DVB-T EPG shows wrong listings

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Bartanda

23 posts

Geek

#90277 18-Sep-2011 21:04

Hi
I've been trying to figure out why my Sharp TV and DSE (Zinwell) DVB-T set top box has recently stopped displaying the Stratos channel and started displaying two Rotorua local channel listings in the electronic program guide. My Magic TV has no such problem, displaying Stratos but not Rotorua as expected. I live in Dunedin and can receive the Stratos channel but not the Rotorua channels.

I have tried rescanning, retuning and resetting both devices. I emailed Freeview, but never received a reply.

Cheers
Dave

sbiddle

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Biddle Corp

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#522761 18-Sep-2011 21:15

No idea why yuu're not seeing Stratos but both the Rotorua channels are visible nationwide in the EPG but can only be viewed in the BOP region. This is because a single MHEG5 data source is used nationwide for the EPG, but the channel isn't a nationwide one.

Bartanda

23 posts

Geek

#524767 22-Sep-2011 20:27

I am not sure that is correct since our MagicTV shows Stratos but not the two Rotorua stations. This would be correct for my region.

Morgenmuffel

631 posts

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#528663 3-Oct-2011 18:40

I have been getting that for months and months and months, i actually had a thread here

http://www.geekzone.co.nz/forums.asp?ForumId=83&TopicId=86865&page_no=2

about it

I am in Putaruru, Terrestrial freeview, In my EPG I get the 2 Rotorua channels (but I can't watch them), But i dont get the listings for Stratos, TvCentral, or the radio stations. heres the pic of the end of my EPG (old pic but still the same)

https://cdn.geekzone.co.nz/imagessubs/blogf53195774bfb793d9ab0a33d9c17e671.jpg.

Post on their facebook page, i got a response on there ages ago for more info, but nothing since, perhaps if enough people grumble

'We love to buy books because we believe we’re buying the time to read them.' WARREN ZEVON

Morgenmuffel

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#528669 3-Oct-2011 18:56

Are both your decoders hooked up to the same aerial?

I am guessing they are, but well, excellent I am glad someone else is having this issue, as it has been driving me nuts, and the fact that one of your decoders works correctly and one works the same as mine, makes it look like something weird is happening with the EPG encoding/signal something

'We love to buy books because we believe we’re buying the time to read them.' WARREN ZEVON

Bartanda

23 posts

Geek

#528742 3-Oct-2011 21:48

Thanks for your response. I will have to read your thread shortly. I too am finding it irritating. Freeview still haven't bother to reply to either of my queries. I'm going to contact Sharp NZ (the TV manufacturer) this week to see what they say. To answer your question, yes, they are both on the same aerial via a splitter. To get the Stratos listing try selecting the channel first, then calling up the guide. It may work for TVCentral too, we don't get that channel. I've never tried to get an EPG for the radio channels. Hadn't realized there is one.
I wish I understood better how the EPG and mheg 5 works. The fact I can get a guide for Stratos after selecting the channel, suggests to me the data stream is there somewhere. I believe the problem is incorrect configuration by freeview.

Ok, I just looked at your thread. A couple of points:
Channel 33 is there but without any content if I surf with the channel up/down, or dial 33 on the remote.
In Dunedin , there is only one possible transmitter, Mt Cargill.
mm1352000 seemed to have some technical knowledge on the Freeview specs. Would be good to combine threads.

Cheers
Dave

Morgenmuffel

631 posts

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#528843 4-Oct-2011 09:24

Is the zinwell box for the sharp tv, if so shouldn't you be contacting zinwell?

Yep for me central and stratos if i am on those channels and press the epg button, it will show me the listings for that channel, however if I press the epg button again to show all channels, they don't appear in the listings.

'We love to buy books because we believe we’re buying the time to read them.' WARREN ZEVON

Bartanda

23 posts

Geek

#529210 4-Oct-2011 22:13

No the Sharp TV has built in freeview. The Zinwell has been relegated to the bedroom tv.

I rung Sharp today. My call was answered in Australia. The guy was vague to say the least. Told me to factory reset etc, but told him I've already tried all that. Eventually he gave me the number of a local service company called Smart Service. I rung the number and it turned out to be Smith City. Smith City told me they have never sold the Sharp brand. They had the correct number for Smart Service though. I rung his cell, but he said he hasn't been a Sharp agent since they mostly left NZ a few years back. I asked him if he had seen my problem on other TVs. He said no but thought the EPG was unreliable, with incorrect schedules, program overlaps and such.

