What shall we do with ITV digital, early in the morning?.

The mess left behind in the world of digital television.

So, ITV digital (formally on digital) has gone. It leave three DVB frequencies.

For those of you who don't know, in the UK, DVB (digital video broadcasting) has been split up into six "multiplexes".

• Multiplex 1, run by the BBC. (Including News24 and BBC Four)
• Multiplex 2, run by ITV (not to be confused with ITV digital) and Channel 4.
• Multiplex A, run by SDC, including Channel 5.
• Multiplex B, C and D. Now vacant.

It always seemed a shame to be that one company should control so much of the DVB spectrum. Before the closure, Sky TV rented thier channels to ITV digital. Why didn't Sky just buy themselves a multiplex and cut out the middleman?

ITV digital could still have sold Sky channels as part of a package, and Sky could have started a "Sky Lite" service for those who can't have dishes installed.

Now ITV digital are out of the way, I hope that Sky do purchase a multiplex and run a selection of thier channels there. A selection of Sky channels along with the Free-to-air services (from the BBC and others) would make for a nifty package, all without having to put up a dish or lay cable.

For a company like Paramount (of the comedy channel) who don't do enough channels to warrant a whole multiplex, perhaps another firm could buy a multiplex and re-let the channels inside to such smaller operators.

My ideal would be for people to a buy a box like Pace's new £99 pound box, which gives you the free channels. Later on, if you want to, order a subscription for the decryption cards for each encrypted channel you want. Just load the cards into the box when you get them and enjoy the pay TV channels as well.

Most of all, I hope that competition increases in the TV world. I would hate to see Sky as the broadcaster in town. Selling the three vacant multiplexes to different companies would help. Just have them agree to a standard for encryption, program guide data, etc and we're all set.

Sky Digital

If the confusion over the difference between ITV and ITV digital wasn't bad enough, we also have Sky and Sky digital. To be fair, the links are much tighter with Sky than with ITV, but there remains the split between the people who supply the content (Sky) and the people who get the stuff into our homes (Sky digital).

The fact that there is a strong link between the two bothers me, with both Sky now and ITV in the past.

How much influence does Sky have over Sky digital? In the block of channels for news, Sky News got in there first with channel 501, leaving BBC News24 with 507. In the film channel block, Sky have taken 301 to 316, leaving Film Four and TCM with 323 to 327.

Having said all that, in the entertainment block, Sky One has given way to the five terrestrial channels, taking only 106, leaving 101 to 105 for the incumbents. (Keeping 103 open for ITV for ages.)

Channel numbers may not seem important, but with the way the electronic programme guide works, you see the channels listed in order. The earlier channels have a greater chance of being selected.

Ideally, I would like to see the content separated from the medium. It sounds daft to say that if you want the BBC, you need a service with ITV or Sky in the name. (Where can I buy a BBC digital set top box?)

But what do I know?