Channel Zero has moved to MUX D

While waiting for LCN306 Channel Zero to appear live on Mux D I have been watching the null packet rate. They appear to be proceeding cautiously because there is not much room left. At present the null packets on Mux D are at 250kbps and they are turning on the various audio description streams which run at 64kbps, to see how low the null packets will go. I have seen them as low as 130kbps on other occasions. Channel Zero is composed of 4 streams totalling 30kbps (plus SI overheads of about 30kbps) so it should fit in easily.

What function does Channel Zero perform?

It's a proprietary EPG with additional data such as games and the weather on a licensed set top box. Tesco has rented capacity and I think you can do your shopping on one. Boxes are in Tesco stores.

Look up the Trove thread.

Ah thanks for the info Ray.

Thanks for the info Ray, yet more shopping opportunities on Freeview

Today Channel Zero has stopped broadcasting its 4 streams on Mux C / Arq A and has been removed from the PAT but its NIT and SDT entries remain. They should be removed shortly unless it's making another swift retreat. Hopefully every Tesco box has now retuned.

Although not listed in this thread, after Channel Zero originally migrated to Mux D, all its Mux C references were deleted. Something must have gone wrong because a few days later everything except the LCN was restored again to Mux C. Now some six weeks later, Channel Zero is solely on Mux D.

How do you receive the EPG/text on a tesco technika box?
I don't think it has to be connected to the internet for the 'standard' service.
My Technika STBHDV2010 sees channel zero (MUX D) as a text channel, but I just get a black screen.
I left it on stanby overnight but still the same (ie. standby light does not change to amber)
Any more info would be appreciated.
Thanks

Channel Zero is not a Freeview service freely available to all. It needs proprietary firmware installed in boxes in the same way as RadioTimes Extra. Your box is obviously not a Channel Zero box. You won't receive it unless you obtain one of their branded boxes.

I did suggest to them that they might include a FTA caption on their currently "blank" screen to explain how to obtain their service, but they are in their own little world and did not really understand what I was saying. A suitable text caption such as used by BBC Radio on Freeview only consumes 0.5kbps of bitrate, so there is no reason why they shouldn't go down that road.

I have yet to see Channel Zero working, and probably never will.

Ok, thanks.
I did read that the STBHDV2010 was channel zero compatible (see below) and assumed it could be the case as it has an ethernet port in the back. Perhaps not then.

Quote from nvingo 21.07.10 digital spy (post #12)
http://www.digitalspy.com/forums/sho....php?t=1298552

'' I saw the Technika STBHDV2010 in Tesco Wisbech today with the "channel zero" marking on the box, for £100.''

I think that's the one on the Channel Zero website.

IIRC there is a dedicated button on the remote... or perhaps you just press "0"? I've never seen it in action but I'd have thought it would be pretty obvious.,

There is no dedicated button, and it's not obvious to me anyway!

I have Channel Zero on my Tesco Dion box in the kitchen. The Channel Zero software comes up when the box switches on.

Normally the data is loaded and updated after an overnight download.

The V does not have the facility. The only Tesco Technika plain HD set top box with Channel Zero is the STBHDIS2010 which was £70 and has now been reduced to £30

Thanks for clarifying

The Tesco Dion Freeview+ box is retailing at £79.97. I bought one but was initially disappointed with it as it wouldn't pick up any of the BBC channels in my bedroom. However with a change of plan I transferred it over to my living room and it picks up all the channels brilliantly.

To get Channel Zero you need to retune your box on or after April 19th. I did and I can get it. But it's not really worth bothering with. The games give you a 2 minute sample and then a caption appears asking you if you want to purchase the game for 60p for 24 hours play!

Channel Zero gives you no more than BBC Digital Text.

Add to that the fact their website cannot be bothered to reply to email inquiries or answer their contact phone number or even bother to provide any info page on the channel itself.

They are obviously going places

Channel zero has been removed from the mux C NIT&SDT so this should no longer be listed as a duplicate channel in the 800s

If Channel Zero is not a Free Channel why don't they put it on SKY as I have a TECHNIKA 22 inch TV / Monitor with FREEVIEW Built In to it and as the New Channels like sky sports1 & 2 and ESPN are also subscriptionChannels I thought freeview was for freebies and not subscription Channels Like Channel Zero and trove

Channel zero is free. There is a few items on it that are pay per use but its mostly free, has things like tv guide on it and what not.

The platform is not called freeview. Freeview is a marketing brand. The platform is called DTT. And DTT can include pay or free stuff.

Channel zero is still free to access however it only works on certain boxes mostly available from tesco. The ones that work have channel zero all over the packaging.

Yeah - Channel Zero is a data channel for certain licensed receivers (mostly Tesco ones). It's nothing to write home about, or so I hear.

..because Tesco/Technika don't make Sky boxes. Sky already has a lot of extra services that can be added on via the interactive menu or via link up with broadband. So I don't think it would be commercially viable to try and launch this service via Sky.

Channel Zero has an interesting Service Announcement which says
Can't see much missing at the moment. I wonder if this refers to firmware updates over its 30kbps data feed to resolve the ipTV bug; maybe they can't afford or get time on the Engineering Channel? They will have to enable the ethernet port shortly for the launch of STREAM on LCN112. If there are several MB of downloads for different boxes, this may impact normal operations.

The software has not been finished yet according to information I have. It looks like they are rebroadcasting the 0161 software now they are selling a second batch which I thought should have it pre-installed. At the moment only the STBHDIS2010)

The software has not been finished yet according to information I have. It looks like they are rebroadcasting the 0161 software now they are selling a second batch which I thought should have it pre-installed. At the moment only the STBHDIS2010 (and A) are envisaged for the internet connection.