Recent changes on the VM Network

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  • The overnight scan showed changes to NIT linkage. These changes will, most likely, have occurred during Friday but there wasn't a Friday evening scan this week. I'll post a summary table later this weekend.

  • Overnight changes:

    End of more of the free to view periods:

    Date TSID SID EPG SID Name Channel Code Pack Codes Notes
    17/05/2020 2 202 245 Eden Override removed Override removed End of Free To View Period
    17/05/2020 2 203 126 alibi Override removed Override removed
    17/05/2020 3 301 191 alibi +1 Override removed Override removed
    17/05/2020 3 317 266 National Geographic Override removed Override removed
    17/05/2020 3 318 267 National Geographic+1 Override removed Override removed
    17/05/2020 11 1111 246 Eden +1 Override removed Override removed
    17/05/2020 24 2402 265 Nat Geo WILD HD Override removed Override removed
    17/05/2020 28 2803 212 alibi HD Override removed Override removed
    17/05/2020 30 3002 268 National GeographicHD Override removed Override removed
    17/05/2020 31 3101 521 Eurosport 1HD Override removed Override removed
    17/05/2020 33 3301 247 Eden HD Override removed Override removed
    17/05/2020 34 3405 522 Eurosport 2HD Override removed Override removed

    Edited once, last by jj20x (May 17, 2020 at 12:06 PM).

  • There's gaps in the Factual channel numbering at 248-249, 253-255 and 262-264. Assuming the new Sky channels take up 4 (2 HD, 2 SD) and the existing channels don't want jumped over, I can see a reorganising of this and a knock-on reorganisation of Lifestyle after. Though the slates for Lifestyle appearing first seems odd if it was that.

    Another possibility is Lifestyle may be merged into General Entertainment numbering or moved closer. 231-244 is empty.

    I think they'll go after 230 too.

  • ...and the overnight rebrands:

    Date TSID SID EPG Previous Service Name Previous EPG Name New Service Name New EPG Name
    18/05/2020 32 3202 402 Sky Superheroes HD SkyHero HD Sky Fast & Furious HD Fast&FurHD

    I will post the NIT linkage summary at some point. I've been getting bogged down in the radio project for a while, figuring out reference codes to link all of the tables together. Station names have changed frequently over the years, as has ownership details and service areas, so a massive task. Also, a lot of the earlier stuff has never been digitised. I can't even cheat and use IBA records as they haven't been digitised either. Fun times...

  • Summary of the weekend's NIT linkage changes:

    Date Region (ex-Telewest & ex-C&W regions only) Samsung SID Cisco SID Samsung Level Cisco Level Type
    15/05/2020 Barnsley 1 -4
    Knowsley 1 & 2
    Preston 1 & 2
    Bristol 1 & 2 (ex Aztec)
    Wolverhampton 1 & 2
    Basildon 2
    Hayes
    Edinburgh 1 (SCOTLAND)
    Uddingston (SCOTLAND)
    Exeter
    Liverpool TDN
    Southport
    Portsmouth
    Poole
    Brighton
    Manchester 3
    Seven Kings
    Watford
    Leeds
    Lewisham
    Southampton
    10073 10076 1 1 Level 1 updates


    Date Region (ex-Telewest & ex-C&W regions only) Samsung SID Cisco SID Samsung Level Cisco Level Type
    15/05/2020 Barnsley 1
    Croydon
    Hayes
    Uddingston (SCOTLAND) *new*
    VM Hammersmith
    Portsmouth
    Derby
    Manchester 1
    Lewisham
    10073 10076 3 3 Level 3 updates


    Date Region (ex-Telewest & ex-C&W regions only) Samsung SID Cisco SID Samsung Level Cisco Level Type
    15/05/2020 TTA Knowsley DMC (Hayes_RHE) 10073 10076 3 3 Level 3 updates
    15/05/2020 TTA Knowsley DMC (Hayes_RHE) 10073 10076 4 4 Level 4 updates
  • One of the analysts asked why the new level 3 configuration for Uddingston didn't show up in the same way as the updates for other regions. The answer, it probably did but the system hasn't picked it up. So a note about the updates.

    At the moment, only 28 of the 68 regions monitored have level 1 updates. All 68 networks have a level 1 configuration but, clearly, not all of them update. So, it's possible that the configurations of those not updating redirect to the configuration of another region. Or, they may simply not require regular updates.

    As of the last update, only TTA Knowsley DMC (Hayes_RHE) and 9 other networks have regular level 3 updates. For level 3, only 32 of the 68 networks have a level 3 configuration, so something that isn't required in all areas (unless another level of the configuration redirects elsewhere).

    For Uddingston, the new config version is 12. In line with other updated regions, it will have been rolled over to the latest "version 11" before updating to version 12. However, Uddingston had been running a legacy config version 11 and the system cannot pick up a change from a legacy config to newer config with the same version number. This isn't a problem with the analysis routines, it is simply because config version numbers are reused. The version numbers cycle through a range of numbers, when the end of the range is hit, it loops back to the beginning, so this type of thing will happen occasionally.

    There are still no plans to look beyond the configuration and into the actual data streams, so the full nature of these changes will continue to be a mystery.

  • Wednesday's changes:

    Changes to Free To View:

    Date TSID SID EPG SID Name Channel Code Pack Codes Removed Notes
    22/04/2020 4 418 730 Boomerang Override not yet removed M/Player, More End of Free To View Period
    22/04/2020 4 419 731 Boomerang +1 Override not yet removed M/Player, More
    22/04/2020 4 425 704 Cartoon Network Override not yet removed M/Player, More
    22/04/2020 8 825 705 Cartoon Network +1 Override not yet removed M/Player, More
    22/04/2020 34 3404 732 Cartoon Network HD Override not yet removed M/Player, More, Mix, M+, L/Fun

    So an end to the free to view period for the above channels, 1 month after the additional pack codes were added.

