OFCOM statement on switchover.

Otis · 01/06/05 - 11:20

Ofcom publishes statement on Digital Terrestrial Television coverage plans for switchover.

http://www.ofcom.org.uk/consult/condocs/pods/statement/

monkeymurderer · 01/06/05 - 11:36

So they have decided to change to 8K mode...

Can anyone explain what difference that will make?

System · 01/06/05 - 11:36

Hurrah!

Ofcom wrote:

The impact assessment carried out in Section 3 indicates that a planning option which involves all three PSB multiplexes adopting the 64 QAM mode at switchover (Option 3 in the Consultation) has advantages over other options. In particular, allowing the use of 64QAM allows more channels to be made available to DTT viewers.

<snip>

Having considered the consultation responses, Ofcom has decided that the adoption of the 8k format is essential in those areas where single frequency operation will be required. That is those areas where additional transmitters required by Option 3 are to be adopted. It therefore proposes that these areas (covering the Meridian and Anglia regions) will adopt the 8k format when they are converted to all digital operation. The rest of the UK will adopt the 8k format by the final digital switchover date of 2012, unless it can be shown to Ofcom’s satisfaction that the impact of an earlier adoption would have minimal impact on viewers with 2k equipment.

Good news, I think...

monkeymurderer · 01/06/05 - 11:38

mithy73 wrote:

Hurrah!

Good news, I think...

Not really if the BBC still have two multiplexes, all they'll do is waste it.

System · 01/06/05 - 11:52

8k improves the chances of new multiplexes coming along.

I've said it for aaaaaages now, to use 8k and have a SFN with a one, or maybe two, 2k muxes for local programming/regional versions of BBC/ITV.

monkeymurderer · 01/06/05 - 11:54

So does the 8K thing mean that the multiplexes using this method have to be synchronised and show the exact same thing?

Therefore I assume ITV, BBC and Channel 4 won't be on this MUX as they wouldn't be able to be regional...?

System · 01/06/05 - 11:57

monkeymurderer wrote:

Not really if the BBC still have two multiplexes, all they'll do is waste it.

I agree that the 701/2 streams are not the best use of bandwidth at the moment.

Nevertheless, given the premise that we're stuck with them, an increase to 64QAM will allow the BBC Radio services and Five (and S4C in Wales) to relocate from Mux A, and BBC Parliament to go full-screen.

[Deleted User] · 01/06/05 - 11:58

Will this make all the old On Digital / ITV Digital boxes null and void?

However, some early DTT receivers, supplied by ITV Digital up to May 2002, and some early integrated digital television sets, will not be able to operate in the 8k format.

System · 01/06/05 - 12:03

ironeagleuk wrote:

Will this make all the old On Digital / ITV Digital boxes null and void?

Yep, 'fraid so.

[Deleted User] · 01/06/05 - 12:10

mithy73 wrote:

Yep, 'fraid so.

for the radio channels as well as TV?

sonicshadow · 01/06/05 - 12:11

mithy73 wrote:

Yep, 'fraid so.

:(:(:(:(

nockie3 · 01/06/05 - 12:12

So how many more channels/ Mux's will 8k mode give us?

[Deleted User] · 01/06/05 - 12:12

Intersting that they are only saying that 3 Muxes will have universal coverage; the other 3 will be able to pick and choose which transmitters thay convert.

[Deleted User] · 01/06/05 - 12:14

Would freeview boxes have problems with 8k mode or was it specified by the DTG that they had to include it?

nockie3 · 01/06/05 - 12:15

I think most just have it. I Know that my Ferguson FDT500 has it!

sonicshadow · 01/06/05 - 12:16

What advantages would 8k bring?

[Deleted User] · 01/06/05 - 12:17

So who did OFCON consult with?..Not the consumer obviously. So I spend all my money to become 'digital ready' only to find that after analogue switch off I will still have a blank screen because my DTT Tuners are no good either :mad:

[Deleted User] · 01/06/05 - 12:24

itsalltelly wrote:

So who did OFCON consult with?..Not the consumer obviously. So I spend all my money to become 'digital ready' only to find that after analogue switch off I will still have a blank screen because my DTT Tuners are no good either :mad:

Strange it only mentions Anglia and Meridian though

Terranus · 01/06/05 - 12:25

8k makes single frequency networks possible. That's the essential purpose. 2k means, the transmitter broadcasting on same frequency have to be very near to each other, in 8k mode they can be placed farther away. This allows economic frequency coordination -thus more muxes can be offered.

timo_w2s · 01/06/05 - 12:26

This is good news. 8k is a much more sensible option IMHO, even if it's just to add more local repeater/fill-in transmitters in areas of bad reception. Shame it wasn't used from the moment Freeview started.

With 8k SFNs mobile car reception begins to become more of a realistic possibility too.

It'll be a shame to lose channels on old onDigital boxes but to be honest at the price of new receivers and the unresponsiveness of the old boxes everyone should upgrade anyway...

I did last week and wish I'd done it a long time ago.

[Deleted User] · 01/06/05 - 12:28

Also have you noticed that channel 5 has been excluded from the 98.5% switchover target which means it wont be moving from Mux A to B

[Deleted User] · 01/06/05 - 12:29

The others will change to 8k on switchover, or before if they reckon the number of folks using old On Digital boxes in that region are not significant enough to worry about.

