When are Sky going to sort out the HD Movie Channel numbering

[badkarma]

Flicking about HD movie channels is a real chore with the way they have the movies spread across the channels

313 Sky PremHD
314 Sky Screen 1 HD

315 Film4
316 Film4 +1
317 TCM
318 TCM2

319 Zone Horror, movies for men etc...
.
.
.
329

332 Sky Screen 2 HD

333 NigeriaMovies

334 Sky Comedy HD
335 Sky Action HD
336 Sky Family HD
337 Sky Drama HD
338 Sky SciFi/Horror HD
339 Sky Modern Greats HD

I've got all the movies assigned as 'favourites' and can scroll through them with the blue button BUT this doesn't work if you wan't to go backwards albeit with the new EPG the first press of the blue button takes you back to the last channel you were on. This just adds to the confusion more than anything.

I mean how difficult can it be

[Starburst]

SKY are not allowed to manipulate the EPG numbering to suit themselves, slots after the initial lineup were sold on a first come/first served basis as defined by the agreement with OFCOM.

[Trollslayer]

Hang on - why would Ofcom control channel numbering on a closed system?
With Freeview it makes sense because of the netowkr management and different customers for that but Sky have their own mapping in the way that Virgin have theirs, hence logical channel numbers for a given service (Sky1 or Virgin1) are different on Sky and Virgin.
Certainly Sky aren't going to change channel numbers more often than they have to since recordings are based on channel numbers and they will get complaints about missed recordings.

[Starburst]

Originally Posted by Trollslayer

Hang on - why would Ofcom control channel numbering on a closed system?

They are the industry regulator and SKY's EPG has a price tag for UK licensed (by OFCOM) broadcasters if they want to be on it, if the SKY EPG was totally the domain of SKY owned channels they yes they could do what they want but it isn't and they can't.

Both the allocation and pricing of the EPG slots have been ratified by OFCOM under a specific set of circumstances, these are not under SKY's direct control so first come first served as it were until the EPG will almost full and SKY stopped taking new submissions and then we got the mini-boom in selling and trading existing EPG slots.

[badkarma]

Originally Posted by Starburst

SKY are not allowed to manipulate the EPG numbering to suit themselves, slots after the initial lineup were sold on a first come/first served basis as defined by the agreement with OFCOM.

Is this annually renewed though ?

Might we see some changes to the numbering over time as contracts come to an end and channels are released and re-allocated.

[Starburst]

Originally Posted by badkarma

Is this annually renewed though ?

Might we see some changes to the numbering over time as contracts come to an end and channels are released and re-allocated.

I don't know but it gets a once over when ever someone complains about it

When a channel closes if the EPG slot is paid up (3 years in advance I believe) then they are free to sell it on as an asset it doesn't revert back to SKY so the longer SKY go on with an EPG that is hamstrung by legacy hardware the more "messy" it will become.

[penna]

Originally Posted by badkarma

I've got all the movies assigned as 'favourites' and can scroll through them with the blue button BUT this doesn't work if you wan't to go backwards albeit with the new EPG the first press of the blue button takes you back to the last channel you were on. This just adds to the confusion more than anything.

This is the most annoying thing about the new EPG, for me. They really need to sort out the blue button functionality - either make it go to the previous channel, followed by going through favourite channels starting from the currently selected channel, or have "previous channel" on a separate button (yellow?). Starting the favourites from the previous channel makes no logical sense and is an absolute arse to use.

[HDCriticalFan]

Originally Posted by badkarma

Flicking about HD movie channels is a real chore with the way they have the movies spread across the channels

Just select HD channels (the second option when you enter TV Guide). Then they are all together.





Regards

[badkarma]

Originally Posted by penna

This is the most annoying thing about the new EPG, for me. They really need to sort out the blue button functionality - either make it go to the previous channel, followed by going through favourite channels starting from the currently selected channel, or have "previous channel" on a separate button (yellow?). Starting the favourites from the previous channel makes no logical sense and is an absolute arse to use.

True they should move it to a seperate button as it was waaaaaaay back in the old days of analogue Sky.

Originally Posted by HDCriticalFan

Just select HD channels (the second option when you enter TV Guide). Then they are all together.
Regards

But then I need to stop watching what I'm currently on. I don't use the mini-tv. Even if I did use the mini-tv I'd then need to scroll through a couple of pages of HD movies just to have a quick browse.

Besides why should I have to - what's then the point of having an EPG that allows you to scroll through channels and view future program information ? It just doesn't work very well mainly due to the fact the HD movie channel don't run concurrently.

Originally Posted by Starburst

I don't know but it gets a once over when ever someone complains about it

When a channel closes if the EPG slot is paid up (3 years in advance I believe) then they are free to sell it on as an asset it doesn't revert back to SKY so the longer SKY go on with an EPG that is hamstrung by legacy hardware the more "messy" it will become.

Thanks, interesting stuff about the lack of control sky have over this 'asset'. I just assumed Sky had complete control and carte blanche over this.