Freesat

Wed 11 Jan 2023, 16:49

Well! Well!

I have just just discovered that BBC Radios 3 and 4 are back on Freesat. Perhaps we were jumping to the wrong conclusions

Meanwhile, in reply to Michael’s comment about the Oxford local news: my remark was prompted by the fact that the programme was never available in HD, and I assume some upgrading of equipment would have been necessary to make it so. This may well have been minimal but could have provided the excuse to axe the programme. After all the BBC is having to cope with a frozen licence fee. Or am I being too cynical?

Wed 11 Jan 2023, 09:03

The loss of BBC Oxford isn't really related to the loss of 3 & 4 on Freesat - though they may all stem from the budgetary cuts the government has imposed on the Beeb. 

BBC Oxford simply doesn't exist any more, and if you set iPlayer for it even on your desktop computer, you actually get BBC South from Southampton. As much as you'll ever want to know about traffic jams in Dorset - but no more of those cheery announcements from Geraldine Pearce about Oxford University discovering a new cure for cancer.

If your TV system involves access via broadband, you can still get Radio 3 &4 on BBC Sounds. Infuriatingly, though, you get ONLY "live" access (ie to whatever's being broadcast at the time) and a few podcasts: inexplicably we get much better functionality (including catch-up access to the Radio 3 concert that started five minutes before we got home) from BBC Sounds via conventional internet access on our desktop computers or mobiles.

Just to add to the confusion: out relatively new Blaupunkt TV and 10 yo Humax now have icons saying they'll tune to ITVX - but when you select them, you get a screen saying "your TV can't access this". But then who really wants to watch last week's Coronation Streets?

Wed 11 Jan 2023, 08:25

I have a 5 year old TV (Samsung) and managed to get ITVX on it. 

Tue 10 Jan 2023, 17:59

How complicated this has all become over the years.  I remember the days when it was adequate to plug in the TV and make sure the aerial was connected and that was all.  There are so many different TVs, channels, Freeview boxes, satellite TV.

In Chipping Norton just before Christmas the signal went and has not returned.  Recent technology has passed me by so I've asked an aerial company to call round to give me a tutorial and see if I need to update things.

Like Tony Graeme, I have a very reliable 10 year old Humax recorder which has been my entertainment since before Christmas.

Tue 10 Jan 2023, 17:41

The 'Forum does it again!

Thank you Christine.

My 10+ years old Humax box receives HD happily so I probably would not have noticed the news of SD being withdrawn. (Although perhaps the loss of the local news from Oxford is not unrelated). The article on your link does at least put my experience today in context. However, it seems a bit odd that radios 3 and 4 have gone while 1, 2, 5 and sundry others remain. It also says that during Phase One, SD versions of all programmes except regional news along with BBC Radio Services will be maintained for all viewers.

Tue 10 Jan 2023, 15:22

I think this article from November might explain the loss of the radio channels, Tony: https://www.cordbusters.co.uk/all-bbc-sd-channels-freesat-sky-closing/

It says that in stages, but starting in January 2023: All of the BBC’s SD channels on Freesat and Sky will be shut down, following their upgrade to HD – the BBC has announced. While the HD upgrade is good news for most viewers – those with older SD-only devices on the digital satellite platforms (Freesat and Sky), won’t be able to keep watching any of the BBC’s channels – unless they replace their set-top boxes. Those listening to the radio via older SD satellite receivers, will lose access to the BBC’s radio stations as well.

I don't use FreeSat, but FreeView, and I was really surprised to get some of my BBC TV channels and all of my ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5 back yesterday -- the first time I've had BBC TV (except on iPlayer) since October. But gone again today. I can't get BBC HD channels on my TV at all. From time to time I'm also getting interference on FM Radio. 

I was intending to buy a new TV in the January sales because of this problem, but see that many of the TV sets currently on sale can't yet receive ITVX. So for the time being I'm managing with my various radio sets (FM and DAB), my phone (BBC sounds, plus screen mirroring to the TV) and a firestick. I'll update my TV when I can better see which new TVs are compatible with ITVX. 

Tue 10 Jan 2023, 13:29

Does anyone know why BBC Radios 3 and 4 have disappeared from Freesat ?