBC to drop Ceefax from hotel services?
Nuisance for looking up the weather
Quite clearly the hotels have dropped the BBC, not the otherway round. It would not be hard to make hotel TVs compliant with whatever technology is necessary.
But obviously you're so blinkered this obvious fact has missed your mind.
Do the BBC provide a special tv and/or text service to hotels, different to that for the general public?
John
I don't believe so. Last hotel I was at every channel was obviously running off a Sky DigiBox, complete with Press Red prompts, nobody had activated the timeout option in the menu :mad: It is a shame that Ceefax insn't on DSAT, but I suppose they want to stop people using it now rather than it all turn off one day and people are still unfamiliar with BBCi.
Do the BBC provide a special tv and/or text service to hotels, different to that for the general public?
checking the freesat forum theyve dropped ceefax from satellite generally, they only have page 100 and subtitles still available. Surely it must cost them (us) more to make a special cut down service for satellite than transmit the standard ceefax pages.
Comments
Perhaps you ought to pop to your local Currys and buy a Matsui TUTV1 for £35...then you wouldn't have all these problems
By all sounds, your Onn box is vestel, Vestel software is not compliant, you'd be well within your rights to get a refund and report Asda/Onn to trading standards. You may want to report this to the DCMS and DTI who probably will be able to take legal action.
Therefore your complaint against teletext or the mheg system is not valid.
Compliant boxes intepret the software as stipulated by guidelines by the DTG, all non-compliant boxes aren't non-compliant for nothing.
It's just not working for you because you've bought a crap box. Of which I have 4, and won't upgrade until the situation changes.
I've just proven to you now that your problem is with the manufacturer and yes, it is they who are to blame for misinforming you that you were buying a compliant box when it isn't. I've also mentioned many, many times today that the only grey areas with mheg are down to all the non-compliant boxes uses mheg 5 v1.05.
There is a reason why those boxes work ironeagle, its because they are compliant. Rarities in fact.
I've shouted and stamped my feet for months on this issue and no-one seems to care, the reason being for the exact same reason in your 2nd to last paragraph. People are buying any box that they are told will get freeview or buying boxes in good faith that they are digital tick certified when they are not. They are buying boxes which simply are not compliant with digital terrestrial television in the uk as stipulated by the digital television group.
What are we going to do about it, the very fact no-one has replied to me on this apart from pioneer, worries me. How many people think they have digital tick boxes when they don't, how angry should these people be to find out. Unless people start getting angry at the manufacturers, the lay man or women on the street will continue to get ripped off and find services like teletext won't work. In fact one huge problem with uncompliant boxes is handling AFD's correctly and even when they do work, we can find something to blame broadcasters for because they sometimes give out the wrong code with their broadcast.
who've bought a Freeview box and junked it because it doesn't do what they have already.
If you dont need interactive and widescreen and loads of mind blowing channels, you just need your tv to work, youre waiting till the last minute to get a box on the basis that it will work. Chances are that it wont.
I check ebay from time to time for an iplayer or sony going cheap - they dont - is there a reason?
Just wondering if it does s-video?
12V adapter?
I know the Onn box doesnt
It's powered by a 5volt adaptor
Here's the basic spec sheet (which has optional items) if you're interested: http://www.accessdevices.co.uk/data/freeway.pdf
no 14:9 modes, nor channel number
I guess modulator and adapter can be bought from maplin
I need to assimilate all of this
which box would do progressive scan?
I guess I'm the employees mentioned?
I flagged the digital tick issue up with head office, and was told that becuase of the type of licence we have with the authors of the tick mark then we can label all equipment with a digital tuner with digital tick POS. I was very specific in my query (mentioning MHEG5 v1.06 compliance and potential legal implications) and was told all our equipment complies (which I'm quite sure is not the case). I have clarified that my merchandising is correct as per head office instructions.
Surely the govt would have something to say if we were wrong (this is a lot of stores involved)? It's a confused situation for sure, but I have done everything I can to highlight it.
This is all that the license you mentioned means.
Basically, you can't promote equipment without this license, it doesn't mean do the job of the government by certifying boxes. They also are not informing customers about certified equipment, in fact selling the equipment as certified when it isn't.
I really can't understand why this issue is being ignored by everyone? We are converting the whole country to digital using equipment that isn't fit for the job!!!
They think Freeviewers are peasants:(
However, Sagem promised a fix soon.
ps. Why is Freeview still apparently run as only a "hobby"?
http://www.sagem.com/index.php?id=573&L=2
Email them... I know I will.. Just keep pressing them...
My IDTV can get into the index, but accessing the pages causes an MHEG freeze.
My GDT1000 can also get into the index, but usually switches straight to standby on accessing a page.
A Sony DX30 freezes on trying to get past the index.
My FVRT145 displays most pages OK, but if you exit teletext from a full screen MHEG page (i.e. with no inset showing the current programme) the screen goes blank.
I really can't see what whizzbang features are in there that require MHEG 1.06 or what is so special about the advertising that it is worth making it inaccessible to the majority to be able to show it to the few.
Did anyone ask the BBC to drop Ceefax from hotel services?
Nuisance for looking up the weather
But obviously you're so blinkered this obvious fact has missed your mind.
It says on the BBC ceefax page 100 that the BBC has dropped the service on satellite.
That leaves the hotels to install a new box in each room to receive red button services.
Unless the BBC puts Ceefax back on satellite
John
I don't believe so. Last hotel I was at every channel was obviously running off a Sky DigiBox, complete with Press Red prompts, nobody had activated the timeout option in the menu :mad: It is a shame that Ceefax insn't on DSAT, but I suppose they want to stop people using it now rather than it all turn off one day and people are still unfamiliar with BBCi.