Forum for former BBC staff

Forum for former BBC staff
http://www.ex-bbc.net/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl >> News and Comment >> Local TV NOC based in Birmingham http://www.ex-bbc.net/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?num=1385502291 Message started by Dickie Mint on Nov 26^th, 2013, 9:45pm

Title: Local TV NOC based in Birmingham
Post by Dickie Mint on Nov 26^th, 2013, 9:45pm

Story on tonight's Midlands Today about Comux firing up their National Operation Centre here in Brum.

Title: Re: Local TV NOC based in Birmingham
Post by Mikej on Nov 27^th, 2013, 11:33am

Looks a nightmare scenario if all the local TV stations (if any actually succeed) have to send their output to BM to be MUXed with different "Commercial channels" to be sent back out to various Arquiva main Transmitters or little "town based" ones and, as it says in the COMUX blurb, be entered into the CORRECT EPG for that area which may be served by several main Tx. Makes BBC regional opt out stuff look simple!
Incidentally I saw a post somewhere wondering if BBC +1 services could cope with regional news and HD (if it ever spreads past main network feed)

Title: Re: Local TV NOC based in Birmingham
Post by Dickie Mint on Nov 27^th, 2013, 6:02pm

It's not a lot different from the BBC & itv centralised Code & Mux. Their theory is everything through one centre, with a "hot" backup. Though practically (you have to staff both centres 24/7, and all the kit is running 24/7 too) it's split between the two centres. The BBC centres also have the Service Information, including EPG, for all muxes.
If one centre is taken out the other should automatically take over all channels.

I wonder if Comux have a second ops centre? Or even disaster recovery?

Title: Re: Local TV NOC based in Birmingham
Post by Mikej on Dec 23^rd, 2013, 1:14pm

I see some captioned colour bars have apeared on the Freeviw MUX (well in London anyway who are due the first "Localnews station"
I thought that was BBC London but the new one will of course be filled with adverts for things we don't want paid for by an increase in selling price - as opposed to a Licence fee providing multiple channels on TV and Radio!

Mike