Sky & Satellite Weekly News Thread, Week #46

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  • djrichdjrich Posts: 582
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    jimbo wrote: »
    Just to let you know I will keep an eye on things and they will be posted when a change takes place.

    But just to confirm, there has been NO CHANGES at all this week whatsoever - the first time I can recall that happening for over a year in a non-freeze period.

    When something happens you will see it here - rest assured.

    At least I have some corrections for tomorrow's new test list:
    1. 12032H: 4x QVC / BoxNation HD MISSING
    2. 11.895 V SR 27500 FEC 2/3 DVB-S QPSK 7013 – MTV Live , not 12.129 V
  • StrathclydeStrathclyde Posts: 2,888
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    M60 wrote: »
    Are a lot of EPG and encryption contracts up for renewal in December concerning various channels or is this purely EPG related?

    There's probably nobody contributing here today as they are all on the Sky Q thread!

    One change that occurred last night is 11.225V, gone S2, now 8PSK 23.000 2/3

    Encryption contracts are attached to the EPG Agreements, so they're all up for renewal, but not 100% at this point.
  • RagnarokRagnarok Posts: 4,655
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    Digi Man wrote: »
    Just to confirm-

    Update

    The channels listed below-

    NHK World HD
    RT HD
    Setanta HD
    Premier HD
    Setanta HD in Pubs

    are now on 11.225 V, 23.000, 2/3, DVB-S2, 8PSK.

    More bandwidth for HD channels, never a bad thing, or it leaves room there for one more?
  • TelevisionUserTelevisionUser Posts: 41,395
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    Guys things have gone very quiet on here. I suppose we won't see any new channels launch this side of Xmas or early 2016.

    Well, we're likely to get Vice channel some time, possibly in 2016: http://www.tubefilter.com/2015/10/23/vice-tv-channels-schedule/
  • timo_w2stimo_w2s Posts: 3,382
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    M60 wrote: »
    One change that occurred last night is 11.225V, gone S2, now 8PSK 23.000 2/3

    I can't understand why they have gone for such a low symbol rate. Surely it should be 29.500 just like BT use on 11.386V which is also a 36MHz wide transponder? It suggests to me they aren't using the full transponder now.
  • jimbojimbo Posts: 16,227
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    Digi Man wrote: »
    Just to confirm-

    Update

    The channels listed below-

    NHK World HD
    RT HD
    Setanta HD
    Premier HD
    Setanta HD in Pubs

    are now on 11.225 V, 23.000, 2/3, DVB-S2, 8PSK.

    That is correct but remember that Setanta and Premier are the same channel and the pubs version is the same as Setanta but a different SID with a beer glass on the screen.

    There are in fact only 3 channels on this mux. Do I assume that there is now more bandwidth on this frequency now?
  • methodyguymethodyguy Posts: 6,044
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    Maybe a stupid question but with Sky launching their UHD service later next year I was wondering if there would be enough space on the current Tps or would there have to be new ones.
  • timo_w2stimo_w2s Posts: 3,382
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    methodyguy wrote: »
    Maybe a stupid question but with Sky launching their UHD service later next year I was wondering if there would be enough space on the current Tps or would there have to be new ones.

    They would have to acquire some new transponders unless they only have a couple of UHD channels. If the new boxes are DVB-S2X compatible it would make them much more efficient but the UHD services would then certainly have to be on their own transponders as older boxes couldn't decode anything on a DVB-S2X transponder.

    Of course they could also start lowering the quality of existing channels too to make more room...
  • methodyguymethodyguy Posts: 6,044
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    timo_w2s wrote: »
    They would have to acquire some new transponders unless they only have one or two UHD channels. If the new boxes are DVB-S2X compatible it would make them much more efficient but the UHD services would then certainly have to be on their own transponders as older boxes couldn't decode anything on a DVB-S2X transponder.

    Thank you I thought they maybe would need some new Trasponers.
  • jimbojimbo Posts: 16,227
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    What is the difference between DVB-S2 and DVB-S2X?

    S2 has FEC of 1/2, 2/3, 3/4, 3/5, 4/5, 5/6 6/7, 8/9 9/10 (I think)!

    Given Sky use 23000 2/3 or 29500 3/4 what would be the equivalent in DVB-S2X?

    Is DVB-S2X 8PSK or QPSK?

    Thanks
  • jimbojimbo Posts: 16,227
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    Sorry you are well behind! 13 hours late!
  • timo_w2stimo_w2s Posts: 3,382
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    jimbo wrote: »
    What is the difference between DVB-S2 and DVB-S2X?

    S2 has FEC of 1/2, 2/3, 3/4, 3/5, 4/5, 5/6 6/7, 8/9 9/10 (I think)!

    Given Sky use 23000 2/3 or 29500 3/4 what would be the equivalent in DVB-S2X?

    Is DVB-S2X 8PSK or QPSK?

