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Programme Delivery Control
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<h2 id="pdc-packets">PDC Packets</h2> <p>PDC is transmitted once a second in special packets addressed as magazine 8 and text row 30. Since this row is not displayable it does not interfere with normal pages. Packet 8/30 has various formats specified by ETSI and PDC is format 2. Each packet 8/30 format 2 also has a label number and there can be up to four labels transmitted at a time. Each label contains the scheduled start time and date for a programme and flags to indicate the state. Each programme is assigned a label and in general a label will follow this sequence. </p> <ul><li>PRF Set – Prepare for Record. This will tell a VCR to wake up and get ready. This happens about 40 seconds before the programme is active.</li> <li>PRF Clear – The VCR should be recording.</li> <li>RTI – Record Terminate/Interrupt – Tells the VCR to stop recording. This label is held for 30 seconds after the programme ends.</li></ul> <p>There are complicated rules for the case where a programme is interrupted by another one as in the case of a film with a break for news in the middle. </p><p>There is also a TIMER flag that indicates that there is no valid PDC and that the VCR should use its own timer. </p> <h2 id="external-links">External links</h2> <p>Technical specifications and FAQ </p> <ul><li><a href="http://www.etsi.org">ETSI standards</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.etsi.org/deliver/etsi_en/300200_300299/300231/01.03.01_60/en_300231v010301p.pdf">ETSI EN 300 231 V1.3.1 (2003–04)</a>, Specification of the domestic video Programme Delivery Control system (PDC)</li> <li><a href="http://www.etsi.org/deliver/etsi_en/301700_301799/301775/01.02.01_60/en_301775v010201p.pdf">ETSI EN 301 775 V1.2.1 (2003–05)</a>, Specification for the carriage of Vertical Blanking Information (VBI) data in DVB bitstreams</li> <li><a href="http://www.etsi.org/deliver/etsi_ts/102300_102399/102323/01.05.01_60/ts_102323v010501p.pdf">ETSI TS 102 323 V1.5.1 (2012-01)</a>, Chapter 11: "Accurate recording" and Annex A: "Example recorder behaviour"</li> <li><a href="http://www.itu.int/dms_pub/itu-r/opb/rep/R-REP-BT.1226-1990-PDF-E.pdf">CHARACTERISTICS OF A PROGRAMME DELIVERY CONTROL (PDC) SYSTEM FOR VIDEO RECORDING (1990)</a></li> <li><a href="https://625.uk.com/pdc/">"Everything you ever wanted to know about PDC"</a></li> <li><a href="https://wiki.hummy.tv/wiki/Padding_versus_Accurate_Recording">"Padding versus Accurate Recording"</a></li> <li><a href="https://worldwide.espacenet.com/publicationDetails/biblio?locale=en_EP&CC=DE&NR=3313799">Original VPS invention (European Patent Office)</a> German and English</li></ul>