Recent changes on the VM Network

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  • Just learned that Sky have a test EPG, though it's not accessible via a Sky box as It's tied to the viewing card in the same way that regional services are.

    It isn't encrypted, so can be accessed via a customisable box.

    Do we know if VM has an equivalent?

  • Just learned that Sky have a test EPG, though it's not accessible via a Sky box as It's tied to the viewing card in the same way that regional services are.

    It isn't encrypted, so can be accessed via a customisable box.

    Do we know if VM has an equivalent?

    There's bound to be one, of sorts, any time they introduce a new box OS.

    JJ20X will probably have to correct me on the next bit...

    The difference these days is (I think) the V6 EPG is downloaded from the internet and doesn't have the streams that Tivo and Liberate tuned into.

    Sky will be constantly broadcasting their guides, whereas the V6 will just ask for it every so often.

  • I'm not totally sure how the EPG works these days. At a guess, EPG data for now & next and the next few days maybe comes from the EIT and later stuff is downloaded. It doesn't really make much sense to download everything when it is readily available in the EIT. There is only one EPG section defined in the SDT at the moment.

    This made me wonder if a second EPG would actually show up on the scanner's analysis. It would as there is a "long form" comparison of all descriptors in the SDT along with various other long form comparisons (SDT root, SDT linkage, NIT CDS, NIT linkage & NIT root) - any changes or anything "new" would show up in there even if it doesn't show up in the short form analysis. SDT services & NIT services are always long form comparisons, so any changes will show up.

    Sky is a bit different, like all multi-provider platforms it will use a BAT rather than a simple SDT. Even in normal times, it will carry Sky's EPG, the Freesat EPG and EPGs for other networks sharing the same satellite.

    There isn't a standard method used for EPG analysis across different platforms as most EPGs are bespoke/proprietary.

    Edited once, last by jj20x (July 12, 2020 at 1:14 AM).

  • Saturday and Sunday's changes have mainly been to the active hours of channel 100 (SID 1302 Virgin TV Highlights) for spotlight features. On Saturday, the SDT linkage descriptor for 1302 was updated with the new SID details for "Get Moving".

  • Just been reading that Vice and Horse & Country are to close on VM. That's two more of the extra channels that VM said would stay after the UKTV carriage dispute was settled.

    IIRC, I think that jj20x predicted that, despite what they said, they would probably quietly drop them.

    I'm absolutely furious about this, not Vice, but H&C going.:cursing:

    Without going into too personal details on here, this is a critical channel for me at the moment. I know I'm probably the only viewer, but I will really be sad when its gone.

    On my fire tv stick there is on demand programming, which is no use, but no live channel, which is what I need.

    Utterly, utterly, pissed off with this - and VM.:thumbdown:

  • I'm absolutely furious about this, not Vice, but H&C going.:cursing:

    Without going into too personal details on here, this is a critical channel for me at the moment. I know I'm probably the only viewer, but I will really be sad when its gone.

    On my fire tv stick there is on demand programming, which is no use, but no live channel, which is what I need.

    Utterly, utterly, pissed off with this - and VM.:thumbdown:

    H&C (linear) lasted longer on VM than other UK platforms, don't think they deserve your rage.

  • Apparently, MTV OMG, Club MTV & MTV Rocks will close at 6am on 20/7/20.

    OMG!

    I wonder how many people actually watch these?

    I was watching some of the Trace channels a few nights ago and also Clubland, which seemed to feature an awful lot of Scooter tracks. I'm not sure if that is compelling enough to hold onto an audience over time.

  • OMG!

    I wonder how many people actually watch these?

    I was watching some of the Trace channels a few nights ago and also Clubland, which seemed to feature an awful lot of Scooter tracks. I'm not sure if that is compelling enough to hold onto an audience over time.

    I believe Trace shut down two of their channels recently, so that may given you an indication. They mentioned something about an app, I think, as alternative to the closed channels.

  • No overnight changes on VM but the scan is still being taken at the scan location in the north west and scan scheduling is odd. Due to the timing, there may have been changes after the scan was taken.

