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Terrestrial TV Switch-Off
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Old 23-09-2017, 19:38   #1
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Terrestrial TV Switch-Off

New prediction - I'm thinking that at some point over the next 10 years or so, the following is going to happen:

- There will be a minimum broadband availability requirement of 10Mbps for all and the use of TV spectrum is at least partially recycled for "public service basic wireless Internet access provision". This would replace the previous public service TV signal for those who can't afford to pay for broadband, while also getting them online.

- BBC and Channel 4 will become "online streaming only" and the universal service obligation will relate to streaming of those TV and radio services.

- The TV license itself will be replaced with the "Digital Services License" which will pay for the BBC / Some of Channel 4 and the provision of basic 10Mbit services to those who can't otherwise afford to subscribe to Internet providers or who can't get a decent high-speed connection at home for whatever reason, with the purpose of accessing iPlayer, Channel 4 player and .gov.uk services

- The bad news is that probably nearly everyone will have to pay their license to use the Internet now, instead of just TV

Last edited by Onramp; 23-09-2017 at 19:43.
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Old 23-09-2017, 20:08   #2
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Re: Terrestrial TV Switch-Off

I forsee the closure all all AM radio transmissions, followed by the closure of all FM.

The costs savings on power alone will be huge.

But running digital radios costs many, many times more, as does their initial purchase.

And guess who will be landed with the bill?
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Old 23-09-2017, 22:22   #3
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Re: Terrestrial TV Switch-Off

Although you have the whole issue with the DAB / DAB+ standards, and that some radio stations are actually worse on DAB than they are on FM:

http://www.techradar.com/news/car-te...fix-it-1217586
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Old 23-09-2017, 23:02   #4
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Re: Terrestrial TV Switch-Off

I don't see them switching off DAB/DAB+ anytime soon, and I imagine FM and by extension AM would last even longer. Reason being, that it is normally consumed while on the move or doing an activity that can't involve looking at a screen.
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Old 23-09-2017, 23:37   #5
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Re: Terrestrial TV Switch-Off

We'll need a tipping point for DAB kit to do it. Considering it's still not standard in all new cars I agree it's going to be a while.
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Old 24-09-2017, 19:48   #6
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Re: Terrestrial TV Switch-Off

Quote:
Originally Posted by Onramp View Post
New prediction - I'm thinking that at some point over the next 10 years or so, the following is going to happen:

- The TV license itself will be replaced with the "Digital Services License" which will pay for the BBC / Some of Channel 4 and the provision of basic 10Mbit services to those who can't otherwise afford to subscribe to Internet providers or who can't get a decent high-speed connection at home for whatever reason, with the purpose of accessing iPlayer, Channel 4 player and .gov.uk services

- The bad news is that probably nearly everyone will have to pay their license to use the Internet now, instead of just TV
Two things that stand out a mile here first you don't need a TV licence to own or use a TV, only IF YOUR WATCHING LIVE BROADCAST channels plus Iplayer not any other catch up service !
Second The BBC has been knocking on about a "Digital License" The Uk public has already got this in form of the normal Tv licence under the "I player" addition to the licence fee remit. Or "Internet licence" for years not one thing has come about as you can't control whom or what one does with their internet connection legally without a court order to that address......

---------- Post added at 18:48 ---------- Previous post was at 18:19 ----------

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I forsee the closure all all AM radio transmissions, followed by the closure of all FM.

The costs savings on power alone will be huge.

But running digital radios costs many, many times more, as does their initial purchase.

And guess who will be landed with the bill?
OH yes the digital service push over the analogue services (now 4G services which was former UK navel/submarine bandwidth for communications) they pushing for it to happen over night fast as possible only to sell the publicly owned (spare) bandwidth for a greedy profit.... then to "try" to push the ill thought out equipment on the public (DAB/mobile services).

But wait a moment...the sales of digital radios/good have been dropped sharply & the analogue goods have jumped right back up why you ask? Simple answer user ability it just works great in most conditions unlike just plain DAB. Hence why they are forced out to use the better DAB+ technology after all from straight refusing it over cost in the first stage.... poor planning if you ask me !

