01/09/09 Freeview TV and STB's required retuning from 30 September 2009.

10/04/09 New Panasonic Viera TVs added to Sales page.

31/03/09 Inspection fees reduced.

30/03/09 Change of Walsall number.

18/03/09 Apollo 2000 closes
 

• What is the Digital Switchover?
  
  This is when the old analogue TV signal is switched off at your local TV transmitter.
   
• When does the Digital Switchover effect me?
  
  For those living in Sutton Coldfield and the surrounding areas that we cover, the analogue service will be switched off in 2011. See our Freeview TV page for further information on other parts of the country.

• How does the Digital Switchover effect me?
  
  After digital switchover all the televisions, video recorder and DVD recorders in you home will need to be capable of receiving a digital signal of some kind, either through your aerial, satellite, cable or phone line. To view the different options open to you, go to our Digital TV page.
  
  Unless all your televisions are capable of receiving a digital signal you will not be able to watch after switchover. Similarly, after switchover you will no longer be able to record on your DVD recorder or video recorder unless it has a digital tuner built in.
   
• What does HDTV mean and do I need a HD ready TV?
  
  HDTV means High Definition Television. A HD TV has up to four times as many pixels (dots on the screen) as a standard-definition TV. The pixels make up the lines on a screen: standard screens have 625 lines, while HD screens have 720 and Full-HD screens have 1080 lines. This gives a clearer, sharper picture with much more detail. HD TV also has better quality sound. The majority of LCD & Plasma TV's sold these days are HD ready.
  
  The 'HD Ready' logo means that a television screen has sufficient resolution to display high definition pictures. However, if you have an 'HD Ready' TV it doesn't mean you can automatically receive HD services. You will still need the right kind of receiver, which will be either be included within the TV, such as Freesat or in a separate HD digital box.

  You will need to purchase an HD digital box to get high definition channels on Freeview when it becomes available in your region. These boxes are still being developed and discussions are taking place on when they will be available to buy in shops.

  At the present time the primary method of receiving  HD in the UK is Freesat or subscribe to Sky Satellite TV or Virgin Cable TV. See our Digital TV page. Freeview HD is now slowly becoming available through an aerial, in some areas, see the next FAQ. Other methods include HD Blue Ray Disc etc.

• Will high-definition television (HDTV) be available on Freeview?
   
  Freeview viewers across the UK will be able to watch high definition TV channels possibly as early as 2009, media regulator Ofcom and the BBC Trust announced on the 3rd of April 2008. New technology and a reorganisation of the way channels are allocated on digital terrestrial television platform will free up space for four Freeview HDTV services.

  The first three HD channels will be available as digital switchover takes place in the Granada TV region in the north-west of England and subsequent regions from 2009. All four HD channels should be available across the country by the time digital switchover is due to be completed in 2012. One of them will be reserved for the BBC with the three others open to a competitive bidding process overseen by Ofcom among the public service broadcasters, including ITV, Channel 4, Channel Five and Welsh language channel S4C. The consultation process which began in November 2008 still requires government approval to go ahead.

  Viewers who want to watch the new channels will have to buy a new set-top box incorporating the superior MPEG-4 rather than MPEG-2 compression technology. MPEG-4 is twice as efficient as the MPEG-2 standard , while a new European transmission standard (DVB-T2) will increase capacity by 30%. These Freeview HD boxes are now becoming available to buy. In the West Midlands area Freeview HD is scheduled to begin broadcasting in late March 2010 from the transmitter at Hints near Lichfield.

  What does HDMI stand for?
  
  HDMI stands for High Definition Multimedia Interface. HDMI is a digital connection using a single cable for high-quality video and audio.
   

• So what is the difference between Plasma & LCD TV and what are the advantages of each technology?

  Plasma technology is similar to the way a fluorescent lamp works. The display itself consists of cells. Within each cell two glass panels are separated by a narrow gap in which neon-xenon gas is injected and sealed in plasma form during the manufacturing process. The gas is electrically charged at specific intervals when the Plasma set is in use. The charged gas then strikes red, green, and blue phosphors, thus creating a television image. Each group of red, green, and blue phosphors is called a pixel.

  LCD panels are made of two layers of transparent material, which are polarized, and are bonded together. One of the layers is coated with a special polymer that holds the individual liquid crystals. Current is then passed through individual crystals, which allow the crystals to pass or block light to create images. LCD crystals do not produce their own light, so an external light source, such as cold  cathode lamps are needed for the image created by the LCD to become visible to the viewer.
  
