COM7 mux, Al Jazeera HD - LCN 108

GreeboGreebo Posts: 1,418
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So following on from Leslie123 discovering that COM7 was transmitting yesterday from Crystal Palace on C33 (see http://forums.digitalspy.co.uk/showpost.php?p=69213966&postcount=10 ), today I see that DMOL have acknowledged this at http://www.dmol.co.uk/Channels/channel_listings by listing Al Jazeera HD on LCN 108 and their first mention of COM7. Notice how they've only ticked the England column - surely they aren't planning on national variations of COM7?

Since I'm not able to receive CP, I'm curious to know if anyone has managed to do a pidscan of COM7 to see what else is lurking in there. Also has anyone tried tuning to C35 where COM8 will be- is there anything there yet, carrier but no data maybe?

The Arqiva propsal at http://www.arqiva.com/documentation/reference-offers/600mhz-national-dtt-interim-proposals/OFCOM%20Interim%20600%20doc%20July%202013%20start%20v9.pdf shows Sutton Coldfield and Crystal Palace as the first two sites to go live - anyone tried seeing if they can get anything from Sutton Coldfield yet?
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  • jj20xjj20x Posts: 2,079
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    Greebo wrote: »
    ...today I see that DMOL have acknowledged this at http://www.dmol.co.uk/Channels/channel_listings by listing Al Jazeera HD on LCN 108 and their first mention of COM7.

    Or, without using legacy names, Digital UK have acknowledged this at http://www.digitaluk.co.uk/industry/Channels/channel_listings
    Notice how they've only ticked the England column - surely they aren't planning on national variations of COM7?

    Maybe because it is only available in England, or specifically from Crystal Palace, at the moment. More ticks will probably appear as it is rolled out.
  • BizmanBizman Posts: 749
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    For the Mendip transmitter their website simply says 'Starts 2014'.
  • GreeboGreebo Posts: 1,418
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    jj20x wrote: »
    Or, without using legacy names, Digital UK have acknowledged this at http://www.digitaluk.co.uk/industry/Channels/channel_listings

    Fair point. I with they'd sort out mod_rewrite and stop leaving the dmol url in the address bar of my browser!
  • Tony RichardsTony Richards Posts: 5,742
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    Can't understand the DTT fixation with placeholders that are there for months without a real programme coming on. Coming soon... :D

    Also where is the Al J HD signal coming from? I don't know any satellite that yet transmits it.
  • DWA9ISDWA9IS Posts: 10,557
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    Can't understand the DTT fixation with placeholders that are there for months without a real programme coming on. Coming soon... :D

    it would be good if broadcasters had to have at least 1 hour a day of programming after a month of having a placeholder, or the channel be kicked off freeview!
    Also where is the Al J HD signal coming from? I don't know any satellite that yet transmits it.

    maybe a playout suite in this country somewhere?
  • Colin_LondonColin_London Posts: 12,654
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    COM 8 isn't planned until next year - no point in powering it up if there are no channels to put on it.

    We know already what else is going to go on COM7.
  • Colin_LondonColin_London Posts: 12,654
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    Can't understand the DTT fixation with placeholders that are there for months without a real programme coming on. Coming soon... :D

    Also where is the Al J HD signal coming from? I don't know any satellite that yet transmits it.

    Why would they need a satellite? SDI link from UK play out centre to Arqiva multiplexer, then fibre link to TX.
  • jj20xjj20x Posts: 2,079
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    Why would they need a satellite? SDI link from UK play out centre to Arqiva multiplexer, then fibre link to TX.

    Well, if it's coming from Qatar... :p
  • a516a516 Posts: 5,241
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    Bizman wrote: »
    For the Mendip transmitter their website simply says 'Starts 2014'.

    Not sure where on the website you've seen "starts 2014" (I'm on a mobile connection, and can't really browse their website easily at the moment - just seeing the original rollout schedule in the Arqiva link above, which has been accelerated since then), but as the 50% coverage by Christmas includes coverage in the nations, I would imagine a few in the West TV region might be tempted to pick up the signal from Wenvoe if Mendip isn't going to be live until 2014.
  • BizmanBizman Posts: 749
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    a516 wrote: »
    Not sure where on the website you've seen "starts 2014"...
    http://www.ukfree.tv/txdetail.php?a=ST564488 scroll down to COM7.
  • Roland MouseRoland Mouse Posts: 9,531
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    The main Dover transmitter is NEVER getting COM 7 and so that messes up anything that has or is going on it.

    Is Al Jazeera HD launching on Satellite as well? I'll have to go that route if the Dover transmitter refuses to supply the goods.
  • a516a516 Posts: 5,241
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    Bizman wrote: »

    That's not an official website though, and will be based on documents such as those linked to above. Take with a pinch of salt... Sutton Coldfield's switchover date as originally stated on there was miles out.

    (Expect more coverage roll-out info by mid-November from official sources.)
  • jj20xjj20x Posts: 2,079
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    Not really news that a Qatar based news station has leased space within a Qatari funded building for a studio. Most international news organisations have studios abroad.
  • a516a516 Posts: 5,241
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    jj20x wrote: »
    Not really news that a Qatar based news station has leased space within a Qatari funded building for a studio. Most international news organisations have studios abroad.

    There was talk of an Al Jazeera UK at one point. Not heard anything more recently.

    We know Arqiva and Al Jazeera have the means to produce a unique version of the channel - last year in the form of "Al Jazeera 6-8", which was different to the main AJE service, so it doesn't surprise me that there's a way of getting an HD version on the Freeview.

