Sky T.V.

[Mel]

In South Wales there was “Rediffusion” which was a very early cable type system as there was no signal to the TV aerials. There was a switch on the windowsill that you had to twist to change channel. Only 3 channels of course.
Mel

 

[Buckman]

In South Wales there was “Rediffusion” which was a very early cable type system as there was no signal to the TV aerials. There was a switch on the windowsill that you had to twist to change channel. Only 3 channels of course.
Mel

We had Rediffusion TVs in the mid seventies. Definitely not the best Tv around at the time although it worked off a VHF or UHF aerial. No cabling in those days.

 

[borderbilly]

In South Wales there was “Rediffusion” which was a very early cable type system as there was no signal to the TV aerials. There was a switch on the windowsill that you had to twist to change channel. Only 3 channels of course.
Mel

Was that the one's that you could rent?

 

[RogerL]

In South Wales there was “Rediffusion” which was a very early cable type system as there was no signal to the TV aerials. There was a switch on the windowsill that you had to twist to change channel. Only 3 channels of course.
Mel

Rediffusion was also in the North Staffordshire & South Manchester areas - only 2 TV channels at my Gran's in Stoke-on-Trent plus radio, BBC Home Service and Light Programme - we only had BBC TV at home

 

[Dustydog]

Rediffusion was also in the North Staffordshire & South Manchester areas - only 2 TV channels at my Gran's in Stoke-on-Trent plus radio, BBC Home Service and Light Programme - we only had BBC TV at home

Visionhire and Radio Rentals at my parents. We shared the cost of the first 26” B&W with aerial on the top of the Telly

 

[Buckman]

Visionhire and Radio Rentals at my parents. We shared the cost of the first 26” B&W with aerial on the top of the Telly

Bunny ears aerial?

 

[jimmyg352]

To those who record Freeveiw, which recording device do you use?
I’d love to ditch Sky but my Mrs finds it far too easy to record stuff so I can’t get shot of it!

 

[RogerL]

To those who record Freeveiw, which recording device do you use?
I’d love to ditch Sky but my Mrs finds it far too easy to record stuff so I can’t get shot of it!

We use a Humax Foxsat HDR Personal Video Recorder (PVR) for recording but watch live programmes on Freeview - the PVR is used both at home and comes with us in the caravan, paired with a freestanding 60cm dish.

 

[ProfJohnL]

To those who record Freeveiw, which recording device do you use?
I’d love to ditch Sky but my Mrs finds it far too easy to record stuff so I can’t get shot of it!

I'm not quite sure what you mean by recording Freeview. Freeview is a steaming service, which the main channels (BBC and ITV) have agreed to support. Unless you have specialist recording gear you can't actually record it.

I have purchased BT HD recorder which can record two live TV programs at the same time. I have upgraded the HDD to an SSD which is far more responsive and physically even quieter. It has fast forward including 1minute jumps forward and 15sec backwards, so its easy to jump the adverts when playing back.

 

[Hutch]

We use a Huawei Digital box to record Freeview, about £120, records 4 different channels at the same time, about 1000 hrs of recordings.
Bought from Currys.

It's a HUMAX, not Huawei

 

[Woodentop]

I'm not quite sure what you mean by recording Freeview. Freeview is a steaming service, which the main channels (BBC and ITV) have agreed to support. Unless you have specialist recording gear you can't actually record it.

I have purchased BT HD recorder which can record two live TV programs at the same time. I have upgraded the HDD to an SSD which is far more responsive and physically even quieter. It has fast forward including 1minute jumps forward and 15sec backwards, so its easy to jump the adverts when playing back.

Eh? Sorry Prof but you are well wrong there.
Freeview is an over-air broadcast service that carries the five main channels and many others. Agreed some of those channels can be delivered by broadband (a.k.a. streaming) but most are through your aerial. All transmitters (of which there are nearly 1200 in the UK) carry PSB1 (BBC), PSB2 (independent main stations) and PSB3 which carries a mixture of BBC and independent stations in HD. Main stations (i.e not relays) also have Com 4, 5, and 6 carrying bucket loads of other stations but as with PSB they are ALL off air. Some main stations broadcast local TV stations on Com 7 such as Leeds TV, York TV, etc and all of them are on channel 7*. The coverage of channel 7 is very limited so there should be no mutual interference. [PSB is Public Service Broadcasting, Com n is Commercial.]
[*Confusion point 1: Com7 is a seventh transmitter on the relevant site, but Local TV is station 7 - see below.]

You are probably confused by the fact that smart TV's as well as receiving off-air can also collect stations that are fed by broadband - such as BBC iPlayer, ITXx, My5 etc. Some recorders are able to use broadband fed stations as well.
If you have a suitable recorder with a twin digital TV receiver inside them you can record two stations whilst you watch a third. Humax has always been a popular brand, but others by Panasonic and Manhattan are also very good. Some of them (notably Manhattan) can also record off broadband. All of them by default are able to record HD whether your TV has HD capability or not.