I rung freeview next. Selecting option 2 for technical help directs you to an aerial installation company, so I call back selecting option 1 this time. The person who answers listen to my explanation, then she puts me on hold and returns to inform me there is no know EPG problems at this time, and tells me to contact the manufacturer. I say I already have, and feel she is just fobbing me off. I ask that there must be someone there technical, so she hands me off to her supervisor. I explain again, and express dissatisfaction that no one has bothered to reply to my earlier emails either. He suggests my TV must be set for the wrong region as the EPG goes to all regions, but gets blocked by the receiver. I tell him the only region I've seen in the settings are for country and language. He promises to investigate and email me back. Now I need a Tui!!

Well now I have his name, so I'll give him a week then ring back, but I think I just wasted 1.5 hours of my life.

Dave

Equinox IT

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dontpanic42

1574 posts

Uber Geek

#529235 4-Oct-2011 22:46

I'm not sure if this is related, but I noticed a new channel alert come up on my PS3 PlayTV upon starting it up a few days ago.
It said something like "new channel listings available for MHEG GHOST".

Note: The PS3 PlayTV EPG listings come from the internet from an outside provider called tvtv, which seems to be a UK based EPG listings provider.

This "MHEG GHOST" is unlikely to be of any consequence, as it probably has no link to the MHEG5 EPG being broadcast on FreeviewHD, however I just thought I would mention it just in case it did have some bearing towards a solution.

You have probably already though of this as well, but is it something to do with daylight saving time? Are the listings 1 hour out?

HTH

SJB

2945 posts

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#529249 4-Oct-2011 22:59

What do you want to know about MHEG5 EPG?

It is transmitted using a protocol called DSMCC in a pseudo directory and file structure. The directory structure for EPG is up to the broadcaster but here in NZ there is a directory for each of the seven days and in each directory there is a file of EPG data per service ID.

Interactive apps are broadcast as part of the same structure, just different directories/files.

mm1352000

1149 posts

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Inactive user

#530295 6-Oct-2011 18:13

...and in regards to the channels that are shown, according to the Freeview DTT receiver specifications from here:

After the receiver is installed it must offer the viewer all services that may be received in that geographic
region compliant with the Freeview regional services requirement. The services being broadcast may
change over time. To ensure that the viewer is always able to access all services being broadcast to the
selected region, the receiver must detect and reflect to the viewer any such changes with minimal viewer
involvement.
All services have an associated (Logical) Channel Number. Use of the logical channel number ensures
that the viewer becomes familiar with a specific remote control unit button number for each channel.

Services identified as “hidden” in the LCN descriptor
    shall not appear in the service list presented to the
    viewer. In addition services may shall be selectable by
    numeric entry.

Read pages 19 and 20 (from which the above excerpts come) for a reasonably basic description of the details. A full technical description of the transmission parameters can be found -->here<--. A short summary would be:
- receivers are meant to show the channels which are available in their region in the guide
- receivers should not show hidden channels or channels which are not available in their region
- region is determined from transmission parameters
- hidden channels are marked as such in the transmission parameters

mm

Bartanda

23 posts

Geek

#530834 8-Oct-2011 11:21

Ok, so I have been reading the transmission rules doc, and it is fairly technical. I have just downloaded the other one you indicated. At a glance though, it's starting to look like the receiver is at fault except there are other local channels not in my region that I don't (and shouldn't) see in the EPG.

injuised

256 posts

Ultimate Geek

#532194 12-Oct-2011 07:49

Have you tried updating the firmware in the TV, Its quite obvious thats where the fault is

Bartanda

23 posts

Geek

#533102 13-Oct-2011 21:48

I rung Sharp back this week, as I had learned they do still have an engineer in NZ, so I asked to speak with him. The receptionist almost didn't put me through, but after I explained I'd already spoken to Aus she did.

He confirmed there is a software fault with my model TV that they have become aware of within the last few weeks. It became apparent when the Rotorua channels went live. He assured me they are working on a fix, and took my number so he could advise me when it becomes available. He indicated it would most likely be posted onto the web site. At present there is no firmware to download.

Fingers crossed!