So who did OFCON consult with?..Not the consumer obviously. So I spend all my money to become 'digital ready' only to find that after analogue switch off I will still have a blank screen because my DTT Tuners are no good either

You'll have had maybe 8 years life out of an old On Digital box, and will have to splash out maybe £30 to replace it - I don't think you're being very hard done by really.

System · 01/06/05 - 12:29

ironeagleuk wrote:

for the radio channels as well as TV?

The entire multiplex would be 8k instead of 2k, so it would affect everything on that multiplex, including audio and interactive streams.

sonicshadow wrote:

What advantages would 8k bring?

It means that multiplex operators can broadcast a multiplex on several transmitters at the same frequency in a region - this is known as a Single Frequency Network (SFN).

The advantage is that it means that each multiplex takes up less bandwidth over the whole of a given region.

Take Bristol for example. Some people are served by Mendip, others by Ilchester Crescent and still others by King's Weston Hill.

Currently, Mux 1 takes up a different frequency on each of these transmitters (UHF channels 59, 49 and 22). With 8k COFDM, it would be possible for Mux 1 to broadcast on the same frequency (UHF channel 59, say) throughout the local region. (It's not quite as simple as that, as many people have narrowband aerials that wouldn't be able to pick up channel 59, but you get the idea.) This frees up channels 22 and 49 for other uses, thus increasing the overall capacity of the platform. This paves the way for additional services in the longer term.

The more immediate benefit of SFNs is in places like the South East, where the UHF band is subject to interference from Continental transmissions. Obviously, the less bandwidth we're using, the easier it is to co-ordinate frequency allocations with - for instance - France and the Netherlands.

This is all as I understand it - I'm sure someone will correct me if I've misunderstood.

itsalltelly wrote:

So who did OFCON consult with?..Not the consumer obviously.

It announced its consultation some time late last year, I think. I'm fairly sure there was even a thread about it on DS, though I might be mistaken.

itsalltelly wrote:

So I spend all my money to become 'digital ready' only to find that after analogue switch off I will still have a blank screen because my DTT Tuners are no good either :mad:

That's the price you pay for "early adoption", alas. At least they won't cost much to replace nowadays.

[Deleted User] · 01/06/05 - 12:31

Not sure if this has been quoted anywhere:

Ofcom opts for 8k DTT format

Media regulator Ofcom has decided to adopt a variant of the digital terrestrial television (DTT) standard to improve coverage in areas of UK with poor reception. In a consultation earlier this year Ofcom sought views on planning options for digital switchover.

Ofcom said of the 1.5% of UK households that could not currently receive BBC1, BBC2, ITV1, and Channel 4 in analogue, two thirds were in areas of poor reception, mainly on the south and east coasts of England. Digital switchover would allow the use of a single frequency network to improve coverage, but a change in the current 2k transmission format to 8k would be required.

Ofcom today said it would adopt that 8k format in Meridian and Anglia regions at switchover, with the rest of the UK adopting it by the final switchover date of 2012.

In its consultation, Ofcom said the 8k format would also be expected to improve the reliability of set-top box reception since it is more robust against interference from household appliances such as washing machines and central heating controllers.

However, some early DTT receivers, supplied by ITV Digital up to May 2002, and some early integrated digital television sets, will not be able to operate in the 8k format.

Ofcom said it would liaise with SwitchCo, the industry body responsible for coordinating switchover, on the number of 2k receivers in operation. Users of 2k equipment would be given "at least two years notice" of a transmission change in their area, said Ofcom.

Ofcom said it was not convinced by the argument that the Government, or any other body, should offer consumers compensation for their 2k equipment, and said it noted that the Government had "written to all manufacturers a number of times over the last five years noting that 8k compliant systems would future-proof products against just such an adoption of the 8k transmission standard".

Ofcom's other main conclusions are that:

All three digital terrestrial multiplexes carrying public service broadcasting (PSB) channels should aim to achieve similar levels of coverage at all sites by adopting the same mode and similar levels of power.
Commercial multiplex operators should be able to determine their own coverage objectives in the light of commercial interests, "provided that they do not allow the coverage of any multiplexes to fall below its current level (i.e. 73% cent of UK households should continue to receive coverage of all six DTT multiplexes)".

PSB multiplexes can adopt the 64 QAM mode at switchover "provided that steps are taken to ensure that coverage of the nationally available terrestrial TV channels (BBC1, BBC2, ITV1 and Channel 4) continues to reach at least 98.5% of UK households after switchover; and digital switchover can be achieved between 2008 and 2012".

Source: http://www.dtg.org.uk/news/news.php?class=countries&subclass=193&id=913

[Deleted User] · 01/06/05 - 12:37

The number of OnDigital boxes is decreasing all the time, and the life span of the boxes isn't particularly hot either. By the time it happens, you'll probably have replaced your box anyway.

fozzi · 01/06/05 - 12:39

Should we start a thread (sticky) listing all the 8k compliant digi boxes?

I am guessing that my old ITV Digital Nokia and Pioneer boxes will be redundant. Are the Pace DTVA and the new TUTV Thomson DT2300 compliant or not?

Hey there!

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