There can be some confusion with the use of the word 'channel.' In analogue days there were five TV channels, BBC1, BBC2, ITV, Channel 4 and Five. Each of these five used one signal carrier transmission or channel so there was never confusion as to what meant what.
With digital transmissions - which have one multiplex on each signal carrier channel - the programs are converted into digital data and multiplexed or computer mixed together allowing as many as eight or more programs to be available on a single signal carrier channel.
On a personal basis I refer to the signal being radiated by the transmitter site as a channel, and what I watch at home - such as BBC1/ITV2/More4 etc- as stations.
So to recap, all transmitter sites - main or relays - carry PSB1-3 which in total presents 20 stations, but in addition main stations carry Coms 4, 5, and 6 (and some Com 7) which in total will decode into around 80 or so stations. Also each of the six over-airMultiplexes (or muxes for short) have the capability to carry audio only stations - i.e. radio - which is another 24.

 

[jimmyg352]

Eh? Sorry Prof but you are well wrong there.
Freeview is an over-air broadcast service that carries the five main channels and many others. Agreed some of those channels can be delivered by broadband (a.k.a. streaming) but most are through your aerial. All transmitters (of which there are nearly 1200 in the UK) carry PSB1 (BBC), PSB2 (independent main stations) and PSB3 which carries a mixture of BBC and independent stations in HD. Main stations (i.e not relays) also have Com 4, 5, and 6 carrying bucket loads of other stations but as with PSB they are ALL off air. Some main stations broadcast local TV stations on Com 7 such as Leeds TV, York TV, etc and all of them are on channel 7*. The coverage of channel 7 is very limited so there should be no mutual interference. [PSB is Public Service Broadcasting, Com n is Commercial.]
[*Confusion point 1: Com7 is a seventh transmitter on the relevant site, but Local TV is station 7 - see below.]

You are probably confused by the fact that smart TV's as well as receiving off-air can also collect stations that are fed by broadband - such as BBC iPlayer, ITXx, My5 etc. Some recorders are able to use broadband fed stations as well.
If you have a suitable recorder with a twin digital TV receiver inside them you can record two stations whilst you watch a third. Humax has always been a popular brand, but others by Panasonic and Manhattan are also very good. Some of them (notably Manhattan) can also record off broadband. All of them by default are able to record HD whether your TV has HD capability or not.

There can be some confusion with the use of the word 'channel.' In analogue days there were five TV channels, BBC1, BBC2, ITV, Channel 4 and Five. Each of these five used one signal carrier transmission or channel so there was never confusion as to what meant what.
With digital transmissions - which have one multiplex on each signal carrier channel - the programs are converted into digital data and multiplexed or computer mixed together allowing as many as eight or more programs to be available on a single signal carrier channel.
On a personal basis I refer to the signal being radiated by the transmitter site as a channel, and what I watch at home - such as BBC1/ITV2/More4 etc- as stations.
So to recap, all transmitter sites - main or relays - carry PSB1-3 which in total presents 20 stations, but in addition main stations carry Coms 4, 5, and 6 (and some Com 7) which in total will decode into around 80 or so stations. Also each of the six over-airMultiplexes (or muxes for short) have the capability to carry audio only stations - i.e. radio - which is another 24.

I wish I’d never asked. 😂😂😂😜
Thanks Woodentop but that’s all well beyond my comprehension! 😢😢

 

[GUMPY]

We had a Humax Freesat HD recording box that gave up the ghost for the second time (I replaced the HDD the first time) about 6 months ago. I replaced it with a Freeview HD recording box that so far we haven't used. We also have a 4K ROKU streaming stick and I think after this time I might just have persuaded my wife that streaming catch up is the way forward.
Good for me as nothing to take to the van (it has it's own ROKU) and no hard drive to give up the ghost.
Only downside with Freeview is that on HD you don't always get the local ITV channel. As an example we get Central South down here in Devon. SD is however local.

 

[Buckman]

To those who record Freeveiw, which recording device do you use?
I’d love to ditch Sky but my Mrs finds it far too easy to record stuff so I can’t get shot of it!

We use a Freesat box and can record whatever we like.

 

[GUMPY]

To those who record Freeveiw, which recording device do you use?
I’d love to ditch Sky but my Mrs finds it far too easy to record stuff so I can’t get shot of it!

We have a Humax fvp-4000t 500gb freeview play tv recorder, bought from eBay.
It works but has yet to be used in anger.

 

[Jcloughie]

I'm not quite sure what you mean by recording Freeview. Freeview is a steaming service, which the main channels (BBC and ITV) have agreed to support. Unless you have specialist recording gear you can't actually record it.

