Thursday, 28 November 2024

New FAST Services - Changes to Pre-launch Configurations:
 
ID 2331  Hell's Kitchen  -  FAST Channel Portal - Internal Networks Only
- No longer hidden from the EPG - Hide1 flag removed.
 
ID 2332  Egg Heads  -  FAST Channel Portal - Internal Networks Only
- No longer hidden from the EPG - Hide1 flag removed.
- The pre-launch channel allocation has changed from placeholder channel 1803 to channel 253.

ID 2356  Sky Artist of theYear  -  FAST Channel Portal - Internal Networks Only
ID 2357  Sky Sports Stories  -  FAST Channel Portal - Internal Networks Only
ID 2358  Sky Sports Classics  -  FAST Channel Portal - Internal Networks Only
ID 2359  Sky Sports Vault  -  FAST Channel Portal - Internal Networks Only
- PMTs and video streams (slates) added.
- SDT root flags have been updated to show that these services are running and encrypted - encryption added.
- No longer hidden from the EPG - Hide1 flag removed.
 
Although no longer hidden from the EPG, the 6 services listed above will not show up on customer equipment as they are not included in the NIT of customer facing networks.
These changes possibly indicate that the launch date of these services is approaching.

Tuesday, 26 November 2024

App News:
The Sky Sports+ app has gone live today on the V6. Available via the red button on Sky Sports+ channels 508 & 518.
Strictly speaking, this isn't in the SI data and wouldn't normally be added to the blog but added to confirm the news.

Monday, 25 November 2024

New FAST Service - Updated Pre-launch configuration:
ID 2331  Hell's Kitchen  -  FAST Channel Portal - Internal Networks Only
- The pre-launch channel allocation has changed from placeholder channel 1802 to channel 233. 
- The short EPG name has changed from HellKitchen to HellsKitch.
Possibly indicating that a launch of this service is approaching.
 
 
New FAST Services - Housekeeping:
 
ID 2341  Red Bull TV  -  FAST Channel Portal - Internal Networks Only
- The service has been moved from SID 829 to placeholder SID 851 on traditional cable networks (TSID 8). 
 
ID 2343  VEVO '90s & '00s  -  FAST Channel Portal - Internal Networks Only
- The service has been moved from SID 831 to placeholder SID 852 on traditional cable networks (TSID 8).
 
Changes common to both of the above services: 
- The PMTs & video streams have been removed from traditional cable networks.
- SDT root flags have been updated to show that these services are running and not encrypted - encryption removed.
Possibly indicating that these services have been mothballed.
 
 
New FAST Services - Pre-launch Configurations:
 
ID 2356  Sky Artist of theYear  -  FAST Channel Portal - Internal Networks Only
- Short EPG name: ArtistOfYr
- Added to TSID 8 SID 829 on traditional cable networks.
- Pre-launch EPG slot allocation - channel 239. Channel numbers are subject to change.
- Marked as the Entertainment genre.
- Originally added with the service name: Sky Artist of Year.
- Originally added as ID 2341 which is already assigned to Red Bull TV, subsequently amended to ID 2356.
 
ID 2357  Sky Sports Stories  -  FAST Channel Portal - Internal Networks Only
- Short EPG name: SprtStories
- Added to TSID 8 SID 831 on traditional cable networks.
- Pre-launch EPG slot allocation - channel 558. Channel numbers are subject to change.
- Marked as the Sport genre.

ID 2358  Sky Sports Classics  -  FAST Channel Portal - Internal Networks Only
- Short EPG name: SprtClassic
- Added to TSID 8 SID 834 on traditional cable networks.
- Pre-launch EPG slot allocation - channel 559. Channel numbers are subject to change.
- Marked as the Sport genre.

ID 2359  Sky Sports Vault  -  FAST Channel Portal - Internal Networks Only
- Short EPG name: SprtsVault
- Added to TSID 8 SID 835 on traditional cable networks.
- Pre-launch EPG slot allocation - channel 560. Channel numbers are subject to change.
- Marked as the Sport genre.
 
Pre-launch configurations common to all four of the above services:
- All hidden from the EPG. - Hide1 flag applied.
- All marked as HD.
- SDT root flags show that these services are not running and not encrypted.
- Subscription codes added for M / Player / Mixit and above and for the basic, inclusive channels, pack for Stream devices.
- Each service has been added to 3 internal networks often used for pre-launch configuration.
   - Code Download Test (Portsmouth)
   - NGRHEE Bromley
   - TTA Knowsley DMC (Hayes_RHE)
Although hidden from the EPG, this isn't really necessary as these services aren't in the NIT of customer facing networks.  

