Boxer win Irish DTT, but pull out.

Elmo

And if that happens, it'll hit TV3 hardest, which may push them into buying out UTV plc sooner to be FTA on satellite under the ITV network agreeement, ie UTV as other channels on Sky...As it is, buying UTV makes real sense for TV3 to get onto FTA satellite

Problem here is that they become even more tied to the ITV schedule. It was stupid of UTV to pull out of TV3 back in the 1990's.

How much is the ITV franchise worth? They would have to factor in all considerations. Prehaps they are taking their eye off the ball by buying Channel 6.

scath

Good question. I wonder any one the boards that could answer that.

I think they could afford it, and also the UTV radio franshises.As yet TV3 have no interests in radio, having failed in the few efforts they made to date. So I don't think any more competition issues than UTV have would emerge.

Channel 6 was not eye off the ball, because it was bought for good programming inventory and content reasons. I'm sure they'll rebrand it a TV3 channel ie 3 Expose. They could even use the 6 colours and design with the blue dot in the centre of the 3 and the curls in green with Xpose underneath.

It was a fast track way to launch a digital channel. I never bought the 2 extra digital channel plan as only with Onevision bid. I reckoned that was only a bargaining bluff. They are already tied with the ITV schedule. This would simplify programme rights purchase, maximise advertising, get them on satellite FTA and into radio and bring on board the UTV management team as investors as they are very good at what they do, the current crop.

Indeed it was, over carriage in 1994-6 TV3 team trying to replace UTV. All UTV has to do was buy out Morris and roll UTV out down sout.Exactly right. A strategic blunder.

As it is, I don't think UTV have enough financial firepower to grow unlike Doughty Hanson who do in the DTT era. They've only 1 or 2 channels, which isn't enough. BBC, ITV and C4 have at least 4. TV3 will have 3, so will RTÉ.

But they sure have a good management team now and are undervalued currently according to articles on the TVC share buy up in UTV plc. UTV tried to buy in in 2006, and were paying alot more. I

It bought Morris apparently time to keep TV3 then some time to get others interested as CanWest did back then, so he played very clever. The clever thing for UTV to do at that time was buy out Morris's share for cheap and launch down here themselves proper, never mind overspill at that time and open out a Dublin news studio and programmes to serve the south but of course have all programming across the island. Buy 2006, that became more expensive, and they were outbid. From the viewer point of view, Doughty are much better than ever ITV, CanWest or UTV would be. They're prepared to grow the service. They have the money. I'd not be suprised if the next think they do is to take a share in ITV or buy it out. Then to good buy rights for the whole UK & Ireland.

BTW I wonder who Doughty are buying on behalf off? Would it hardly be RTL, owner of Five? Just guessing

Elmo wrote: »

Problem here is that they become even more tied to the ITV schedule. It was stupid of UTV to pull out of TV3 back in the 1990's.

How much is the ITV franchise worth? They would have to factor in all considerations. Prehaps they are taking their eye off the ball by buying Channel 6.

watty

The existing ITV franchises cease to exist after analogue switch off. There may only be an ITV PLC then.

The franchises are only for Analogue.

This is why UTV's and SMG's strategy is other things. UTV has built a large ISP & Radio portfolio. No doubt they may have a small TV production & news TV company selling regional N.I. content to ITV PLC.

Elmo

The existing ITV franchises cease to exist after analogue switch off. There may only be an ITV PLC then.

The franchises are only for Analogue.

This is why UTV's and SMG's strategy is other things. UTV has built a large ISP & Radio portfolio. No doubt they may have a small TV production & news TV company selling regional N.I. content to ITV PLC.

So does that mean that UTV is gone? What does NI get as its replacement? Is ITV1 the natural replacement?

Indeed it was, over carriage in 1994-6 TV3 team trying to replace UTV. All UTV has to do was buy out Morris and roll UTV out down sout.Exactly right. A strategic blunder.

Rights issues, RTE held the rights to many of ITV programmes e.g. Coronation St. and Emmerdale. So TV3 would have been the poor sister to UTV, she would be poverty stricken. UTV LIVE plus :eek:

icdg

icdg wrote: »

All the national broadcasters and most (if not all??) ILRs pay RTÉ to use its network. No-one has yet attempted to role out a competing network. It would certainly require a licence from ComReg under the Wireless Telegraphy Acts and would most likely delay Boxer's role out, in that the NIMBY brigade would be out in force at any planned new transmitter sites.

I can't see Boxer doing anything other than paying RTÉ NL, which is what TG4, Today FM, and TV3 already do.

Another problem for Boxer if they did roll out their own network, it would continue the current situation of viewers needing two aerials, only this time it'll be two UHF ones. I'm sure takeup would be even less if new aerials were required as well as a new box and subscriptions.

