15 hours ago, Turvey said:

Looked to buy a starter pack and found what looks like a decent one on Amazon, ordered it but got a reply saying that 'because of your location we can't fulfil your order '! A disadvantage of living on an island!

I often get that message with Northern Ireland, darn nuisance!!

I don't like seeing that "Columbo" is listed to be shown but then seeing that it's either "Last salute to the Commodore" or "Grand deceptions" - both of which are, in my opinion, painful to watch - that one about the undertakers though is a Columbo masterpiece.

TV channel numbers! Who decided what order to put the channels in the listings?

They start off (in my mind) correctly ie BBC1-channel 1, BBC2-channel 2, ITV etc up to Channel 5. Then they start putting ITV2 and 3 etc in random places which is bad enough, but then they have the plus one channels here there and everywhere!

Why can't they arrange them in a logical order?

First world problems, I know! 😀

Also some Freeview channel numbers change randomly every 6-12 months. Quest was on 12 but has recently moved to 17. I've tried Googling why they have to move them around but never found a decent answer so far...

1 hour ago, TomsFocus said:

Also some Freeview channel numbers change randomly every 6-12 months. Quest was on 12 but has recently moved to 17. I've tried Googling why they have to move them around but never found a decent answer so far...

Not a major problem for me as I can never remember the number anyway so have to scroll through to find what I'm looking for! 🤣🤣🤣

On 3/8/2026 at 3:47 PM, TomsFocus said:

Also some Freeview channel numbers change randomly every 6-12 months. Quest was on 12 but has recently moved to 17. I've tried Googling why they have to move them around but never found a decent answer so far...

My elderly mum often moans about the channel changes on FreeView, though as long as she can find Judge Judy, she's happy enough 😄

On 3/8/2026 at 3:42 PM, Turvey said:

TV channel numbers! Who decided what order to put the channels in the listings?

Has your TV got a 'Program Manager' ? Most newish TV's has this option

I alter my program listing so everything follows on or move channels I don't look at, usually set the wasted channels right at the bottom out the way, doesn't take long, You can also shift all your favorite channels right up to the top, all the sales channels like QVC/Jewellery/DIY channels are all grouped together - American themed channels all grouped together.....

Just my short example......

Talking Pictures TV
That's TV.
Great Movies.
BBC1.
BBC2.
BBC3.
BBC4.
ITV.
ITV+1.
ITV3.
ITV4.
C4.
C4+1.
C5.
C5+1
GB News.
Film Four.
Film Four +1.
Dave.
Dave Dajarvue.

ETC ETC

16 hours ago, StephenFord said:

My elderly mum often moans about the channel changes on FreeView, though as long as she can find Judge Judy, she's happy enough 😄

Funnily enough I came across a channel playing Judge Judy seemingly endlessly last night! Channel 68, just above Quest+1.

Was watching Guz Khan modifying a Honda S2000 in Fast & Furious style. Might be a series you'd like if you haven't seen it already! (Never sure whether Quest just airs old Sky programmes or not! 😅 )

6 minutes ago, Ian Lanc said:

Dave JaVu

Is that on Sky or Freeview? I lost it from Freeview a few months ago, never returned since. Used to watch QI on it every night from 10-11pm, still missing it now. ☹️

On 3/8/2026 at 3:47 PM, TomsFocus said:

Also some Freeview channel numbers change randomly every 6-12 months. Quest was on 12 but has recently moved to 17.

Was told by Virgin this happens when a new freeview channel comes onto the air, also the more they pay, the more the channel goes higher up the list, knocking down other previous channels, channels not accepting new higher premiums, the knock on effect their channel goes down the list or pay the higher premiums they go up higher.

Can't imagine how much the BBC pays to stay at the top two channels....1 & 2.

3 minutes ago, TomsFocus said:

Is that on Sky or Freeview? I lost it from Freeview a few months ago, never returned since. Used to watch QI on it every night from 10-11pm, still missing it now. ☹️

Ah heck! Just looked on my channel list, it's not there no more is it!, but remember a while back that the channel is being removed, looks like they've done it 🙄 Dickheads or what.

On 3/10/2026 at 10:50 AM, TomsFocus said:

Funnily enough I came across a channel playing Judge Judy seemingly endlessly last night! Channel 68, just above Quest+1.

Was watching Guz Khan modifying a Honda S2000 in Fast & Furious style. Might be a series you'd like if you haven't seen it already! (Never sure whether Quest just airs old Sky programmes or not! 😅 )

Seen that series, now, I love a good modder as much as the next guy, but even this was too much for me 🤣

On 3/10/2026 at 10:44 AM, Ian Lanc said:

Just my short example......

