On 03/04/2008, Ian Partridge <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > On Thu, Apr 3, 2008 at 11:47 AM, Brian Butterworth > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Seems like the plan has not changed one bit. Seems that Ofcom doesn't > care > > about viewers, just the money it is going to rake in that newest of > stealth > > taxes, the Digital Dividend Review. > > > Sorry Brian, can you explain? What don't you like about the Ofcom > proposals, and what should they do instead?
Sorry, I'm on holiday and speed reading the proposals in an Athens Internet shop... I don't like the fact that the BBC is to be chucked off Multiplex 2 for a start. It seems that the BBC Trust is be allowed to keep oversight of 25% of this capacity. Now, as far as I can tell from the proposals it seems that the BBC (and hence License Fee payers) will still be paying for the installation of this multiplex on the 1074 UK transmitters. Seems a bit of a slap in the face to Auntie for making Freeview a big success after the ONdigital cockup. I also dislike the idea that Multiplex 1 will be required to carry BBC One, two, CBBC/three, CBeebies/four, News 24, BBC Parliament and channel five. Even from the extra capacity gained from moving to 64QAM mode (6 Mb/s) the loss of the 24Mb/s that the BBC would have had on multiplex B, this can only mean: - the end of BBCi's two interactive channels; - the removal of the Radio channels (even though they are widely listen to this way); - the reduction in bitrate and picture quality from the television services. - no change of BBC three/four having a daytime service; Fine, the BBC will get to stat mux the HD channel into Multiplex B (25% of ~32Mb/s, 128QAM mode), but this will mean that the picture quality for BBC SD services will go down for the literally millions of people who have gone and bought Freeview. What should they have done instead? Simple, allocate a SFN for the HD service. Fine, some people would need a new aerial (but they probably will do for 128QAM mode). I suspect that the public will regard the concurrent introduction of HD to Freeview with the reduction in quality of existing Freeview services as being 'a con to make people buy new equipment'. Even with better technology, the MPEG2 encoding process still looks awful at low bitrates for sport, in particular football. I can't stand watching sport on TV, but I know a lot of people who do and they already moan about the blockyness and artifacts. The airwaves BELONG TO US ALREADY - the government is running a huge con selling them off. You can be sure it won't be hypotocated into anything useful for the public. -- > Ian Partridge > > City of Southampton Orchestra - http://www.csorchestra.org > Next concert 5th April - Elgar: Enigma Variations > > - > Sent via the backstage.bbc.co.uk discussion group. To unsubscribe, please > visit http://backstage.bbc.co.uk/archives/2005/01/mailing_list.html. > Unofficial > list archive: http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ > -- Please email me back if you need any more help. Brian Butterworth http://www.ukfree.tv
