I know this comes up again and again, but I think Sky is really missing a trick when it comes to focusing on their customers in Ireland.
There are now so many free to air channels that are not listed at all on the Sky EPG in Ireland (including 8 HD channels). These are completely free to air on either satellite or terrestrial, and most are also all available on your biggest pay TV competitor in Ireland – UPC cable television. Many people now know that we can cancel Sky and get most of these channels (plus many, many others) completely free without any subscription whatsoever.
Below are the channels that are NOT available on the Sky platform for Irish customers as of today. I know it’s ultimately up to the broadcaster, but Sky already have agreements in place and a relationship with all the broadcasters listed – so there’s no harm in having some dialogue and negation on behalf of your Irish customers. I know that the channels on be added through the other channels but it would be nice in 2014 to have them on the IRISH SKY EPG.
Irish channels: RTE One HD (available on UPC & Saorview)
RTE One +1 (available on UPC & Saorview)
RTE News Now (available on UPC & Saorview)
TG4 HD available on UPC)
Channel 4 channels: Channel 4 HD (available on Freesat)
4seven (available on Freesat)
BBC channels: BBC 3HD (available on UPC & Freesat)
BBC 4HD (available on UPC & Freesat)
BBC News HD (available on Freesat)
CBeebies HD (available on Freesat)
CBBC HD (available on Freesat)
ITV/UTV channels: UTV HD (available on UPC & Freesat)
ITV 2HD (available on UPC & Freesat)
ITV 3HD (available on UPC & Freesat)
ITV 4HD (available on UPC & Freesat)
I know this comes up again and again, but I think Sky is really missing a trick when it comes to focusing on their customers in Ireland.
There are now so many free to air channels that are not listed at all on the Sky EPG in Ireland (including 8 HD channels). These are completely free to air on either satellite or terrestrial, and most are also all available on your biggest pay TV competitor in Ireland – UPC cable television. Many people now know that we can cancel Sky and get most of these channels (plus many, many others) completely free without any subscription whatsoever.
Below are the channels that are NOT available on the Sky platform for Irish customers as of today. I know it’s ultimately up to the broadcaster, but Sky already have agreements in place and a relationship with all the broadcasters listed – so there’s no harm in having some dialogue and negation on behalf of your Irish customers. I know that the channels on be added through the other channels but it would be nice in 2014 to have them on the IRISH SKY EPG.
Irish channels: RTE One HD (available on UPC & Saorview)
RTE One +1 (available on UPC & Saorview)
RTE News Now (available on UPC & Saorview)
TG4 HD (available on UPC)
Channel 4 channels: Channel 4 HD (available on Freesat)
4seven (available on Freesat)
BBC channels: BBC Three HD (available on UPC & Freesat)
BBC Four HD (available on UPC & Freesat)
BBC News HD (available on Freesat)
CBeebies HD (available on Freesat)
CBBC HD (available on Freesat)
ITV/UTV channels: UTV HD (available on UPC & Freesat)
ITV2 HD (available on UPC & Freesat)
ITV3 HD (available on UPC & Freesat)
ITV4 HD (available on UPC & Freesat)
BBC Three HD, BBC Four HD are not available on UPC
ITV2 HD, ITV3 HD, ITV4 HD are not available on UPC or Freesat
No, they've changed the EPG label too. It must be an exception to the EPG freeze.
Wonder if they'll change Now Christmas back tomorrow? I thought the platform freeze was always very rigid, certainly in previous years it was - obviously not any longer.
Surely just changing the name of an existing channel is pretty inconsequential.
It's not like launching a new channel or moving channels between EPG numbers.
Surely just changing the name of an existing channel is pretty inconsequential.
It's not like launching a new channel or moving channels between EPG numbers.
No, that's true but under ITIL Change Management processes, which a lot of tech businesses like to adhere to, a change freeze means absolutely no platform changes apart from up on operational reactive fault conditions
Most organisations have a soft freeze from mid Dec until a few days before Christmas and then a hard lockdown up until the first full week of January, just surprised given previous years, when closed channels would remain on the EPG etc, that there's been a softening of rigidity in relation to this from Sky's Integration team.
Both carrying no services as of yet but carriers up with 1FFF nullpackets.
In fairness these have been up since the 16th/17th Dec but was only alerted to the fact they had been illuminated from another forum post. Both are UK spot beam and, obviously, for HD services.
Both carrying no services as of yet but carriers up with 1FFF nullpackets.
In fairness these have been up since the 16th/17th Dec but was only alerted to the fact they had been illuminated from another forum post. Both are UK spot beam and, obviously, for HD services.
