Channel references

If your player lists two entries with the same logo, look up the channel name and open its feed table before choosing. Copy the label shown in your player, then compare the directory’s station ID, feed ID and recorded area. A local station call sign, an edition such as Scotland HD, or a suffix such as +1 can narrow the search. Once you have a likely match, use the broadcaster’s public schedule and the authorized service you use to confirm the programme.

The broadcaster and feed directory is built for that lookup. It connects a channel name to the variants in a dated source and links back to the publisher or another public reference. The notes below explain how to find an exact row, how to compare two candidate feeds and what a channel record can tell you about coverage, video and accessibility. Use the country guides for viewing by market and the programme guide section when you already know the feed and need to fix the schedule assigned to it.

Separate the network, channel, local station and feed

People use “channel” for the button on a remote, the name on a TV guide, a local broadcaster and the video a player opens. They can all be useful descriptions. During a lookup, spell out which one you mean. A network can distribute programming to many outlets. A channel is a named programming service. A local station is the broadcaster serving a particular place. A feed is an edition or delivery variant that a viewer or distributor may receive. One directory record can group national feeds, local station rows, language editions and picture variants where the source relates them to the same channel.

ABC7 in New York and ABC7 in Los Angeles are a clear example. The stations identify themselves as WABC-TV and KABC-TV respectively. Both use recognizable ABC7 branding. If you are asking about a New York bulletin, the call sign and city give you a better way to identify it than ABC7 alone. If you are helping a viewer in Southern California, follow the Los Angeles station’s own information. The directory’s U.S. ABC record puts WABC-TV and KABC-TV in separate feed rows. ABC7 New York station information · ABC7 Los Angeles station information · U.S. ABC station and feed record

Start with whichever detail you already have. If you only know “7,” look at the station ident, viewing city and delivery platform first. If you have a call sign, search that before trying the network name. If a setup note says to choose “the HD one,” find out which regional edition they meant. Keeping the station and feed distinct helps a support reader understand why a familiar logo is still on the wrong picture. Find the right local affiliate

Read the full name and the source label together

Open the directory record and read Station identity. Copy the Catalogue channel ID with its suffix. For example, BBCOne.uk identifies the BBC One record filed under the United Kingdom. The suffix belongs to the catalogue ID. The country shown on the page gives you the source’s filing category. The Feed names, languages and formats table may give a different level of geography inside that record. Treat those fields as leads you can confirm with the public broadcaster or platform.

In the feed table, record the displayed name and feed ID together. The BBC One page lists Scotland and Scotland HD as separate rows, with Scotland and ScotlandHD as their IDs. If you copy just the country and format, you leave out the part that identifies the edition. If you copy only ScotlandHD, another reader can still need the parent channel. Keep BBCOne.uk and ScotlandHD together in your notes. The display label can remain “BBC One Scotland HD” if that is what your receiver shows. BBC One feed table

The channel ID and the feed ID belong to this directory. A broadcaster’s call sign, a cable lineup code or a player’s guide ID may use different punctuation or a different identifier entirely. For instance, the CBC Television feed table lists CBLTDT as an ID and CBLT-DT as the feed name for Toronto. If your source uses the call sign with a hyphen, keep that spelling beside the directory’s compact ID. Use your player’s own mapping information if you are assigning a guide. CBC Television feed table · Match an XMLTV channel ID

Use call signs as public station identifiers

When you see call letters on a U.S. broadcast, use them with the city. The FCC’s station identification rule describes the call letters and the station’s licensed community in the official identification. A station’s about page or public inspection material gives you another way to verify the identity. The station can also use a shorter brand for viewers. For a lookup, keep the punctuation and suffix as published, and write down the market rather than assuming the brand defines it. FCC broadcast station identification material · KABC-TV FCC applications

If you know the call sign and need the network record in this directory, try the compact feed spelling and then the display label. For WABC-TV, search ABC.us WABCTV and choose the U.S. ABC record. Filter its feeds for WABC. Repeat with ABC.us KABCTV for the Los Angeles station. Open the broadcaster’s public information page to confirm the city. Those steps are more precise than searching for “Channel 7,” which can identify several stations or service positions. A local affiliate can also appear as a feed under its network here, so look inside the record before assuming every call sign must have its own page. U.S. broadcaster directory · U.S. ABC station and feed record