  • An extra scan from the normal scan location shows that SID 714 the Live Events Channel (EPG slot 0 on Liberate boxes) now carries the "hide" flag, so is now hidden from the EPG.

  • NIT CDS changes were recorded overnight for the Derby network. Again, mothballed TSIDs 31-34 were moved to the frequency range between the two clusters of frequencies currently used for DOCSIS/data on ex-C&W networks. The number of transports streams used for VOD was reduced to 2.

  • When Haringey and the Scottish ex-Telewest networks used the same frequencies as the ex-C&W networks, we wondered if this pattern would be repeated for future changes to the ex-Telewest networks. Apparently not, overnight changes at Birmingham TDN & Birmingham 750 have used the same frequencies as Barnsley and the earlier changes to ex-Telewest networks. Again, mothballed TSIDs 31-34 were moved away from the range of frequencies used by active channels and the number of VOD transport streams was reduced to 2. TSID 31-34 plus the active VOD streams occupy a band of 6 frequencies, as usual for the bulk of ex-Telewest* regions, with the VOD streams occupying either the upper or lower frequencies.

    (*Ex-Eurobell and ex-Smallworld Carlisle networks use a completely different frequency map.)

    Other changes highlighted in the scan analysis were to the active hours of the Showcase channel (EPG 100 - SID 1302 Virgin TV Highlights)

    Again, scans are not being taken from the usual location and, as the scans are taken earlier than usual, changes may have happened after the time of the scan.

    Edited once, last by jj20x (July 15, 2020 at 7:31 PM).

  • A new service was added to the SDT overnight, no elementary streams were noted:

    TSID 24 SID 2405. I'm tempted not to reveal the service name it has been given but, as a lot of thought seems to have gone into it, it is "I See You", with a shortened EPG name of "I see you". Erm...

    The EPG slot currently allocated is 413, the genre is "Movies". Group 1 flags allocated are "Broadcast", "Hide from EPG", "Sky" & "HD". Group 3 flags added are "PIN access", "Sky 2" & "Hide-reversal", the USID is 2141. This new service has been allocated as "Sky Movies 3 - HD" in the subscription pack codes.

    "Testing" on: Code Download Test (Portsmouth), NGRHEE Bromley, NGRHEE Knowsley, TTA Knowsley DMC (Hayes_RHE) & VM Hammersmith internal networks.

    Hmmm! I wonder what this channel could be... ;)

    In unrelated news (or is it?...) - EPG data has recently been added for the "Sky Cinema Animation HD" pre launch streams on Sky.

    NIT CDS changes were noted for Wolverhampton 1, 2 & TRIALS. The VOD transport streams being reduced to 2 and mothballed TSIDs 31-34 moving out of the active transport stream range. VOD frequencies have been moved to the same map as ex-NTL & ex-Telewest Scotland etc rather than the map used for ex-Telewest Barnsley etc. The VOD transport streams for Southampton were also reduced to 2 (usual ex-C&W frequencies), with no changes to the NIT CDS at the time of the scan.

  • Update:

    I've been told that there were no CDS changes for Southampton, only the VOD changes. TSID 31-34 will eventually have to be moved to fall in line with changes on other networks, so maybe Southampton will be the next network to get the changes.

    USID 2141 used for "I See You" is quite far ahead of the previous unique serial number issued, which was 2128 for "Rekrap Yeson". Gaps have often been an indication of additional channels joining, although possibly not in this climate. So maybe a repository for silly names?...

  • So, Sky Cinema Animation on the way. Thanks jj.

    I don't think it's unrelated at all, you pretty much proven that almost beyond a doubt. I wonder why VM keep doing these childish names before launch?

  • So, Sky Cinema Animation on the way. Thanks jj.

    I don't think it's unrelated at all, you pretty much proven that almost beyond a doubt. I wonder why VM keep doing these childish names before launch?

    I don't think it's unrelated either, it was just sarcasm.

    It doesn't really matter what VM uses as service names before they become visible to all users.

  • NIT linkage changes showed up on the latest scan for TTA Knowsley DMC (Hayes_RHE) - level 3 &4. There were no other changes.

    Edited once, last by jj20x (July 17, 2020 at 9:10 PM).

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