If these are 8PSK then it is more likely these are for public service television services.
All HD muxes that Sky are responsible for themselves are QPSK EXCEPT 10.936 V which has some non-PSB services on and is 8PSK but not exclusively PSB.
All muxes that have no PSB and are HD are QPSK but all PSB ones are 8PSK - if you see what I mean - hence my theory.
These two muxes have not been in use before it would appear.
Will be interesting to see what goes on these muxes.
When are the extra BBC 1 & 2 HD regions supposed to start?
Don't know. Nobody knows yet it has not been announced.
For the Winter Olympics by the way, it has been announced that 6 online streams will be available showing everything - and it would appear that this may be all that is needed
Given that it would appear that no more than 6 events are taking place at any one time - though I have not examined it properly yet, this would be all that is required.
However, the article from the BBC says that Red Button coverage is still TBC. IF, and only IF all 6 go on satellite, which they mey do as they are temporaries and not everyone has access to connected TVs or the Internet, if 6 channels are required, for HD in the current setup, 2 muxes will be required for this and the SD ones can be put in where space allows.
If they are temporaries, it may be a red herring, but it would make sense that if the BBC have acquired two new muxes, these may be used for BBC2 nations in HD later in 2014 and the start of BBC1 regions. I have no proof, but a pure guess but it would certainly make sense.
As for the Winter Olympics, if you take a look at the table and establish the timings of the events, can you see more than 6 clashes at a time that would warrant a 7th stream?
Can new channels be added again from tomorrow/2nd on the sky platform after the Christmas break? ... I would assume RTÉ One HD will be added sooner rather then later as across the channel "on RTÉ One & RTÉ One HD" is being used to advertise shows.
Can new channels be added again from tomorrow/2nd on the sky platform after the Christmas break? ... I would assume RTÉ One HD will be added sooner rather then later as across the channel "on RTÉ One & RTÉ One HD" is being used to advertise shows.
The platform freeze ends 0600 on the 6th for Sky and most platform operators. Apart from the odd label change, which seems to be excused, don't expect to see any Multiplex reconfigurations to add or remove services or major EPG changes until Monday morning onwards.
Both carrying no services as of yet but carriers up with 1FFF nullpackets.
In fairness these have been up since the 16th/17th Dec but was only alerted to the fact they had been illuminated from another forum post. Both are UK spot beam and, obviously, for HD services.
I forgot to ask yesterday when posting this, could someone check what TSID is currently assigned, if any, to both of these (2064 and 2066) and whether TP64 - 11068H has yet been added to the NIT.
I forgot to ask yesterday when posting this, could someone check what TSID is currently assigned, if any, to both of these (2064 and 2066) and whether TP64 - 11068H has yet been added to the NIT.
I can confirm that 11.068 V is now added to the NIT but shows as DVB-S, not DVB-S2 - the same as for 11.097 V. This must be incorrect as it has to be DVB-S2 if it is 8PSK.
I can confirm that 11.068 V is now added to the NIT but shows as DVB-S, not DVB-S2 - the same as for 11.097 V. This must be incorrect as it has to be DVB-S2 if it is 8PSK.
Cheers Jimbo, thanks for the correction on the polarisation too, slip of the phone keyboard!
Got your PM too, will reply fully tomorrow night as off out shortly for NYE.
Have a good one and all the best to you and all the regular contributors.
Comments
There are now so many free to air channels that are not listed at all on the Sky EPG in Ireland (including 8 HD channels). These are completely free to air on either satellite or terrestrial, and most are also all available on your biggest pay TV competitor in Ireland – UPC cable television. Many people now know that we can cancel Sky and get most of these channels (plus many, many others) completely free without any subscription whatsoever.
Below are the channels that are NOT available on the Sky platform for Irish customers as of today. I know it’s ultimately up to the broadcaster, but Sky already have agreements in place and a relationship with all the broadcasters listed – so there’s no harm in having some dialogue and negation on behalf of your Irish customers. I know that the channels on be added through the other channels but it would be nice in 2014 to have them on the IRISH SKY EPG.
