Author: Scott

Eh, a News Post on a Wednesday? Merit Change

I’m making a one off exception to the recently introduced news update schedule (i.e. new updates should occur on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays), as the Merit channel has thrown up a new development. The channel has moved to temporary multiplex COM7.

An onscreen message reveals the channel is back at 9pm, suggesting the originally reported broadcast hours of 9pm to midnight are in fact correct. The logo consists of orange text in a handwritten script font style, and does not follow the ITV corporate style, or feature the ITV logo.

I’m sure there will be more developments to this channel to report on in the near future.

Freeview Channel Changes

From tomorrow (29th July 2020), some Freeview services are changing.

Ketchup/Yaaas (streamed service on devices connected to the internet) will be separating, becoming Ketchup on the existing channel number, and Yaaas on channel 212. This returns Ketchup and Yaaas to their original format, prior to merging as one portal.

A new channel Country Music Entertainment, will be launching on channel 98, and will be a 24/7 country music service. This channel will be on the Greater Manchester multiplex, so coverage will be restricted to the Greater Manchester area, but viewers others parts of UK with internet connected devices can access the streamed version via channel 271*. The streamed version is also in HD.

The Freeview website also states that new channel Merit is changing the way it is broadcast. The change is unclear, but this normally means the service is switching to a different multiplex.

In most cases, a partial retune or add new channels function should make the necessary adjustments for these changes to take affect on your device, but a full retune may still be required in some cases. Some devices may adjust automatically. Consult your device manufacturer if unsure.

*Update (29th July 2020): Thanks to Country Music Entertainment for letting me know about the streamed version of the channel.

5G Clearance Resumes

The clearance of Freeview terrestrial TV frequencies has resumed, in order to make way for 5G mobile phone signals. YouView users (inlcuding BT TV, Plusnet TV, and Talk Talk TV) are also affected, as these sevices incorporate Freeview services.

Viewers in North East Wales, North West England, and the Creetown, Gosforth and St Bees areas of the ITV Border region will need to retune on the 12th August (2020). Viewers in the Isle of Man and Kendal area will need to retune on 19th August.

In general, viewers receiving TV from a main transmitter (eg. those who recieve channels such as Dave and Quest) will need to retune from 6am. Viewers who receive a relay service (ie. only BBC, and the main ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5 channels), will need to wait until early afternoon before attempting a retune.

In some areas, only some of the relays are affected, although short interruptions may still occur.

The exact method for retuning will vary depending on the device, although as the frequencies are changing, a first time installation, or full scan may be required. Consult the instruction manual or manufacturer for information on how to do this.

If you use a Freeview recorder or YouView device with recording capabilities, it is worth noting down what programmes are set to record, as some devices may reset series links (although previously recorded programmes are safe).

Normally, I would list the full details of the transmitters affected, but I don’t currently have this information.

Global Expansion Planned for Britbox

BBC Studios and ITV have revealed plans for how the jointly owned streaming service is to expand globally.

The plans see the platform expanding to up to 25 countries, and seeks to expand the footprint of the service across Europe, Asia, Middle East, South America and Africa.

The service launched initially in the USA and Canada, before launching in the UK in November 2019, boasting the largest collection of UK boxsets. The service is expected to launch in Australia later this year (2020).

Sky Arts to Go Free-to-Air

Sky Arts, an arts and culture channel from broadcaster Sky is to become free-to-air in September.

Not only will the channel become available to more satellite viewers, but the channel will also join the Freeview terrestrial platform, as confirmed by the Ofcom license published this morning (28th July 2020).

The Freeview multiplex is yet to be confirmed, but previous speculation has suggested Sky Arts may replace Challenge on Freeview, which is also owned by Sky.

The move follows the launch of several new Sky branded channels in recent months, as well as the re-branding of Pick to Sky Pick. Challenge is yet to re-brand.

New Merit Launch Date

ITV’s new channel Merit is now expected to launch at 8pm on Wednesday 29th July 2020, earlier than some expectations.

Details of the channel are still thin on the ground, but the channel is still expected to be a part time service. The 8pm launch time indicates that this is the regular start time, which is earlier than the 9pm to midnight timings previously reported.

Availability of the service beyond Freeview is still not known, although programmes should be available on the ITV Hub catch-up platform.

Disney+ Performs Poorly on Samsung TVs

A new study from enhanced TV agency Terravolt suggests that users are unhappy with the performance of Disney’s streaming service Disney+ on Samsung’s TVs with the Tizen operating system.

Among the issues reported are long loading times for preview images, jerky scrolling, and an un-intuitive keyboard which can over-complicated the log-in process.

The problems do appear to be isolated to the Tizen powered Samsung Smart TVs, although it is unclear whether the problems are caused by the TVs, or the Disney+ app itself.

Surrey Cricket to be Broadcast on Facebook

Surrey County Cricket Club have partnered with Facebook to broadcast the club’s home games on Facebook Watch for free. The matches will be available on the clubs Facebook page.

The first broadcast is today (22nd July) with the London Cup between Surrey Women and Middlesex Women. Matches in the NatWest T20 Blast and the one-off Bob Wills Trophy will also be shown.

The tie-up provides an alternative way of cricket fans to enjoy the action, with matches currently being played behind closed doors to limit the spread of Covid-19.

Merit Expected to Launch in September

Contrary to previous reports, ITV’s new channel Merit has not yet launched, and is now expected to launch in September, according to www.terrestrialtv.uk. A placeholder is currently broadcast on channel 34.

It is unclear if the channel will launch on other platforms, and little about the channel has been confirmed. There is a possibility the channel will be exclusive to Freeview, like CCXTV.

More details will be confirmed here when I receive them.

Netflix Sees New Subscriber Surge

Thanks to global lockdowns, Netflix has seen a surge in subscribers. In the three months to July, 10.1 million new subscribers joined the service. So far, there have been 26 million subscribers for 2020 as a whole.

Compared to 2019, Netflix saw 28 million new subscribers across the whole year. 2020 looks set to exceed this. However, the company has warned that new subscriptions will slow, particularly as lockdown restrictions ease.

Netflix is an on-demand streaming service, with shows including Tiger King, Ozark, and Bank Heist proving popular during lockdown.