236 replies to this topic

[Peter D]

I'm confused as to where Freeview gets the EPG from. Does it scan all the channels in the background whenever a tuner is free?

[diesel]

Currently to get each channels EPG info, devices need to get it from each service (ie CH7 only carry their own EPG data in their broadcast stream, CH10 the same etc etc), but what Freeview will be offering is that each broadcaster will transmit each other's EPG (at least that is the way I understand it) using the same company that provides the TiVo EPG as the collector of information

[davidl]

Vortical, on Apr 16 2009, 04:16 PM, said:

Diesel

Topfield has a Freeview compliant pvr coming too
http://www.topfield....a...=&mainmenu=

PVR or STB???? Can't see any mention of HDD in the specs.

[Timmy Downawell]

davidl, on Apr 18 2009, 09:08 AM, said:

PVR or STB???? Can't see any mention of HDD in the specs.

It's a PVR:

# Dual Recording and Playback Simultaneously.
# Dual Recording and Time-Shifting Simultaneously.

But you're right, it doesn't mention the HDD size.

[Bazzaa]

pgdownload, on Apr 15 2009, 01:57 PM, said:

There have been some suggestions that the current FTA EPG already updates on the fly in some cases on some channels, but I've seen no strong evidence that this

Anyone with a Topfield running a FTA EPG grabber and UK Auto-Scheduler can tell you that it is happening ([M2] [M3] yada). In fact it becomes a big problem if you grab your clock tick from the stream and one channel sends it out of whack. Anyhow, suffice to say the broadcast EPG is constantly updated by many of the channels, particularly ABC and Ten, in my experience. I'm actually finding the broadcast EPG times to be exceedingly accurate on the two non-commercial channels, in fact they're not bad on the others either, unless Natalie Bassingthwaite has rambled on again.

The EPG is not restricted to neat one hour blocks either, you don't need any kind of fancy PVR to know that. Where are you getting your info?

Edited by Bazzaa, 19 April 2009 - 11:21 PM.

[Bazzaa]

Peter D, on Apr 17 2009, 12:45 PM, said:

I'm confused as to where Freeview gets the EPG from. Does it scan all the channels in the background whenever a tuner is free?

Freeview is just a marketing conglomerate, it's not a channel nor a service, as such.

For the record, in Australia (and only in Australia), all the channels broadcast their own EPG and nobody else's. Most of the devices available here do not retain that data either.

Edited by Bazzaa, 19 April 2009 - 11:25 PM.

[fRuItCaKe.]

Personally I don't see the point with episode guides anyway.

The stations always overrun and stuff them up.

I don't trust them at all.

If it means giving up ad skip for an EPG which will be erratic at best then they can stick their EPG.  I'll keep my P1,H1, whatever

[diesel]

angelikzusa, on Apr 20 2009, 05:50 AM, said:

aaaaaaaaaaaa

You are a pest!   

[HDROCKS]

angelikzusa, on Apr 20 2009, 05:50 AM, said:

aaaaaaaaaaaa

The Viagra queen strikes again.

[llan]

angelikzusa, on Apr 20 2009, 05:50 AM, said:

aaaaaaaaaaaa

I haven't checked this forum for a while, shame to see that the morons have moved in during my absence.

[glenncol]

Not sure if this has been mentioned before guys so please forgive me if it has.

When the Freeview PVR's are released as of 1st May there will be no EPG, the EPG will be introduced around the end of the year. Also for PVR's to be Freeview complient rocorded prorams cannot be moved off the PVR to a PC

[Robert E]

glenncol, on Apr 20 2009, 08:42 PM, said:

When the Freeview PVR's are released as of 1st May there will be no EPG, the EPG will be introduced around the end of the year.

Does this mean you're expecting Freeview PVRs will not be able to display the current, and to be continued, FTA EPG?

glenncol, on Apr 20 2009, 08:42 PM, said:

Also for PVR's to be Freeview complient rocorded prorams cannot be moved off the PVR to a PC

Are you sure that this is correct?

[diesel]

Robert E, on Apr 20 2009, 08:57 PM, said:

glenncol, on Apr 20 2009, 08:42 PM, said:

Also for PVR's to be Freeview complient rocorded prorams cannot be moved off the PVR to a PC

Are you sure that this is correct?

I keep seeing posts on this, but no mention of it in any news articles???

[caloundrasteve]

glenncol, on Apr 20 2009, 08:42 PM, said:

.. Also for PVR's to be Freeview complient rocorded prorams cannot be moved off the PVR to a PC..

!!!Bummer!!!
Isnt that what a lot of people are trying to do?. Network their house and share files accross equipment.

[glenncol]

Robert E, on Apr 20 2009, 08:57 PM, said:

Does this mean you're expecting Freeview PVRs will not be able to display the current, and to be continued, FTA EPG?


Are you sure that this is correct?

I was chatting with the guys at Beyonwiz today, got it from them regarding their new pVR's being released.


I have also been told that the current range of Beyonwiz machines are going end of life. It looks like IceTV still has a life post Freeview release as non Freeview complient PVR's will not received the Freeview EPG. I would run out and grab a current Beyonwiz now if you are after the ablity to move content to a PC before they go

[glenncol]

diesel, on Apr 20 2009, 09:08 PM, said:

Are you sure that this is correct?

I keep seeing posts on this, but no mention of it in any news articles???

mmm I thought it was worth mentioning as the source is pretty damn reliable

[glenncol]

Robert E, on Apr 20 2009, 08:57 PM, said:

Does this mean you're expecting Freeview PVRs will not be able to display the current, and to be continued, FTA EPG?

This part i am not sure of

[pgdownload]

glenncol, on Apr 20 2009, 08:42 PM, said:

When the Freeview PVR's are released as of 1st May there will be no EPG, the EPG will be introduced around the end of the year.