A station’s public identity and your place in a lineup are separate facts. A television using an antenna can show a virtual channel number, while a cable box or internet TV service assigns a number of its own. ATSC uses a virtual designation to organize access to programming. An identifier in an app can also represent a schedule or group rather than a physical radio frequency. If a friend in another market says to open the same number, compare the station name and call sign before changing your lineup. ATSC virtual channel definition · ATSC program and system information standard

Tell a local station from a national feed

A network programme can appear on several local outlets at the same time. That shared broadcast is useful as a playback check. It is a weak identity test if you need to know which outlet your player is carrying. Choose something that changes between the stations. A local ident, a town name in a weather segment or the next programme from the local schedule can do more to resolve the feed. Check the public broadcaster’s programme information before deciding which entry to keep.

PBS explains that its member stations make their own final scheduling decisions. Two viewers can both have PBS and still have different times for a particular programme. If one wants to find a missed episode, they should confirm the local member station and its scheduled showing before comparing an on-demand listing. If one player carries an out-of-area station, its working picture can be a good clue about the station selected. The relevant task is to identify the member station you need and verify the route available where you live. PBS local scheduling guidance · PBS station and feed record

An example outside the U.S. is the BBC One record, which groups regional rows under the same channel. Suppose two sets are tuned to what their guides label “BBC One HD.” During a national programme both pictures look familiar. Later one set shows a Scotland bulletin while the other shows London news. Use the full feed name and a published local programme to identify each. If the sets have aerial reception, Freeview explains that signals from multiple transmitters can produce a neighbouring regional channel in the guide. Use its local coverage guidance for that route. BBC One region and format reference · Freeview regional reception guidance

Check whether a simulcast follows the whole channel

A simulcast is a simultaneous transmission on more than one route or outlet. It can be a single event, a daily block, or a longer service arrangement. A particular programme playing at the same time on two screens does not establish what either service carries before or after it. If you need to compare lineups, record what each screen was playing before the shared programme and what follows it. That gives you a way to tell a whole channel from a shared window.

For a fictional example, a local station and a national news service both carry the same press briefing at 14:00. At 14:30, the local station returns to city news while the national feed begins an interview. If your question is whether the local station is in a package, check one of the local segments or the station ident after the briefing. If the question is whether you can see the briefing on a second screen, the broadcaster’s simultaneous listing can be sufficient for that one item. Keep these two tasks separate in the record you send.

A digital local service can also cover a different geographic grouping from terrestrial television. ITV’s guidance explains that the regional news and weather area on ITVX can be larger than the area shown on terrestrial TV. It also describes which devices offer the live regional content. If a television and browser give you different results, check the route, region and target device against that published guidance. A comparison between two simultaneous versions gives you useful evidence when the app name alone leaves the delivery route unclear. ITV regional viewing guidance · ITV regional differences · ITV1 station and feed table

Compare sister channels and international versions by full title

Some lookalike entries are different programming services. CBC Television and CBC News Network have separate directory records. CBC’s own CBC Gem material describes live programming from local CBC Television stations. When you want a named city’s bulletin, find the relevant local row under the television service. When you want a continuous national news programme, use the full news channel name and its current listing. A shortened “CBC” in your player gives you a useful place to start. The title and station or feed tell you which entry to keep. CBC Gem service overview · CBC Television station record · CBC News Network station record

The same distinction matters in sports. ESPN’s own app guidance names ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes as separate services. An app may list multiple channels and events in one menu. When a particular match is the goal, use the official listing for the exact network or platform and check whether the service includes that event for your account and territory. If you only want to establish the channel identity, compare the complete names in the directory. A match appearing on ESPN2 gives you a reason to look up ESPN2. A generic ESPN badge cannot settle its coverage. ESPN app content guidance · ESPN station record · ESPN2 station record · Sports viewing guide

