BBC FTA Tests

Charles Slane · 29-04-2003 7:39pm #1

From a poster called Kerry on the DigitalSpy site -

"BBC1 currently testing on 10847V sr22000 fec 5/6 with "BBC1 LN" label, banner showing "This is BBC Interactive", onscreen dog reads BBC1 South. Perhaps this is the precursor to BBC's tests for FTA."

Someone replied that the Beeb has used this transponder before for interactive services, but this test is viewable with an ROI card which up til now only BBC1 and 2 NI have been.

Could be onto something here.

Anyone with more info ?

DMC · 29-04-2003 7:52pm

Possibly. This is the only transponder the BBC currently have on 2D, which has been used for BBCi, mainly for sports interactive. They need 3 more birds to be fired up soon.....

Charles Slane · 29-04-2003 11:50pm

There seems to be an interactive stream on now, but it's interesting that it's visible.

arkles · 30-04-2003 12:10am

i have checked this transponder on many occasions in the last month, always getting "no channels available", checked it approx mid day today still got no channels msg.

tonight is the 1st time i have ever seen a channel listed ( roi sub card)

sceptre · 30-04-2003 12:41am

Originally posted by arkles
checked it approx mid day today still got no channels msg.

Ditto (just checked now)

DMC · 30-04-2003 7:52am

Lyngsat now reflects those changes. It says 4 BBC ONE sub-regions in England are there...

Guys, tune in TODAY at 6:30pm on those frequencies and see what you get. (local news hopefully!)

Icehouse · 30-04-2003 8:42am

The DS thread mentioned that the receptionof this test had a quality of about 80% compared to other stations - is it because it's a transpoonder normally used for interactive that now needs tweaking, or are the BEEB trying to limit reception to the British Isles? I reckon I'm safe anyways where I am in Brittany - they'll have to have a signal powerful enough to keep their legitimate customers in the Channel Islands happy, and thus it'll still be receivable here. Gonna check tonight if I get the chance.

watty · 30-04-2003 11:48am

Only BBC Ln with no pic/sound just now/next EPG this AM when I looked on PC

arkles · 30-04-2003 12:27pm

now showing cbbc for all da kids in the house

on roi sub card
not fta

Tony · 30-04-2003 1:07pm

Interestingly my Echostar picks up all the tests encrypted but the digibox only picks up BBC Ln.

Tony

watty · 30-04-2003 2:17pm

Whats the PIDs Tony? My PC only sees the BBC Ln as does my Digiboxes. It seems to be "soft encrypted", i.e. a FTV card AND ROI card work but not the PC.
I'm only seeing BBC LN showing CBBC with superimposed audio levels and Network 3 ident on both Digiboxes..

Tony · 30-04-2003 3:34pm

Originally posted by watty
Whats the PIDs Tony? My PC only sees the BBC Ln as does my Digiboxes. It seems to be "soft encrypted", i.e. a FTV card AND ROI card work but not the PC.
I'm only seeing BBC LN showing CBBC with superimposed audio levels and Network 3 ident on both Digiboxes..

V2305 A 2306 PCR 2305

Mossy Monk · 30-04-2003 6:51pm

during the 6.00 news it went to "Programme Not Available" on an Irish card. it still works on a FTV card though. incidentally it was BBC One South

DMC · 30-04-2003 7:00pm

I cant see right now, but 6:30pm is local news time....

jabarrett35 · 30-04-2003 7:46pm

Same here at 1930 08 this prog is not available. So much for free to air. Do you think someone at the Beeb has been looking at these web sites. Or is that too parnoid.

Mossy Monk · 30-04-2003 7:48pm

too paranoid. they said 1st of June. it's still April!!!!!!

jabarrett35 · 30-04-2003 8:49pm

It appears that this feed is regionalised. As I see on another forum that people in NI and Scotland the 08 banner as well. May be this test has nothing to do FTA. May be some of the Sat Tech may have more of an idea?

Charles Slane · 30-04-2003 11:33pm

Currently getting the "This programme is not available" message.

Hopefully we'll see more activity in the next fews days.

Richard · 01-05-2003 4:53pm

Originally posted by Mossy Monk
during the 6.00 news it went to "Programme Not Available" on an Irish card.

Yeah, it worked at 6pm for the Regional Headlines from South Today, but when I tuned back for South Today itself it was gone.

Charles Slane · 02-05-2003 12:10am

It currently has a blank screen but EPG info for BBC1 on an FTV card.

Do interactive feeds normally carry EPG info ?

DMC · 02-05-2003 7:33am

Originally posted by Charles Slane
Do interactive feeds normally carry EPG info ?