Wednesday, 20 November 2024

Service Removal - Remnants:
TSID 8 SID 834
- PMT & video stream remnants were removed from traditional cable networks for the inactive duplicate of Zen Life.
This was a duplicate of the Zen Life slate and was never included in NIT / SDT data.

Tuesday, 19 November 2024

Service Removals - Remnants:
TSID 21 SIDs 2112 & 2113
- PMT remnants were removed from traditional cable networks for duplicates of the Virgin Ultra HD channel.
The services had been moved to SIDs 2102 & 2103 on November 15th.
Transport streams and service IDs are for traditional cable networks.

Friday, 15 November 2024

Housekeeping - Change of SID (traditional cable networks):  
ID-Ref   Service Name Annotation Old TSID Old SID New TSID New SID
1976   Virgin TV Ultra HD Internal Networks Only 21 2113 21 2103
2033   Virgin TV Ultra HD Not on Original Tivo 21 2112 21 2102
The services moved to lower SID numbers released by the removal of the SD services which previously shared the transport stream. 
Oddly, PMT remnants from the original SIDs are still in place although without SDT labels.
 
 
Subscription Pack Code Changes:
Channel    1  -  ID 1976  Virgin TV Ultra HD  -  Internal Networks Only.
- Subscription codes added for legacy subscription packs Mix and above (4K version).
- Subscription code added for the Maxit pack (4K version).
- Subscription code added for the Mega pack (4K version).
- Subscription code added for the Stream Essential Entertainment pack.
4K versions of subscription pack codes prevent these channels from being viewed on legacy TiVo boxes which cannot display 4K content.
Channel 1 is not in the range accessible by customer equipment. Although not really an issue as this service is only included in the NIT of internal networks.
 
 
New Service - Launch:
Channel 151  -  ID 2355  That's TV2
- Added to the NIT of all remaining networks.
This service is now visible to customers on the EPG.
 
 
EPG Change:
Channel 152  -  ID 2297  That's Christmas Moving from channel 296.
Moving from the music section of the EPG to join other That's TV channels in the general entertainment section.
 
 
New Information Slate:
Channel 296  -  ID 2020  Channel Update  -  Information Slate
- Added to the NIT of all remaining networks.
Previously on channel 587 from when this service was last used as an information slate.
Genre listed as Sport in error. This genre has been carried forward by Virgin TV, in error, from when this service was last used as an information slate.
 
The slate advising viewers of That's Christmas move to channel 152 is now visible to all some Virgin TV customers.

Update: Virgin TV also left the subscription codes in place from the last time this service was used.
This left the service with TNT Sport subscription codes, together with an override code.
It would seem that the override code only works with V6 / Tivo boxes with TV360 users unable to view the slate and told that they needed to subscribe if they tried to select it from the EPG.
As far as we know, override codes also don't work with Stream boxes which have their own procedures.


Temporary Rebrand:
- 1 movie channel with a promotional rebrand.

Wednesday, 13 November 2024

Housekeeping - Change of Transport Stream (traditional cable networks): 
ID-Ref   Service Name Annotation Old TSID Old SID New TSID New SID
303   40+ NVOD Adult - Not on Stream 21 2103 6 604
418   Gems TV   21 2105 10 1003
1164   Nightly Television X NVOD Adult - Not on Stream 21 2106 10 1005
1225   Nightly Adult Channel NVOD Adult - Not on Stream 21 2104 6 605
1677   Utsav Bharat   21 2102 4 418
The standard definition services, previously sharing capacity on TSID 21 with Virgin TV Ultra HD, have been relocated to other transport streams used for SD services.
The move is a consolidation of standard definition transport streams where capacity has been freed by service closures. 
 
 
 
Subsequent changes - during the day:
 
Housekeeping - Removal of PMT & Elementary Stream Remnants:
PMTs and elementary streams left on TSID 21 following the above changes were removed during the day.
SIDs 2102 & 2103 now carry duplicates of SID 2112 & 2113 (Virgin TV Ultra HD) but as unnamed services without SDT labels.

Monday, 11 November 2024

Temporary Rebrand:
- 1 movie channel reverting to its usual name following a promotional rebrand.

Sunday, 10 November 2024

Temporary Rebrand:
- 1 music channel with capitalisation of a seasonal rebrand.

