ITV preparing for future service improvements

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bramble

21-02-2010

I have just seen on the freesat website a notice dated 19.02.09.

Quote:
“ITV are making some changes to the ITV1 regions on freesat on Tuesday 23rd February 2010, in preparation for future service improvements. This will only affect customers who receive ITV1 Central South and Central East, and residents on the Isle of Man. Customers in these areas using freesat+ will need to re-select any ITV1 programmes scheduled to record after Tuesday 23rd February 2010. This includes all series linked programmes on ITV1, where you have selected a whole series to record automatically. To re-select your recordings, simply go to the programme in the 8-day onscreen programme guide, and set it to record by pressing the record button on your remote control.”

http://www.freesat.co.uk/index.php?p...uestion&id=198

freesat+ users in the affected regions who haven't seen this could suffer missed recordings from Tuesday. However, the reference to "future service improvements" sounds interesting...

Andrue

21-02-2010

Originally Posted by bramble:
“freesat+ users in the affected regions who haven't seen this could suffer missed recordings from Tuesday. However, the reference to "future service improvements" sounds interesting...”

Probably just marketing spin. The biggest improvement they could make would be to increase the resolution and bandwidth.

Oink, oink, flap, flap.

Bspks

21-02-2010

Probably means they're juggling some channels to different transponders.

IanP

21-02-2010

I assume the Isle of Man change is switching viewers with that postcode from ITV1 Border to ITV1 Grenada in line with the terrestrial change made last july.

Central South and Central East must be moving to another transponder. The note about Freesat+ recordings failing is a worry. If a channel ceases broadcasting then obviously the recording will fail but if it just swaps transponders (and stays FTA) then not having a service update mechanism for Freesat+ schedules is a big oversight in the spec.

I expect the compression for most ITV1 regions is going to be higher unless ITV are moving them to a non ITV transponder.

I wonder what's taking the space(s) left by Central S & E. Will there be enough room on the transponder for ITV1 HD? Probably just ITV1+1's though.

mad_dude

21-02-2010

Would it be including some of the sub regions on the EPG?

grahamlthompson

21-02-2010

Originally Posted by IanP:
“I assume the Isle of Man change is switching viewers with that postcode from ITV1 Border to ITV1 Grenada in line with the terrestrial change made last july.

Central South and Central East must be moving to another transponder. The note about Freesat+ recordings failing is a worry. If a channel ceases broadcasting then obviously the recording will fail but if it just swaps transponders (and stays FTA) then not having a service update mechanism for Freesat+ schedules is a big oversight in the spec.

I expect the compression for most ITV1 regions is going to be higher unless ITV are moving them to a non ITV transponder.

I wonder what's taking the space(s) left by Central S & E. Will there be enough room on the transponder for ITV1 HD? Probably just ITV1+1's though.”

Ian possible workaround for anyone that won't be around to reschedule series recordings, switch postcodes to get a non affected ITV region until they get back to sort it out. I realise this means a double rebuild of the recording schedule but any port in a storm

pnsharp123

23-02-2010

I hope this mean that these 2 channels will move to another transponder and the 2 bbc channels which share space with bbc hd will move on to the itv transponder. Meaning the bbc hd transponder can change to S2, then there will be space for about 2 or 3 further HD channels. Such as ITV1 HD, Channel 4, Five HD

old6x

24-02-2010

Having just checked the new 103 channel I find that it is now ITV South Meridian. But the PQ is poor to what it was. Will have to wait and see if the HD has been affected.

carvell

24-02-2010

I've moved from Central South to West.

GL postcode.

StevenNT

24-02-2010

Originally Posted by carvell:
“I've moved from Central South to West.

GL postcode.”

I'm guessing your in the Gloucester area?

I guess having Central Tonight (West) is better than Meridian Tonight as Central West as well as ITV West covers your area to a degree.

jzee

24-02-2010

All ITV channels have increased res to 704 x 576, except those on 10891 so it looks like they have got new encoders. Channels that dont currently have the new resolution are ITV1 Anglia S, BorderScotland, Meridian E, S, Tyne Tees N, Yorkshire W, ITV2+1 and Men & Motors.

dazbear

24-02-2010

Originally Posted by jzee:
“All ITV channels have increased res to 704 x 576, except those on 10891 so it looks like they have got new encoders. Channels that dont currently have the new resolution are ITV1 Anglia S, BorderScotland, Meridian E, S, Tyne Tees N, Yorkshire W, ITV2+1 and Men & Motors.”

So does that mean I can now change my post code from the West Country and get the same quality picture from ITV SE ???

stanandjan

24-02-2010

Originally Posted by dazbear:
“So does that mean I can now change my post code from the West Country and get the same quality picture from ITV SE ???”

