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Digital Switchover - UTV Region (DigitalUK)

The Cush

The following job vacancy for National Manager - Northern Ireland (UTV Region) has appeared on the DigitalUK site. It's the last UK region to have a DSO Manager appointed.

The position is part-time until Sept and full-time from then until the end of Dec 2012.

National Manager - Northern Ireland (UTV Region)

Salary up to £45,000 to £55,000 negotiable depending on skills and experience.

Location: Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland is switching to digital television in the second half of 2012. Digital UK is seeking a self-motivated and experienced communicator to lead the public information campaign in Northern Ireland. The successful candidate will have knowledge of the political and media environment, local government and the voluntary sector.

They will be primarily home-based and willing to travel frequently across Northern Ireland and to London. The appointment may be made initially on a part-time basis but will be full-time from 1 September 2011. This position is offered on a fixed-term contract until 31 December 2012.

Full job description: National Manager Northern Ireland

If you are interested in the position, please email a letter of application saying why you think you would be suited to the job plus your current CV to Matthew.Heselden@digitaluk.co.uk.

Closing date: Thursday 28 April 2011

According to the attached job description all 3 main transmitter groups will switchover in late 2012. It was posted here last year that Brougher Mountain would switchover in April 2012, not sure if this has changed (DigitalUK announced last week that the London region would switchover in April 2012).

I assume if Brougher Mountain was switching over in April 2012 (approx 12 months time) the date would have been announced by now. As the Switchover Manager position becomes full-time in Sept, the switchover date(s) may be announced around Aug/Sept.

Northern Ireland has three main transmitter groups – Limavady, Brougher Mountain
and Divis - switching in late 2012. Northern Ireland will conclude the UK switchover
programme.

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mrdtv2010

Peter Rhea wrote: »

Where have you seen Camlough reception reports?

Private communication!

mrdtv2010

lawhec wrote: »

Even with the busyness of the first stage of the switch over, there is good news for Northern Visions TV as they have been awarded the local DTT licence for Belfast by Ofcom. If the service makes it to air after they shut down their analogue service on the 24th, they will get the non-too-shabby LCN of 8 available...

http://consumers.ofcom.org.uk/2012/10/ofcom-awards-further-local-tv-licences/

Interesting. How have Strabane and Brougher fared for you?

Schintzel

Peter Rhea wrote: »

Where have you seen Camlough reception reports?

Just south of Dundalk Divis Ch27 at 92% quality, Camlough Ch59 at 39%.

Mr. Rabbit

lawhec wrote: »

Even with the busyness of the first stage of the switch over, there is good news for Northern Visions TV as they have been awarded the local DTT licence for Belfast by Ofcom. If the service makes it to air after they shut down their analogue service on the 24th, they will get the non-too-shabby LCN of 8 available...

Good to see NVTV will be back. As a local station, the programmes aren't that bad, from what I've seen of it.

mrdtv2010

Schintzel wrote: »

Just south of Dundalk Divis Ch27 at 92% quality, Camlogh Ch59 at 39%.

Not bad for a little repeater!

Mr. Rabbit

Schintzel wrote: »

Just south of Dundalk Divis Ch27 at 92% quality, Camlogh Ch59 at 39%.

Getting both Divis and Carnmoney Hill at this location, but the various boxes have done different things when retuning.

Carnmoney Hill is coming in off the RTE aerial, and is stronger than the old low power multiplex from Divis, which is a surprise as it was very weak on analogue. The 24th should be interesting.

All things considered, I hope this means C.C. reception will be fine after the power increase. I'm more optomistic now !

mrdtv2010

Mr. Rabbit wrote: »

Getting both Divis and Carnmoney Hill at this location, but the various boxes have done different things when retuning.

Carnmoney Hill is coming in off the RTE aerial, and is stronger than the old low power multiplex from Divis, which is a surprise as it was very weak on analogue. The 24th should be interesting.

All things considered, I hope this means C.C. reception will be fine after the power increase. I'm more optomistic now !

Digital signals over the C/N threshold are perfect: this is the FUNDAMENTAL difference with analogue TV. I expect CC will be superb for many in Belfast even with ropey analogue pictures, which is also now the experience with Divis etc BBCA romping into the Republic. A much lower C/N threshold is required for perfect DTT pictures. The ordering of muxes and transmitters depends on :

a) the 'smarts' in the tuning software

b) whether the box is Freeview SD or Freeview HD as multiple transmitters/regions are handled better by DTG FreeviewHD spec

c) the use of manual tuning.

With a vast array of DTT transmitters now on air in NI compared to three at midnight last night the tuning story is more complex and will be even more so on the 24th with high power Saorview into NI.

Peter Rhea

mrdtv2010 wrote: »

Not bad for a little repeater!

