The end is nigh...

[2cvbloke]

For Tyne Tees region analogue of course... O-Ha

Starts on the 12th Sept. knocking out BBC2, then finishing on the 26th for BBC1, ITV1, Channel4 and Channel5 on Bilsdale, Chatton and Pontop Pike transmitters, the last transmitter group in England...

Northern Ireland will be the last in the UK to switch in October...

It's funny, this'll be my 2nd Analogue shut-off, though I missed the one back in the Granada region (probably fast asleep), and I'll probably miss this one too...

_http://www.digitaluk.co.uk/when_do_i_switch

 

[Lazarus]

Can't wait ............. I'd be very surprised indeed if DSO alters the Status Quo here: Still won't be able to "see" Bilsdale owing to a firkin great Moor in line of sight and Pontop Pike is very likely still so far away that the Digital Cliff will apply in all but the best propagation conditions.

 

[2cvbloke]

We haven't got that problem with Pontop, just have to look down the bottom end of the street and there is it perched on the top of the hill... O-Ha

 

[smoggy07]

When Tynetees goes digi full time, will Billsdales relay stations get full Freeview HD replacing Freeview lite?

At the moment there are no HD channels and a watered down Freeview coming from the Eston Nab relay

 

[2cvbloke]

When Tynetees goes digi full time, will Billsdales relay stations get full Freeview HD replacing Freeview lite?

At the moment there are no HD channels and a watered down Freeview coming from the Eston Nab relay

At a guess, the switchover would have them ramp up the signal power across the board so the full freeview will be available with the H channels (assuming you can get the main transmitters at all), but as always with terrestrial broadcasting, it depends on the topography and whether your aerial can "see" said transmitters...

 

[smoggy07]

At a guess, the switchover would have them ramp up the signal power across the board so the full freeview will be available with the H channels (assuming you can get the main transmitters at all), but as always with terrestrial broadcasting, it depends on the topography and whether your aerial can "see" said transmitters...

My gran lives in a highrise block of flats in stockton, she gets her DTV via Pontop Pike (and strangely the Eston nab relay too, not sure how that works as they`re both in opposite directions) but I`d have thought her flats had a good line of sight to Billsdale with the antenna being on the roof 17floors up lol

I guess we`ll have to wait and see what happens next month, I really don`t care for Freeview myself, having Virgin Media TIVO and the DM500s for my viewing, but I know a few people who (unfortunately) have to live with Freeview and I know they`ll want to know about Full Freeview and Freeview HD

 

[Analoguesat]

I guess we`ll have to wait and see what happens next month, I really don`t care for Freeview myself, having Virgin Media TIVO and the DM500s for my viewing, but I know a few people who (unfortunately) have to live with Freeview and I know they`ll want to know about Full Freeview and Freeview HD

QWell if they are on one of the tiddly relay transmitters they will only have about half a Freeview service - Freeview Lite in effect. Anyone on a relay is a candidate for Freesat installs to give them a decent choice of channels..

 

[2cvbloke]

Even with full freeview, there's more TV available via freesat (or in my case, Nokia 9800S box), but there's also channels on freeview that aren't on freesat, so, it's handy to have both available in my opinion...

 

[Analoguesat]

Do try to keep up Tyne Tees.

We pioneers in Border land DSO'd nearly 4 years ago

(Which is when I ripped the tv aerial down and we went satellite only)

 

[2cvbloke]

Do try to keep up Tyne Tees.

Well you know what it's like for us in the north of england, we're always the last to get new stuff, heck, we didn't get bendy buses until Boris sold them off...

(not that I like bendy buses, they induce sickness....... :-puke )

 

[smoggy07]

Well you know what it's like for us in the north of england, we're always the last to get new stuff, heck, we didn't get bendy buses until Boris sold them off...

(not that I like bendy buses, they induce sickness....... :-puke )

Bendy bus?

