Options
Digital UK Statement on expanding and repositioning IP delivered services.
http://www.digitaluk.co.uk/industry/About_DTT/consultations
I would think that 3/9/14 would be a good time for theses changes to take effect.
I would think that 3/9/14 would be a good time for theses changes to take effect.
0
Comments
That was my initial thought - it would be less disruptive for everyone. Amazingly none of the responses suggested this
I guess now YouView are going to move their channels so they start at 300, which means all YouView delivered channels need to advertise the change, and presumably there are 200 of those if they've run out of LCNs!
The YouView channels don't need to advertise the change, as they don't have to change. They're already within the proposed channel number range so don't need to change channel numbers. They can stay where they are
Whether they'd be happy about finding other, newer channels listed before them is a different matter!
300: Welcome to IPTV?
301-340: Entertainment & Lifestyle
341-370: Documentaries
371-400: Music
401-440: International
441-470: Sports
471-500: Movies
501-520: Kids
521-540: Specialist?
541-570: Gaming & Dating?
571-599: Adult?
Obviously services would remain in the same order as before but within their appropriate number range, for example-
301: Sky1
302: Sky2
303: Sky Living
304 Sky Livingit
etc.
341: Eden
342 Discovery Channel
343: Animal Planet
344: National Geographic Channel
etc.
Good idea or not?
they could have had:
0-249 general entertainment, news and kids channels including red button and IP channels
250-299 Adult channels
300-399 radio channels
400-799 Youview channels
this would give loads of room for all areas to expand if needed.
No, that's given no more space to expand than they are proposing, in fact it has reduced the space available for expansion. Well, it's given YouView IP channels more space to expand, but not broadcast.
DUK (and their predeccesor DMOL) can be a bit short-sighted at times. When they consulted on moving HD channels to 101 they were originally only going to allocate 9/10 LCNs. I actually responded to that consultation and I think I was the only respondee who pointed out that that might actually not be enough (the consultation even came out around the same time as one of Ofcom's included a report on future expansion of DTT and possible numbers of HD channels that could be added to the platform ffs). We've already outgrown the range they were going to use, although as Childrens' and News haven't moved yet it probably wouldn't have caused any problems.
I think this latest change will come back to haunt them, unless they shunt text and MHEG-IP channels down to the 600s (which I doubt they will be happy about) there's limited room for expanding the broadcast channels section, especially if they are creating new genres (150-169 is the only place, and I suspect that's been internally allocated for a shopping channels section once they've grown some balls and forced it through).
Oh BTW I would stick the RB text service on LCN 0 as that's a wasted channel!
I would also mix the HD up with the rest but that's another issue!
I thought it was just 800-999 reserved? anyway its an outdated model now why didnt Youview boxes have numbering from 0-9999 and have Youview services start at 800 onwards so outside the normal DTT? This would have solved the issue as the two systems could have worked independently side by side, with youview boxes putting channels in the 9000-9999 range that freeview boxes would put in the 800-8999 range!
DTT could have then expanded from 1-799 plenty of room!
In fact if it is possible for 4 figure LCN numbers on YouView Boxes, DTG should force YouView to do this anyway and ban it using the DTT range!
its likely YouView boxes are capable as they arent that old, even if they need an OTA software update (or an internet software update), which could be mandated to require the user to use the YouView streamed channels.
I was thinking Youview only channels that aren't technically part of the DTT platform (so not including OTA or MHEG-IPTV channels tied to DTT MUXs), but if the YouView boxes dont support 4 digit LCNs then its a moot point anyway.
That's pretty much the reason for expansion - not something they could do too well in the current 200 range but 300 channel slots gives them more room to play.
The 800s and 900s are reserved for "internal" use by the various boxes - but surely IPTV (of the YouView type) IS internal use - therefore allocating 400 - 999 for IPTV services would be more sensible and give them more room to play with (they can then do as my Pace Twin did and put duplicates in the 1000s).
If they have to keep within the existing 1 - 799 framework then shouldn't ALL IPTV channels be forced in it - be it YouView, Freeview connect etc rather than having a load of Freeview Connect services which don't work in the 200s, and YouView in the 300-500s?
I think 8xx is specifically marked as for duplicate services, but 9xx is "receiver specific". I'm not sure what is more receiver specific than some IP channels that only work on that particular receiver, and don't have any broadcast component.
I believe I suggested this in that DMOL consultation too (at the time they were only looking to allocate 100 LCNs), and it didn't even get a mention.
Maybe, but that's no different to mixing the IP channels with the broadcast channels, or the MHEG-IP channels with the broadcast channels, and DUK aren't keen on that either.
Also, the News and Childrens sections starting at 120 and 130 is stupid, why not 121 and 131 as previously agreed?