I have purchased BT HD recorder which can record two live TV programs at the same time. I have upgraded the HDD to an SSD which is far more responsive and physically even quieter. It has fast forward including 1minute jumps forward and 15sec backwards, so its easy to jump the adverts when playing back.

No, Freeview is a terrestrial service. It is Freeview Play that streams. We have the Manhattan TR4 recorder. We previously had the TR3 and I enquired about upgrading to an SSD. Manhattan advised against it telling me that an SSD should not cope with constantly re-writing.

The Manhattan is good. But would be better with one or two more tuners.

John

 

[ProfJohnL]

Eh? Sorry Prof but you are well wrong there.
Freeview is an over-air broadcast service that carries the five main channels and many others. Agreed some of those channels can be delivered by broadband (a.k.a. streaming) but most are through your aerial. All transmitters (of which there are nearly 1200 in the UK) carry PSB1 (BBC), PSB2 (independent main stations) and PSB3 which carries a mixture of BBC and independent stations in HD. Main stations (i.e not relays) also have Com 4, 5, and 6 carrying bucket loads of other stations but as with PSB they are ALL off air. Some main stations broadcast local TV stations on Com 7 such as Leeds TV, York TV, etc and all of them are on channel 7*. The coverage of channel 7 is very limited so there should be no mutual interference. [PSB is Public Service Broadcasting, Com n is Commercial.]
[*Confusion point 1: Com7 is a seventh transmitter on the relevant site, but Local TV is station 7 - see below.]

You are probably confused by the fact that smart TV's as well as receiving off-air can also collect stations that are fed by broadband - such as BBC iPlayer, ITXx, My5 etc. Some recorders are able to use broadband fed stations as well.
If you have a suitable recorder with a twin digital TV receiver inside them you can record two stations whilst you watch a third. Humax has always been a popular brand, but others by Panasonic and Manhattan are also very good. Some of them (notably Manhattan) can also record off broadband. All of them by default are able to record HD whether your TV has HD capability or not.

There can be some confusion with the use of the word 'channel.' In analogue days there were five TV channels, BBC1, BBC2, ITV, Channel 4 and Five. Each of these five used one signal carrier transmission or channel so there was never confusion as to what meant what.
With digital transmissions - which have one multiplex on each signal carrier channel - the programs are converted into digital data and multiplexed or computer mixed together allowing as many as eight or more programs to be available on a single signal carrier channel.
On a personal basis I refer to the signal being radiated by the transmitter site as a channel, and what I watch at home - such as BBC1/ITV2/More4 etc- as stations.
So to recap, all transmitter sites - main or relays - carry PSB1-3 which in total presents 20 stations, but in addition main stations carry Coms 4, 5, and 6 (and some Com 7) which in total will decode into around 80 or so stations. Also each of the six over-airMultiplexes (or muxes for short) have the capability to carry audio only stations - i.e. radio - which is another 24

Perhaps I did not express myself clearly enough. I was trying to differentiate between Live On Air programmes which you can record as they are broadcast, but the elements of Freeview that allow you to view programs from the last week which have to be streamed, generally you cannot record them as they are streamed, you have to download them, and then watch them. Some of the down loaded material is time limited, where live on air programs recorded do not seem to incur the time limitations.

I have no doubt you have a wide knowledge of the broadcasting system but I'm not sure why your answer needed a description of transmitters, multiplexers and relays which had no bearing on point in debate.

 

[Buckman]

Perhaps I did not express myself clearly enough. I was trying to differentiate between Live On Air programmes which you can record as they are broadcast, but the elements of Freeview that allow you to view programs from the last week which have to be streamed, generally you cannot record them as they are streamed, you have to download them, and then watch them. Some of the down loaded material is time limited, where live on air programs recorded do not seem to incur the time limitations.

I have no doubt you have a wide knowledge of the broadcasting system but I'm not sure why your answer needed a description of transmitters, multiplexers and relays which had no bearing on point in debate.

If they are streamed, why would anyone want to record them as they can be downloaded at any time?

 

[Jcloughie]

If they are streamed, why would anyone want to record them as they can be downloaded at any time?

Two possible reasons.

They are not held for streaming indefinitely.
You may want to watch somewhere where there is no internet.

John

 

[RogerL]

If they are streamed, why would anyone want to record them as they can be downloaded at any time?

To take them away in the caravan to a site without enough internet speed to download.

 

[Buckman]

To take them away in the caravan to a site without enough internet speed to download.

However you are not recording them, you are downloading them?

 

[Jcloughie]

However you are not recording them, you are downloading them?

It is the same thing. Though in some cases they might be encrypted.

In this way, you can download a film from say Netflix. But only the rightful account holder can play it.

John

 

[otherclive]

It is the same thing. Though in some cases they might be encrypted.

In this way, you can download a film from say Netflix. But only the rightful account holder can play it.

John

Don't some downloads have an expiry date, whereas recordings are retainable?