Ages ago in Netherlands and Berlin

watty

But tonight in UK

http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2007/11/13/whitehaven_digital_to_analogue_switch/

Residents of Whitehaven, Cumbria will tonight become the first UK inhabitants to lose analogue TV transmissions. At 2am, the region’s BBC 1, ITV 1 and Channel 4 analogue signals will be permanently switched off.

Ulsterman 1690

Have the Dutch switched off all their analouge terrestrial signals ???? When I was there a few weeks back Analouge cable was certainly alive and well. Didnt have the opportunity to check out terrestrial though as I couldnt find my handheld TV when packing for the trip

However, come 2am all residents will be forced to go digital by either subscribing to Sky or switching to Freeview

:rolleyes: or they could use satellite without "subscribing" to anything :rolleyes:

Alun

Ulsterman 1690 wrote: »

Have the Dutch switched off all their analouge terrestrial signals ????

Yes!

Ulsterman 1690

Must be some good opportunities for TV-DX ing in the Netherlands at least until the neighbouring countries switch off too or the bands fill up with DTT signals

Frisian

Must be some good opportunities for TV-DX ing

Guess what I did last month? I was picking up TXs that I haven't seen in 30 years.
On the downside, the Venlo TX, right on the border now sends its signal so directional that even at a distance of 5km east you'd need a boosted 90element to pick up anything.:(
Look here
Doesn't look too promising for the future.

Solair

Kinda irrelevant in NL though as hardly anyone watches TV straight off air. NL has amongst the highest levels of cable penetration in the world and as it's highly urbanised (very high population density) most people have access to cable networks and have had for decades.

It's also a small, very flat country which can be covered with very few transmitters and almost no relays. Rollout in Ireland will be a lot tricker from a geographical point of view!

Ulsterman 1690

most people have access to cable networks and have had for decades

Im sure theres no cable In rural parts of the Netherlands and even in the cities there must be some viewers who cant afford/dont want cable

I saw DTT boxes in the shops in Amsterdam so somebody must be buying them.

Incidently when I was staying in Amsterdam recently I did notice that BRT didnt seem to be included in the analouge cable line up. Did I miss it (maybe it wasnt tuned in on the Hotel TV ??) Given that there were German (ARD/ZDF) , British (BBC 1, 2 and World) American and even Turkish (TRT Int) channels on there I thought there would have been some demand for a Dutch language channel from a neighbouring country.

Solair

Unlike Ireland, the Netherlands has extremely dense and extremely well planned communities. Population wise you really couldn't find anywhere less like Ireland.



Rather than single one-off houses, you'd tend to get villages and towns and many of those would have decent cable access.

Population density NL : 395/km²
Ireland : 59/km²

Persons/km²

Frisian

I was referring to DXing.
And it is relevant, especially for people living in neighbouring countries.

maxg

Solair wrote: »

Unlike Ireland, the Netherlands has extremely dense and extremely well planned communities. Population wise you really couldn't find anywhere less like Ireland.



Rather than single one-off houses, you'd tend to get villages and towns and many of those would have decent cable access.

Population density NL : 395/km²
Ireland : 59/km²

Persons/km²

You didn't get the point.
If someone want the basic channels he don't want necessarily pay for a full cable package.
In such a case DTT is one option. Analogue is swiched off in the Netherlands.