    Incidentally, New Zealand got AJE HD first on their version of "Freeview HD".
  • jj20xjj20x Posts: 2,079
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    The main Dover transmitter is NEVER getting COM 7 and so that messes up anything that has or is going on it.

    It's not easy agreeing on clear frequencies for Dover because of the close proximity and high risk of co-channel interference to/from transmitters on the continent.
  • Roland MouseRoland Mouse Posts: 9,531
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    Can't understand the DTT fixation with placeholders that are there for months without a real programme coming on. Coming soon... :D

    Whilst on Satellite they pop up and start broadcasting almost immediately before the official launch day and they just add then to the EPG on launch day.

    So BBC 3 HD will start up just after it pops up on satellite. (Nothing there yet not even a placeholder)
  • jj20xjj20x Posts: 2,079
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    a516 wrote: »
    There was talk of an Al Jazeera UK at one point. Not heard anything more recently.

    There was and it does seem to have gone very quiet recently. The precedent has been set with Al Jazeera America but there are no firm details of a specific UK version.
    We know Arqiva and Al Jazeera have the means to produce a unique version of the channel - last year in the form of "Al Jazeera 6-8", which was different to the main AJE service, so it doesn't surprise me that there's a way of getting an HD version on the Freeview.

    It was different but not bespoke, just a repeat of programmes shown earlier on the main channel.
  • a516a516 Posts: 5,241
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    Whilst on Satellite they pop up and start broadcasting almost immediately before the official launch day and they just add then to the EPG on launch day.

    So BBC 3 HD will start up just after it pops up on satellite. (Nothing there yet not even a placeholder)

    Not quite: the extra BBC RB streams for Glastonbury were testing for a while.

    On Sky, instead of the placeholder caption text common on Freeview, you get broadcasters temporarily launching +1 or +2 channels to bag an EPG number until a new service is ready to launch. The launch of 4seven is a case in point: On Freeview we had a placeholder and caption, on Sky they had More 4+2.

    On Freeview, adding a placeholder in advance means that viewers are more likely to have the channel in their channel list when it does finally go live.
  • Roland MouseRoland Mouse Posts: 9,531
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    jj20x wrote: »
    It's not easy agreeing on clear frequencies for Dover because of the close proximity and high risk of co-channel interference to/from transmitters on the continent.

    But seriously I'm sure they could find one set of frequencies that we broadcast on and they use another set. If not just why should we go without ALWAYS with NO CHANCE of ever getting it?

    It's also a directional transmitter and I can see it from my roof, whilst France is 23 miles away in the other direction. Low power directional beam would do it.

    Thank god for satellite if that is terrestrial broadcasting's attitude.
  • Roland MouseRoland Mouse Posts: 9,531
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    a516 wrote: »
    Not quite: the extra BBC RB streams for Glastonbury were testing for a while.

    On Sky, instead of the placeholder caption text common on Freeview, you get broadcasters temporarily launching +1 or +2 channels to bag an EPG number until a new service is ready to launch. The launch of 4seven is a case in point: On Freeview we had a placeholder and caption, on Sky they had More 4+2.

    On Freeview, adding a placeholder in advance means that viewers are more likely to have the channel in their channel list when it does finally go live.

    As soon as something starts on satellite I have it tuned in and watching full transmissions before the launch date. And I don't do Sky, I have a HTPC so it goes where I want and called what I want even before they have given its correct name on the transponder.
  • jj20xjj20x Posts: 2,079
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    But seriously I'm sure they could find one set of frequencies that we broadcast on and they use another set. If not just why should we go without ALWAYS with NO CHANCE of ever getting it?

    It's also a directional transmitter and I can see it from my roof, whilst France is 23 miles away in the other direction. Low power directional beam would do it.

    Thank god for satellite if that is terrestrial broadcasting's attitude.

    Probably with some negotiation with France, there just seems to be a reluctance to do this in general. More serious negotiations will be required if 700MHz is cleared, they probably don't want to rock the boat just to accommodate temporary multiplexes.
  • a516a516 Posts: 5,241
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    jj20x wrote: »
    There was and it does seem to have gone very quiet recently. The precedent has been set with Al Jazeera America but there are no firm details of a specific UK version.



    It was different but not bespoke, just a repeat of programmes shown earlier on the main channel.

    Neither is AJE HD bespoke. There must be some way for the AJE HD signal to reach the UK and NZ Freeview HD services from Doha, perhaps our current SD service is already downscaled from an unknown HD source (hidden on some encrypted sat transponder?) - AJE was played out in widescreen long before it became officially available in widescreen (the service was cropped 14:9 in the UK).
  • a516a516 Posts: 5,241
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    As soon as something starts on satellite I have it tuned in and watching full transmissions before the launch date. And I don't do Sky, I have a HTPC so it goes where I want and called what I want even before they have given its correct name on the transponder.
    as BBC Three/CBBC HD looks set to replace BBC RB HD on satellite as well as on Freeview, there is unlikely to be anything yet to see on satellite for a while.
  • jj20xjj20x Posts: 2,079
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    a516 wrote: »
    Neither is AJE HD bespoke.

    Nobody said it would be...
    There must be some way for the AJE HD signal to reach the UK and NZ Freeview HD services from Doha, perhaps our current SD service is already downscaled from an unknown HD source (hidden on some encrypted sat transponder?) - AJE was played out in widescreen long before it became officially available in widescreen (the service was cropped 14:9 in the UK).

    I really don't think that, with the resources available to it, there would be any problem funding a satellite link. Whether that would be a direct feed or a relay of a DTH service remains to be seen.
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