Closure of DSat 3 / Astra tp.38
What’s happening?
On the 7th October the BBC’s contracts for the uplink & capacity for the transponder known as
DSat 3 come up for renewal and we have decided not to carry this platform forward. This
decision is primarily due to the current funding pressure the BBC is under.
Thankfully we will be able to retain all linear services but will need to reduce the number of
ETV streams we provide for Red Button services.
In order to be able to close the transponder, we need to move some services around and
close a few of the Red Button video streams:
• BBC News, BBC Parliament and BBC Alba will move onto different transponders
allowing us to make more efficient use of our satellite capacity.
• At the moment we broadcast seven ‘Enhanced TV’ (ETV) video feeds, which are
used to provide enhanced coverage of BBC programmes (for example, sporting and
music events). But outside of busy periods the streams are not all fully utilised. Going
forward, the number of ETV channels on satellite and, consequently, cable will
reduce to either 4 or 5, I’ll let you know exactly which when we are absolutely sure
how many we can fit in.
• We will also be closing one of the mosaic video feeds used to provide embedded
content in some Red Button applications.
What action will viewers need to take?
• Sky viewers should not notice any difference because Sky boxes should update
automatically. If you do experience problems, Sky will be best placed to help and can
be contacted on 08442 411 653.
• Freesat viewers in most cases will not need to take any action, although depending
on your specific make and model of digital TV or box it might be necessary to turn
your device off and back on again, or possibly do a retune. If you have any scheduled
recordings for BBC News, BBC Parliament or BBC Alba you may need to check
these after the change, so please be especially vigilant. If you experience difficulty
with a Freesat box or integrated receiver it would be best to contact Freesat on 08450
990 990 or the receiver manufacturer.
• If you have another kind of satellite receiver, you will need to retune it in order to
continue to receive the affected services. Since we are just moving services around
our existing transponders, there should not be any problems . However, if you have
scheduled recordings on BBC News, BBC Parliament or BBC Alba you may need to
check these after the change, so please be especially vigilant.
• Virgin Media uses satellite as the source for BBC standard definition TV channels.
Virgin Media will therefore need to make a few technical changes, but its viewers
should not notice any difference.
How will the channels be re-organised?
In September we will be making two sets of changes, the dates listed here are provisional and
subject to adjustment. These dates have not been circulated to the general public at this
stage:
Phase 1: Move BBC News, BBC Parliament & BBC Alba away from DSat7/tp13
• BBC News will move to DSat2/tp.47
• BBC Parliament will move to DSat5/tp.46
• BBC Alba will move to DSat6/tp.48
The services will be available in their new locations (as well as the old) on the 20th September
with new service IDs – this is called a period of dual-illumination. The EPG tuning information
will be updated as follows:
• 22nd September – Freesat will change their channel lists to point to the new location
• 22nd September – Virgin Media will update their platform
• 26th September – Sky will update their channel listings
Once Sky has updated their channel list on the 26th September, the dual-illumination period
will end and these services will no longer be available at their old locations.
Phase 2: Move all ETV streams to DSat7.tp13
On 28th September a second period of dual-illumination will begin with the new ETV streams
being available on DSat7. EPG tuning information will be updated as follows:
• 28th September – Virgin Media will change their platform
• 29th September – Freesat will change their channel lists to point to the new location
• 3rd October – Sky will update their channel lists
The tuning details for our remaining transponders will stay the same and these details can be
found here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/reception/info/sat_frequencies.shtml
We will be updating this page with the new service line-up once we have completed the
changes.
I will confirm nearer the time the final number of ETV streams which will remain. It will either
be 4 or 5 depending on the results of some further testing.
How is this change being communicated?
In several ways:
• The BBC will be putting up a blog post on the Internet blog explaining what is
happening and why. http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/bbcinternet/ A direct link to the post
will only be available once it goes live.
• This FAQ will be available to bodies with call centres that handle queries from the
public both platform and manufacturer.
• We are in contact with the CAI to attempt to get the information out into the installer
community
• We are in discussion with the affected channels (BBC News, BBC Parliament & BBC
Alba) to discuss whether they see a need to make reference to this move on-air. This
however is an editorial matter for the channels in question.