Digital Switchover Musings

[sunny-dave]

After seeing a specific thread about "My TV screens have gone blank", I had a bit of a look around various forums and news sites to see if it reflected any general problems. There appears to be (often spectacularly ill informed) ranting everywhere.

Has anyone noticed that when the digital switchover only affected us "hicks fom the sticks" there was an overwhelming lack of panic/outrage - we just took notice of the ubiquitous publicity, got sorted and moved on - offering a helping hand to our technologically challenged neighbours where necessary.

Now the self styled "economic and cultural hub of the UK" is affected and it's all hand wringing, gnashing of teeth, articles in newspapers etc etc etc .... is there an inverse correlation between London centric self-importance and normal common-sense ?

[jackthehat]

I don't think it is any coincidence that the last region to 'switch-over' is the London Area.

It gave them time to sort out any and all 'bugs' that the rest of the country just had to put up with.

[ChuckFickens]

considering there have been mail outs, TV adverts, radio adverts, billboard adverts I'm at a loss to figure out why this is taking anyone by surprise!

Although when I pointed out the TV adverts to somebody fairly local to me when they complained about losing their channels after the switch over their response was "I haven't seen the adverts, I don't watch TV"

I'm rarely lost for words, but I really didn't know what to say to that one!

[carrust]

I was in London last year when it snowed. Anyone would think is was the end of the world...

[jno]

they leave the best to last. It makes sense to trial things in less populous areas, as fewer people will be affected when something goes wrong.

[jackthehat]

Quite right, jno.

The mere 54 million outside of 'London' are nowhere near as important as the 8 million inside it........

[237SJ]

A few years ago I was living between the first place to change over to digital and the last place. Because we were the first, the switchover was "news" so we all took notice of it. That`s all old news now and people become complacent. In the country area where we were, there was bu@@er all else to do so people were much more dependent on their tvs. Also, there is a massively greater population in large cities such as london so it 2% of the population have a problem with the switchover, that is an awful lot more people than 2% of an sparcely populated country area so you`re more likely to hear about it.

[rowanwitch]

My Elderly and bloody minded mother in london has managed to get her head round it... 2 tvs one had internal freeview just needs another retune today... she has instructions to follow... and she is very nervous of anything techy

[jno]

they didn't trial it on all 54 million lesser mortals at the same time, though, jack. They were doing it one TV region at a time. I think. How would you have rolled it out?

[sunny-dave]

It all reminds me of the "RAF fighter pilot training" scenario ... which seems to assume that any foreign power will be trying to shoot the crap out of assorted sheep/castles/grass in Scotland and Wales ... perhaps a ratio of one screaming low-level flight over London for every ten over Perthshire would make more sense ...

[Davethedog]

London has a population of 8 million people how many are had wring, teeth gnashing etc and in comparison to you "hicks in the sticks" what is the percentage?

Such a small thing, such a superior attitude

[jackthehat]

I'd have started with London.
And got feedback from the 8 million........

It would, naturally, have given those more cosmopolitan viewers another reason to arch an eyebrow when informed that their 'Country-cousins' were still watching Analogue TV. :o)

[bibblebub]

any group of people that would elect a buffoon like Boris Johnson as mayor probably need as much help as they can get

[cathfromsaron]

wales had their 'switchover' first, and we followed widely available advice and didn't have any problems!

[TheNovice]

Boris Johnson is doing a good job in London.......I s'pose you'd prefer Mr Livingstone would you

[Gromit]

If I were in charge of changing the country from one system to another as rapidly as possible, I would only procede when I knew the system was right and then I would convert the highly populated cities first. Then I would mop up the sparce rural areas.

When the country was subjected to the chaos of deregulation of the bus system, and thousands of routes were axed, it was no coincidence than London was the only place exempt, and remains so. But then, most MPs live or stay in the capital.

[Davethedog]

London isnt last Meridian is next and Tyne Tees is last. Not only that the London TV region is not the same as Greater London it extends to both East and South coasts.

[Hopkirk]

For every one person who is making a fuss, there are probably thousands of us who have taken note, prepared, and are coping just fine thank you.

[Old_Geezer]

Maybe it is the density of folk in this last switchover that gives one a false impression of excess difficulties.

[spotit3]

London isn't the last place to switch over. Northern Ireland isn't due to switch until September/October. At the moment I am in what I am told is a black spot and can't even get Freeview. I only discovered this after buying a TV with internal Freeview! Will I be left without any programmes after the switchover? I know I could pay Sky and get satellite but I can't really afford it.

[sunny-dave]

At switchover they crank up the power of the freeview signal by a factor of about 10 times.

If you can get a decent analogue picture then you should get freeview after the switchover.