In message , Bill Wright
writes
Geoffrey S. Mendelson wrote:
David Looser wrote:
The original plan, drawn up in the early '60s, was to re-engineer
Bands 1 and 3 for 625-line operation once the 405-line service was
switched off; but it never happened. I guess that the powers that be
thought that the spectrum could be more usefully used for other purposes.
More likely they thought that getting the free TV from France was
too
much competition. UHF only TV's could not receive it. Geoff.

Do many people on the south coast actually bother with French
transmissions? I didn't see many south-facing aerials when I ventured
into that neck of the woods.

I'm pretty sure that 'normal' UK sets could never really receive French
signals.

On 405-lines, we could certainly get the French positive mod 819-line,
14MHz wide signals - but these were displayed as two stretched, tall
images, side-by-side. And, of course, there was no sound, as the sound
(AM) was 11.15MHz HF or LF (depending on the channel number). Under
conditions of strong sporadic-E propagation, Band 1 French signals were
receivable in the UK at considerable distances and, in fringe areas,
could totally swamp the wanted signal.

On 625-line PAL, UK-standard sets can't really make anything at all of
the French positive mod, AM sound 625-line signals (SECAM if colour).
--
Ian