Recent changes on the VM Network

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  • Not hibernation, just the lull before the storm. Overnight changes show some of the remaining MPEG-2 channels being cleared from TSID 12 with further consolidation of TSID 18. Also, phase 2 of the NIT CDS frequency changes at Birmingham TDN.

    Quite a complicated set of changes so full details will be posted tonight but here's a table taken from a very basic scan analysis:

    Old TSID Old SID Service Name New TSID New SID Service Name Notes
    2 218 Colors Cineplex
    2 223 COLORS
    2 223 Your TV 2 252 Your TV Placeholder service moved to placeholder SID number range.
    3 301 alibi +1
    3 303 Dave ja vu
    3 307 GOLD +1
    3 310 Home +1
    3 322 Sky Premiere 1hr
    10 1018 TCM +1
    10 1018 Bangers 10 1052 Bangers Placeholder service moved to placeholder SID number range.
    10 1019 Bangers Nightly 10 1055 Bangers Nightly Placeholder service moved to placeholder SID number range.
    11 1102 Sky Crime +1
    12 1201 alibi +1
    12 1202 Colors Cineplex
    12 1203 Dave ja vu
    12 1204 GOLD +1
    12 1207 Home +1
    12 1213 COLORS
    12 1214 TCM +1
    18 1810 Sky Premiere 1hr
    21 2131 Sky Crime +1 Service cleared from TSID 21, which is not generally used for SD channels.


    The relocated channels are now using MPEG-4.

    Edited once, last by jj20x: Notes column added. (November 26, 2019 at 2:40 PM).

  • At last! Thanks JJ20X. :P Are there any more obvious MPEG4 switches that need made now?

    I was going to list them this morning but they aren't formatted in a way that allows the data to be stripped out into a table. I'll have another look at it.

    Ok, this will probably look ugly but these are the channels that still need converting to MPEG-4 or just moving to a more suitable TSID.

    TSID SID Service Name Notes
    12 1206 QVC Beauty Still using MPEG-2
    12 1208 W +1 Still using MPEG-2
    12 1210 Eden +1 Still using MPEG-2
    12 1211 YESTERDAY +1 Still using MPEG-2
    12 1215 Star Bharat Still using MPEG-2
    12 1216 Colors Rishtey Still using MPEG-2
    16 1610 ITV Audio Desc Possibly awaiting a regional version on TSID 102?
    16 1615 ITV4 +1 Still using MPEG-2
    18 1813 Sky Sports Racing Still using MPEG-2 - possibly awaiting replacement HD stream?
    16 1603 BT Sport Extra 0 These are slates for much of the time so MPEG-2 may be sufficient.
    16 1604 BT Sport Extra 2 These are slates for much of the time so MPEG-2 may be sufficient.
    16 1605 BT Sport Extra 3 These are slates for much of the time so MPEG-2 may be sufficient.
    16 1606 BT Sport Extra 4 These are slates for much of the time so MPEG-2 may be sufficient.
    16 1613 BT Sport Extra 5 These are slates for much of the time so MPEG-2 may be sufficient.
    16 1614 BT Sport Extra 6 These are slates for much of the time so MPEG-2 may be sufficient.
    18 1815 BT Sport 1 HD Duplicate HD stream in MPEG-2
  • Not hibernation, just the lull before the storm. Overnight changes show some of the remaining MPEG-2 channels being cleared from TSID 12 with further consolidation of TSID 18. Also, phase 2 of the NIT CDS frequency changes at Birmingham TDN.

    How many transport streams do you reckon VM might end up with once all this consolidation is done?

  • NIT CDS frequency changes on the Birmingham TDN network:

    TSIDs 6-13, 18-21 & 31-32 have changed frequency, bringing the frequency map broadly in line with the majority of ex-Telewest networks.

    It is thought that a similar move will follow shortly for the Liverpool & Preston TDNs.

  • More changes overnight with further clearance of MPEG-2 channels from the interim transport streams.

    Old TSID Old SID Service Name New TSID New SID Service Name Notes
    6 621 SYFY +1
    7 716 Colors Rishtey
    7 717 ITV4 +1
    7 724 Sky Sports Racing
    8 814 BT Sport Extra 1
    9 911 BT Sport Extra 0 Some BT Sport Extra channels moved to TSID 9
    alongside the SptsETV Sky Sports RB services
    9 912 BT Sport Extra 1
    9 913 BT Sport Extra 2
    9 914 BT Sport Extra 3
    9 915 BT Sport Extra 4
    12 1216 Colors Rishtey
    16 1603 BT Sport Extra 0
    16 1604 BT Sport Extra 2
    16 1605 BT Sport Extra 3
    16 1606 BT Sport Extra 4
    16 1615 ITV4 +1
    18 1813 Sky Sports Racing
    21 2131 SYFY +1 Resuming the use of TSID 21 for SD channels
    - an odd choice.

