DTT bitrates and MPEG4 encoders

watty · 24-09-2010 3:33pm

Yes, there is no need here for extra tranmission cost of DVB-T2. We will not have the wasteful simulcast of SD +HD of same channel of early DTT rollouts that used MPEG2 and we are unlikely to ever have a Commercial Operator. It's possible that if we get to 2015 or later and there is no PayTV operator as BAI envisages the kind today, that RTE NL could get a 3rd Mux to roll out for Commercial TV (but FTA, not encrypted).

ITV from 1955 to 1980s proves that Commerical TV without encryption + Subscription can work. Closed PayTV simply creates monopolistic platforms and drives up costs of Sports Rights and Imported Content. Causes fragmentation of market and reduced local program (Sport and Drama) production to point that local content is almost only cheap reality TV, talk shows, Quiz, News and poor quality Current Affairs. (ITV today?)

A later pay TV operator (how it would EVER be viable without compelling exclusive content is a mystery) could of course use DVB-T2 on Commercial Mux as the probably subsidised payTV receivers will receive the DVB-T of PSB muxes also.

watty · 24-09-2010 3:52pm

Satellite Vs Terrestrial.

Satellite Pros:

One very very expensive launch. But cheaper than a whole Terrestrial Rollout. You don't pay at all for launch up front. Rollout cost is only uplink. Launch cost shared between you and other customers over time via carriage charges.
One box in orbit for maybe 10 to 20 years running off Sunlight.
No maintenance cost. Pray it doesn't break or that there is a spare in Orbit.
One 5m uplink dish system. maybe €800,000 install /equipment cost. Less Electric than one Relay site!

Terrestrial Cons:

Ideally about 150 to 200 Transmitters. Having 51 assumes a Satellite. You have to pay for entire rollout (borrow money) and recover cost over time from Carriage revenue
Major sites have BIG ESB bills. Maybe entire Network is €2M to €6 a year ESB?
High maintenance cost. Maybe €1M to €5M excluding costs of spares
Feed link same capacity as satellite link needed x 51 to x200, one per Site

Satellite Cons:

Could die overnight. Meteor, unfriendly military Laser, Solar Storm, internal fault.
Belongs to someone else and easily moved away if you fallout. Even if Terrestrial Network is Foreign or Private owned (which is Stupid BTW), the owner can't take it away. You could even Nationalise or occupy it.

Conclusion:
Satellite: Under €1M "rollout" and about €1.5M a year running cost
Terrestrial: €70M to €200M rollout cost and €3M to €15M running cost, excluding recovery of roll out cost loan, Maybe €6M to €20M including loan repayments for first 5 years...

stwome01 · 24-09-2010 4:04pm

Okay point taken

Satellite is cheaper. Unfortunately it has lead to some aweful tv.

Apogee · 29-10-2010 11:38pm

When RTÉNL 2 shows TC:

When RTÉNL 2 shows HD content:

STB · 29-10-2010 11:47pm

Yes huge sufferance across the mux (without Tv3 moving video!) . Time for Mux2 methinks.

Any chance of a Service Type listing Apogee.

EDIT: Got it in the other thread

watty · 30-10-2010 12:07am

And AAC stereo audio, nearly 1/2 the bitrate of the MP2 Audio for similar quality.

Apogee · 03-11-2010 11:17pm

There is quite a lot of variation in bitrates, so a single snapshot doesn't give a good idea of reality. Therefore a pair of snapshots is provided to show variation.

Testcard on RTÉNL 2

HD Video on RTÉNL 2

Apogee · 05-11-2010 10:23pm

Updated SDT

DTT bitrates and MPEG4 encoders

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