BBC channel changes on satellite

The BBC is making changes to its channel numbering on Sky and Freesat on Monday 24th March 2014, according to an announcement made today.

In a nutshell, Sky viewers will be able to tune in to other BBC One HD nations apart from their own via Sky 976-979. A similar move will be made on Freesat, but details haven't yet been published.

In England, BBC One English Regions move to channel 141 if you have Sky HD. 101 becomes BBC One HD with the red screen, according to the information provided.

http://www.a516digital.com/2014/03/bbc-one-hd-national-variants-to-become.html
http://www.bbc.co.uk/reception/news/news_item29.html

I thought OFCOM had made it pretty clear that unless it's a direct simulcast the PSB channels can't move from 101-105. I don't see how the BBC can justify moving the regional news (their highest rated PSB service) a few pages down the EPG unless they've found a way of automatically switching to the SD stream on 101 during regional content.

However the bbc.co.uk/reception link is ambiguous isn't it?

For England it lists
101 BBC One England HD
141 BBC One England SD

It doesn't mention English regional variations at all?

Similarly it talks about BBC One HD for Scotland, Ireland and Wales being on 976. Won't that be BBC One England HD?

I get the feeling that grid may not be that accurate? Is there a blog post explaining it as well?

I can understand BBC One England HD, Scotland HD, Wales HD and Northern Ireland HD all popping up in the 970s when they aren't the primary channel. (I think this may have been delayed whilst negotiations about how much the BBC pay Sky for regionalisation was negotiated)

I wouldn't be surprised if 101 remains SD and your BBC One region in England, with 141 remaining BBC One England HD?

They aren't moving BBC One Scotland SD, Wales SD or Northern Ireland SD away from 102 within those respective regions are they? 142 remains BBC Two England HD there.

Or have so many people complained that BBC One HD isn't on 101, that they've decided to make the change (possibly with agreement from Ofcom)?

I think PID switching is tricky - as it will also require a transponder change, and I'm not sure that is easy to do - or even possible. SVT manage to keep it all within a single transponder I think - and SD only. They only put out the Stockholm variations of SVT 1 and 2 in HD - with no regional switching in HD.

I totally agree that the BBC Reception information isn't very user friendly, with the different naming conventions for BBC One England/English Regions. The BBC information line has provided verbal confirmation of the 101/141 move, although they will be working on the same information that's been provided on the internet, and trying to get through to the tech people (as opposed to call centre staff working on scripts) late on a Friday when this was announced was impossible.

I am very surprised at the statement implying the 101/141 swap, and predict that if this does happen, there'll be a shed load of confused regional news watchers come 6:30pm Monday (the regional news magazines still pulling in substantial numbers of viewers).

I am also a bit miffed about the statement regarding changes also happening on Freesat, and then no reference at all later on down the page. It mentions Freesat then goes into a table with " EPG no." - unless you technically savvy, you may not realise that these are Sky EPG numbers only.

Since the announcement of Alix Pryde's departure from BBC Distribution, there have been no blog posts on such matters, where viewers could have directly asked questions to the BBC about the changes and any perceived anomalies.

Presumably there'll be caption on 101, saying retune to 141 etc for your local news, it's hardly confusing for those with more than half a brain cell . Perhaps BBC 1 SD will take 141 on Freesat too, to unify things, I'm sure BET+1 can be shifted into further obscurity. I don't actually think BBC 1 English regions will move though, it's all just too good to be true.



+1

Except for the viewers who have Sky HD receiving equipment but no Sky HD subscription, who would be told to retune to 141 (which they'd already be tuned to...). Given that HD equipment has been standard issue now for 4 years, and takeup of the HD pack or the cheaper one they introduced last year is not anywhere near 100%...

Well, I fail to understand the logic behind BSkyB not performing the HD/SD swaps for non subscribing users of their HD boxes. Another reason not to faff around with their box, and go with 'proper' Freesat if you ditch their subscription, in fact all that policy will do, is to drive some people to do just that, rather than have them
be easily available for re-sub.

Presumably because it would mean Sky1 (etc.) would effectively loose their superior EPG position.

Oh right, so you mean people who have ditched their HD sub, but still have an SD sub ?

Blimey , OK, nothing (technical) to stop the FTA HD channels still being swapped I suspect ?

AIUI EPG positions, other than the card-less default, are tied to the viewing card (and what subscriptions it is enabled for), rather than the Sky box (which has a single default EPG). As a result the only way Sky boxes, and the Sky EPG, know that they are "HD" (and thus need to do a swap) is when they have an HD subscription entitlement.

You could argue that Sky should have a different default EPG mapping for HD boxes, but AIUI they don't currently.

Hardly confusing? Tell that to those viewers who don't seem to be able to switch to BBC Two during Wimbledon...

I do wonder what the purpose of offering the SD version of a channel on an HD box is (channels with regional variations excepted, and possibly PSBs with arcane rules to deal with). Does anybody who pays for HD really ever use the SD version? To my mind they just clog up the EPG.