Sky MPEG-4 upgrade

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Beavis

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#237510 5-Jun-2018 19:51

I found this link to a PDF on the internet. It shows the timetable for the Sky change to MPEG-4. It would appear that some of the channels have already changed, not that I can really tell. Still looks like murk-vision. Does anyone know if this is really happening?

https://www.sky.co.nz/documents/4894279/6266451/MPEG-4_Upgrade_Plan.pdf/cea37100-771e-2368-13ce-b4e05fd16095

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#2030211 5-Jun-2018 20:26

Yes it’s happening.

Check out my LPFM Radio Station at www.thecheese.co.nz - Now on iHeart Radio, TuneIn and Radio Garden

As per the usual std disclaimer.. "All thoughts typed here are my own."

rlevis

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#2030398 5-Jun-2018 22:59

I wonder if this change is related to why I'm not getting any EPG for BBC World News for the last few days. Or is it just me?

fe31nz

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#2030421 6-Jun-2018 05:37

rlevis:

I wonder if this change is related to why I'm not getting any EPG for BBC World News for the last few days. Or is it just me?

I have not been getting EPG for several Sky channels over the last week. When I use dvbsnoop to see the EIT data, it seems that there is Now/Next EPG for the channels, but the full week EPG packets are being sent without any contents. The affected channels all seem to be ones that have been changed to H.264, such as Discovery, C&I, BBC Knowlege, Discovery Turbo and BBC World. My Sky decoder is still showing a full week of EPG as normal, so I am trying to work out where it is getting that from.

macuser

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#2030499 6-Jun-2018 09:21

Welcome to 2006 Sky!

old3eyes

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#2030570 6-Jun-2018 10:20

macuser:

Welcome to 2006 Sky!

/s

HD on more channels next ??

Regards,

Old3eyes

rugrat

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#2030580 6-Jun-2018 10:36

Lol. They’ll probably reduce transponders they use, to save money rather then HD channels.

Hope I’m wrong, but either way good move, took a long time to make it.
10 to 15 years time they may discover HEVC, will save more bandwidth.

It was around before they started decoder upgrade.

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ockel

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#2030657 6-Jun-2018 11:15

rugrat: Lol. They’ll probably reduce transponders they use, to save money rather then HD channels.

Hope I’m wrong, but either way good move, took a long time to make it.
10 to 15 years time they may discover HEVC, will save more bandwidth.

It was around before they started decoder upgrade.

You must have read the Investor Presentation from a few months ago! Yes indeed, the aim is to reduce the number of transponders on the next satellite lease.

Sixth Labour Government - "Vision without Execution is just Hallucination"

Spyware

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#2030735 6-Jun-2018 12:37

Given they are dropping 3 (out of 7) full transponders it doesn't look good for many more HD channels in short or long term via satellite. Given new Skyboxes can't do HEVC and expected life is probably 15 years any 4K service will be in a multicast over fibre world.

rlevis

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#2030749 6-Jun-2018 12:53

fe31nz:

I have not been getting EPG for several Sky channels over the last week. When I use dvbsnoop to see the EIT data, it seems that there is Now/Next EPG for the channels, but the full week EPG packets are being sent without any contents. The affected channels all seem to be ones that have been changed to H.264, such as Discovery, C&I, BBC Knowlege, Discovery Turbo and BBC World. My Sky decoder is still showing a full week of EPG as normal, so I am trying to work out where it is getting that from.

