YouView to adopt Freeview channel list rules

Would-be standard IPTV platform YouView wants to order channels in its electronic programme guide (EPG) according to rules used by Freeview, an approach that puts the UK's main terrestrial channels at the top of the list. The Freeview EPG channel order is specified by Digital Multiplex Operators Ltd (DMOL), which mandates so- …

[Real Ale is Best]

Who the hell are YouView?

I know how to Google, but this article gives no explanation of them at all!

[Chad H.]

Who the hell is Real Ale is best

I know how to Google, but this comment gives no explanation of him/her at all!

[Anonymous Coward]

Channel numbers - does anyone use them?

Maybe it's because I only have Freeview, but I don't use channel numbers at all.

My TV (which isn't that new) allows me to create a profile containing the channels ordered as I want and excluding those I don't (which is nearly all of them). So I have one that's just kids channels and another that I use most of the time - BBC1, 2, 3, 4, ITV 1, CH4, Film4 etc (under 20 I'd guess)

Although the channel numbers do appear, I always go by the channel name on the reduced EPG - I don't even know what the numbers are for a channel.

[Lamont Cranston]

Quite.

The only channel number I know is 71 (Cbeebies) - anything I want to watch is plucked off the EPG, so I don't care what number it is (and this is after trimming all the crap, so the chance of the numbers being sequential is pretty remote).

[Richy Freeway]

Am I the only person who had no idea what YouView was?

[James Hughes 1]

Hmm

Not sure about being closer to the top being that munch of an advantage. Seems OK for CBeebies at 71, because people *want* to watch the channel.

And with most EPG's having a search button....

And to be honest, I tend to scroll down the whole list to see what shite is on.

[Velv]

Why can't all the broadcasters get together and agree a unified numbering system?

OK, so there's EPG envy. But wouldn't it be good if the same channel was always on the same number on Freeview, Virgin, Sky, etc. It would make explaining it to my ageing mother a LOT simpler!!!

[Anonymous Coward]

iPlayer

All these TVs with built in iPlayer - redundant or will a simple software upgrade make them able to run YouView... does anyone know ?

[McBread]

Yuk!

The Freeview EPG is awful; Freesat is the one that got it correct. Partly it's a question of timing, all the +1 and whatnot could be correctly ordered from day one rather than added over time. However, it also breaks it down in to a larger number of groups, and the shopping guff is put last.

[Rufus]

Pull your finger out!

Considering the original YouView nee Project Canvas nee Project Kangaroo was due to launch in mid 2008, to be honest I don't care what order or even colour the EPG is!

In fact I don't even give a damn if it doesn't have an EPG at all. What I do want is a simple STB which allows me to stream catch-up content from all the main "freeview" providers though a single common interface.

Is that too much to ask, or too difficult to achieve in 5 years FFS!

[ZillaOfManilla]

yes

your asking them to all look the same, I f'ing hate the way the BBC forces Virgin to use their shit iPlayer wank, when VMs catchup tv interface is much easier. I just have to remember to never select by channel then BBC, and to search by day.

Also if you want this sort of service, would you not be better off just strapping a computer/media centre to your tv so you can use the internet versions of the catchup systems?

[ScottME]

They should make it customisable

People should be able to build their own channel lists and order the channels how they want them. I know some sets allow lists of favourites, but the custom ordering is what would be key for me.

[Anonymous Coward]

Works well enough

Well, it works for me anyway; the lower the number, the more watchable the channel is likely to be, with the anomalies that Film Four is too far down and that ITV's various channels appear in the listing before Teachers TV.

[mittfh]

Given the large number of channels...

Perhaps rather than use numbering, use a hierarchical list supplemented by a search feature. Even better if they implement something similar to the RDS PTY feature (Programme Type), so a search for 'News' will pull up not only BBC News / Sky News / Al Jazeera English / Russia Today / CNN (funny how ITN decided not to join the 24/7 party), but also news programmes scattered across all the other channels; and 'Children's' would bring up Channel 5's 'Milkshake' alongside the offerings of CBBC / CBeebies / CITV.

That is, of course, assuming the broadcasters correctly code up the programmes they transmit!

[Samuel Williams]

If only we could invent some other kind of sequencing system

...one that didn't involve numbers. Maybe it could be based around the channel name somehow? Using initial letters perhaps? Of course, we'd have to get the YouView committee together to debate the exact sequence for a few years.