Friday, 8 November 2024

End of a Free to View Period:
Channel 801  -  ID 1689  -  Utsav Gold HD
Channel 802  -  ID 1677  -  Utsav Bharat
Channel 803  -  ID   424  -  Utsav Plus HD
Channel 805  -  ID   425  -  SONY TV HD
Channel 806  -  ID   422  -  SONY MAX HD
Channel 807  -  ID 1705  -  SONY SAB
Channel 808  -  ID 2032  -  SONY MAX2
Channel 809  -  ID   426  -  Zee TV HD
Channel 810  -  ID   427  -  Zee Cinema HD
Channel 811  -  ID 2350  -  Zee Punjabi
Channel 815  -  ID   430  -  B4U Movies
Channel 825  -  ID 2166  -  Colors Gujarati
Channel 826  -  ID 1562  -  COLORS HD
Channel 827  -  ID 1675  -  Colors Rishtey
Channel 828  -  ID 1927  -  Colors Cineplex
- Subscription Pack FTV Override Codes have been removed, restoring these channels to the Asian Mela Pack and ending the free to view period.


Temporary Rebrand:
- 1 movie channel with a seasonal rebrand.

Thursday, 7 November 2024

Renamed Services:
Channel 114 - ID 1600  U&Alibi HD - Previously named Alibi HD.
Channel 124 - ID   168  U&GOLD HD - Previously named GOLD HD.
Channel 314 - ID 1343  U&Alibi+1 - Previously named Alibi +1.
Channel 324 - ID   169  U&GOLD+1 - Previously named GOLD +1.
- The short EPG name of U&Alibi HD has changed from alibi HD to U&AlibiHD
- The short EPG name of U&GOLD HD has changed from GOLD HD to U&GOLDHD
- Short EPG names for the timeshift channels are the same as the full service names.


New Service - Pre-launch Configuration:
ID 2355 That's TV2  -  Internal Networks Only
- SDT root flags now show that the service is running and not encrypted. - Indicating that encryption has been added.
- Hide flags changed. - Hide1 flag removed.
- Subscription codes added for M / Player / Mixit and above and for the basic, inclusive channels, pack for Stream devices.
The flag hiding the service from the EPG was removed but, as previously mentioned, the service wouldn't be visible to customers anyway as it wasn't in the NIT of customer facing networks. 


Temporary Rebrand:
- 1 music channel with a seasonal rebrand. 
 
 
 
During the day: 
Information from monitoring notes.

New Slate Added:
ID 2020 Channel Update  -  Information Slate - Internal Networks Only
- PMT & video stream added to TSID 514 SID 1405 on traditional cable networks.
New slate added advising that That's Christmas has moved to channel 152.

Wednesday, 6 November 2024

Temporary Rebrand:
- 1 movie channel reverting to its usual name following a promotional rebrand.
 
 
During the day:
 
New Service - Pre-launch Configuration:
ID 2355 That's TV2  -  Internal Networks Only
PMT & elementary streams added to TSID 4 SID 412 on traditional cable networks.

Tuesday, 5 November 2024

Channel Closure -  SDT Root Flags:
ID 1717  Create & Craft  -  Placeholder - End of Service.
- SDT root flags show that encryption has been removed.
Encryption ended when elementary streams were removed on November 4th.
 
 
New Service - Pre-launch Configuration:
ID 2355 That's TV2  -  Internal Networks Only
- Added to TSID 4 SID 412 on traditional cable networks.
- Pre-launch EPG slot allocation - channel 151. Channel numbers are subject to change.
- SDT root flags show that this service is running and not encrypted.
- Marked as the Entertainment genre.
- Hidden from the EPG. - Hide1 flag applied.
- Subscription codes have not yet been assigned.
- Added to 3 internal networks often used for pre-launch configuration.
   - Code Download Test (Portsmouth)
   - NGRHEE Bromley
   - TTA Knowsley DMC (Hayes_RHE)
Although hidden from the EPG this isn't really necessary as the service isn't in the NIT of customer facing networks.

Monday, 4 November 2024

Temporary Rebrands:
- 2 kids channels with promotional rebrands.
- 1 movie channel reverting to its usual name following a promotional rebrand.
 
 
 
During the day:
 
Channel Closure - Clean-up:
ID 1717  Create & Craft  -  Placeholder - End of Service.
- The PMT & Elementary Streams were removed during the day from TSID 3 SID 320 on traditional cable networks.
This service had been hidden from the EPG on October 31st.  

Saturday, 2 November 2024

Temporary Rebrand:
- 1 movie channel with a promotional rebrand.

Friday, 1 November 2024

Temporary Rebrands:
- 2 movie channels with promotional rebrands.
- 1 movie channel reverting to its usual name following a promotional rebrand.
- 1 music channel with a seasonal rebrand.