| Hi Folks! Christmas Opening Open 24th until 12 noon - there will be a post dispatch that day for orders received in time. Closed through until January 5th - we would usually go back on the 2nd, but as this is a Friday we have decided to re-open on Monday 5th instead. I (Martin) will be around from December 25th onwards to answer technical questions (much to my wife's delight). But I'll take a week off in February. (top) For those of you who are reading this before Christmas, may I wish you a very Happy Christmas. For those of you who already packed up work and don't have email access at home, Happy New Year. Last minute Christmas present? Stuck for a last minute present?
Buy one of our downloadable eBooks and send the download link to your friend! There are novels as well as technical books. http://www.The-Cool-Book-Shop.co.uk Software update for Integrated Digital TV? Martin, I contacted Bush (customercare@albaplc.co.uk) regarding the above TV which was purchased new just before the demise of ITV Digital (it's my elderly Mum's TV). Their first email advised me to contact 0870 0100 123 (turned out to be BBC Reception Information) - I was advised that the software was Bush's responsibility although the BBC transmit it over the air. When I got back to Bush with this info, their reply was: "Because ITV digital are no longer around no software is available for the unit. We have no dealings with transmission on this." (Although it is an integrated digital TV, it identifies itself as on Ondigital Box - teletext functions only in analogue mode not digital mode & there is no "background" to radio programmes). I think Bush's attitude is awful! Do you have any thoughts on this matter? Regards, Doug In fairness, Bush can't really do anything about it. The software was written by a subsidiary of Canal Plus and paid for by the ONdigital consortium, which no longer exists. It had nothing to do with the hardware manufacturers like Bush. The software group has presumably been disbanded and, even if it existed, it would probably charge hundreds of thousands of pounds to update the software to be compatible with Freeview. In effect, what you have is like an old car that will run happily only on leaded fuel. It will still work on unleaded but not give full performance or be reliable. Who will pay the fuel companies to keep on making Lead Replacement Fuel? (Answer: nobody). My other thought is that I would never buy an "integrated" TV for this very reason. If one part becomes obsolete, you are left with a 'white elephant'. I saw it happen with Sky Analogue TVs and before that with combined VHF/radio TVs. In addition, if one part goes faulty, you lose the whole lot to the repair company for weeks. I prefer "separates". The problem there is in making sure that the "separates" are mutually compatible. Several extremely expensive TV sets are incompatible with Sky Digital receivers. (top)
Email newsletter As previously, I've kept the email mailshot to a minimum and put the news here. But, as requested by a small number, I have made the email version available. Simply send a blank message to lastmonth@satcure.net and you will receive the email version. Only 70 people requested the email version. That's a very small percentage of the readership and I may decide it's not enough. But, for the moment, I'll continue to provide it in both formats (top)
Pace Digibox slow to respond Both my Pace Sky Digiboxes developed a fault two nights ago (16th Dec) whereby the on-screen menus were "vibrating". Rebooting fixed this. The following day they both became slow to respond to the remote control - seemingly storing up about 6 key presses then acting on them all at once so I didn't know what the heck was happening. Forcing a software download appears to have cured the problem. http://www.satcure.co.uk/digifaq2.htm#menus Note that this is also a symptom of a damaged modem chip caused by a voltage surge on the phone line. (Don't connect the phone line during the stormy season!) (top)
Thai Channels I've just been given a digibox. Our block of flats has a huge communual dish. 'Normal' 102 FTV picture channels work fine. Is there any way I can muck about with Frequency / symbol rate / FEC etc. to receive any FTV Thai channels?
Or do I need another card, or another module in the back, or do I have to subscribe & if so, to whom & for how little?
Thanx. Dave Hayman. Welcome to email, Dave. As you left your "reply to" email address blank, I can't reply direct! No "other card" or "module" is available for the Sky Digiboxes so you can't use a Sky box unless the programme is FTA. As you should have read on our web site, I can't answer questions about specific programmes. I don't have time to look up all the information for you so I recommend you start here: See http://www.satcure.co.uk/tech/channels.htm and http://www.satcure.co.uk/tech/astra19.htm If you put your question in our discussion forum, someone who already receives Thai TV may see it and help you. (top)
Freeview aerial In an area where Freeview signals are weak, is this a wideband ariel and although there are no guarantees, might it work? Is there anything else that might benefit us like wideband amplifiers, if so which as I am not technically minded! Thank you and a Very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you ........
Brgds, Wendy No, it's a wideband "aerial". (Ariel is washing powder <grin>). It definitely works as an aerial. It's impossible to guess what aerial you need although you can check the performance of a standard 12dB aerial at your postcode location. http://www.dtg.org.uk/retailer/coverage.html Type in your postcode. Press "Enter". Click on "more details". Look at the list of programmes available from your local transmitter(s) with a 12dB rooftop aerial. If some programmes are missing, you might receive them with a slightly higher gain aerial. All I can advise you to do is to either call in a local specialist or else read my eBook, the "Freeview Bible", and learn about the subject yourself. I've tried to minimise the "technospeak" jargon but some technical descriptions are unavoidable. ("dB" just stands for "deciBells". Don't worry about what it means. It's a unit of measurement like "litres" but used for aerial signals to indicate the strength. The higher the better. Every 3dB increase represents a doubling of the signal strength. So a 15dB aerial gives twice as much signal as a 12dB aerial). (top)
Humour Totally off-topic but amusing. I copied THIS off Ebay.
New Products More mountings for dishes etc. on our HARDWARE page 2a in the on-line catalogue. Also silicone sealant. Apologies but I haven't had time to update the downloadable catalogue yet. (top)
Special Offers The Hauppage units sold out very quickly but there are some new items on offer HERE
(top)
From Radio Bullet ( http://radio.mediabullet.co.uk ): - GfK release latest Listening Figures
- CRCA Board Changes
- Kerrang! to launch on WM DAB
- Ratings Results special for Christmas
- Breeze brings Christmas Cheer to Kids in Hospital
From Sky Digi Online ( http://skydigital.mediabullet.co.uk ): - Sky News fined £50,000 for Iraq misreporting
- Sky Digi News Snippets
- Teachers TV Channel from next year
- First run series for Granada Plus
- ITV and Sky deal expected soon (top)
eBook Updates Since the last newsletter, the following eBooks have been updated. If your download link no longer works, please contact me (with proof of purchase). | 