International editions can change the expected programmes, breaks and language options. CNN’s public help identifies CNN and CNN International as separate channels in its app, and its fact sheet describes regional international feeds. The directory files CNN International under the United States while its feed rows include several other regions. That filing helps you find a parent record. If you want a particular edition, compare its regional row with the local distributor’s name and the programme shown. The directory’s country label and the market served by that row answer different parts of the lookup. CNN app and channel help · CNN Worldwide fact sheet · CNN International feed table

Distinguish a +1 feed from a zone or clock error

Channel 4 described Channel 4+1 as a delayed transmission of its schedule at launch. Freeview lists Channel 4+1 and Channel 4 HD as separate services. The directory’s Channel 4 record shows UKPlus1 and UKHD alongside other rows. If a programme that appears on the main service at 19:00 is on the selected +1 feed at 20:00, the different time may be the expected schedule for that row. Compare the label on the player with the broadcaster or platform’s listing before changing the television clock. Check the actual programme if it matters that evening. Channel 4’s +1 explanation · Freeview Channel 4+1 listing · Freeview Channel 4 HD listing · Channel 4 feed table

An East or West label is another reason to look up the schedule. The directory, for example, lists separate East and West feed rows for Game Show Network with distinct source zones. That shows which edition to research. It leaves the timing of today’s programme to the broadcaster’s schedule. If you compare a show with a friend in another city, first check which feed each person has. Then convert a specific published time. A fixed delay in a channel schedule and a zone conversion on the player can produce similar-looking times for entirely different reasons. Game Show Network feed record · IANA time-zone database

Keep time shift and replay distinct too. A +1 service follows a scheduled lineup. A replay is an item you select from a catalogue, with its own access window where offered. A player’s start-over function might restart a programme that is still live. If someone says “I watched it an hour later,” ask whether they changed channels, selected a replay or used Start from Beginning. Once you know which route worked, you can use it in a useful viewing note. Check a one-hour guide offset · Check a catch-up window

Read the format field as source information

The feed table displays Format in source. A row might say 576i, 720p, 1080i or 2160p. The number describes the format’s vertical picture dimension, and the letter indicates interlaced or progressive scanning. 1080i and 1080p describe different ways the picture is represented. These labels also leave other features open, including compression, frame rate, HDR and audio. An HD label is a useful filter when you are comparing otherwise similar feed rows. A viewer can still need a playback check on the target television. ATSC video terminology · ATSC digital television standard

For example, the directory snapshot lists SD, HD and UltraHDR feed rows under Sky Sports Main Event, with different recorded formats. Choose the full row and ask the authorized provider which edition it carries for your package and device. When you have access, use the player’s available picture information while the intended content plays. A television status panel can describe the HDMI input or output signal. A player may have its own display for the video it receives. Record which one you read. An upscaled display output can use a larger format than the original video. Sky Sports Main Event feed table · Apple TV Match Content guidance

Adaptive video adds another layer. HLS, or HTTP Live Streaming, can describe several video renditions and separate audio or subtitle choices. The player can choose among the renditions a service offers. If the picture is sharper at one point than another, check the device and player information during the change. Use the same app and programme on a supported device for a control, then compare one thing at a time. The directory identifies the feed under discussion. The app tells you how that authorized delivery route behaved in your test. HTTP Live Streaming specification · Adaptive picture quality guide

An SD and HD entry may carry the same programme from the same broadcaster, or the names may hide a market difference. India’s Prasar Bharati channel list identifies DD Tamil among the services available in HD. The snapshot has both an SD and an HD row for DD Tamil. If you need the HD edition, match the full label and check the television’s playback information rather than using a general search for “Tamil HD.” If your goal is the correct channel, first verify the programme and audio against the DD Tamil listing. A sharp picture from another service answers a different question. Prasar Bharati’s Doordarshan channel list · DD Tamil feed table

Resolution, scanning and picture behaviour are easier to discuss with three observations. Record the feed the provider names, the format the player reports during the relevant programme, and the picture symptom you see. For example, “HD feed selected. Player shows 720p when the action starts. Motion looks less clear for about ten seconds.” Keep the TV’s output setting alongside it if you are comparing devices. This lets someone check adaptive quality or display handling without guessing which measurement you meant. Picture and playback help

Find the audio and accessibility option that matters

The Audio languages field describes the language information in the source for that feed. Use it to narrow candidates. Then check the exact programme and playback route for its audio, subtitles, closed captions or audio description. A multilingual channel can have distinct services in different languages, several tracks in one programme, or both depending on how it is carried. The language of the menu and the language you hear should be recorded separately when they differ.