500W, site around 1,000 ft? Not that little.

lawhec

mrdtv2010 wrote: »

Interesting. How have Strabane and Brougher fared for you?

Because of a load of thick walls in the way indoor reception from Brougher isn't good via indoor aerial- getting a reflection off the back of a local mountain gives a stronger signal but not enough to get above the C/N threshold. Otherwise the communal outdoor aerial is giving good results though not a spectacular difference compared to the other five pre-DSO multiplexes.

Strabane however is clear LOS 23km away, on a cleat night I can see all of its lights and an even clearer day you can see the mast itself. Indoor Telecam (non amplified) aerial pointing through a window is giving great results, C/N radio 29-30db, bit-error rate effectively zero on E45.

mrdtv2010

Peter Rhea wrote: »

500W, site around 1,000 ft? Not that little.

You missed the irony: just like Kilkeel.

mrdtv2010

lawhec wrote: »

Because of a load of thick walls in the way indoor reception from Brougher isn't good - getting a reflection off the back of a local mountain gives a stronger signal but not enough to get above the C/N threshold.

Strabane however is clear LOS 23km away, on a cleat night I can see all of its lights and an even clearer day you can see the mast itself. Indoor Telecam (non amplified) aerial pointing through a window is giving great results, C/N radio 29-30db, bit-error rate effectively zero.

Finally Freeview distribution in Northern Ireland is fixed after 14 years!! Epic results from Strabane, another not so 'little repeater', given its legacy heritage. Strabane should be excellent into East Donegal given its HAAT.

Peter Rhea

mrdtv2010 wrote: »

You missed the irony: just like Kilkeel.

Camlough reception reported in Skerries: http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=81181156&postcount=66

mrdtv2010

Peter Rhea wrote: »

Camlough reception reported in Skerries: http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=81181156&postcount=66

Yes indeed. We can now see that digital is perfect out to the edge of the service area unlike analogue TV.

mrdtv2010

As might be expected. This is, of course, a picnic before the 24th.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-19897606

CRM Ireland

Well I feel like slapping myself in the face several times. Ive been renting this house since about April this year. I could never understand why the antenna was giving such a poor picture, but not being from Ireland, I didnt really mind that I didnt receive the Irish channels. Ive been using Freesat for the last 20 months since I moved here from Scotland.

All this talk about the digital switchover motivated me in the last few weeks to try and get it working. After posting late last night with photos of my aerial, I spent hours this morning retuning to no avail. I was still only receiving appallingly weak Irish analogue channels, RTE, TV3 and some other one that was so bad I couldnt make out the logo. I wasnt able to find anything on the built in freeview tuner.

Confused that every on the Kilkeel transmitter can get good pictures, I pulled every wire apart, there is a huge array of cables in the loft running all over the place. There is already a booster and all that kind of thing. I have the aerial pointing right at the transmitter, directly through the attic window. Still no picture, other than the usual 3 analogue stations.

I was moving the surround sound out of the way at the back of the TV and I kicked the skirting board by mistake...whats this? Another cable for the TV hiding behind it (the skirting board isnt actually fixed to the wall behind the TV). Why is there two tv cable I wondered to myself. I had simply used the cable that was already attached to the TV in the house when I moved in, to go into my own TV when it arrived from Spain (where Ive been living for 4 years). I plugged it in and suddenly RTE picture was perfect! OMG why was the wrong cable plugged into the original TV in the first place? Why was the proper cable hiding behind the skirting board????

I retuned and I found 19DTV channels, loads of radio channels and 6 analogue channels this time. Thats the first time Ive had any results on anything.

Anyway, the big question I am VERY confused about is this Saorview thing. I was under the impression that the Irish analogue signals would be turned off soon, the 24th I think and to continue to receive the Irish stations, households would need to buy a TV with Saorview built in, or buy a set-top-box. My TV was bought in Tenerife 2 years ago. Its a 60PK250 LG plasma. It has a built in freeview tuner. I get the distinct impression that Im actually receiving the Saorview service on it, because I have all the channels listed on the saorview site and its in my EPG and listed under the DTV section. I also have the UK channels on DTV too, not all that are available on Freeview, like I used to get n Scotland, but all the basic ones.

Im also receiving the analogue stations and they are listed under TV (not DTV) if I scroll through the channels. Ive attached a couple of screenshots to show the same show on the DTV and on the analogue service. If I am indeed receiving the Saorview channels, and it does indeed say MPEG on the info, then why are people having to buy Saorview boxes for tvs that have a freeview tuner built in?

Maybe Im missing something altogether, but it seems like something isnt quite right.

You can see all the channels my digital tuner is picking up, where they are in the EPG and that I dont have to switch between any Saorview/Freeview options to view them.

