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Information: ONdigital Information



The information on this page was last updated on Thursday 4th March 1999

Click on a question to jump to the answer, or scroll through the list as usual.
How is ONdigital different to SkyDigital?
Why can't I get all the ONdigital Channels?
Some channels free/breakup/disappear
The Sky channels don't look as good as the others
How do I update my software?
Why don't sub-titles work? (or another feature which you think should)

Why can't I get all the ONdigital Channels?


ONdigital has not yet finished setting up transmitters to cover the whole of the country. Different channels have different transmitters, and, depending upon how far away you are, you may not be able to receive channels from a certain transmitter.
Transmitters are being tested and switched on throughout the year - so keep checking - you may find some channels appear. Channels may come and go depending upon weather conditions, if you are just outside the normal range of the transmitter.
Your retailer will be able to tell you which channels you can receive if you give them your postcode.

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Some channels freeze/breakup/disappear


As described above, not everyone can get every channel. If you are outside the official area for a certain channel, you may be able to receive it, although, depending upon interference from the weather and other factors, the channel may sometimes freeze (as the signal disappears), breakup (as the signal gets badly distorted) or disappear (if either of the two previous happens for very long). A red dot appearing to the right of the center of the screen is antoher sign that the signal is not strong or clear enough.
If you have these problems with channels you should be able to receive, you should contact ONdigital who are obliged to correct the problem if you should be able to receive the channels and are a new subscriber.
Your retailer will be able to tell you which channels you can receive if you given them your postcode.

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The Sky channels don't look as good as the others


Due to the way ONdigital transmits pictures, ONdigital cannot carry a large number of high-quality channels.
Although not confirmed, it has been rumored that the lower picture quality on Sky channels on ONdigital is due to ONdigital deliberately lowering the picture quality to allow them to transmit extra channels. On SkyDigital, the channels are the same quality as the BBC channels etc. - SkyDigital has far more capacity for channels than ONdigital.
Another rumour is that, due to the method used to supply the Sky channels to ONdigital, the process of converting them to ONdigital's transmission system causes the drop in quality. More information as I get it!


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How do I update my software?


You need to tell your box to fetch the latest software.
Enter the menu, and choose 7 (Technical Data). Then select Auto Update. The box will ask you to confirm, then will fetch the software. This will take about 15 minutes, during which the box will display a blank screen, and scroll a message across the LED display.
The ONdigital magazine should tell you when there is a new version of software to fetch.
If you aren't using the lastest version of the software, I recommend you update as soon as possible. Software updates will add extra features, and/or fix problems with the last update.
The latest update, for Philips boxes only, fixes some bugs which can cause the box to lock-up. It also adds sub-titling support.

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Why don't sub-titles work? (or another feature which you think should)


Some features, such as sub-titles, require you to update the software in your ONdigital decoder before you can use them. If you find a feature you think should work doesn't, you should first try updating your software. Instructions on how to do this are here.

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© Copyright 1999 Rupert Woolger
The information contained in this document carries no endorsement or guarantee as to its accuracy, and is subject to change without notice.
Comments: r.woolger@ukonline.co.uk