I know we are in the 21st century but as they say " if it's not broken DON'T FIX IT" You only need to look over sea's countries to see their not moving from analogue service (FM/MW/LW/SW) broadcasts any time soon why it's cheap + it works, you can listen to any broadcast at a much more vast distances than DAB or DAB+ BTW SW is good for this purpose & still is

Hint; BBC world service/former radio Luxembourg (LW)/Former Atlantic 252 (LW) etc. You/use to hear them broadcasting if you scroll around the dial some still using dish broadcasting transmitters (rotating).
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Old 24-09-2017, 23:35   #7
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Re: Terrestrial TV Switch-Off

I know you don't need a TV license to own or use a TV. I'm suggesting that they will instead probably change that to being a license for an Internet connection /capable/ of receiving streamed PSB content. They might even use that to help fund a basic broadband service for PSB streaming and gov.uk only at 10Mbits/s (using some of the not-auctioned-off channels left over from the inevitable DTT switch-off)
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Old 25-09-2017, 11:20   #8
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Re: Terrestrial TV Switch-Off

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Originally Posted by Onramp View Post
I know you don't need a TV license to own or use a TV. I'm suggesting that they will instead probably change that to being a license for an Internet connection /capable/ of receiving streamed PSB content. They might even use that to help fund a basic broadband service for PSB streaming and gov.uk only at 10Mbits/s (using some of the not-auctioned-off channels left over from the inevitable DTT switch-off)
I understand you fully but if so they'd have to change a host of data protection laws plus many others if they think they could get away with it. (detect what you are watching) I'd only thing you'd only see it as a last case measure after 2020 when the BBC finally goes broke with it's current government mandate. By then the public would had more than gut's full of the BBC/TVL & put up the middle finger up to them fully unlike now days.
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Old 25-09-2017, 22:58   #9
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Originally Posted by toonlight View Post
By then the public would had more than gut's full of the BBC/TVL & put up the middle finger up to them fully unlike now days.
Hopefully, for sure, that one being possibly the best of many outcomes.
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Old 27-09-2017, 16:28   #10
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Re: Terrestrial TV Switch-Off

I don't see the analog radio broadcasts being turned off if ever by the simple premise it is easy to build analog radios and transmitters in a post apocalypse world.

The bandwidth occupied by the current radio broadcasts is less than 50MHz compared to the GHz of the rest of the spectrum. There is simply no reason to try and re-use this.

DAB is a failure by the simple reason that the codecs were obsolete even when the broadcasts started and there was/is no way to update them from the transmitted stream unlike the PC / smart TV codecs that are simply downloaded when a new standard is released.

Plus compared to decent FM the quality is abysmal. Bandwidth / bitrate is all.
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Old 27-09-2017, 16:35   #11
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Re: Terrestrial TV Switch-Off

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unlike the PC / smart TV codecs that are simply downloaded when a new standard is released.
That doesn't always happen depending on the change you still need new kit.

For instance when Freeview HD launched, not all existing Freeview devices were compatible as the HD channels were on DVB-T2:
https://www.ofcom.org.uk/tv-radio-an...nd-freeview-hd

And Virgin Media swapped out all of their original V+ HD boxes as they couldn't support a new version of MPEG for HD.
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Old 28-09-2017, 20:25   #12
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Re: Terrestrial TV Switch-Off

All too true Ben, but at least the more modern devices can be upgraded. The DAB standard didn't even consider it hence its doomed. Of course it could be modernised but that would make all the existing receivers obsolete. Since they all look like (a word that the swear filter blocks beginning with s) that's probably not a bad thing.
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Old 29-09-2017, 00:24   #13
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Re: Terrestrial TV Switch-Off

I'm not sure how, but early DTT set top boxes had some component installed that could "inadvertantly" call the search and rescue lifeboats out

https://www.theguardian.com/media/20...casting.uknews
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/devon/4712122.stm

This quite likely isn't just a case of "spurious interference" either, since it happened on more than one occasion! It makes you wonder what kind of telemetry they have installed... albeit maybe temporarily misconfigured...

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