By the way, why am I picking up such a small number of Freeview channels? There are way way more than this, its pretty much the same service as Freesat.

By the way, the reason I was picking up such a poor signal for the Irish analogue services, is that the cable that was plugged into the TV was not connected to the aerial, it was just the wire in the cable itself that was picking up a weak signal! CRINGE!

Here is Jeremy Kyle on TV3, which is analogue.

and here is the same show being broadcast and picked up by the tvs digital tuner. Is this me receiving Saorview then?

dfbemt

Is it only BBC channels at the moment with the rest to follow on 24th or should I be getting everything now?

Have all the BBC channels and the reception is fantastic.

mrdtv2010

dfbemt wrote: »

Is it only BBC channels at the moment with the rest to follow on 24th or should I be getting everything now?

Have all the BBC channels and the reception is fantastic.

Only BBCA stations until the 24th. Then the rest follow. Welcome to the future: high power DTT is indeed fantastic. Whereabouts in North Dublin roughly?

mrdtv2010

CRM Ireland wrote: »

Well I feel like slapping myself in the face several times. Ive been renting this house since about April this year. I could never understand why the antenna was giving such a poor picture, but not being from Ireland, I didnt really mind that I didnt receive the Irish channels. Ive been using Freesat for the last 20 months since I moved here from Scotland.

All this talk about the digital switchover motivated me in the last few weeks to try and get it working. After posting late last night with photos of my aerial, I spent hours this morning retuning to no avail. I was still only receiving appallingly weak Irish analogue channels, RTE, TV3 and some other one that was so bad I couldnt make out the logo. I wasnt able to find anything on the built in freeview tuner.

Confused that every on the Kilkeel transmitter can get good pictures, I pulled every wire apart, there is a huge array of cables in the loft running all over the place. There is already a booster and all that kind of thing. I have the aerial pointing right at the transmitter, directly through the attic window. Still no picture, other than the usual 3 analogue stations.

I was moving the surround sound out of the way at the back of the TV and I kicked the skirting board by mistake...whats this? Another cable for the TV hiding behind it (the skirting board isnt actually fixed to the wall behind the TV). Why is there two tv cable I wondered to myself. I had simply used the cable that was already attached to the TV in the house when I moved in, to go into my own TV when it arrived from Spain (where Ive been living for 4 years). I plugged it in and suddenly RTE picture was perfect! OMG why was the wrong cable plugged into the original TV in the first place? Why was the proper cable hiding behind the skirting board????

I retuned and I found 19DTV channels, loads of radio channels and 6 analogue channels this time. Thats the first time Ive had any results on anything.

Anyway, the big question I am VERY confused about is this Saorview thing. I was under the impression that the Irish analogue signals would be turned off soon, the 24th I think and to continue to receive the Irish stations, households would need to buy a TV with Saorview built in, or buy a set-top-box. My TV was bought in Tenerife 2 years ago. Its a 60PK250 LG plasma. It has a built in freeview tuner. I get the distinct impression that Im actually receiving the Saorview service on it, because I have all the channels listed on the saorview site and its in my EPG and listed under the DTV section. I also have the UK channels on DTV too, not all that are available on Freeview, like I used to get n Scotland, but all the basic ones.

Im also receiving the analogue stations and they are listed under TV (not DTV) if I scroll through the channels. Ive attached a couple of screenshots to show the same show on the DTV and on the analogue service. If I am indeed receiving the Saorview channels, and it does indeed say MPEG on the info, then why are people having to buy Saorview boxes for tvs that have a freeview tuner built in?

Maybe Im missing something altogether, but it seems like something isnt quite right.

You can see all the channels my digital tuner is picking up, where they are in the EPG and that I dont have to switch between any Saorview/Freeview options to view them.

By the way, why am I picking up such a small number of Freeview channels? There are way way more than this, its pretty much the same service as Freesat.

By the way, the reason I was picking up such a poor signal for the Irish analogue services, is that the cable that was plugged into the TV was not connected to the aerial, it was just the wire in the cable itself that was picking up a weak signal! CRINGE!

Here is Jeremy Kyle on TV3, which is analogue.

and here is the same show being broadcast and picked up by the tvs digital tuner. Is this me receiving Saorview then?

Wonderful post! Persistence is indeed a virtue. You are receiving the BBCA stations probably from Kilkeel, the rest will follow on the 24th of October at Stage Two. Stand by to retune again: your TV set is Pan-European DVB-T by the looks of it....

The Cush

CRM Ireland wrote: »

Im also receiving the analogue stations and they are listed under TV (not DTV) if I scroll through the channels. Ive attached a couple of screenshots to show the same show on the DTV and on the analogue service. If I am indeed receiving the Saorview channels, and it does indeed say MPEG on the info, then why are people having to buy Saorview boxes for tvs that have a freeview tuner built in?