Irish channels:
RTE One HD (available on UPC & Saorview)
RTE One +1 (available on UPC & Saorview)
RTE News Now (available on UPC & Saorview)
TG4 HD available on UPC)
Channel 4 channels:
Channel 4 HD (available on Freesat)
4seven (available on Freesat)
BBC channels:
BBC 3HD (available on UPC & Freesat)
BBC 4HD (available on UPC & Freesat)
BBC News HD (available on Freesat)
CBeebies HD (available on Freesat)
CBBC HD (available on Freesat)
ITV/UTV channels:
UTV HD (available on UPC & Freesat)
ITV 2HD (available on UPC & Freesat)
ITV 3HD (available on UPC & Freesat)
ITV 4HD (available on UPC & Freesat)
Many Thanks and as they say "Lang may yer lum reek"
ITV 2 HD, ITV 3 HD and ITV 4 HD are not on Freesat, they are pay channels.
BBC Three HD, BBC Four HD are not available on UPC
ITV2 HD, ITV3 HD, ITV4 HD are not available on UPC or Freesat
Presume the EPG name is still MTV XMAS?
No, they've changed the EPG label too. It must be an exception to the EPG freeze.
Wonder if they'll change Now Christmas back tomorrow? I thought the platform freeze was always very rigid, certainly in previous years it was - obviously not any longer.
It's not like launching a new channel or moving channels between EPG numbers.
No, that's true but under ITIL Change Management processes, which a lot of tech businesses like to adhere to, a change freeze means absolutely no platform changes apart from up on operational reactive fault conditions
Most organisations have a soft freeze from mid Dec until a few days before Christmas and then a hard lockdown up until the first full week of January, just surprised given previous years, when closed channels would remain on the EPG etc, that there's been a softening of rigidity in relation to this from Sky's Integration team.
11.222 H, 27.500, 2/3.
'Now Christmas' has been relabelled back to 'Now Music', Sky EPG also updated, (noticed this change yesterday).
11.097 V 23.000 8PSK 2/3
11.068 V 23.000 8PSK 2/3
Both carrying no services as of yet but carriers up with 1FFF nullpackets.
In fairness these have been up since the 16th/17th Dec but was only alerted to the fact they had been illuminated from another forum post. Both are UK spot beam and, obviously, for HD services.
11.261 H, 27.500, 2/3.
"52170" (For Gem TV)....No longer carrying EPG now/next data (noticed this some days ago).
11.307 H, 27.500, 2/3.
"52240" (Showing Studio 66 TV)....Now carrying EPG now/next data.
If these are 8PSK then it is more likely these are for public service television services.
All HD muxes that Sky are responsible for themselves are QPSK EXCEPT 10.936 V which has some non-PSB services on and is 8PSK but not exclusively PSB.
All muxes that have no PSB and are HD are QPSK but all PSB ones are 8PSK - if you see what I mean - hence my theory.
These two muxes have not been in use before it would appear.
Will be interesting to see what goes on these muxes.
When are the extra BBC 1 & 2 HD regions supposed to start?
Don't know. Nobody knows yet it has not been announced.
For the Winter Olympics by the way, it has been announced that 6 online streams will be available showing everything - and it would appear that this may be all that is needed
To remind you, the article is here:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/latestnews/2013/winter_olympics_2014.html
The table of events in full is listed here in a grid
http://www.sochi2014.com/en/games/sport/olympic-games/schedule/
Given that it would appear that no more than 6 events are taking place at any one time - though I have not examined it properly yet, this would be all that is required.
However, the article from the BBC says that Red Button coverage is still TBC. IF, and only IF all 6 go on satellite, which they mey do as they are temporaries and not everyone has access to connected TVs or the Internet, if 6 channels are required, for HD in the current setup, 2 muxes will be required for this and the SD ones can be put in where space allows.
If they are temporaries, it may be a red herring, but it would make sense that if the BBC have acquired two new muxes, these may be used for BBC2 nations in HD later in 2014 and the start of BBC1 regions. I have no proof, but a pure guess but it would certainly make sense.
As for the Winter Olympics, if you take a look at the table and establish the timings of the events, can you see more than 6 clashes at a time that would warrant a 7th stream?
Keep an eye on them
11.307 H
52240 will be "Play TV 2"
This is still Studio 66 TV under an assumed name, but that is what it will be known as on the EPG.
The platform freeze ends 0600 on the 6th for Sky and most platform operators. Apart from the odd label change, which seems to be excused, don't expect to see any Multiplex reconfigurations to add or remove services or major EPG changes until Monday morning onwards.
I forgot to ask yesterday when posting this, could someone check what TSID is currently assigned, if any, to both of these (2064 and 2066) and whether TP64 - 11068H has yet been added to the NIT.
You mean 11.068 V
Cheers Jimbo, thanks for the correction on the polarisation too, slip of the phone keyboard!
Got your PM too, will reply fully tomorrow night as off out shortly for NYE.
Have a good one and all the best to you and all the regular contributors.