France Médias Monde describes France 24’s French, English, Arabic and Spanish news channels. The directory’s France 24 record has language-labelled feed rows, including an English HD entry. If you want the English service, look up that row first, then check how the authorized platform lists it in your market. If you want English captions on a French programme, open the specific item and check the captions menu. That is a different viewing requirement from choosing the English news service. France Médias Monde France 24 overview · France 24 distribution guide · France 24 feed table

If accessibility determines whether someone can watch, verify it with the person who uses it. Captions can include relevant sounds and identify speakers. Audio description describes visual information through speech. Different services and devices expose these options in different menus. ABC’s iview help, for example, discusses closed captions on live-streamed programmes and gives separate guidance for audio-described material. Use that broadcaster’s specific accessibility page and check the intended live programme or replay on the screen you will use. Keep the result with the full channel and programme title. W3C captions and subtitles guidance · ABC iview live accessibility guidance · ABC iview audio description guidance · Language directory

Check what the coverage area actually describes

Read Area in source as a field in a dated feed record. A row can name a city, a country or a broad region. That geography can point you toward a local edition. To find out whether you can receive it, check your delivery route. With an aerial, that could mean a coverage checker and the signal at your location. With a television subscription, use your provider’s current lineup and terms for the account and device. With a broadcaster’s online service, use its availability information for the programme and market. Each check has its own evidence.

Australia’s ABC provides a useful illustration. Its domestic ABC TV material distinguishes several channels and its iview help lists state-based feeds. It also provides a separate overview of selected services and content available overseas. In the directory, ABC TV and ABC Australia have separate records. A viewer looking for the Queensland edition should open the state row in ABC TV and check the relevant broadcaster listing. An overseas viewer should use the publisher’s own international guidance for the specific item they want. The shared ABC name helps with navigation while leaving the route to confirm. ABC television channel information · ABC iview channel list · ABC services overseas · ABC TV feed table · ABC Australia feed table

Avoid using a stored format or geographic label as evidence of carriage on an unrelated plan. If a provider advertises a channel family, ask which edition and whether the current offer includes it on your screen. If you need a particular sports broadcast, ask for the fixture and authorized route. A station can appear in a lineup while some programming uses a separate right or distribution window. Save the response and compare it with the broadcaster’s actual listing on the date. If the answer only says the channel name, keep the programme question open. Find the authorized broadcaster for a match · Provider directory

Run an exact directory query and save the record

Open the station finder and enter BBCOne.uk. The station result should lead to the BBC One record filed under the United Kingdom. Open its feed table and use the filter for ScotlandHD. Write down the display label, the ID, its source area, recorded language and recorded format. Then open the official listing you use and check the current edition. Searching the parent and filtering inside it helps when another broadcaster uses a similar feed identifier or when the global search matches a related station.

For an English France 24 lookup, start with France24.fr. Look for English or EnglishHD inside its record. The table also includes French, Arabic and Spanish entries. Decide first whether you want the English-language service or a specific programme with captions. If you only have the short label English HD, the parent station supplies the context. Use the recorded format as part of the note and verify language and picture on the supported player once you have the right authorized route. France 24 channel reference · France 24 station record

For a Toronto CBC lookup, try CBLTDT or start with CBCTelevision.ca and filter for CBLT. The record distinguishes that row from Vancouver’s CBUTDT and other local stations. Keep the hyphenated display name in your notes if you are asking someone to recognize it in a lineup. If you only know the country, start with the country directory and use the global search for a name, alias or ID across pages. A list’s Filter this page control searches the records currently shown there. Canada broadcaster directory · CBC Television feed record

Keep a short channel worksheet for the household

Save the records that solve a recurring problem. If the household watches a local bulletin, a sports channel and an international news channel, three rows are enough to begin. Keep the public station and feed IDs, the app’s displayed name, the authorized route, and one programme that distinguishes the edition. A new television, a moved lineup or a different app may change the display labels. With the public IDs already in your notes, you have a useful way to find the matching service again.