BUT Dazbear..
You say on the side that..
Your LOCATION is London

jzee

24-02-2010

Originally Posted by stanandjan:
“BUT Dazbear..
You say on the side that..
Your LOCATION is London”

He said change from

Originally Posted by dazbear:
“So does that mean I can now change my post code from the West Country and get the same quality picture from ITV SE ???”

Should do, ITV1 London is running at 704 x 576 now, not a patch on ITV1 HD though I have to say.

dazbear

24-02-2010

Actually live on the outskirts of London, so ITV SE is better for us in terms of news. Have been using a Plymouth post code to get the better ITV PQ from West Country.

jzee

24-02-2010

Originally Posted by dazbear:
“Actually live on the outskirts of London, so ITV SE is better for us in terms of news. Have been using a Plymouth post code to get the better ITV PQ from West Country.”

Do you mean Meridian SE- unfortunately that is encrypted so I can't confirm the res.

grahamlthompson

25-02-2010

Any chance of a bitrate comparison ?

SkipTracer

25-02-2010

Originally Posted by grahamlthompson:
“Any chance of a bitrate comparison ?”

Kingofsat now has a update with lots of info by transponder/channel.

See instruction at the top of the page on the link. “New Feature”

http://en.kingofsat.net/index.php

psweston

25-02-2010

Still no Anglia West available on freesat. Was told by freesat 18 months ago that I'd soon be getting my local region. In PE and receive Anglia East (Norwich) rather than Anglia West (Cambridge). Find it hard to believe that freesat has been around for nearly 2 years and still not offering all ITV regions.

grahamlthompson

26-02-2010

Originally Posted by psweston:
“Still no Anglia West available on freesat. Was told by freesat 18 months ago that I'd soon be getting my local region. In PE and receive Anglia East (Norwich) rather than Anglia West (Cambridge). Find it hard to believe that freesat has been around for nearly 2 years and still not offering all ITV regions.”

Some sub regions are not on Astra 2D (no space) so are encrypted and only available on a sky box with a card

pizzajohn

26-02-2010

They want to concentate on content improvements.

grahamlthompson

26-02-2010

Originally Posted by SkipTracer:
“Kingofsat now has a update with lots of info by transponder/channel.

See instruction at the top of the page on the link. “New Feature”

http://en.kingofsat.net/index.php”

Brill thanks for the info. Checked the link sadly it does not give averages just the max availalble for stat muxing.

stanandjan

26-02-2010

Originally Posted by grahamlthompson:
“Some sub regions are not on Astra 2D (no space) so are encrypted and only available on a sky box with a card”

I noted in your previous hepful references Graham..
several mentions of ..presumably a Sub-Group?..
called ..'Thames Valley'
Did that ever come to fruition or was it advance planning to justify a grant or somesuch

Scrapanatchi

26-02-2010

You must be a big fan of local ads then since that's should be the only difference

grahamlthompson

26-02-2010

Originally Posted by stanandjan:
“I noted in your previous hepful references Graham..
several mentions of ..presumably a Sub-Group?..
called ..'Thames Valley'
Did that ever come to fruition or was it advance planning to justify a grant or somesuch”

This used to be a good choice of postcode (Windsor) for London postcode residents (Using a Windsor postcode) for those using a hdr with only 1 cable. Reason it gave a horizontal and vertical ITV 1 source greatly increasing 2nd channel recording choices

It used to be available on 10832 H. It's no longer listed the full list of fta ITV regions afaik is currently (though the same principal as above still applies)

Code:

Region	Transmitter	MHz	Pol
Anglia (West)	Sandy Heath	12402	V
Anglia (South)	Sudbury	10891	H
Tyne Tees (North)	Pontop Pike	10891	H
Tyne Tees (South)	Bilsdale W. Moor	12402	V
London (Sky Ch 993)	Crystal Palace	10758	V
Anglia (East)	Tacolneston	10758	V
Central (W. Mids)	Sutton Coldfield	10758	V
Granada	Winter Hill	10758	V
Central (South)	Oxford	10832	H
Central (East)	Waltham	10832	H
Border (England)	Caldbeck	10832	H
HTV Wales	Wenvoe	10832	H
HTV West	Mendip	10832	H
Westcountry	Caradon Hill	10832	H
Border (Scotland)	Selkirk Hill	10891	H
Yorkshire (West)	Emley Moor	10891	H
Yorkshire (East)	Belmont	12402	V
Meridian (North)	Hannington	12402	V
Meridian (S. East)	Dover	12402	V
Meridian (South)	Rowridge	10891	H
Ulster (UTV)	Divis	10906	V
Channel	Fremont Point	10906	V
STV North	Durris	10906	V
STV Scottish (West)	Black Hill	10906	V
STV Scottish (East)	Craigkelly	10906	V
Central (SW)	Ridge Hill	12402	V

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