    Thanks

    S2X is basically an extension to the S2 standard. It's supposed to be about 50% more efficient and also allows for a higher modulation schemes (eg 64/128/256APSK as well as the usual ones in use now).

    It's going to make original flavour DVB-S look even more inefficient.

    http://www.newtec.eu/article/whitepaper/dvb-s2x-demystified

    http://www.v-net.tv/dvb-to-demonstrate-impact-of-hevc-and-dvb-s2x-for-uhd-plus-hd-gains
  • timo_w2stimo_w2s Posts: 3,382
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    By the way, I haven't seen any mention of DVB-S2X in the Sky Q specs so it looks like they won't be using it for some time unless it's possible to do it via an firmware upgrade at a later date? I suspect it will rely on new hardware so might not be possible via a simple update unless it's already in the box but not enabled.
  • popeye13popeye13 Posts: 8,573
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    timo_w2s wrote: »
    By the way, I haven't seen any mention of DVB-S2X in the Sky Q specs so it looks like they won't be using it for some time unless it's possible to do it via an firmware upgrade at a later date? I suspect it will rely on new hardware so might not be possible via a simple update unless it's already in the box but not enabled.

    How future-proof the new box is, i will be amazed if the S2X spec isn't something that cannot be added by software updates.
    If anything, it will be very short sighted of them
  • StrathclydeStrathclyde Posts: 2,888
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    timo_w2s wrote: »
    By the way, I haven't seen any mention of DVB-S2X in the Sky Q specs so it looks like they won't be using it for some time unless it's possible to do it via an firmware upgrade at a later date? I suspect it will rely on new hardware so might not be possible via a simple update unless it's already in the box but not enabled.

    One of Sky's problems of course is that they have bundles of legacy boxes that they don't want to exclude from new facilities/channels they can sell. They don't want to have to carry new channels in multiple formats. I'd be pretty certain they are packing as much future-proofing as possible into the boxes, even if it's not being deployed at launch.
  • rob_knightrob_knight Posts: 622
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  • HarshadHarshad Posts: 5,996
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    I hope they use Novelsat NS3 modulation that's very efficient!
  • Marti SMarti S Posts: 5,771
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    One of Sky's problems of course is that they have bundles of legacy boxes that they don't want to exclude from new facilities/channels they can sell. They don't want to have to carry new channels in multiple formats. I'd be pretty certain they are packing as much future-proofing as possible into the boxes, even if it's not being deployed at launch.

    Backward compatibility maybe, future proofing, I doubt it, they have never been very good at that in the past.
  • jonniedoyle_irljonniedoyle_irl Posts: 27
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    Any update on RTÉ onto Sky?
  • M60M60 Posts: 5,578
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    Showbiz TV has been removed from Freesat today, possibly a precursor to changes on Sky if Canis Media have possibly sold the Sky EPG slot? Time will tell I guess.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 0
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    For Sky Q, as it will only be HD via HDMI, will this mean we will not now have the hd/sd swap channels in the epg.
    The 101 + numbers are the same, but their demos were missing a few channels;
    https://www.dropbox.com/s/zglfoxb6oqvz2a7/sky%20q%20tv%20guide.jpg?dl=0

    But did wonder if we may be able to setup a channel favourite list. We can do this on sky+ apps, but be great to have this ability within the epg.
  • irishfeenirishfeen Posts: 10,025
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    For those interested in broadcasting deals -

    Irish Times are reporting Irish telecommunications company Eir (formally Eircom) are at an advanced stage of the acquisition of Setanta Sports. BT are said to have given the deal the green light to the move with regards their agreement with Setanta for the BT suite of channels being made available in the republic.

    Looks like Eir are bulking up on their stock before putting the company up for sale.
  • jimbojimbo Posts: 16,227
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    lettice wrote: »
    For Sky Q, as it will only be HD via HDMI, will this mean we will not now have the hd/sd swap channels in the epg.
    The 101 + numbers are the same, but their demos were missing a few channels;
    https://www.dropbox.com/s/zglfoxb6oqvz2a7/sky%20q%20tv%20guide.jpg?dl=0

    But did wonder if we may be able to setup a channel favourite list. We can do this on sky+ apps, but be great to have this ability within the epg.

    Can you please put this somewhere else. Dropbox website does not work on Firefox 42 - it crashes the browser. Do you have any other means of letting us see this by another method? Thanks.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 0
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    jimbo wrote: »
    Can you please put this somewhere else. Dropbox website does not work on Firefox 42 - it crashes the browser. Do you have any other means of letting us see this by another method? Thanks.

    Use dropbox day in day out and not seen any problems.
    I have firefox 42.0 on three machines and see no problems.

    This does not so much more than we have seen, but just really showing the missing channels
    Anyway, I have put it here

    Do have access to some more images that I will try and get up soon from the Sky Q presentation.
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