Freeview changes for BBC Four HD and CBeebies HD

Freeview changes for BBC Four HD and CBeebies HD

Postby dutchman » Thu Jan 11, 2018 1:40 am

BBC Four HD and CBeebies HD are moving to new Freeview bandwidth, requiring viewers to retune to continue watching

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The BBC has confirmed that both services will move during the course of the 11th January 2018, after which viewers should retune. Some devices will process the changes automatically. By the 17th January, viewers who haven't retuned will lose access.

Users of EE TV and YouView boxes (for BT TV, TalkTalk TV, Plusnet TV) as well as Now TV Smart Boxes are also affected by the changes.

Sky, Freesat and Virgin viewers are not affected.

Both channels share Freeview bandwidth on a timeshare basis, with a switchover at 18:57 each day. Due to a lack of available bandwidth on its own Freeview capacity, the BBC has been using capacity from commercial multiplex operator Arqiva to make the services available to Freeview audiences. However, Arqiva's HD coverage of around 75% of the UK means fewer households are able to receive BBC Four HD and CBeebies HD as well as BBC News HD (which is not changing) on Freeview, compared to its other channels, which reach over 98% of households. The BBC hasn't (as yet) specified which multiplex the channels are moving to.

Where available, BBC Four HD is carried on Freeview channel 106, while CBeebies HD is assigned channel 205.

It is understood that the change is linked to preparations for Freeview frequency changes that will start to take place across the UK on a region-by-region basis (except Northern Scotland) between February 2018 and mid-2020, which is affecting the amount of available Freeview bandwidth.

The forthcoming frequency changes mean that for some viewers, including those in the West Midlands and London, an additional retune will be required in the coming weeks to continue receiving all available Freeview HD channels.

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dutchman
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Re: Freeview changes for BBC Four HD and CBeebies HD

Postby dutchman » Thu Jan 11, 2018 10:46 pm

Now broadcasting on COM8 (UHF Channel 35) along with Freesports, BT Showcase, etc.

I would advise against doing a full retune (especially at this time of year) as you may lose channels which you already get now.
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Re: Freeview changes for BBC Four HD and CBeebies HD

Postby dutchman » Wed Jan 24, 2018 11:06 pm

The move has apparently stuffed up the recording feature on many machines with Panasonics in particular now being unable to record anything on COM7 or COM8 any more. A remedy which has worked for at some is to perform a full channel scan with the aerial completely unplugged.
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Re: Freeview changes for BBC Four HD and CBeebies HD

Postby dutchman » Tue Jan 30, 2018 6:37 pm

Whatever the problem was with Panasonic recorders appears to have been fixed now.

There's no signal at all at the moment where I live but I expect that to change dramatically in March when the frequencies move.
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