Coming back to the point of this thread, what might work for putting local radio on to D-SAT to overcome the problem of monopolising Sky's EPG would be to provide the facilities on some sort of a postcode system? Have the default local station for that postcode, and then say, put 5 bordering local BBC radio stations on the EPG too. ..........
The trouble with the BBC is that you're never really quite sure what the sticking point is, until suddenly - wow its unstuck. The EPG issue is serious, as is the provision of back haul capacity, but, the real blocker is probably (I guess) lack of will.
As you say the B$kyB EPG has a finite capacity, and requires a "membership" fee to be paid, even by an FTA broadcaster. There are however some mitigation's to this, one being that the BBC (effectively) lost the last bust-up with B$syB over EPG fees.
But, OffTel is not OffCom (much more political), and the issue then concerned services that had prime EPG position, and were hybrid as far as any definition of public service were concerned. If the BBC wished to put 40 English (plus Radio Foyle, plus 5 Radio Scotland Opts) on the $ky EPG, then that's a different argument, given that these are undisputed public service radio broadcasts rather than TV services with a debatable classification to a commercial mind. Postcode mapping, given the BBC's failure last time to win the case for a software change to Sky boxes o/s that would facilitate regional selectivity, is probably to expensive in this case.
The other issue is that radio really needn't be part of the EPG at all. The BBC are developing an "Open" application that allows access, and some contextulising text (possibly graphics?) to network radio services. EMAP already do a minimalist effort with their services with an MHEG app on DTT. You end up with what would be an EPG for BBC radio, separate and distinct from the $ky EPG, and able to embed graphics and context related data dynamically grabbed from applications within the radio production systems.
Sorry, I've gone on. I suppose the point is that the technology costs, both implementation and bandwidth are falling, almost exponentially. The political (little "p") cases around public service definition, and monopoly platform are being debated. So, in a sense its all up for grabs. If the BBC wanted this, they could just go and get it.
I'd have thought 32 was comparatively young....
Old Man = an octogenarian and above.
32, very young indeed, No, apparantly you're not old untill you start listening to BBC Local Radio, then you're suppost to age rapdly.
Lets see....
...the combined efforts of Radios Humberside, Sheffield, Norfolk, GLR, Kent, Solent, Jersey, Wiltshire Sound and Suffolk.... plus 30 years, Pirate BBC Essex... minus 40 years. So, I'm 10 years younger. WOW!!!
I'd have thought 32 was comparatively young....
Old Man = an octogenarian and above.
32, very young indeed, No, apparantly you're not old untill you start listening to BBC Local Radio, then you're suppost to age rapdly.
Lets see....
...the combined efforts of Radios Humberside, Sheffield, Norfolk, GLR, Kent, Solent, Jersey, Wiltshire Sound and Suffolk.... plus 30 years, Pirate BBC Essex... minus 40 years. So, I'm 10 years younger. WOW!!!
I've just come out of a BBC Local Radio phase (Radio Kent then BBC Essex) and into Radio 1 so perhaps I've made an illegal move. I must say Pirate BBC Essex was extremely enjoyable.
I'd have thought 32 was comparatively young....
Old Man = an octogenarian and above.
32, very young indeed, No, apparantly you're not old untill you start listening to BBC Local Radio, then you're suppost to age rapdly.
Lets see....
...the combined efforts of Radios Humberside, Sheffield, Norfolk, GLR, Kent, Solent, Jersey, Wiltshire Sound and Suffolk.... plus 30 years, Pirate BBC Essex... minus 40 years. So, I'm 10 years younger. WOW!!!
Well the joke always was that BBC Local Radio - or Radio Sussex in particular - was the speaker in God's waiting room.
The other issue is that radio really needn't be part of the EPG at all. The BBC are developing an "Open" application that allows access, and some contextulising text (possibly graphics?) to network radio services. EMAP already do a minimalist effort with their services with an MHEG app on DTT. You end up with what would be an EPG for BBC radio, separate and distinct from the $ky EPG, and able to embed graphics and context related data dynamically grabbed from applications within the radio production systems.
.
This would annoy a significant group of people who use their Sky + (via manual record) or Tivo (which has full schedules for some radio stations) to record radio broadcasts wouldn't it? If the Open app was a mandatory gateway to radio broadcasts (which the MHEG5 apps aren't on DTT - they offer additional information rather than a control system?) this would make recording via DSat a nightmare.
(It is bad enough that the Radio services don't currently feature fully in the Sky EPG at the moment - as their is no 7 days schedule data as there is for TV. I hear rumours that this might change though)
Technically - does anyone know if a 4 digit EPG system could be implemented with the current Digibox / Card system (or is there not enough local storage etc.) I believe that 4 day EPGs are in use already in the US?
(It is bad enough that the Radio services don't currently feature fully in the Sky EPG at the moment - as their is no 7 days schedule data as there is for TV. I hear rumours that this might change though)
Yes - unfortunately I think I heard that rumour at least a year ago, it seems to be the usual problem of radio coming a distant second to TV as usual so there is no real momentum to implement it.
At the moment I subscribe to Digiguide to (a) get all the radio listings (b) be able to quickly search through them + the TV ones - I don't think Sky's EPG will have truly come of age, even with Sky+, until you have the ability to do that - and there isn't a second or two delay between even button press and page refresh on it. (how much faster, if at all, are the newest digiboxes compared to the likes of mine, a second generation Amstrad one?)