Hiya! I'm new to TV Live forum and this is my first topic/post, so please give me some support! 
I've been very interested in learning about the digital switchover lately (mostly the mascot, Digit Al), so I've been wondering what your experiences with it have been.
<t>14 y/o gamer and artist with autism. (She/Her)</t>
Yes, obviously I'll have to upgrade to a 16:9 set from my existing one, I'm sick of watching in 14:9. Roll on 2012!
I always preferred Denny Digit. He got the message across loud and clear.
https://youtu.be/722BsBokxEE
ITV Region: ITV News Central
BBC Region: BBC Midlands Today
EeveeSparkles post_id=8963 time=1619358588 user_id=1622 Wrote:Hiya! I'm new to TV Live forum and this is my first topic/post, so please give me some support!
I've been very interested in learning about the digital switchover lately (mostly the mascot, Digit Al), so I've been wondering what your experiences with it have been.
Well companies upgraded a whole bunch of stuff, people bought or were given new boxes, they plugged them in, set them up and those nasty TV companies turned off the analogue signals, provoking cries of "Dash it all!" from the public.
Of course, there were other "mascots" that were promotions for Digital TV services:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EMMUtSRb0hQ
ITV Digital's advertising mascot, Monkey, was more successful than the venture he was advertising. In fact he was so successful and popular not only did he start flogging teabags in later years but before that (it says here) the BBC offered him his own show, but it never got past a pilot.
Speaking of digital TV, does anyone remember this disturbing promotion for Freeview that was eventually banned?
https://youtu.be/Y9yZxZSBeM8
James Martin
Unregistered
Adoption was quick, especially after the ITV Digital disaster.
It took 14 years to launch digital and turn analogue off. Compared to the fight radio has had to make DAB happen (not to mention the huge sums of money it sucked out of programming budgets) that's pretty impressive.
Whilst it’s not terrestrial, the Astra 1 Satellite stayed on air long after Sky’s departure, Sky with the help of aggressive marketing got all of their Analogue customers to switch to Digital within 3 years. The changing point in 1999 was when they chose to give Set Top Boxes away for free whilst you subscribe. By the time the service ended in 2001, only Sky One, Sky Premier and Sky Sports 2 remained on the platform.
As for marketing, certainly Bob the Installer was Sky’s main promotion face during this period:
https://youtu.be/BqCOR1xbE6U
It’s hard to track when Analogue Cable services were removed. In our area it was still available to view (but not as a new customer) as late as 2005/6. But like most cable networks it was probably done an area by area basis.
James Martin
Unregistered
Didn't they give analogue boxes away free in the early 90's? AFAIK Rupert saw the future of subscription - and an easy way to put the boot into BSB?
The curse of Marco Polo House... :lol:
James Martin post_id=9016 time=1619382281 user_id=872 Wrote:Didn't they give analogue boxes away free in the early 90's? AFAIK Rupert saw the future of subscription - and an easy way to put the boot into BSB?
The curse of Marco Polo House... :lol:
Killed both BSB and ITV Digital. Thank god the spirts have been opened and the building's been demolished.
James Martin post_id=9016 time=1619382281 user_id=872 Wrote:Didn't they give analogue boxes away free in the early 90's?
I don’t think they did on a general basis, but they were certainly on offer more whether through rental dealers or as part of promotions in the Murdoch press, as it was then The Sun, The Times, News of the World and Today.
BSB viewers got free Sky boxes and dishes after the merger happened of course.
James Martin
Unregistered
My understanding is there wasn't subscription originally - that came later. I've got vague memories of us getting a card for the first time which we didn't originally require; we had one of the early Ferguson recievers (that couldn't do Astra 1D) with a separate VideoCrypt decoder, which was attached to the RX via SCART cable. I think we were extremely early adopters, but so was pretty much everyone on the estate my parents were friends with. There was a definite "keeping up with the Jones'" vibe about it, and dishes seemed to sprout up like mushrooms on the sides of houses during 1990 and 1991! I seem to remember the old white dishes were massive as well compared to the sleeker black ones which replaced them as digital conversions took place.
James Martin post_id=9016 time=1619382281 user_id=872 Wrote:The curse of Marco Polo House... :lol:
Never seemed to do QVC any harm!
I notice that Count Buckethead, one of the candidates for London Mayor, has bringing back Ceefax as one of his manifesto pledges. (A full list of candidates is available on the BBC website, as they say).
There have been a few weird decisions taken throughout the whole DSO process and subsequently, with services launching that it was known wouldn't be sustainable long term. BBC 2W for example and the temporary extra COM mux.
I imagine it won't be long before there's another switchover to DVB T2 on all muxes, albeit by the time that happens the standard will already have been superceded.
Write that down in your copybook now
ITV Region: ITV News Meridian
BBC Region: BBC South Today
James Martin post_id=9012 time=1619381010 user_id=872 Wrote:Adoption was quick, especially after the ITV Digital disaster.
It took 14 years to launch digital and turn analogue off. Compared to the fight radio has had to make DAB happen (not to mention the huge sums of money it sucked out of programming budgets) that's pretty impressive.
Radio is different, you have car radios, portable radios, personal radios, Hifi sets, all of which have to be replaced. For TV there was the 'set top box' in whatever form, satellite, cable, or terrestrial. Far less fiddly, and easier to get every telly 'converted'
DAB will be eclipsed anyway by on line listening,
By the way, in some regions, (Wales, SW England, Borders) DSO happened in 2009/2010.
With radio, the direction of travel seems to be that DAB is replacing AM transmissions but FM is here to stay.
There's another bunch of BBC local AM transmissions going in the next few months.
Write that down in your copybook now
I understand Bauer have turned off some AM frequencies over the past year or so. Certainly Absolute has seen a reduction in AM coverage, but they don’t promote 1215AM anyway. In Liverpool they left 1548AM when City Talk closed down. I believe they have shut off a few other frequencies elsewhere.
As said a Radio switch over is harder to manage, but at least the switching off from AM seems to be picking up a little. I really don’t know anyone who listens to AM/MW.
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