    The overnight scan shows that channel code override flags for the above have now been removed. There will be no obvious change for customers.


    Date TSID SID EPG SID Name Channel Code Pack Codes Added Notes
    19/05/2020 4 418 730 Boomerang Override removed No change Channel override flags removed - these had been left in place at the end of the FTV period.
    19/05/2020 4 419 731 Boomerang +1 Override removed No change
    19/05/2020 4 425 704 Cartoon Network Override removed No change
    19/05/2020 8 825 705 Cartoon Network +1 Override removed No change
    19/05/2020 34 3404 732 Cartoon Network HD Override removed No change

    Edited 2 times, last by jj20x (May 22, 2020 at 4:01 PM).

  • Some convoluted changes overnight so the scanner's analysis has gone off to the analysts for them to work their magic.

    In the meantime, lifestyle channels have moved and this has appeared in the old slots:

  • The mysterious Channel A HD and Channel B HD have been given legacy XL/Full House pack flags and flags for the new Full House Extra tiers - consistent with channels operated by Sky.

  • Food Network moves from 278 to 285

    HGTV moves from 279 to 286

    Home & Health moves from 280 to 287

    Discovery Shed moves from 281 to 288

    Travel Channel moves from 282 to 289

    HGTV+1 moves from 283 to 290

    Home & Health+1 moves from 284 to 291

    GOD moves from 287 to 292

    Horse & Country moves from 298 to 293

  • ...and, if the many service related changes weren't enough to cope with, VM has also updated qutie a lot of frequencies on the Brighton and Hersham networks...

  • Some of the update summaries:

    New Services:

    Date Serial ID TSID SID EPG Service Name EPG Name Genre Flag EPG Flags Subscription Pack Flags Networks
    *update*
    Notes
    21/05/2020 2128 4 439 28 Rekrap Yeson * Yeson Entertainment Broadcast
    Hidden
    New code - not yet assigned Now added to all networks * VM have chosen not to add a correct service name but have used "nosey parker" written in the reverse order. - Updated details
    Date Serial ID TSID SID EPG Service Name EPG Name Genre Flag EPG Flags Subscription Pack Flags Networks Notes
    21/05/2020 0 12 1209 28 Dummy 1209 Ch Update Lifestyle Broadcast
    Hidden
    N/a All Placeholder - mothballed transport stream.
    VM seem to have been a little overkeen to copy the config over from the "Channel update" slates.
  • At this point I noticed that VM had tried to allocate 12 pack codes to SID 1402 "Lifestyle Slate" on the early overnight scan and I couldn't paste the analysis data into the summary as there was a buffer overflow - the analysis was set up for a maximum of 10. The database had trapped and commented the error but the analysts hadn't picked it up. Understandable as they aren't actually trying to use the data. A later scan showed that VM reduced the number of pack codes, so 12 perhaps also caused errors for VM. The rest of the data will be posted later, after the coders have increased the number of fields available for pack codes.

  • Ok, the number of fields has been increased to 12 for this update. The extra code resulted in a smaller database file size, the oddities of compression when handling larger volumes of data. One to think about next time a Freeview multiplex squeezes in an extra stream...

    12 is a strange number and this will be reviewed at a later stage and possibly increased.

    VM had used legacy pack codes with both the SD and the 4K versions added. The 4K ones being redundant as 4K boxes are able to use the SD code. The morning update removed the SD codes, leaving the 4K codes. All of this was redundant as 1) the (FTV) override flag is set, 2) the slate isn't accessed directly but via SDT linkage from other SIDs, so the other SID's pack code will apply and 3) the slate is unencrypted. So yeah, welcome to the Twilight Zone!!!

    The coders didn't change the pack code lookup in line with this madness, the lowest resolution detected will continue to trigger the pack code. Eg. XL/Full House will be listed as XL/Full House SD, even if the HD and/or 4K versions are also present

  • Don't know why VM are still masking the names of those new channels, when it's almost obvious what they are.

    No clue, there's more of that in the other summary tables but they are held back while the analysts hunt for other VM spanners found in the works...

    "Rekrap Yeson": the SID for the "nosey parker" app has been extended to the NIT configuration of all regional networks.

  • More summary tables:

    The EPG Movements:

    Date TSID SID SID Name Old EPG New EPG Movement *
    21/05/2020 2 208 HGTV 279 286 Moved up 7 places
    3 305 Home & Health 280 287 Moved up 7 places
    3 310 HGTV +1 283 290 Moved up 7 places
    5 506 Home & Health +1 284 291 Moved up 7 places
    5 507 Discovery Shed 281 288 Moved up 7 places
    5 510 Horse & Country 298 293 Moved down 5 places
    5 514 Travel Channel 282 289 Moved up 7 places
    6 606 God Channel 287 292 Moved up 5 places
    10 1011 Food Network 278 285 Moved up 7 places

    * Movement up refers to the number range i.e. to a higher number. Movement on the EPG is in the opposite direction, where the lowest number is on top.


    Placeholder removals:

    Date TSID SID Service Name Notes
    21/05/2020 6 652 Universal Channel +1 Placeholder services removed from the SDT.

    (Removed from the NIT on 28/04/2020).
    6 670 Universal Channel
    14 1451 Pop Power
    23 2352 Universal Channel HD
    Date TSID SID Service Name Notes
    21/05/2020 2 251 Lifetime Placeholder services removed from the NIT
    & from the SD.
    3 352 HISTORY2
    3 354 HISTORY
    31 3155 OLD Crime+Inv HD

    Edited 2 times, last by jj20x (May 22, 2020 at 1:24 AM).

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