Off Topic Chatter 2017

[Lazarus]

You are probably better off searching the Interweb thingy about that ...... much as we like to help, re-inventing the wheel isn't part of the job ;)

But here's a brief intro:

For Satellite, Platforms like Sky and Freesat carry all the EPG data on a dedicated "Default" Transponder.

Related reception equipment then polls the data stream and populates the allocated local memory.

Don't know about Sky, but Freesat archives the data for access via Schedule then Red, but that can be out of date. Pressing Guide gets you bang up to date data, but takes half a minute or so to refresh.

Edit: Actually, this also relates to your question about Channel Icons on another, on-topic topic. One of the occasions when the Freesat Default Transponder is accessed is at 03.00 each day, when not only is the EPG updated, but also stuff like Channel Icons, Thumbnails for stored Recordings, Added/Removed Channels etc.

 

[Channel Hopper]

That's three questions.

The guide will be determined in many cases by the set top box chipset and the method of transmission. For Freeview (and Freesat - not the Sky version) the television firmware is used. FreeView Play is coming soon which will I believe will use another method.

Plenty of reading material available with a general search.

 

[John Pykett]

You are probably better off searching the Interweb thingy about that ...... much as we like to help, re-inventing the wheel isn't part of the job ;)

But here's a brief intro:

For Satellite, Platforms like Sky and Freesat carry all the EPG data on a dedicated "Default" Transponder.

Related reception equipment then polls the data stream and populates the allocated local memory.

Don't know about Sky, but Freesat archives the data for access via Schedule then Red, but that can be out of date. Pressing Guide gets you bang up to date data, but takes half a minute or so to refresh.

Edit: Actually, this also relates to your question about Channel Icons on another, on-topic topic. One of the occasions when the Freesat Default Transponder is accessed is at 03.00 each day, when not only is the EPG updated, but also stuff like Channel Icons, Thumbnails for stored Recordings, Added/Removed Channels etc.

my box doesn't have schedule and red but my epg doesn't take that long to update and load

 

[Analoguesat]

my box doesn't have schedule and red but my epg doesn't take that long to update and load

SKy boxes load the full epg off the home transponder. IIRC all the other tp's* also carry a subset of the epg so its pretty instant in loading.

(*) except 11428H which is the Freesat home tp.

 

[John Pykett]

SKy boxes load the full epg off the home transponder. IIRC all the other tp's* also carry a subset of the epg so its pretty instant in loading.

(*) except 11428H which is the Freesat home tp.

like how does my humax box update its epg even though its only got 1 tuner and mini tv?

 

[Analoguesat]

like how does my humax box update its epg even though its only got 1 tuner and mini tv?

Very nicely indeed

 

[John Pykett]

Very nicely indeed

like i dont know how it works even though my box has one tuner like how would it update its data when mini tv is enabled?

 

[Lazarus]

This Off-Topic Off-Topic Topic needs an On-Topic Topic of its own

 

[PaulR]

I believe the Freesat box tunes into the Freesat home transponder in the early hours of the morning (3:00am?) to refresh the stored data. In addition, every time you reference the EPG it will update if need be - I'll bet that the sound drops while you do that as it does on my Freesat box.

 

[John Pykett]

I believe the Freesat box tunes into the Freesat home transponder in the early hours of the morning (3:00am?) to refresh the stored data. In addition, every time you reference the EPG it will update if need be - I'll bet that the sound drops while you do that as it does on my Freesat box.

is that the same with sky?

 

[Lazarus]

I believe the Freesat box tunes into the Freesat home transponder in the early hours of the morning (3:00am?) to refresh the stored data. In addition, every time you reference the EPG it will update if need be - I'll bet that the sound drops while you do that as it does on my Freesat box.

Indeed. As per Post #61

 

[PaulR]

is that the same with sky?

Yes, except that $ly and Freesat each have their own dedicated home channel transponder.

 

[John Pykett]

Yes, except that $ly and Freesat each have their own dedicated home channel transponder.

i wonder why sky and freesat cannot use both?

 

[Channel Hopper]

i wonder why sky and freesat cannot use both?

Do you understand what Freesat is, or the consortium that operates it ?

 

[John Pykett]

Do you understand what Freesat is, or the consortium that operates it ?

i think i get it because sky uses a different epg to freesat they have got to have seperate default transponder

 

[PaulR]

Exactly. $ly and Freesat have different objectives. There would be too much chance of problems by sharing.

It's also historical - $ly tried everything to slow down the promotion of Freesat so they would have no reason to share the EPG data so Freesat had to create its own. Now it's in place it's far easier to keep it separate I think.

 

[Analoguesat]

Quest Red launches tomorrow (15th) - it will be encrypted on satellite & there are no plans to bring it to Freesat.

Quest Red - How and where to watch - a516digital

 

[davemurgtroyd]

IIRC Sky besides the home transponder Sky has at least 3 other transponders which carry at least 24 hours of the EPG to allow updating the EPG if the box is consistently recording two channels at the same time - tuners can access more than one transponder at a time - it is only the software that limits the box to recording two channels. These are I believe the same alternative "default" trandponferd used by expats in fringe areas that could not receive the home transponder

 

[John Pykett]

Quest Red launches tomorrow (15th) - it will be encrypted on satellite & there are no plans to bring it to Freesat.

Quest Red - How and where to watch - a516digital

its seems like freesat wont get any more new channels this year

 

[John Pykett]

This Off-Topic Off-Topic Topic needs an On-Topic Topic of its own