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BBC Election Tests on Sky

(May 2005)

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WI
william Founding member
noggin posted:
william posted:
noggin posted:
That is the interactive stuff testing - though I think the 3/6 graphic is a standard holding pattern for stream 6 on transponder 3, or is it stream 3 on transponder 6?


Pretty sure (as I expect you were) its the former.

Any idea what 'BIP TSG' on the test card means though?

And do the BBC no longer have the ability to block these streams now everything's FTA, or is it just that as yet they've not bothered doing so? The fact they're all called DEV- tends to suggest it is extra bandwidth for testing purposes only rather than the *actual* streams put to air when you press red.


BIP is Broadcast Interactive Playout area I believe.
TSG is an abbreviation for Test Signal Generator (i.e. the box that generates colour bars, pulse and bar etc.)

The interactive streams are FTA - and can be received easily by PC cards, non-Sky receivers etc. Haven't tried using Other Channels on a Sky box - but suspect they may be "hidden" - so that Sky receivers don't "see" them.


Thanks, I eventually figured out the TSG bit. They're all visible on standard sky receivers at the moment.

William
HA
harshy Founding member
I think they were hidden previously, but can't confirm.
DE
deejay
william posted:
noggin posted:
william posted:
noggin posted:
That is the interactive stuff testing - though I think the 3/6 graphic is a standard holding pattern for stream 6 on transponder 3, or is it stream 3 on transponder 6?


Pretty sure (as I expect you were) its the former.

Any idea what 'BIP TSG' on the test card means though?

And do the BBC no longer have the ability to block these streams now everything's FTA, or is it just that as yet they've not bothered doing so? The fact they're all called DEV- tends to suggest it is extra bandwidth for testing purposes only rather than the *actual* streams put to air when you press red.


BIP is Broadcast Interactive Playout area I believe.
TSG is an abbreviation for Test Signal Generator (i.e. the box that generates colour bars, pulse and bar etc.)

The interactive streams are FTA - and can be received easily by PC cards, non-Sky receivers etc. Haven't tried using Other Channels on a Sky box - but suspect they may be "hidden" - so that Sky receivers don't "see" them.


Thanks, I eventually figured out the TSG bit. They're all visible on standard sky receivers at the moment.

William


BIP is actually Broadcast Interactive Production . It's a production galery at TV Centre, dedicated to producing interactive multi-stream programming (often Sports related). It has voice booths and edit suites as well as a more traditional gallery set up. It's linked by a number of circuits to a playout suite run by BBC Broadcast who deal with the transmission of the streams to run alongside the parent programmes on the BBC TV channels.

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