No, they dont show any info.

johnnyq · 02-05-2003 4:13pm

What is the story with the tests now ?

nothing has changed for a few days now

Could the BBC/SKY have worked something out ?

watty · 02-05-2003 5:27pm

A bit off copying the whole of a post in another forum, and while I agree with all said, it has all been said earlier in this forum, in the BBC sticky thread.

"Acceptable usage" would be splitting it up or adding comments in a blow by blow critique, rather than a wholesale copy with no comment.

johnnyq · 02-05-2003 7:08pm

Originally posted by watty
A bit off copying the whole of a post in another forum, and while I agree with all said, it has all been said earlier in this forum, in the BBC sticky thread.

"Acceptable usage" would be splitting it up or adding comments in a blow by blow critique, rather than a wholesale copy with no comment.

It has been sorted;)

I thought it was perfect the way it was, but nevermind !!!!!!!!!!!!

Charles Slane · 03-05-2003 2:31am

Originally posted by watty
A bit off copying the whole of a post in another forum, and while I agree with all said, it has all been said earlier in this forum, in the BBC sticky thread.

"Acceptable usage" would be splitting it up or adding comments in a blow by blow critique, rather than a wholesale copy with no comment.

Hi Watty,

Not quite sure what the above means. Are you saying that this thread should be merged with the BBC sticky thread ? If so, I'm sure Damo will do the business.

Although it has generally been useful over the years to have threads that referenced tests specifically, for shortcut purposes.

Or have I misunderstood your post ?

zak · 03-05-2003 8:32am

BBC have put their plans to go FTA back until the 1st of July. The UK regalator has instructed sky to keep BBC transmissions enqrypted until this date while the regalator trys to sort out the problems between BBC & Sky. It is not 100% certin that the BBC will go FTA yet.

Tony · 03-05-2003 9:47am

Originally posted by zak
BBC have put their plans to go FTA back until the 1st of July. The UK regalator has instructed sky to keep BBC transmissions enqrypted until this date while the regalator trys to sort out the problems between BBC & Sky. It is not 100% certin that the BBC will go FTA yet.

And the source of this information is ?

Tony

johnnyq · 03-05-2003 10:06am

no mention of this on the bbc site www.bbc.co.uk or www.sky.com
or www.itc.org.uk

johnnyq · 03-05-2003 1:02pm

Originally posted by Charles Slane
Hi Watty,

Not quite sure what the above means. Are you saying that this thread should be merged with the BBC sticky thread ? If so, I'm sure Damo will do the business.

Although it has generally been useful over the years to have threads that referenced tests specifically, for shortcut purposes.

Or have I misunderstood your post ?

no it has nothing to do with the thread just a post

johnnyq · 03-05-2003 3:37pm

Hey the BBC ONE LN test is showing epg listings for the next few hours !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
At last a change but it is still encrypted

johnnyq · 03-05-2003 3:56pm

I would like to correct that post . you get the epg listings by doing the following:
1) Go into BBC ONE LN and find out what programme is one
2) go into A-Z listings and find the programme
3) click on the BBC ONE LN programme and you will get the listings for the next few hours
Hovever it is still encrypted

Charles Slane · 04-05-2003 1:37am

According to Nate Dogg on Digital Spy -

"The BBC have started testing Astra 2D they have about 10 regional tests at 10847V Symbol Rate 22.0 & FEC 5/6"

Can't see them here. Are they viewable on an FTA box ?

watty · 04-05-2003 9:08am

There may have been region feeds / tests. But they wern't FTA, and currently ther is only BBC LN which does not work at the minute on any card or FTA. It did work for a while on any Digibox card, not FTA.

By my definition an FTA test is Free To Air, i.e. works on a Digibox with upside down card re-powered on (The only way to have a "no-Card" Digibox since Ver 3.xx SW) or a non-Digibox Digital Receiver.

IMO there is a lot of nonsense and rumour at the mo. mostly as result of ill researched "opinion" passed as fact ( by a certain Newspaper) & Sky announcements passed off as BBC or ITC decisions (which they obviously arn't).

www.lyngsat.com shows

V
tp 50

SR 22000
FEC 5/6

BBCi 8
Videoguard 6900 2305 2306 E 2D Anonymous
030501

BBCi 9
Videoguard 6901 2324 2325 E W Zaremba
030503

BBCi 10
Videoguard 6902 2331 2332 E W Zaremba
030503

BBCi 11
Videoguard 6903 2337 2338 E W Zaremba
030503

BBCi 12
Videoguard 6904 2341 2342 E W Zaremba
030503

BBCi 13
Videoguard 6905 2345 2346 E W Zaremba
030503

http://www.lyngsat.com/dig/skyuk.shtml

johnnyq · 04-05-2003 1:44pm

Originally posted by Charles Slane
According to Nate Dogg on Digital Spy -

"The BBC have started testing Astra 2D they have about 10 regional tests at 10847V Symbol Rate 22.0 & FEC 5/6"

Can't see them here. Are they viewable on an FTA box ?

