Retuning

Tomorrow, Wednesday 7 March, you will have to retune each piece of equipment which sports a Freeview terrestrial digital tuner in order to continue watching BBC stations. In addition to television sets and set-top boxes this includes PVRs (Personal Video Recorders), DVD/HDD Recorders etc. Any recordings you currently have made will not be affected by a retune (a question I'm often asked).

Unfortunately It is not possible to provide a universal set of instructions for the process of retuning which will work every time in every piece of Freeview equipment. This is because each manufacturer has produced their own individual way of setting up how it should be done, even using their own unique vocabulary for each aspect. What is possible, however, is to provide a universal strategy for tackling the process and I list that strategy below.

Strategy for the Retuning Process applied to Freeview equipment

1.  Follow the instructions for retuning provided in the manual you received with each piece of equipment. If you don't have a manual, they can be downloaded from the internet at no cost. Just Google the Manufacturer's Name and Model Number followed by the word manual, eg "Panasonic TX-L32E30B manual". The equipment does not have to be currently on sale - it is still possible to download manuals for older equipment.

2. Have open at the same time pages 14 and 15 of the Digital UK booklet "Your Guide to Switchover", delivered to all homes in the area a few months ago. If you cannot find your copy there may still be some available from Wimborne Library or the Tourist Information Centre. Alternatively you could send to Digital UK for another copy: Phone: 08456 50 50 50

3. Click on these two internet addresses for further advice and information:

Digital UK Main Site

TV Retune Site

Digital UK are expecting around 6000 homes to contact their advice phone number during this Rowridge Switchover. By far the majority of those will be having a problem with retuning. Their phone help-line (08456 50 50 50) will be extensively manned on each switchover day.

For Wimborne U3A Members, I shall also be manning my own phone/e-mail help-line on 7 and 21 March and again on 18 April, for any member who is having a problem. The Digital Outreach grant will also fund home visits free of charge for anyone whose problem cannot be solved by phone/e-mail, on the day after each switchover date.