Freeview recorders, catch up TV etc.
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Freeview is not as the name suggests free to view, in this country we need to pay for a licence to view the channels which are transmitted using radio waves, once you use some other method to receive the programs it is no longer freeview, freesat for example, and with internet it is possibly not broadcast either.
I note the following are not on freeview as considered as "commercial (COM) channels"
So would not expect to find on freeview catch-up either, although may be on some commercial catch-up system. I note many of the HD and +1 channels are included in the list.
Many years ago I wanted to use a TV as a monitor for my computer, an Amiga, and did not want to by a second TV licence to have the set in my caravan, since rest of family we still at home to watch TV I would need second licence. So my question was what did I need to do so it was not considered as a TV, the rules have since changed, but still we can still use a TV as a monitor, and a monitor as a TV, and the main word to decide if a TV or not is "Broadcast".
So we have peer to peer and broadcast, and although the same device may be able to use both, freeview is limited to broadcast non commercial on 471.25 Mhz to 861.75 Mhz once it uses internet or satellite it is no longer freeview.
In the same way phone means using sound or voice, we may be able to use the same device to send written messages, but that is then no longer phone. Tele means distance, so voice at a distance is telephone.
As to the electronic program guide (EPG) that is not so clear defined, it is sent on the same frequency band as the TV and smart receivers can use this information to auto correct recording times, and make it so the user selects a program rather than start and finish times.
In days gone by the recording was done on an independent machine, the set top box, although can't see one balancing a box on top of the TV any more, maybe should be a set bottom box now? But today much of what was in the box is now built into the TV, and I have hard drives and memory sticks in some of my TV's so the TV can record, and other devices to allow internet connection with those TV's that don't have it built in. Chromecast and the like.
I also have Blueray and DVD players which when bought had extra options, but many like BBC Iplayer have since gone, if I pay a subscription then I can expect the provider to upgrade my devices as required, and in my case Sky has done that, but when 405 lines went and 625 lines replaced it, I did not get a new TV provided so I could up grade, I had to buy it, however with those people who hired a TV they did get an automatic upgrade, TV hire in early days was like Sky today. The equipment hire company had to upgrade when new things came out, like colour. I used a shades of blue TV for years. Why did we call is black and white? we got neither.
The big thing has been TV size, a 14" TV even in a caravan when sitting really close and the picture was good enough even with old 405 lines, transferring using a coax cable between recorder and TV was fine, however as TV sizes have increased so we wanted better quality pictures, I thought SCART was good, until I connected the same TV to same Sky box using SCART and HDMI and could flick between the two and then realised how much better it was, using the Sky Q record I have not noticed any degrade, but using a memory stick I have, not enough to matter, but that is with our by today's standards a small 42" TV.
Using large hard drives you can store programs at a rate where the picture is good, but some times the TV can't map the really big drives.
But you often get what you pay for, and I know Sky Q is expensive, but it works, I can select a program to record with living room TV and watch with bedroom TV, and I have not a clue how it gets to bedroom TV, wifi or over the power cables, but it in the main works, every so often get connection issues, but in the main it just works, and I am satisfied to pay the extra for some thing that works, and does not need me to thread cables through the house. My free to air box in bedroom for some programs works just as good, but every so often have to delete all the programs and start again, as programs have moved, and then go though the process of deleting the rubbish, you get what you pay for.
I note the following are not on freeview as considered as "commercial (COM) channels"
So would not expect to find on freeview catch-up either, although may be on some commercial catch-up system. I note many of the HD and +1 channels are included in the list.
Many years ago I wanted to use a TV as a monitor for my computer, an Amiga, and did not want to by a second TV licence to have the set in my caravan, since rest of family we still at home to watch TV I would need second licence. So my question was what did I need to do so it was not considered as a TV, the rules have since changed, but still we can still use a TV as a monitor, and a monitor as a TV, and the main word to decide if a TV or not is "Broadcast".
So we have peer to peer and broadcast, and although the same device may be able to use both, freeview is limited to broadcast non commercial on 471.25 Mhz to 861.75 Mhz once it uses internet or satellite it is no longer freeview.
In the same way phone means using sound or voice, we may be able to use the same device to send written messages, but that is then no longer phone. Tele means distance, so voice at a distance is telephone.
As to the electronic program guide (EPG) that is not so clear defined, it is sent on the same frequency band as the TV and smart receivers can use this information to auto correct recording times, and make it so the user selects a program rather than start and finish times.
In days gone by the recording was done on an independent machine, the set top box, although can't see one balancing a box on top of the TV any more, maybe should be a set bottom box now? But today much of what was in the box is now built into the TV, and I have hard drives and memory sticks in some of my TV's so the TV can record, and other devices to allow internet connection with those TV's that don't have it built in. Chromecast and the like.
I also have Blueray and DVD players which when bought had extra options, but many like BBC Iplayer have since gone, if I pay a subscription then I can expect the provider to upgrade my devices as required, and in my case Sky has done that, but when 405 lines went and 625 lines replaced it, I did not get a new TV provided so I could up grade, I had to buy it, however with those people who hired a TV they did get an automatic upgrade, TV hire in early days was like Sky today. The equipment hire company had to upgrade when new things came out, like colour. I used a shades of blue TV for years. Why did we call is black and white? we got neither.
The big thing has been TV size, a 14" TV even in a caravan when sitting really close and the picture was good enough even with old 405 lines, transferring using a coax cable between recorder and TV was fine, however as TV sizes have increased so we wanted better quality pictures, I thought SCART was good, until I connected the same TV to same Sky box using SCART and HDMI and could flick between the two and then realised how much better it was, using the Sky Q record I have not noticed any degrade, but using a memory stick I have, not enough to matter, but that is with our by today's standards a small 42" TV.
Using large hard drives you can store programs at a rate where the picture is good, but some times the TV can't map the really big drives.
But you often get what you pay for, and I know Sky Q is expensive, but it works, I can select a program to record with living room TV and watch with bedroom TV, and I have not a clue how it gets to bedroom TV, wifi or over the power cables, but it in the main works, every so often get connection issues, but in the main it just works, and I am satisfied to pay the extra for some thing that works, and does not need me to thread cables through the house. My free to air box in bedroom for some programs works just as good, but every so often have to delete all the programs and start again, as programs have moved, and then go though the process of deleting the rubbish, you get what you pay for.
Or possibly co-channel interference due to signals from remote broadcasting stations whose effective signal strengths are being enhanced by tropospheric ducting
( google it )
But that does not happen every night.
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Oh I did look, Isotropic propagation was common in Suffolk, but in Flintshire and Powis nearly unknown.