Write the date after you have confirmed the item. A reader will be able to tell a note checked on a working TV from an older label saved while researching. If you use the directory again after a move, keep the channel identity and replace the viewing route and date. Check whether the authorized provider or broadcaster now uses a different name. If the service’s support page still names the older channel, keep both labels until you can identify the current route.

Use these notes when handing a question to someone who shares the television. “Open the local station” may be enough when there is only one result. If the service lists several versions, the full name, one programme and the delivery platform make the handover clear. A person helping from another city can find the same broadcaster’s source before trying to compare a local result. This keeps the working setup understandable without sharing access details. Device setup reference · Support routes

Verify a change of name before replacing a record

Some directory entries preserve old aliases. A renamed service can still appear under the old spelling in a saved list, an earlier forum post or a provider’s menu. Search both names and look for a publisher notice or current channel page. Compare the channel’s scope, market and schedule before treating the entries as a continuation. If an old channel stopped and a new service took its position, keep a note of that change. The reused lineup number gives you a place to look, while the current name and programmes identify what is there today.

If a local service disappears from an aerial receiver, consult its platform’s coverage and reception instructions. If it disappears only from an app while another authorized route still lists it, check the app’s current lineup and the account’s market. Preserve the last date you saw the old label and the first date you observed the change. That chronology can be more useful to support than a screenshot of the entire guide. Freeview’s reception help is one example of a platform source that tells viewers where to check for available channels and how to investigate a missing listing. Freeview reception guidance · Find an earlier editorial reference

Keep useful evidence when a row is ambiguous

Imagine an authorized television service lists two rows as “ABC7.” The viewing task is New York’s local news. Record both visible labels before renaming anything. Open the directory’s U.S. ABC record and compare the New York and Los Angeles call signs. Use a current station ident or local programme in the service to see which plays. If the guide displays New York information while the programme comes from Los Angeles, keep that as a two-part observation. The schedule and the picture can point to different editions. Share the station call sign, observed programme and date when asking the service which feed it assigns.

Or imagine you want a particular French news programme, and the player displays “France24 HD” without a language. Use the France 24 record to identify the candidate French HD and English HD rows. Check the broadcaster’s date and expected programme, open the authorized service’s channel and listen to a segment. Then check the subtitle controls if a viewer needs them. If the spoken language is clear and the name remains ambiguous, a small label correction may be enough for your own notes. If the actual audio differs from the named service, give support the programme time and what the audio menu showed.

Write down what is still unresolved. A short “current distributor unconfirmed” or “live captions untested on this TV” is more useful than filling the gap with a guess. When someone can supply the missing evidence, you can update only that field. Preserve the observation date and source, especially for a station that changed name or for an old reference copied from a forum thread. An earlier logo or alias may still help identify the old material even when the service has since updated its name. Request an editorial correction · About the forum’s sources

Use the source that can answer the remaining question

A directory correction is easiest to verify when it contains one old label and one new label. If the station’s public site uses its call sign in a legal line and a shorter brand name on screen, keep both with the page and date where you saw each. A future reader can then find the station by either name without treating the second label as another channel. For a claimed feed change, check whether the broadcaster updated its schedule before applying the change to the directory record.

The directory uses a curated channel and feed snapshot. The saved dataset for this edition contains 12,869 station records and 24,706 feed rows. A feed count measures entries in the reference dataset. A station can contribute many rows, including regional and format variants. For any one station, the best next source depends on what you still need. Use the broadcaster for the current station identity and programme, the regulator or platform for reception and placement information, and the authorized provider for its package and actual playback. Broadcaster and feed directory · iptv-org database source

When you bring the question to the forum, include the station, parent record and candidate feed, then say what you observed. “CBC Television, CBCTelevision.ca, Toronto CBLTDT. My app calls it CBC. The picture shows a local bulletin, and I want to identify the feed before changing the schedule” gives another person a specific comparison. If you are checking one station rather than a package, leave out private playlist details and account screenshots. Start with the smallest public detail that can identify the right row. Programme guide discussions · Community guidelines