[mythtv] Channel changing Bugs...

[Chris Palmer]

Henk Poley wrote
> > Van: Chris Palmer <mythtv at zencow.com>
> > Do you have HBO or Showtime there?  I don't personally get those,
> > but they might be a good common-ground for explaining the 
> > relationship between channel numbers, stations (call letters), 
> > and chanid's in your part of the world.  :)
> 
> HBO? Showtime? No..
> 
> They don't broadcast in The Netherlands, is it a (single) channel anyways?
> I heard about it sometimes on Slashdot. I'm not sure, can you explain?
> Digital TV?

They are "cable only stations".  They do not broadcast by antenna.
In fact, they are also known as "premium" or "pay" (movie) stations,
because you must subscribe to them specially (monthly, not Pay-Per-View).

Is "CNN" available everywhere? (they make it sound like they are)
They are not any particular channel or frequency, but they are a 
"station".  (Trying to clarify the standard terms we should use, 
without making up new ones)

examples of such cable stations available here are:
- CNN
- Music Television (MTV)
- ESPN (sports)
- Sci-Fi Channel
- Comedy Central
- Nickelodeon
- MSNBC
- Disney Channel
 
> btw, don't forget the 'more channels per freqency' problem (two, most of
> the time), please. I forgot to mention it in my previous mail. It used
> sometimes. For example here in Holland, "KinderNet" (..ChildrenNet..)
> broadcast only from 6am-12pm, so afternoon and in the evening "Net5" is put
> though on this frequency.

actually, some of us have this, too.  I would phrase it as
"multiple STATIONS per frequency" or "channel sharing".

In the states, when talking TV, we use "channel" to mean 
a number that maps one-to-one to a "frequency" and do not 
even mention the idea of "frequency" except when talking 
about how TV really works or when we're trying to fix our 
tuner cards or talking about radio stations, where we
actually know the frequency numbers that we tune our 
radios to.  :)

-Chris