Recent changes on the VM Network

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  • There's been a few complaints that Fox HD keeps breaking up on different peoples boxes (usually when there's a lot of action onscreen).

    Could this be because stat muxing hasn't got enough to work with?

    Would this phenomena show up anywhere on the scans?

    Edit: This is also happening on Sky.

  • I don't understand the point of putting some of the apps onto the EPG anyway. The only reason I can think of is to promote them for people who don't bother looking at the apps section.

    Some people don't like menus with labels they don't understand so stick to the TV Guide. And the YouTube app was one of the first, when TV Apps were a new thing with the launch of the first VM Tivo years ago, so it would've seemed a natural way to introduce a new idea to customers.

    That only the YouTube one is going probably means either Google or VM don't think that particular one is worthwhile any more (maybe a fee was involved?). I wouldn't be surprised if the YouTube TV App is much less used compared to the long-form TV Show services, they probably like watching short videos on their tablets and phones.

    To my recollection the slate for the YouTube TV app was always the same, unlike the Netflix and Prime Video apps where they use the space like an advertising hoarding to promote a show or film.

  • There's been a few complaints that Fox HD keeps breaking up on different peoples boxes (usually when there's a lot of action onscreen).

    Could this be because stat muxing hasn't got enough to work with?

    Would this phenomena show up anywhere on the scans?

    Edit: This is also happening on Sky.

    It won't show up in the usual scans, a bit rate comparison of the transport stream over a period of time could indicate if a channel is being kept on a low bitrate. Maybe if it has a low weighting in the stat-muxing config.

    The fact that it is also happening on Sky tends to suggest a problem with the source feed.

  • Wednesday saw an end to the free to view period for several channels:

    Date TSID SID EPG Service Name Pack codes Notes
    03/03/2021 4 418 730 Boomerang FTV - Override flag removed End of Free To View Period
    03/03/2021 4 419 731 Boomerang +1 FTV - Override flag removed
    03/03/2021 4 425 704 Cartoon Network FTV - Override flag removed
    03/03/2021 5 525 706 Cartoonito FTV - Override flag removed
    03/03/2021 7 703 716 Nick Jr Too FTV - Override flag removed
    03/03/2021 7 705 715 Nick Junior FTV - Override flag removed
    03/03/2021 7 708 713 Nick +1 FTV - Override flag removed
    03/03/2021 7 709 717 Nicktoons FTV - Override flag removed
    03/03/2021 7 710 712 Nickelodeon FTV - Override flag removed
    03/03/2021 8 825 705 Cartoon Network +1 FTV - Override flag removed
    03/03/2021 19 1904 732 Cartoon Network HD FTV - Override flag removed
    03/03/2021 20 2012 714 Nick HD FTV - Override flag removed
  • There were no changes logged on Thursday.

    Friday's changes:

    Rebrand:

    TSID 513 SID 1311 Sky SciFi & Hor HD (SkySciFiHD) rebranded as Sky Divergent HD (DivergntHD) on channel 411.

    NIT Linkage:

    Level 2 version changes for Barnsley 1, Liverpool TDN & Uddingston networks (Cisco & Samsung):

    Samsung streams moving from SID 10073 to 10075.

    Cisco streams moving from SID 10076 to 10070.

  • Do the scans show the bizarreness that DigitalBitRate has been showing recently?

    Most of the multiplexes have place names attached, and not accurately, they aren't for regional channel groups, it's like they've just been randomly assigned names of major places served by VM.

  • Do the scans show the bizarreness that DigitalBitRate has been showing recently?

    Most of the multiplexes have place names attached, and not accurately, they aren't for regional channel groups, it's like they've just been randomly assigned names of major places served by VM.

    VM Scans have the NIT data for 68 networks if taken from an ex-Telewest or ex-C&W network or for around 20 networks if taken from an ex-NTL Langley network. The data we use splits out all of the NIT data and logs it by NID. It looks as if the DBR scans are doing random lookups to get the NIT data and coming up with the first network name found, so it will be quite random.

    Most scan software can't handle cable scans properly as they only expect to find 1 NID, not 68, a problem we had with our original scan software.

    Also the SI tables are broken down into sections, with data listed in NID order within each section. Our early scan software didn't pick up the correct network for sections after section 0 and the section start and end points had to be located manually with the section NID headers then added sequentially. The scan software was preferred by the scanners because scans can be automated, unfortunately, the scans take ages to analyse.

    We skipped to a version of the current software because it is better at handling cable data and preserves the NID order in its primary sort rather than breaking it up into the SI table sections as the primary sort.

