ITV3+1, ITV4+1 now full service

[EEPhil]

Just noticed that ITV2+1 has moved to D3&4 and is now h264/MPEG-4. Also on that multiplex is ITV4+1 which appears to be a full service (also h264/MPEG-4). Meanwhile, back on SDN, ITV3+1 is still MPEG-2 but could be a full service.

 

[Owen Smith]

Just noticed that ITV2+1 has moved to D3&4 and is now h264/MPEG-4. Also on that multiplex is ITV4+1 which appears to be a full service (also h264/MPEG-4). Meanwhile, back on SDN, ITV3+1 is still MPEG-2 but could be a full service.

What do you mean by "a full service" in this context?

 

[EEPhil]

It's running now and appears in the EPG with the relevant channel +1 programmes. Not just a couple of hours around 4am for shopping. No longer an LCN hog.
Or, in simpler terms, as ITV1+1, ITV2+1., Film4+1, C4+1, 5+1, DaveJaVu...

 

[Owen Smith]

It's running now and appears in the EPG with the relevant channel +1 programmes. Not just a couple of hours around 4am for shopping. No longer an LCN hog.
Or, in simpler terms, as ITV1+1, ITV2+1., Film4+1, C4+1, 5+1, DaveJaVu...

Clearly I'm being thick, I still don't understand. Are you saying they were internet stream channels previously, or what? Of course they appear in the EPG, all channels do.

 

[EEPhil]

Itv3+1 and itv4+1 were placeholders. Data channels for about 22 hours a day with a static caption - no idea whether they linked to a stream or not. Two hours, around 4am I think, was shopping. Now they are currently running a +1 version of the channel. (You may need a rescan).

 

[prpr]

So this is the first time that we've had MPEG-4 H.264 on a DVB-T mux. and folks still with MPEG-2 only kit won't be able to decode them (really, I wonder how few there are now):

Service  8345 TV SD H.264  "ITV2+1"
Service  8347 TV SD H.264  "ITV4+1"
Service  8462 TV SD H.264  "E4 Extra"
Service  8464 TV SD H.264  "Film4+1"

I wonder where they've nicked the bandwidth from to add all those?

The page at https://www.freeview.co.uk/help/updates-alerts/channel-updates-16-september-2026 is so woefully incomplete, but what do we expect from the incompetent idiots that run that...

 

[EEPhil]

I wonder where they've nicked the bandwidth from to add all those?

Unfortunately I don't have old data available to confirm anything. My guess would be that converting some channels to MPEG-4/H264 has allowed a reduction in bitrate. There may have been some null bytes and they could also downgrade the quality in the rest of the channels. ITV4+1 looks particularly crappy - slightly better than a static caption!

 

[EEPhil]

So this is the first time that we've had MPEG-4 H.264 on a DVB-T mux.

Why do I get the feeling I've seen this somewhere before? Maybe I've seen it on a foreign multiplex listed on digitalbitrate.com. I think we may have discussed it here.

Post in thread 'Looks like the end is in sight for old DVB kit'

Jun 24, 2025

There is absolutely no reason why MPEG4 codecs can't be used with DVB-T on a suitable receiver, just as there is no problem using MPEG2 codecs with DVB-T2 (although there's not much point given its less efficient use of space).

Ages ago I looked through some of the sites listed on www.digitalbitrate.com and I remember seeing MPEG4 on DVB-T. I've just had a quick look and there are still some there. If I'm to believe it all the multiplexes in Rome use DVB-T but all the transmission are MPEG4. What I find confusing is that in Germany they are using DVB-T2 and HEVC but, unlike...

• EEPhil

 

[prpr]

Why do I get the feeling I've seen this somewhere before?

Because you have! That's TV 3, which became That's 20th Century in April and was removed in August, was the first (in the UK - we don't care about no foreign rubbish).
When I checked the current situation I'd forgotten about this.

 

[trog]

Looks like I should bite the bullet this time. I have been putting off retuning for quite a while as it really pisses me off having to reorder my vast favorites list when I do. The Aura can keep my recording schedules but insists on putting my list back into a useless numerical order . Only itv2+1 and ITV4+1 are saying "Please Re-tune" in the guide but at least I will get Quest+1 back again ( Its been that long).

 

[EEPhil]

I wish I hadn't bitten the bullet. When I rescan the Aura it seems to put the new version up in the 800s and leaves the one with "re-tune" in place. So I did a Freeview reset which cleared the crap out first and put things in the right place. It also reset my remote mode so I couldn't communicate with the Aura. Had to use another remote (mode 1) to get to the pairing option. That interfered with another Humax that crashed and needed a reboot. Unfortunately I disconnected the wrong plug and rebooted something else. What a faff!