Dave wrote on Nov 23^rd, 2007 at 8:53pm:


This story relates to a scheme for the Whitehaven area to assist elderly and disabled who may qualify and apparently uses a freephone number:

http://www.digitaluk.co.uk/faqs/help_scheme_faqs#a_id2349

Quote:

So are you saying there is no 01 or 02 number for digital uk?

Or if you don't get anywhere with any of the above mentioned people why not give Digital UK's Chief Executive, David Scott (see www.digitaluk.co.uk/about_digital_uk/management_team) a call on his direct landline number or his mobile or why not drop him an email or perhaps send him a text message on the mobile.  As he clearly doesn't expect his important Parliamentary business callers to have to use a covert premium rate non geographic phone number to get in touch with Digital UK I am sure it must be a complete oversight that Digital UK only still offers an 0845 number for the ordinary general public to get in touch with them.

It was certainly also very helpful of Mr Scott to be good enough to list all these details in a letter to Alistair Carmichael MP on 21st February 2008 and so helpfully and thoughtfully published on the parliament.uk website at http://www.parliament.uk/deposits/depositedpapers/2008/DEP2008-0614.pdf

David Scott, CBE, Chief Executive of Digital UK
Direct Line  020 7462 5411
Mobile:- 07831 311074
Email:- david.scott@digitaluk.co.uk

I see that the direct mobile numbers of the National and Regional area Managers of Digital UK are also helpfully listed in their newsletter at www.digitaluk.co.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0006/31020/Get_Set_Spring_09.pdf so if anyone has free texts perhaps they might like to send them a message that way or alternatively an email should get to them using firstname.lastname@digitaluk.co.uk

Barbara wrote on Sep 3^rd, 2011 at 12:58pm:

Perhaps you can list the numbers so as to allow me to remove them and thereby assisting others from wasting their time ringing them.


Barbara wrote on Sep 3^rd, 2011 at 12:58pm:

As with many things in life, there will always be issues.

In the case of Digital Switchover, someplaces will need to do multiple retunes, probably due to the staggered way in which different transmitters are being switched over (that is pre-switchover frequencies elsewhere are the same as in your location post-switchover).

I imagine that different permutations were considered (i.e. switching transmitters over in different orders) and that the way in which it's been done means the smoothest transition (on balance) for people in general.

Without an explanation as to what these problems are, it is impossible to suggest a solution. What is the purpose of the call; to find solutions or just to moan about it?

Dave, thanks for your help.   The purpose of my call is to try to find out whether we will also have to make up to five retunes (we have already booked an engineer for the first two).   My son & his girlfriend in the Eastern area had already completed the advertised two retunes in March/April and as a result lost a good numbers of the Freeview channels they had previously received; purely by chance they heard an item on local TV news saying the transmitter had been boosted and people needed to retune again & it was after that third retune, and nearly five months without numerous channels, that they got back all the channels they'd had prior to switchover.   We are in a different region now & due to switch this week & in two weeks time.  Regarding moans, I already have complaints to both Digital UK & their Help Line service over another aspect & my father's MP.

One thing strikes me in your second post is that although the address is in Scotland the international number is a London one.   Certainly the complaints side of both Digital UK & the Switchover Help Line are staffed by people with Scottish accents, the Help Line complaints people have email addresses @carillionplc.com so  even that is not what one would expect from a Government help line.  I would be quite happy with an email address for Digital UK.

Barbara wrote on Sep 5^th, 2011 at 8:01am:

No one has a right to have a terrestrial television signal that they can receive at their location. There is a proportion of the population that has only got any DTT ("Freeview") after switchover. Many of these will only get the three Public Service Broadcasting (PSB) multiplexes as their transmitters don't broadcast the three commercial ones.

Some people who get their pictures from a main transmitter like Sandy Heath will also not have been able to get DTT until switchover because they live too far away for the low-power pre-switchover signals to travel. In some cases, the commercial multiplexes were/are transmitted at lower power than the PSB ones, so there will be some who can get the PSB ones but not the commercial ones (because the latter signal is too weak to reach their location).

Theoretically, some of these people might be able to get the other channels by upgrading their aerials, although with the prospect of switchover on the horizon, this could be a wasted expense as it might be unnecessary after switchover.

So, channels are not necessarily "missing", it could be that they are not there in the first place.


That said, it certainly needs conveying, in cases where further changes are to take place, about these changes and that in the mean time some channels might be unreceivable for some. The Digital UK website gives this information, although it does show the Sandy Heath switchover as "Complete", which it is. If you download the PDF leaflet for the Anglia region from that page, it does give the dates. Also, if you click the name of the transmitter, it goes to another page which gives the dates.

"You could try a signal booster but this may not work depending on how low the signal actually is."

This is often a bad idea for digital reception. There are a few instances where a booster amplifier can genuinely help (such as running multiple sets from one aerial) but it will often make matters worse. For truly expert guidance on the subject, Wrights Aerials http://www.wrightsaerials.tv/ have a set of articles and guidance notes. Their rogues gallery may make you smile if you haven't been a victim or grimace if you have been. They also link to PARAS http://www.paras.org.uk/ which is another source of professional advice.

There are a number of issues being raised here and I address them one at a time:

1. People don't tend to post on forums to say how well things went.

...The first part of switchover for me was on Wednesday and it went well. I have all channels now on all receivers.


2. There are likely to be pockets of viewers affected by certain issues

Therefore, people may well know others that are affected in the same way. Conversely, in other areas, everything might go smoothly and no one knows anyone with any issues.

Due to the nature of these issues, they aren't spread out evenly across the country.


3. The Help Scheme for over 75s

On principle, I believe that this should help the elderly to continue to have TV after switchover. This includes help with retuning equipment when necessary and where they may be unable to do it themselves or where they do not have a family member or friend who can do it for them.

Television quite clearly plays a large part for the elderly, some who may be unable to leave their home.


4. The two-tier terrestrial television network

There are three Public Service Broadcasting (PSB) multiplexes (muxes) which carry BBC channels, ITV1, ITV2, Channel 4, E4, More 4, Channel 5 and the four HD programme channels. These are available from all transmitters.

Then there are three commercial multiplexes that carry channels like Dave, 5 USA, 5* and Sky News.

There is essentially a two-tier system now. According to UK Free TV, 90% of people will be able to receive all six multiples, but 8.5% will only get the three PSB muxes.

It is interesting to see that Public Service Broadcasting has seen that there are new relays being built to co-inside with the switchover.

But the commercial broadcasters are doing what is to be expected of them; installing their transmitters at sites where it makes financial sense.

It is perhaps the way these days that there is no requirement for them to broadcast from all sites (or as many as there are suitable frequencies to operate from). This might mean subsidy from the tax payer of course.