  Although technology is advancing all the time, most experts continue to believe that large screen Plasma sets produce a superior picture to LCD, the ability to render better blacks is still an advantage of Plasma. Fast moving images are also portrayed better on Plasma than a large screen LCD TV. In our opinion LCD sets are a good choice up to around 40" and Plasma sets for 42" and greater. For more information on the differences visit:: plasma-lcd-facts.co.uk.

• Should I replace my old Video Recorder with a DVD/Hard Drive Recorder?
  
  A DVD Recorder has many advantages over a Video Recorder. The DVD discs are much more robust and longer lasting than video tapes and the picture quality is far superior. DVD Recorders place each recording into a title list making it much quicker to access a particular recording. Make sure that you buy a recorder with an integrated digital tuner.

• So what is a Hard Disk Drive anyway?
  
  A hard disc drive is used to store large amounts of data, similar to a computer. Buying a DVD Recorder with a hard disk means that you don't have to keep feeding the machine with a fresh disc on a regular basis. The recording time is dependent on the size of the drive and the recording speed that  you can record in. For example a 250Gb drive will record around 443 hours in EP mode.

• Should my new Plasma or LCD TV be put on the wall or on a stand?
  
  This is very much a personal choice. Installing your flat panel TV will free up extra space in the room and may well look neater. Bear in mind though that you will then have to arrange your seating around your TV, not the other way around. Often sets are mounted too high on the wall, do you really want to be straining your neck looking upwards all the time?  Having the set on a stand is more flexible and is at a more practical height. Whatever your choice, think carefully about it before making your decision.

• So with so many products on the market, what should I buy?
  
  This is a difficult question to answer. If you are going out to purchase a new TV costing £500 upwards you need to seek some some sound advice based on you own personal requirements. Sit down and discuss what you are looking for with a knowledgeable expert, such as ourselves, not some salesman who is only out to sell you whichever sets gives him the most commission. What size screen do you need, what technology, what features, etc. etc. Whatever you do, don't just pick the first set that you come across in the local supermarket. They may be great for your baked beans, but how many such places have staff that can explain the important differences between one set and another. Always buy a set from a well known manufacturer who will  offer you a quality product with a good after sales service. Steer clear of makes that you have never heard of. After all if your wonderful bargain, who's make you have never heard of, goes wrong, where do you go for parts and service once it is out of it's guarantee period?
   
• How I get rid of the red button prompt that appears in the top right hand corner of the picture when viewing digital programmes?
  
  This can be removed by pressing the green button on your remote control when viewing on Freeview or by pressing the back up button when viewing on Sky. Alternatively on a Sky Digi-box the feature can be set to switch off after 30 seconds. Press the Services button, go to System Set-Up, then Picture Settings, then set On-Screen Icon Timeout to On, then Save New settings.
   
• What is Panasonic VIERA CAST?
  
  VIERA CAST delivers online content via an Internet connection to the new Panasonic 2009 VIERA HDTV range. Users can simply plug the Ethernet cable into the back of the television.  Switching from a normal TV programme to VIERA CAST is done by pressing the VIERA CAST button on the VIERA TV remote control. VIERA CAST requires no additional registration or subscription. More detail here ...
   

• What is DLNA?

  DLNA stands for Digital Living Network Alliance. Many companies are involved in agreeing compatibility guidelines so that equipment that is certified with the DLNA logo complies with the specifications and will work together.

  DLNA certified products such as the Panasonic Viera G15 series, V10 series and the Z1 Televisions can be connected to the same home network allowing the media files stored on one device (the server) to be shared to other devices on the same network. For more information about DLNA please download this user guide (pdf).
   

• How do I carry out a complete retune on my Panasonic Viera Television?

  How to retune the Panasonic 2008/9 range of Viera Televisions (pdf)

  How to retune the Panasonic 2007 range of Viera Televisions (pdf)

  How to retune the Panasonic 2006 range of Viera Televisions (pdf)

  How to retune the Panasonic 2005 range of Viera Televisions (pdf)

  How to retune the Panasonic TX-28/32DT4  & similar CRT Televisions (pdf)

Further useful FAQ's will be added shortly. If you have a suggestion, please tell us.

Acknowledgments: Freeview; Panasonic UK; BBC; Digital UK

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