It does look like these are the channels that have been switched to MPEG-4. I rarely look at the channels you quoted but now that you mention it, I have the same problem here (using MediaPortal). Perhaps the EPG is moving to a different transponder. Please advise if you discover the solution.

dacraka

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#2030943 6-Jun-2018 15:16

Beavis:

I found this link to a PDF on the internet. It shows the timetable for the Sky change to MPEG-4. It would appear that some of the channels have already changed, not that I can really tell. Still looks like murk-vision. Does anyone know if this is really happening?

https://www.sky.co.nz/documents/4894279/6266451/MPEG-4_Upgrade_Plan.pdf/cea37100-771e-2368-13ce-b4e05fd16095

Your link doesn't work?

l43a2

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#2030948 6-Jun-2018 15:34

dacraka:

Beavis:

I found this link to a PDF on the internet. It shows the timetable for the Sky change to MPEG-4. It would appear that some of the channels have already changed, not that I can really tell. Still looks like murk-vision. Does anyone know if this is really happening?

https://www.sky.co.nz/documents/4894279/6266451/MPEG-4_Upgrade_Plan.pdf/cea37100-771e-2368-13ce-b4e05fd16095

Your link doesn't work?

seems to have died, was available earlier

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fe31nz

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#2030957 6-Jun-2018 15:59

l43a2:

dacraka:

Beavis:

I found this link to a PDF on the internet. It shows the timetable for the Sky change to MPEG-4. It would appear that some of the channels have already changed, not that I can really tell. Still looks like murk-vision. Does anyone know if this is really happening?

https://www.sky.co.nz/documents/4894279/6266451/MPEG-4_Upgrade_Plan.pdf/cea37100-771e-2368-13ce-b4e05fd16095

Your link doesn't work?

seems to have died, was available earlier

I still had it in Firefox, so I saved it and I have put a copy on my web server:

http://www.jsw.gen.nz/MPEG-4_Upgrade_Plan.pdf

rscole86

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#2031546 7-Jun-2018 16:28

rlevis:
fe31nz:

I have not been getting EPG for several Sky channels over the last week. When I use dvbsnoop to see the EIT data, it seems that there is Now/Next EPG for the channels, but the full week EPG packets are being sent without any contents. The affected channels all seem to be ones that have been changed to H.264, such as Discovery, C&I, BBC Knowlege, Discovery Turbo and BBC World. My Sky decoder is still showing a full week of EPG as normal, so I am trying to work out where it is getting that from.

It does look like these are the channels that have been switched to MPEG-4. I rarely look at the channels you quoted but now that you mention it, I have the same problem here (using MediaPortal). Perhaps the EPG is moving to a different transponder. Please advise if you discover the solution.

I'm also needing a solution to this.

fe31nz

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#2031601 7-Jun-2018 18:18

rscole86:
rlevis:

fe31nz:

I have not been getting EPG for several Sky channels over the last week. When I use dvbsnoop to see the EIT data, it seems that there is Now/Next EPG for the channels, but the full week EPG packets are being sent without any contents. The affected channels all seem to be ones that have been changed to H.264, such as Discovery, C&I, BBC Knowlege, Discovery Turbo and BBC World. My Sky decoder is still showing a full week of EPG as normal, so I am trying to work out where it is getting that from.

It does look like these are the channels that have been switched to MPEG-4. I rarely look at the channels you quoted but now that you mention it, I have the same problem here (using MediaPortal). Perhaps the EPG is moving to a different transponder. Please advise if you discover the solution.

I'm also needing a solution to this.

I have a temporary workaround, which is to run my EPG collection every half hour, so that the now/next EIT data can be used to recording things from my exisiting recording rules. But that does not help with programming new recordings.

I have been looking at the EPG data on most of the transponders, and it all seems the same - the EIT data for the SD channels that have been changed to H.264 is now only now/next - the full week data is missing. But my Sky decoder still seems to be getting proper EPG from somewhere - maybe it uses the "IEPG Data Service" channels. There seems to be one of them on each transponder, but I have no idea how to use that data - it looks like it may be encrypted as there are no recognisable patterns in it that I can see when I capture that data. All the tools I have tried just say the packets are "Private Sections" or something similar.

openmedia

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#2031734 7-Jun-2018 21:32

I'm still able to get a full EIT dump off Sky Transponder 12519000

Generally known online as OpenMedia, now working for Red Hat APAC as a Technology Evangelist and Portfolio Architect. Still playing with MythTV and digital media on the side.

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