8-day EPG for Freeview

http://www.dtg.org.uk/news/uknews/-freeview_epg_london.htm

According to the DTG website, the trial version of the 8-day EPG is to expand to the London area (Crystal Palace transmitter and its relays at Reigate, Guildford and Hemel Hempstead) from next Wednesday. However, it will only currently be available on the following boxes:

Humax F2 Fox 1 STB
Humax 8000 PVR
Pace PVR
Pace DTVA
Sony VTX D800U
Sony iDTVs

The only worry is that apparently the extra information has made some of the freeview boxes, in the current trial area in Wales, more sluggish. At first the schedule will not be carried by SDN.

I'll be interested to see how this works, it should be useful.

That's interesting.

As you know SDN is distributed by satellite, rather than by BT fibre to each of the DTT tx sites. The SI data is (was) delivered separately to each site, according to the SIP (service insertion point) from OnDigital on a SIP by SIP basis by KiloStream to each tx. It was then re-insetted into each of the 6 transport streams, in place of the reserve SI data distributed along with the programme.

That SDN are not included in the CP trial implies that the new EPG data, whilst DVB standard SI data, is not distributed with the (KiloStream rated) standard SI but with the programme transport stream. Presumably the bulk of data required to populate the 8-day epg, is too much for the SI distribution network to cope with..

Does this suggest that the 8-day epg will never be available on SDN, Or that SDN will never be able to handle SIP specific forward epg data?

Rgds/

Well, the problem will be that the SI has to reflect regional variations. The distribution for muxs "B", "C" and "D" couldn't cope with this, "1" and "2" would be able to cope with their own (possibly), but not the other side's. "A", ie SDN are unique in that they distribute by satellite, and while they can cope with macro-regional variations, probably couldn't cope with separate versions of complete SI date for each of the Service Insertion Points (SIP).

To cope with this the data for each SIP, (SIPSI) was sent by KiloStream lanline, separately to each tx site, direct from OnD. At the tx, a drop-and-insert was made into the transport stream of each mux, to replace the national SI with he correct SIPSI. This system would have coped with all the SI data including Now/Next, but wouldn't' have that capacity to carry an 8-day epg, with or without programme info.

On D-SAT there's no epg data other than Now/Next in the SI, the 7-day programme data is within the "Sky Guide", which proprietary, is not DVB compliant. The theory is that the DTT 8-day guide will be DVB compliant, i.e. sent in SI tables that open standard software should be able to use. The problem will be that the data require to populate these tables will be greater than that practically distributable by the SIPSI network.

Thus, no data on SDN, and as the system rolls-out, possibly a lack of data for regional variations., until the SIPSI distribution is upgraded.

Load of rubbish, I'm sure.

Rgds/

what is channel 704 (I have a daewoo digi box)

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/article/ds12358.html

There is no need to develop a new EPG - the DVB specification already contains extensions (which are optional) that provide all that is needed for a multiple day EPG. This is what the test BBC/Freeview EPG uses - which is why it should be compatible with existing receivers that comply with the DVB extensions (Pace DTVA, Pace Twin PVR, some IDTVs etc.)

The advantage of the DVB EPG is that it is an open data standard - meaning different manufacturers of different types of hardware can use the data however they want to - rather than being tied to a particular software application (which would be the case if the system were implemented using something like MHEG or OpenTV). Whilst technically it may be possible to implement a standard front-end in MHEG that tied into the DVB EPG data - would this be a good thing? If the rest of the receiver menus and functionality were in one format, and the EPG in a different format it would be a bit odd. Also when you factor PVR HD recorders into the mix how would you cope with differing facilities, like single or twin tuners ?

A PC DTT card my offer the EPG data very differently to a standalone PVR, which again may differ from an IDTV. Also by making the data open you allow it to be delivered in other forms - say in speech for a visually impaired person etc.

I've got access to the extra SI now, and it's great, albeit a bit slow. The only trouble is I have to go into the EPG to view it (which is quite hard to follow on my Pace DTVA, and its not opaque so you can't continue watching in the background), and can't just scroll through the programmes on the main OSD, because of the software.

I sent an e-mail to Pace regarding this, and replied with the usual "There are no current plans for this to be incorporated but it is something that could be included in a future download." At least they might think about it.