Correct, till then Freeview STBs will provide access to the standard FTA EPG.

Quote

Also for PVR's to be Freeview complaint recorded programs cannot be moved off the PVR to a PC

IFAIK incorrect. Freeview have only ever stipulated that their EPG should not be downloadable. Unless you use a HDMI connection anything you can send to a TV you can also send to a DVDR so such a requirement is pretty meaningless.

Regards

Peter Gillespie

Edited by pgdownload, 20 April 2009 - 09:24 PM.

[glenncol]

pgdownload, on Apr 20 2009, 09:23 PM, said:

Correct, till then presumably Freeview STBs will provide access to the standard FTA EPG.
IFAIK incorrect. Freeview have only ever stipulated that their EPG should not be downloadable. Unless you use a HDMI connection anything you can send to a TV you can also send to a DVDR so such a requirement is pretty meaningless.

Regards

Peter Gillespie

Not as far as Beyonwiz is concerned

[caloundrasteve]

glenncol, on Apr 20 2009, 09:19 PM, said:

..I would run out and grab a current Beyonwiz now if you are after the ablity to move content to a PC before they go

How come the Tivo has HNP which lets you copy to a PC. Do the same rules apply?

[glenncol]

caloundrasteve, on Apr 20 2009, 09:30 PM, said:

How come the Tivo has HNP which lets you copy to a PC. Do the same rules apply?

Different rules apply i suppose with Tivo doing their own thing?

[pgdownload]

Tivo have stated they are Freeview compliant. They source their EPG from 'freeview'. Till now there' been little point in diluting the Tivo brand with a Freeview badge. That will likely change I suspect.

BeyonWiz have announced on their forum that they will be providing Freeeview and non Freeview (current) models. No doubt they'll see what the market demands. I don't imagine they've got any huge philosophical attachment to ad skipping, so if the Freeview models start selling very well the current model might well be phased out.

My own conversations indicate that the Freeview EPG won't be available for 6 months or so. This is known to manufacturers. They'll provide access to the current free to air EPG as a stop gap (it would take more effort to remove this capability from STBs than leave it in place.)

Regards

Peter Gillespie

[glenncol]

pgdownload, on Apr 20 2009, 09:47 PM, said:

Tivo have stated they are Freeview compliant. They source their EPG from 'freeview'. Till now there' been little point in diluting the Tivo brand with a Freeview badge. That will likely change I suspect.

With Tivo stating they are Freeview complient, Is this a terminology issue as in they are Freeview complient as in they will be showing all the additional channels or fully complient with Freeview?

Tivo source their EPG data from Freeview??

There is a misunderstanding out there that people think you have ot have a Freeview complient box to view all the new channels

BeyonWiz have announced on their forum that they will be providing Freeeview and non Freeview (current) models. No doubt they'll see what the market demands. I don't imagine they've got any huge philosophical attachment to ad skipping, so if the Freeview models start selling very well the current model might well be phased out.

As mentioned the word i got today is that the current boxes will be going end of life and "If you want a current box get it now as they will not be around for much longer"

My own conversations indicate that the Freeview EPG won't be available for 6 months or so. This is known to manufacturers. They'll provide access to the current free to air EPG as a stop gap (it would take more effort to remove this capability from STBs than leave it in place.)

Regards

Peter Gillespie

[pgdownload]

Quote

With Tivo stating they are Freeview complient, Is this a terminology issue as in they are Freeview complient as in they will be showing all the additional channels or fully complient with Freeview? There is a misunderstanding out there that people think you have ot have a Freeview complient box to view all the new channels.

Agree. Freeview compliance has nothing really to do with digital channels (as you say every HD STB in the country can receive all FTA broadcasts)

Quote

Tivo source their EPG data from Freeview?

Freeview are just a marketing front for FreeTV which in turn is just a front for the combined FTA networks interests (commercial and public). The networks provide EPG data to a single company that collates and disseminates this to all authorised users.

Freeview have stated both the FTA EPG and the Freeview EPG will be drawn from the same core dataset.

Quote

As mentioned the word i got today is that the current boxes will be going end of life and "If you want a current box get it now as they will not be around for much longer"

A possibility but it seems more likely to me that BW might like to informally prompt a rush on sales. BW have directly stated on their forum that they will be providing two boxes (one freeview and one not) for the time being. How long that lasts is anyone's guess.

Regards

Peter Gillespie

[John G]

pgdownload, on Apr 21 2009, 09:00 AM, said:

glenncol said:

As mentioned the word i got today is that the current boxes will be going end of life

A possibility but it seems more likely to me that BW might like to informally prompt a rush on sales. BW have directly stated on their forum that they will be providing two boxes (one freeview and one not) for the time being. How long that lasts is anyone's guess.
Regards
Peter Gillespie

I'm not actually sure what you mean by "going end of life".
If you mean they will stop selling them, I really hope you are misinformed. As PG says, the BW guys have said themselves that they will continue selling both types of boxes. It would be a tragedy if they stopped making the P1/P2.
If you mean they will stop further developement, better tell the guys at BW who are currently working on the next version of the firmware.

pgdownload said:

IFAIK incorrect. Freeview have only ever stipulated that their EPG should not be downloadable. Unless you use a HDMI connection anything you can send to a TV you can also send to a DVDR so such a requirement is pretty meaningless.

According to the SMH blog, "Only devices which meet Freeview's "technical requirements" will be allowed to license the Freeview logo, which means they must offer a seven day EPG, they can't offer ad-skipping and they can't offer an easy way to copy recordings off the box. "

A networkable Tivo which can stream video from a network is different to a fully functioning network interface which allows recordings to be copied to the network.