All posts by Tony Hill
Below are all of Tony Hill's postings, with the most recent are at the bottom of the page.T
Are you really watching free TV in high definition? | High defiWednesday 21 March 2012 5:09PM
Dorchester
Well, thats sorted-out Teletext - now, how about some comments on picture quality of Freeview HD compared with freesat HD. Satellite should, one would imagine, be able to produce a better picture than terrestial but does it?
Anybody with both - can you advise?
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T
Are you really watching free TV in high definition? | High defiThursday 22 March 2012 6:59PM
Dorchester
Adrian:
As your Panasonic can receive both Freeview HD and freesat HD, you are in a good position to compare the two sources for picture quality. Any views on the relative merits of the two providers?
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T
Are you really watching free TV in high definition? | High defiTuesday 27 March 2012 6:01PM
Dorchester
Brian:
Is there anybody else out there who can comment on the relative merits of Freeview and freesat for picture quality?
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T
Are you really watching free TV in high definition? | High defiTuesday 3 April 2012 3:10PM
Dorchester
Brian:
I think "Homeland" was in 5.1 sound and the surround volume is always lower than the "standard" sound carried by the SD broadcasts.
I assume, because there are more channels to carry on 5.1. Can you receive 5.1 audio?
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T
Are you really watching free TV in high definition? | High defiWednesday 4 April 2012 3:00PM
Dorchester
Brian:
A "double-whammy" for you: adverts are always hugely louder, aren't they - and they would have been in louder 2.0 audio after the lower volume 5.1 of the programme!
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T
Freeview signals: too much of a good thing is bad for you | SwiFriday 6 April 2012 4:44PM
Dorchester
All:
Update on my re-tune signal strength situation - a useful lesson?
We are on the western edge of the Rowridge transmitter area and I have been using a masthead amp plus a loft distribution amp to serve two TVs. After the second upgrade my Freeview box was overwhelmed with signal strength over 95% so I bypassed the distribution amp and used a simple splitter: strength fell to 60% on the main TV and only 40% (at best) on the other - no good. I then tried using the distribution amp for the secondary TV - only up to about 45%. After many trials I settled on:
- masthead amp signal split and fed to two separate loft amps
- additional set-side amp for additional TV
Now all perfect with signal strengths all about 70-75% and quality 98%
So:
- main TV has masthead plus distribution amp
- other TV has masthead amp + another distribution amp + extra TV amp
Cor! It works but I can't believe that all this should be necessary for reception in Dorset!
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T
Are you really watching free TV in high definition? | High defiSunday 22 April 2012 1:11PM
Dorchester
All:
Any thoughts from anybody on the relative merits (picture quality, etc) of HD from "freesat" (NOT from Sky) v "Freeview"?
Anybody with both? I have "freesat" HD but only "Freeview" SD and am wondering if it is worth upgrading my Freeview SD to HD.
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Attn: G.F.Lewendon
Sorry for the slow response but thanks for your comments on the relative merits of HD on "freesat" and "Freview. It seem, then, there is no difference. Surprising to me as I would have thought that "freesat" would be superior - not much trouble with snow here in sunny Dorset! I will probably upgrade my Freeview box to HD but it is not a priority.
Any thoughts on "YouView"? My freesat box is iPlayer capable but I have only used it about three times in two years! With PVRs readily available, I can't quite see the point of it except for people away from home - like university students.
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Keith:
We live about 4 miles from Dorchester (Dorset) and also get interference on Freeview from time-to-time. Before digital switchover and the subsequent power increase, the interference would completely wipe out all channels. Now, the stronger signal is only partially interfered with - and the picture is still (just about) watchable. We have to have a masthead aerial booster so that boosts the interference of course. We mainly watch on Freesat so don't know about Freeview problems on 7th October. Perhaps Briantist could suggest what sort of rogue transmissions could be made in the Freeview frequency ranges to cause the interference?
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Tuesday 20 March 2012 2:43PM
Dorchester
I only have freesat HD not Freeview. Do you get teletext on BBC SD channels? Now the Rowridge transmitter is (after tomorrow) at full power, I shall almost certainly get a Freeview HD box - perhaps, Panasonic. So I will be interested to hear what you discover.
(PS: My upscaling SD Sagem Freeview box gives picture quality very, very nearly equal to the HD output of my Sagem Freesat box!)