Talking Pictures TV
That's TV.
Great Movies.

Glad to see I 'm not the only one who watches all the oldies!😄

1 minute ago, Eric Bloodaxe said:

Glad to see I 'm not the only one who watches all the oldies!😄

I think Talking Pictures is ace, every month they'll do a nostalgia program, usually hoisted by Mike Reid who once did Radio 1 in the 80's, also other oldtimers joining in on the chat, they'll natter about anything from old cars to old motorbikes to holidays in the 50's to the 80's - old hobbies, meccano/airfix/wood making etc, it never ends, i told Talking pictures on Facebook how the channel is great and this weeks nostalgia talk about the models was great, told them about how i like making models, was told to send TP's an email and photos of my models, Mike did another chat which was about Airfix, they mentioned me and showed a load of my built models, most proudest moment ever.

I remember c 1969 / 1970 that my father bought and built an Airfix type kit of a Saturn 5 rocket - it was truly enormous and even had the small pylon on the top. Bet none of those have survived due to their sheer size and fragility.

10 minutes ago, Dauntless said:

I remember c 1969 / 1970 that my father bought and built an Airfix type kit of a Saturn 5 rocket - it was truly enormous and even had the small pylon on the top. Bet none of those have survived due to their sheer size and fragility.

Airfix has released that big kit again! Love how it all has splittable sections with the incy wincy tiny landing module.

As for such models surviving, mine didn't around 1980ish, it was coming up to bonfire night and asked me dad for a few quid, he gave me a fiver and i got 4 firework rockets! I glued up all the sections of the model, then broke down the sticks on the rockets, taping the rockets to the model, then it had to be done, that night i quickly lit all the fuses and stood back, expecting it to go into outer space.......It didn't just screamed on the lawn, followed by 4 bangs and the rocket exploding, bits of plastic flying everywhere with the garden getting lit up, me dad running out and shouting out....''WHAT THE ***** HELL WAS THAT'' 😵‍💫 😵‍💫

2 hours ago, Eric Bloodaxe said:

Glad to see I 'm not the only one who watches all the oldies!😄

Just noticed that 'Great' channel is now running episodes of The Waltons! Use to be a firm family favourite, and I've actually visited Earl Hamner's (the waltons writer) house in West Virginia! Yep, I'm a sad old hector... lol

A thing I don't like about modern tv is films/drama where in some cases the dialogue is almost inaudible, not least because they seem to play background music over it!

Watch a classic movie like "12 Angry Men" , "High Noon", "The Dambusters" or "The.Cruel Sea", to name but a few, and you can hear every word, because they play any music in between the dialogue, not over it!

1 hour ago, Eric Bloodaxe said:

A thing I don't like about modern tv is films/drama where in some cases the dialogue is almost inaudible, not least because they seem to play background music over it!

Watch a classic movie like "12 Angry Men" , "High Noon", "The Dambusters" or "The.Cruel Sea", to name but a few, and you can hear every word, because they play any music in between the dialogue, not over it!

I bought a soundbar to try and cure that very issue, sadly, it didn't...

19 hours ago, Eric Bloodaxe said:

A thing I don't like about modern tv is films/drama where in some cases the dialogue is almost inaudible, not least because they seem to play background music over it!

Watch a classic movie like "12 Angry Men" , "High Noon", "The Dambusters" or "The.Cruel Sea", to name but a few, and you can hear every word, because they play any music in between the dialogue, not over it!

We have subtitles enabled on most things now! Partially due to my hearing loss and partially because of reasons you've pointed out!

Same here.

20 hours ago, Turvey said:

We have subtitles enabled on most things now! Partially due to my hearing loss and partially because of reasons you've pointed out!

I had to change my phone and there is an option on the new one to get live transcripts for phone calls. I haven't tried it yet but it might come in handy when phoning foreign call centres.

This site's opening screen in which it is stated "We value your privacy" and will then unless stopped every time I log on, share my details with 1413 partners.

2 hours ago, anon said:

This site's opening screen in which it is stated "We value your privacy" and will then unless stopped every time I log on, share my details with 1413 partners.

In fairness, that seems to be pretty much every site nowadays.

However, I only get asked once a month, if that. Are you using some sort of browser that clears cookies every time you close it?

Thanks Tomsfocus. I have just reloaded Firefox and it may have defaulted to clearing cookies.