We dont even have them here on Teesside, we`re stuck with old R Reg double deckers and 59plate single deckers

The most advanced bus we have in Middlesbrough is the X9/X10 with it`s plug sockets and free wifi and even that`s not a bus from Teesside, it comes from the Toon haha

To be fair though we have had running water for longer than parts of county durham pmsl

 

[Lazarus]

Ahem, what's a Bus?

 

[sonnetpete]

Ahem, what's a Bus?

Being originally from Durham, what's running water??

 

[Analoguesat]

Well you know what it's like for us in the north of england, we're always the last to get new stuff, heck, we didn't get bendy buses until Boris sold them off...

(not that I like bendy buses, they induce sickness....... :-puke )

I used to regularly go from Cannock to Wolverhampton on Midland Red bendybuses - and that was 25 years ago

This is one of those very buses I travelled on - DAK 302V

-http://www.flickr.com/photos/24759744@N02/4360219482/

According to one of the Chaserider drivers they ended their days shipped off to a theme park in Australia. There were 5 of them & 4 were shipped off with the last one broken up for spares.

 

[2cvbloke]

Bendy bus?

We dont even have them here on Teesside, we`re stuck with old R Reg double deckers and 59plate single deckers

Well, if you're in the Arriva region (my condolences if you are), then no, you won't see them, they're owned by Go North East, and are used on routes around the toon... O-Ha

Actually just looking up the X9/X10 route brings us vaguely on topic, cos that's the Tyne Tees Express, courtesy of Go North East, who like naming their routes, and having all the colours of the rainbow for their fleet colours...

I like GNE, they're a bit nice to deal with than Arriva, back in the day when United were still the main operator south of Durham, they were better, then the cream & turquoise nightmare muscled it's way in and the drivers they hired were very obnoxious and unprofessional, and still are today from the few I've been on since returning to Co. Durham, and still using the same buses they took over when they bought out United (well, aside from the Leyland Nationals, unless they're hiding those somewhere)...

 

[smoggy07]

Well, if you're in the Arriva region (my condolences if you are), then no, you won't see them, they're owned by Go North East, and are used on routes around the toon... O-Ha

Actually just looking up the X9/X10 route brings us vaguely on topic, cos that's the Tyne Tees Express, courtesy of Go North East, who like naming their routes, and having all the colours of the rainbow for their fleet colours...

I like GNE, they're a bit nice to deal with than Arriva, back in the day when United were still the main operator south of Durham, they were better, then the cream & turquoise nightmare muscled it's way in and the drivers they hired were very obnoxious and unprofessional, and still are today from the few I've been on since returning to Co. Durham, and still using the same buses they took over when they bought out United (well, aside from the Leyland Nationals, unless they're hiding those somewhere)...

I can remember United, they where the red busses I think lol

Round here I`m stuck with arriva where I live, they are the only bus that comes to my estate, the busses stop at about 9pm and their daily passes are more expensive than their stagecoach counterparts lol

 

[2cvbloke]

Yeah, United buses were mostly red originally, and in their final livery they were red at the ends with a cream stripe down the middle, infact, I just found a pic of them, all Leylands too (2x nationals (one GNE at the back there) and an Olympian), sat in Durham bus station as I remembered it before moving away...

 

[sonnetpete]

Blimey, it shows how long I've been away from Durham. I can only remember United in that mainly red livery. Northern were in red too but a tad darker I seem to think.

 

[Analoguesat]

I used to enjoy trips on the 1970s Leyland Leopards - proper high back coach style seats instead of the more typical benches.

 

[Topper]

I used to enjoy trips on the 1970s Leyland Leopards - proper high back coach style seats instead of the more typical benches.

Yes they were made down the road at East Lancashire Coachbuilders, I have seen some funny sights over the years of different chassis and engine combinations being test driven on the main road down to Leyland Coaches, with no bodywork at all, driver with a crash helmet and goggles, probably not allowed to do it now