EPG via UHF?

Forums › Home Theatre (including HTPC and EPG Collector) › EPG via UHF?

smac

333 posts

Ultimate Geek

#41254 12-Sep-2009 11:55

I thought I had come to understand that the 7 day EPG was not available UHF....that the only option was 'now and next', plus aranging some variation of a downloaded file for the 7 day info.

Just got back from somebody elses place and they have a Sony LCD with built in UHF Freeview. No web connection, no satelite connection. It has a 7 day EPG.

Huh?

boby55

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#255165 12-Sep-2009 11:57

My Freeview Approved DSE UHF box has 7day EPG aswell.....

mruane

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#255166 12-Sep-2009 12:06

The VHF (or HD) Freeview supplies 7 Day EPG via MHEG5, which is what the Freeview certified tuners can decode and display to you. In addition, they provide a Now and Next EPG option on the traditional EIT stream (within the VHF transmission). Non certified Freeview decoders can usually pickup the EIT stream and thus Now and Next. But to get the 7 Day EPG, the decoder (or software) also needs an MHEG5 decoder. So far, the software options do not seem to support MHEG5 and neither do the cheaper non Freeview certified STB's.

I have never really understood why Freeview cannot simply transmit the full EPG on both the EIT stream (like they do on the DVB-S platform) in additional to MHEG5. It would cost virtually nothing to do that and satisfy everyone.

Cheers Mike

freitasm

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Geekzone

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#255170 12-Sep-2009 12:18

As explained... 7 day EPG is distributed using MHEG5 standard in both DVB-S (satellite) and DVB-T (terrestrial, HD).

If your box can understand MHEG5 then it will show the 7 day EPG. Mostly only Freeview-certified boxes use this standard at the moment but these will be more widely adopted as the new standard gets into more countries.

smac

333 posts

Ultimate Geek

#255171 12-Sep-2009 12:34

That all makes sense, thanks. I have a Windows based htpc so looks like I'm stuck with a download.

Thanks for the quick answers

eXDee

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#255237 12-Sep-2009 18:37

freitasm: As explained... 7 day EPG is distributed using MHEG5 standard in both DVB-S (satellite) and DVB-T (terrestrial, HD).

If your box can understand MHEG5 then it will show the 7 day EPG. Mostly only Freeview-certified boxes use this standard at the moment but these will be more widely adopted as the new standard gets into more countries.

I was under the impression Freeview Satellite used EIT instead of MHEG5 and thats why people were using it to grab EPG for terrestrial channels.

sbiddle

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#255239 12-Sep-2009 18:42

eXDee:
freitasm: As explained... 7 day EPG is distributed using MHEG5 standard in both DVB-S (satellite) and DVB-T (terrestrial, HD).

If your box can understand MHEG5 then it will show the 7 day EPG. Mostly only Freeview-certified boxes use this standard at the moment but these will be more widely adopted as the new standard gets into more countries.

I was under the impression Freeview Satellite used EIT instead of MHEG5 and thats why people were using it to grab EPG for terrestrial channels.

Satellite uses both. If you have an official box you get the MHEG5 EPG, if you don't have a box that supports MHEG5 you get the EIT data.

WaffleMakerMan

138 posts

Master Geek

#255252 12-Sep-2009 20:52

Whats the difference between EIT and MHEG5? is there more info supplied in MHEG5?

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sbiddle

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#255255 12-Sep-2009 21:00

WaffleMakerMan: Whats the difference between EIT and MHEG5? is there more info supplied in MHEG5?

EIT is an EPG format that's contained within the DVB broadcast. MHEG5 is a middleware data stream contained within the broadcast that's executed by the box as an appliction.