    We didn't switch to the latest version of the software as latest versions came with support which was quite expensive. Also, there was a minor bug in the software which was still present in the latest version, so no real point in upgrading. I tried to check for the latest info with the developers a while ago and the site had gone. It seems that there is no longer an upgrade path for the software, or any way of actually getting the software now.

    Things could get very messy if VM ever switches to DVB-C2. I don't know if the current software is compatible, or can read DVB-C2 headers.

    But, in short, the DBR listings are taking raw frequency scans from a specific network and then adding data from an SI scan but without filtering the data for the correct NID of that network.

    Edited once, last by jj20x (March 6, 2021 at 8:52 PM).

  • After a few days of no changes, Monday brings a large batch of Sky rebrands.

    SIDs 1110 & 2307 Sky Sports Golf (SkySp Golf) & Sky Sports Golf HD (SkyGolfHD) become Sky The Players (SkyPlayers) & Sky The Players HD (Players HD) on channels 515 & 505 respectively.

    TSID 513 SID 1311 Sky Divergent HD (DivergntHD) reverts to being Sky SciFi & Hor HD (SkySciFiHD) on channel 411.

    SID 1702 Sky Musicals HD (MusicalsHD) becomes Sky Race Against Time (RaceTimeHD) on channel 402.

    SID 1902 Sky Kids Books HD (KidBooksHD) reverts to being Sky Family HD (SkyFamilyHD) on channel 406.

    In other changes:

    SID 1604 Lifetime HD had the hide-reversal flag removed, hiding the channel from the EPG. The channel number being changed from 208 to 1700. Hello!! I think that's the first time I've seen a 4 digit channel number on VM.

  • Missed from Monday's update: The SDT Root flags were changed for SID 1604 Lifetime HD with the CA flag changing from "encrypted" to "not encrypted".

    Tuesday's changes:

    Rebrand:

    SID 1703 Sky Women In Film HD (WomenFlmHD) reverted to being Sky Drama HD (SkyDramaHD) on channel 410.

    NIT Linkage:

    Version changes for Hersham & Watford networks for Samsung level 0 and Cisco level 255 streams.

    The Samsung streams moving from SID 10071 to 10073 and the Cisco streams moving from SID 10072 to 10076.

  • Updates should return to more useful times, during the day shortly. There is a temporary shortage of analysts during the days

    The normal scans do not log NIT changes for ex NTL Langley networks but we used to have external sources providing limited updates whenever things changed, although not for things like NIT Linkage. The external source database hasn't shown any changes for over a year, which may mean there have not been any major changes but could also indicate a problem with the source. Hopefully, the Yorkshire scanners will be able to provide an update from a Kirklees source before too long as the Yorkshire cable scans have not been active for some time. Yorkshire scans are expected to resume when Covid restrictions are lifted.

  • Wednesday's changes:

    NIT Linkage:

    Version changes for the Bristol 2 (ex Aztec) network for Samsung level 0 and Cisco level 255 streams.

    The Samsung streams moving from SID 10071 to 10073 and the Cisco streams moving from SID 10072 to 10076.

  • Wednesday's changes:

    NIT Linkage:

    Version changes for the Bristol 2 (ex Aztec) network for Samsung level 0 and Cisco level 255 streams.

    The Samsung streams moving from SID 10071 to 10073 and the Cisco streams moving from SID 10072 to 10076.

    Not heard of Aztec before, were they one of the original cable companies? I thought that these had all been swallowed up by Telewest & NTL before these two merged??

  • Not heard of Aztec before, were they one of the original cable companies? I thought that these had all been swallowed up by Telewest & NTL before these two merged??

    Bristol 2 (ex Aztec) is the name of the network which, along with Bristol 1 (ex Aztec), was part of Telewest Broadband SouthWest which was formed out of West Country Cable via United Artists Cable or something like that.

    Aztec West is the location of VM's Bristol offices. I'm not sure why the network name is ex Aztec, maybe the headend was originally located at the Bristol Offices and moved. I'm not sure it's a good idea for VM to actually publicise infrastructure locations.

  • Wednesday's changes:

    NIT Linkage:

    Version changes for the Bristol 2 (ex Aztec) network for Samsung level 0 and Cisco level 255 streams.

    The Samsung streams moving from SID 10071 to 10073 and the Cisco streams moving from SID 10072 to 10076.

    Thursday's scan showed that Bristol 1 (ex Aztec) had also received these NIT linkage updates.

    Version changes for the Bristol 1 (ex Aztec) network for Samsung level 0 and Cisco level 255 streams.

    The Samsung streams moving from SID 10071 to 10073 and the Cisco streams moving from SID 10072 to 10076.

  • Sunday saw some activity on the scan logs, otherwise very little seems to happening right now.