Maybe Im missing something altogether, but it seems like something isnt quite right.

Because not all Freeview approved TVs have the required video decoder. Freeview uses MPEG-2 video decoding and Saorview the newer MPEG-4. Many older and some newer Freeview TVs (and most Freeview STBs) only come with MPEG-2 decoding hence the reason for a separate Saorview STB.

dfbemt

mrdtv2010 wrote: »

Only BBCA stations until the 24th. Then the rest follow. Welcome to the future: high power DTT is indeed fantastic. Whereabouts in North Dublin roughly?

South of Balbriggan, Hollywood direction.

Was always impressed with the quality on Saorview but to have the same with BBC and all the other channels to follow.

Goodbye MMDS Chorus / UPC come the 24th

CRM Ireland

The Cush wrote: »

Because not all Freeview approved TVs have the required video decoder. Freeview uses MPEG-2 video decoding and Saorview the newer MPEG-4. Many older and some newer Freeview TVs (and most Freeview STBs) only come with MPEG-2 decoding hence the reason for a separate Saorview STB.

I just looked it does say "File formats supported : MPEG4". This is fantastic news then, I wasnt going to pay extra for a Saorview box, but I really have noticed over the last few months that Im missing out on a whole feast of information about Ireland and whats taking place. This will help me feel more integrated.

Looking forward to the 24th now to get the rest of the channels.

Mr Cumulonimbus

mrdtv2010 wrote: »

Yes, that was quick!! Interesting. For Divis have to have horizontal Group A aerial. If you have access to C/N, signal strength and quality numbers tht would be very interesting as well.

C/N for me varies between 25 and 26 for BBCA from Divis and 30 to 31 for local reception from Clermont Carn. In Dundalk.

stam

Just to say im in kildare and have triax unix 100 A i am getting Brougher Mt Ch 28 signal 79% and quality 50% it is chageing a bit at the min with the weather just to ask is this full power at the moment or will we get a bit more power on Oct 24 but have to say great to get it

Mr Cumulonimbus

BBC1 NI's Newline programme has just started. Will be a piece on stage 1 of DSO.

marko61

I'm living in Kells Co. Meath and my transmitter for Freeview is Divis. Before last nights switchover I had Signal strength of 80% but Signal quality of only 20% using a good roof aerial but I had a lot of interference from Tetra transmitter from local Garda station.

This morning I did a rescan and now both my signal strength and quality is at 100% and a perfect picture on all BBC stations.
I know a lot of people in Kells have been told they would not receive UK channels and that they would need a combo box. I think this proves this is not the case.

I also did a rescan for a elderly man today who could not get any signal at all on Freeview and he now has 100% signal and quality.
Roll on the 24th

DMC

Reception report from north Co. Meath.

BBC Mux A booming in from Divis, even with fringe analogue reception.

If your UTV is as poor or better, happy days ahead for you

lawhec

DMC wrote: »

Reception report from north Co. Meath.

BBC Mux A booming in, even with fringe analogue reception.

If your UTV is as poor or better, happy days ahead for you

Jaysus, where have you been?!?!

The Cush

marko61 wrote: »

I also did a rescan for a elderly man today who could not get any signal at all on Freeview and he now has 100% signal and quality.
Roll on the 24th

Well done. I wonder if you qualify to enter the TV3 competition

Competition if you have helpled someone make the switch to digital

With only 15 days to go until analogue switch off watch the Morning Show on TV3 tomorrow the 9th October, for a chance to win a SAORVIEW approved TV. TV3 are looking for stories from people who have helped a friend, relative or neighbour make the switch to digital TV.

From 9th September for 1 week, email TV3 digital@tv3.ie with your story.

http://www.goingdigital.ie/Info/News/Competition+if+you+have+helpled+someone+make+the+switch+to+digital.htm

lawhec

stam wrote: »

Just to say im in kildare and have triax unix 100 A i am getting Brougher Mt Ch 28 signal 79% and quality 50% it is chageing a bit at the min with the weather just to ask is this full power at the moment or will we get a bit more power on Oct 24 but have to say great to get it

lawhec wrote: »

Just a reminder - with the exception of the Whitehead relay, all BBC A multiplexes are now on their final channels and transmission powers i.e. full power - there will be no power increase for this multiplex on the 24th.

That's no mean feat getting the BBC A mux from Brougher as far down as Kildare - never knew Brougher could be received there...

mrdtv2010

Lovely piece on Newsline: showed them pulling the plug on analogue BBC2 at Broadcasting House in Belfast. And that old BBC2 ident. Probably on iplayer now.