I also noticed that the post was posted at 11:00

like they would be doing tests at that hour

johnnyq · 04-05-2003 11:20pm

Originally posted by me
I also noticed that the post was posted at 11:00
like they would be doing tests at that hour

I would expect that tests will take place on tuesday next, because monday is a holiday and it will be a full week after it started. I predict we will see more unencrypted action with new channels starting on that day myself, any insights ?

DMC · 06-05-2003 11:36am

Just in regard to the two threads... This one will discuss any tests we see, like the BBC ONE LN, the sticky will continue to discuss the politics of it all. I wont move any posts that are already there.

CHRIS GREER · 06-05-2003 12:09pm

Zak, back on Saturday, Tony asked you a question as to where your "information" was sourced from. So far, you have failed to supply an answer, either the source of the information (as we all hope it is) or an admission that it was an untruth (which we hope it wasn't) Now, Zak, the question is-are you prepared to furnish us all, but especially Tony, who asked in a polite manner (Congrats Tony!) with whatever information you do or do not have?

ShaneOC · 06-05-2003 12:30pm

Originally posted by CHRIS GREER
Zak, back on Saturday, Tony asked you a question as to where your "information" was sourced from. So far, you have failed to supply an answer, either the source of the information (as we all hope it is) or an admission that it was an untruth (which we hope it wasn't) Now, Zak, the question is-are you prepared to furnish us all, but especially Tony, who asked in a polite manner (Congrats Tony!) with whatever information you do or do not have?

Stop stirring :rolleyes:

Tony · 06-05-2003 1:22pm

Originally posted by Tony
And the source of this information is ?

Tony

Zak any chance of an answer? I think its a fair question.

Tony

watty · 06-05-2003 3:01pm

Still nothing that looks like a "real" FTA test.
5 of the 6 supposed "tests" appear to not exist. The BBC LN test may be nothing to do with the FTA move.
Be assured if my PC finds any new BBC channels I'll post the details.

I have searched the BBC site extensively, nothing about any 1 month delay, Sky wishfull thinking perhaps?

Icehouse · 06-05-2003 3:09pm

Originally posted by watty
Still nothing that looks like a "real" FTA test.
5 of the 6 supposed "tests" appear to not exist. The BBC LN test may be nothing to do with the FTA move.
Be assured if my PC finds any new BBC channels I'll post the details.

I have searched the BBC site extensively, nothing about any 1 month delay, Sky wishfull thinking perhaps?

I reckon/hope the BBC will go ahead without any delay. As for the source of the info on the BBC's tests, the same said person (on another board) frequently spreads satellite related rumours/half truths and he has been pulled up on it (including by myself this morning btw).

johnnyq · 06-05-2003 5:48pm

It is probobly still too soon

arkles · 07-05-2003 7:56am

BBC1 LN testing this morning (only on FTV card) showing bbc1 london.

Icehouse · 07-05-2003 1:43pm

Originally posted by irishgeo
Can anyone actually see it happening.

Anyone can watch it happen as we 'speak'

BBC ONE, BBC TWO, BBC NI, BBC NEWS 24, CBBC Channel, CBeebies and BBC R Cymru are currently testing (encrypted for the moment) on transponder 45 10773H 22.0 5/6.

DMC · 07-05-2003 2:04pm

Thats Tp 45 alright, but Lyngsat has not show that that tp is active???

Icehouse · 07-05-2003 2:06pm

Originally posted by DMC
Thats Tp 45 alright, but Lyngsat has not show that that tp is active???

Sorry, I should have qualified my info - this is from a thread on Digi Spy, and i have not yet been able to verify it. the Thread says it is a newly activated transponder.

DMC · 07-05-2003 2:11pm

Moving to the tests thread... Can anyone verify this?

dmeehan · 07-05-2003 2:46pm

no sign of it on Lyngsat

Icehouse · 07-05-2003 3:48pm

Originally posted by dmeehan
no sign of it on Lyngsat

Hopefully it will appear when confirmed : http://www.lyngsat.com/astra2d.shtml

arkles · 07-05-2003 3:53pm

yep
all the said mentioned channels minus bbc1 ni ( bbc1 ni blocked )are there with picture and audio
only on FTVcard though, irish sub card says channel not available zzzz

Tony · 07-05-2003 4:47pm

quote:

Originally posted by zak
BBC have put their plans to go FTA back until the 1st of July. The UK regalator has instructed sky to keep BBC transmissions enqrypted until this date while the regalator trys to sort out the problems between BBC & Sky. It is not 100% certin that the BBC will go FTA yet.

And the source of this information is ?

Tony

I guess the lack of response (despite two requests) says a little about the validity of this information.

Tony

BBC FTA Tests

Comments