    As expected there were further NIT CDS frequency changes to the Preston TDN, Liverpool TDN & Liverpool TDN TRIALS networks.

    The following services remain in MPEG-2 and / or on the interim transport streams.

    TSID SID Service Name Notes
    12 1206 QVC Beauty Still using MPEG-2
    12 1208 W +1
    12 1210 Eden +1
    12 1211 YESTERDAY +1
    12 1215 Star Bharat
    16 1610 ITV Audio Desc Possibly awaiting a regional version on TSID 102?
    16 1613 BT Sport Extra 5 These are slates for much of the time so MPEG-2 may be sufficient.
    16 1614 BT Sport Extra 6
    18 1815 BT Sport 1 HD Duplicate HD stream in MPEG-2
  • JJ20X, you didn't say the first group (inc ITV4+1) had moved to MPEG4 but specifically said the 2nd group/table are MPEG2, by my interpretation. Have the first table changed?

    I hadn't checked. The scanners don't take a scan of every transport stream and, as the current software can't be automated, it would take too long for them to manually scan each transport stream. There are automated scans of the raw transport stream data but they are taken at different times and weren't available this morning.

  • MPEG2 almost gone now, thanks for these updates jj.

    On VOD, with all these separate apps like Netflix now which have their own servers, I wouldn't be surprised if VM retire their VOD servers at some point

    Perhaps, but there won't be much of an income stream for VM if they stop being a TV service provider and merely act as a carrier for third party DTH/DTC internet apps.

  • I agree. It was a former Telewest boss who warned that cable should never just be the "pipe," a utility like water or gas, which is why I think VM's future lays elsewhere.

    Yup, they should never have sold Flextech (I think it was renamed to VMTV or something, but that never sticks in the memory :)).

  • Well, I've said on both Cable Forum and here somewhere, what I think will happen to VM, especially with John Malone getting old and wanting to sell his assets now. We now have a new cableco in the country and a big one, it's just how they organise things to appease regulators. I'm of course talking about Comcast.

  • The NIT CDS frequency changes to the Preston TDN, Liverpool TDN & Liverpool TDN TRIALS networks were for TSIDs 14-21, with a second change for TSIDs 31-32.

    Although some of the BT Sport Extra joined the SptsETV Sky Sports RB services on TSID 9, the BT Sport Extra services are using MPEG-4. The Sky Sports RB services originally transferred to this transport stream are still using MPEG-2.

    The transfer of SYFY +1 to TSID 21 is unusual as TSID 21 is mainly used for a 4K stream and various radio stations. Especially so when considering that Sky Crime +1 had only been moved off that transport stream the previous day. This is possibly some sort of test by VM, the mysterious "Project2" is also carried on this transport stream.

  • Interim scan results from an early overnight scan:

    Old TSID Old SID Service Name New TSID New SID Service Name Notes
    4 415 ITV Audio Desc New location - service continues in MPEG-4
    9 916 BT Sport Extra 5 The remaining BT Sport Extra services relocated to TSID 9 - now using MPEG-4
    9 917 BT Sport Extra 6
    10 1019 Star Bharat Final batch of former MPEG-2 services cleared from the holding transport streams to new locations - now using MPEG-4
    11 1107 W +1
    11 1111 Eden +1
    11 1120 YESTERDAY +1
    11 1125 QVC Beauty
    12 1205 Good Food +1 Old placeholder slot removed
    12 1206 QVC Beauty Final clearance of active services from TSID 12
    12 1208 W +1
    12 1210 Eden +1
    12 1211 YESTERDAY +1
    12 1215 Star Bharat
    12 1251 Good Food +1 New placeholder slot in the placeholder SID range
    16 1610 ITV Audio Desc Final clearance of active services from TSID 16
    16 1613 BT Sport Extra 5
    16 1614 BT Sport Extra 6
    16 1612 BT Sport ESPN Old placeholder slot removed
    16 1662 BT Sport ESPN New placeholder slot in the placeholder SID range
    21 2106 Prime Video A new second service for Prime Video ?

    That should conclude the transfer of MPEG-2 SD services and conversion to MPEG-4. The duplicate stream for BT Sport 1 HD on TSID 18 remains in MPEG-2.

    A second service named Prime Video has appeared on SID 2106. More information to follow when the scan data has been analysed.

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