The Sky EPG: A Time for a tidy up?

I suspect I would not be alone in finding the Sky EPG a user unfriendly mess, with (for reasonable historical reasons) related channels scattered across seemingly random numbers throughout the EPG, compounded by the HD and SD variants often being in very different places too.

If it isn't possible to have the full scale reorganisation that is sorely required, is there any reason why they could not introduce a yellow button feature to switch to related channels, eg from C4 on 104 the yellow button would cycle between C4 HD, More4, E4, 4Seven, Film4 etc. Or at least switch between the SD and HD versions of channels.

WHERE'S DAVE GONE?
111 -> 115

There is basically no way to sort it, as whatever they did every single broadcaster wouldn't be happy and would complain.

They've been the same for so long now I expect many have memorised the random channel numbers

i agree, it's a complete mess. i think the only way to sort it is to remove the channels, channel numbers and branding completely and just have genre groups of programming.

the epg is a bit like using a phonebook to find your favorite website.

we are in a tweeny stage of people still wanting to cling to the nostalgia of linear, but vod, whilst promising, is still fragmented and there isn't one "go to" place for your content.

as soon as somebody invents the itunes for tv, all content, past, present and future in one searchable, categorised library, linear tv will die and the epg proliferation problem will be solved.

I agree that something like the yellow button or something to switch between HD and SD of the same channel etc would be useful, or maybe even the channels own +1 channel as well as some +1s are so far away from the main channel.

I think this a highly simplistic argument. I also find it funny when anyone on here advocates for the death of linear TV, when presentation of linear TV is literally the lifeblood of this forum. There would be very little to talk about other than the BBC updating the 5 second sting before a programme on the iPlayer. I'm not sure why anyone on here would actively want their hobby/interest killed off.


As for EPG numbers, this is also a problem on Virgin's EPG because of the duplication of channels now that we have SD and HD. Some sort of HD swap like on Sky would be especially useful, as well as a general reorg of the EPG so +1 and sister channels aren't miles away from each other.

I can't see linear tv disappearing.

Because radio is dead, isn't it? Video on demand is killing the home media market, not the linear market.

People will always want to watch sports and breaking news live. On those two elements alone linear TV will continue to exist well into the future, even if perhaps at some stage to come it is presented differently in terms of how it is accessed. But a three digit channel number is easy to recall and simpler than a menu (and speed is of the esscence if you come in late and want to get that match on before a goal is scored!.

Just on the HD/SD thing, Virgin Media's Horizon EPG in Ireland implements what's known as "HD replacement" which is similar to Sky's HD swap but also actually hides the swapped SD channel from the EPG. Unfortunately it doesn't actually free up any channel numbers as the swapped SD channels are only hidden and not removed and still exist for those with older hardware that doesn't implement this feature.

i don't really understand what this means - when somebody finally comes up with a licensing and service model which works and allows all content to exist in one place, first and foremost on their minds, they are not going to be thinking... we better not do this because tvforum.co.uk won't have anything to talk about.

the way in which we consume content is changing all the time, we all take youtube for granted, my children can't even remember a time before it. they watch nearly all their content on their ipads. that's the way things are moving.

it will take a long time before we get there, but i believe we will move to a position where all tv is delivered over the internet and in time, from one central hub.

linear tv exists as a legacy of the technical limitations of its time, it will change and move on like everything has, but i think it won't happen here until the tv license is finally scrapped, which will happen eventually as more and more content moves online as it won't be sustainable to have a "tv" licence.

i cannot see any arguments for not wanting to move in that direction, why would anybody *not* want to watch any film, or programme, from any era, at any time, on any device?

i'd push the button and do it tomorrow if i could.

i know a lot of us all cling on to the nostalgia of our childhoods when it comes to tv presentation (myself included). i remember many wonderful family christmases watching those lovely BBC symbols, but unfortunately, as you've noticed... TV Presentation is dying. We will never go back to the innovative symbols and presentation of the 1990s. Content is king, not logos.

I'd love to be proved wrong on the presentation.

I don't. I can look through an EPG and choose something I quite fancy watching from one of 20 channels. Give me a choice of anything* and I can't decide what to watch. Or I just want to relax and just want to veg in front of the telly and not have to make decisions.

It's a generational thing though, the kids of today only watch on demand and linear TV is an odd concept. I'm in my 40s and I'm perfectly happy with on demand to catch up on stuff I've missed on linear but don't want it as the only option.


*I have access to websites with hundreds of thousands of programmes on them to watch and I'll sit there staring at it blankly trying to think of something to watch.

That's not what I was saying. What I was saying is I find it odd when people on here say they want linear TV dead, not that I find it odd that the powers that be don't think of us poor TV Forumers when factoring in big decisions.


Not sure what would "move online" if you're referring to the BBC since everything is online on the iPlayer anyway.

The live and reactive nature of linear TV is one of the reasons I think it won't ever be replaced fully by on demand. For example, when Andrew Sachs died, an episode of Fawlty Towers was scheduled on BBC One. That's an example of a TV channel being more human than an on demand algorithm ever will be. You can watch it together, with everyone else, and talk about it on social media.


Inspector Sands has already mentioned this but faced with so much choice, it's hard to decide what to watch, particularly if picking an episode from a show that has lots and lots of episodes. I can instead just sit down and watch what episode of Friends or The Simpsons is currently on TV rather than having to pick out of hundreds of different episodes myself. This is coming from someone who has used on demand since Telewest introduced it a decade ago.

Also I highly doubt that every film or TV programme would be available at once. Indeed, certain shows expire from on demand services and music can be taken down from streaming services, which is why I'm not throwing out my DVDs and BDs just yet.


TV presentation is only "dying" (if you want to call it that) on the BBC where the quality of graphics overall seems to have taken a big hit in the last 5-10 years. It's thriving on virtually every other channel, there are very few where you can say they are anything close to bad.