    SID 1702 Sky Race Against Time (RaceTimeHD) became Sky Superhero HD (SuprHeroHD) on channel 402.

    SID 2204 YouTube lost the hide-reversal flag as the slate notifying the removal from the EPG was itself removed from the EPG.

    SID 1866 Love Nature HD and SID 2204 YouTube were removed from the NIT of all networks but not from the SDT.

  • Tuesday's changes:

    Rebrands:

    SID 1110 Sky The Players (SkyPlayers) reverted to being Sky Sports Golf (Players HD) on channel 515.

    SID 2307 Sky The Players HD (Players HD) reverted to being Sky Sports Golf HD (SkyGolfHD) on channel 505.

    NIT CDS (frequency) changes:

    Portsmouth / Code Download Test (Portsmouth) & Portsmouth TRIALS had frequency changes for TSIDs 10-11, 12-14 (512-514), 18-30 & 101-102.

    Wearside had frequency changes for TSIDs 2-5, 9-10, 14-15 (514-515), 16-21 & 24-30.

    In all cases, TSIDs 25-30 moved to frequencies adjacent to transport streams cleared of DVB services.

    The VOD stream for VM Hammersmith moved from a dedicated frequency to share the same frequency as TSID 515 bringing VM Hammersmith back into line with Lewisham. The only remaining known network with dedicated frequencies for VOD is NGRHEE Knowsley.

    Ex NTL Langley networks are not monitored for NIT changes.

  • Wednesday's changes & sorry about the delay, they didn't land on the database until early this morning:

    SID 1013 Virgin Movies & Store (Movies) was renamed Store (Store) on channel 400.

    End of free to view period: (pack override (FTV) flags removed)

    Date TSID SID EPG Service Name Pack codes Notes
    17/03/2021 2 218 828 Colors Cineplex FTV - Override flag removed End of Free To View Period
    17/03/2021 3 304 258 Discovery Chan +1 FTV - Override flag removed
    17/03/2021 3 317 266 National Geographic FTV - Override flag removed
    17/03/2021 3 318 267 National Geographic+1 FTV - Override flag removed
    17/03/2021 4 401 183 MTV FTV - Override flag removed
    17/03/2021 5 501 168 I.D. FTV - Override flag removed
    17/03/2021 5 504 214 DMAX + 1 FTV - Override flag removed
    17/03/2021 5 508 171 DMAX FTV - Override flag removed
    17/03/2021 5 509 172 TLC+1 FTV - Override flag removed
    17/03/2021 5 511 173 I.D.+1 FTV - Override flag removed
    17/03/2021 5 513 807 SONY SAB FTV - Override flag removed
    17/03/2021 5 517 342 Kerrang FTV - Override flag removed
    17/03/2021 5 518 336 Box Hits FTV - Override flag removed
    17/03/2021 5 519 338 Kiss FTV - Override flag removed
    17/03/2021 5 521 340 Magic FTV - Override flag removed
    17/03/2021 5 523 181 Comedy Central FTV - Override flag removed
    17/03/2021 5 524 157 FOX FTV - Override flag removed
    17/03/2021 7 715 133 Comedy Central +1 FTV - Override flag removed
    17/03/2021 7 716 827 Colors Rishtey FTV - Override flag removed
    17/03/2021 7 720 415 Turner Classic Movies FTV - Override flag removed
    17/03/2021 7 722 182 Comedy Central Extra FTV - Override flag removed
    17/03/2021 7 723 158 FOX+1 FTV - Override flag removed
    17/03/2021 10 1018 417 TCM +1 FTV - Override flag removed
    17/03/2021 513 1310 268 National GeographicHD FTV - Override flag removed
    17/03/2021 16 1602 250 Discovery HD FTV - Override flag removed
    17/03/2021 16 1610 199 FOX HD FTV - Override flag removed
    17/03/2021 16 1612 145 E4 HD FTV - Override flag removed
    17/03/2021 18 1809 265 Nat Geo WILD HD FTV - Override flag removed
    17/03/2021 19 1906 167 TLC HD FTV - Override flag removed
    17/03/2021 20 2005 195 More 4 HD FTV - Override flag removed
    17/03/2021 20 2013 134 MTV HD FTV - Override flag removed
    17/03/2021 27 2702 429 Film4 HD FTV - Override flag removed
    17/03/2021 28 2802 132 Comedy Central HD FTV - Override flag removed
    17/03/2021 28 2804 416 TCM HD FTV - Override flag removed
    17/03/2021 28 2807 826 COLORS HD FTV - Override flag removed

    Hopefully Thursday's changes won't take so long to appear...

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