BowWow

Sunday Business Post

3rd. August 2008

RTE and Boxer to synchronise

Communications minister Eamon Ryan wants RTE and commercial digital terrestrial television (DTT) to launch their products at the same time.
He said he wanted the Boxer group’s commercial DTT service and RTE’s free-to-air service to operate off the same set-top box.
This would mean both services would launch in the third quarter of 2009, rather than several months earlier as Boxer had envisaged. Ryan said this made sense, given Boxer’s dependence on the transmission network being developed by RTE NL.
According to the minister, the aim is to have 80 per cent DTT coverage across the country – covering main population areas – by the end of next year. This is designed to coincide with the analogue switch-off in Wales, which will mean that people living on the east coast will no longer be able to access BBC and other British channels on analogue services.
Ryan would not be drawn on his department’s budget for the DTT marketing campaign but said the information campaign would begin in March.

watty

Karsini wrote: »

Another problem for Boxer if they did roll out their own network, it would continue the current situation of viewers needing two aerials, only this time it'll be two UHF ones. I'm sure takeup would be even less if new aerials were required as well as a new box and subscriptions.

No you misunderstand.

They can have their own network and use the RTE masts. The network includes all the backhaul to Boxer headend to each transmitter. That is a huge expense

They can do all their own stuff and use RTE masts.
They can pay Arquiva or other 3rd party and use RTE masts.
They can pay RTENL for everything.

In all cases they have to pay RTENL for masts, site access, plant room space and electricity.

I don't believe their licence even allows alternate masts.

Elmo

He said he wanted the Boxer group’s commercial DTT service and RTE’s free-to-air service to operate off the same set-top box.

mmm does this mean encrypting all broadcasts stopping access to PSB channels via all other boxes/digital ready devices?

Sponge Bob

Elmo wrote: »

mmm does this mean encrypting all broadcasts stopping access to PSB channels via all other boxes/digital ready devices?

NO, it means Ryan is talking through his hole like he was when he asserted that we would have 100% population coverage off only 40 masts during the week .

The only way to interpret his latest emission would be that every Irish box has to have a cam and viaccess decrypt capability together with mpeg4 decoding .

It would be astonishing if the Public Service muxes were encrypted , that would be a global first in Digital TV but of course Ryan is well capable of coming up with some flummery like that .

watty

A first (maybe) on Terrestrial Digital.

He heard some less than wise people suggest TV licence enforcement by viewing card

JanusGeminius

watty wrote: »

A first (maybe) on Terrestrial Digital.

He heard some less than wise people suggest TV licence enforcement by viewing card

Actually on an efficiency basis that's not so bad an idea. A bit restrictive yes but then you'd only really need to complain if you planed to dodge the TVL and in that case I guess you'd keep your mouth shut.

icdg

That would kill FTA DTT though and definitely create a backlash. Effectively people with mulitple TVs would have to take out multiple TV licences to get viewing cards for all their TVs/STBs. (This is not currently the case according to this nice page from the CIB: http://www.citizensinformation.ie/categories/consumer-affairs/media/tv_licences ) Also any hopes of NI viewers getting any overspill would be gone - they'd need to have an address in ROI to take out a TV licence. It would drive all owners of multiple TVs - the majority of households at this stage - to cable/satellite.

JanusGeminius

icdg wrote: »

That would kill FTA DTT though and definitely create a backlash. Effectively people with mulitple TVs would have to take out multiple TV licences to get viewing cards for all their TVs/STBs. (This is not currently the case according to this nice page from the CIB: http://www.citizensinformation.ie/categories/consumer-affairs/media/tv_licences ) Also any hopes of NI viewers getting any overspill would be gone - they'd need to have an address in ROI to take out a TV licence. It would drive all owners of multiple TVs - the majority of households at this stage - to cable/satellite.

Your assuming it's one household, one card. Why not multiple cards registered to one address? And who really cares about NI viewers, If you haven't forgot this is the republics DTT system, not NI's.

Elmo

Your assuming it's one household, one card. Why not multiple cards registered to one address? And who really cares about NI viewers, If you haven't forgot this is the republics DTT system, not NI's.

The lost of FTA of RTE, TV3 and TG4 would be as welcome as the BBC, ITV, C4 and Five being encrypted. All of the English channels will be available for free NO CARD REQUIRE here in the republic. Yet northern irish viewers would be expected to pay for RTE, TV3 and TG4. Lets face it, it works both ways.

JanusGeminius

Elmo wrote: »

The lost of FTA of RTE, TV3 and TG4 would be as welcome as the BBC, ITV, C4 and Five being encrypted. All of the English channels will be available for free NO CARD REQUIRE here in the republic. Yet northern irish viewers would be expected to pay for RTE, TV3 and TG4. Lets face it, it works both ways.

Expect for the fact that The BBC and ITV are not marketing Freesat to Ireland. It works both ways but why should be we put at expense because a bunch of nationalists can't move on? If I'm not mistaken the republic has given up it's claim to the North so we shouldn't have to subsidies their viewing.

Elmo

Expect for the fact that The BBC and ITV are not marketing Freesat to Ireland. It works both ways but why should be we put at expense because a bunch of nationalists can't move on? If I'm not mistaken the republic has given up it's claim to the North so we shouldn't have to subsidies their viewing.

Funny but I thought we also signed the Good Friday Agreement which insures that TG4 is available in Northern Ireland. AFAIK the claim to the north is only removed if the GFA is enacted. Those "bunch of nationalist" are >40% of the total population of the North.

Also why should RTE, TV3 and TG4 have to sit by and see their advertising revenune eaten away by foreign stations.

As I said it works both ways.

I am sure some unionist also watch RTE. The BBC and ITV don't advertise the fact that they are available free to some viewers in the Republic from their analogue systems.

Mossy Monk

Elmo wrote: »

Yet northern irish viewers would be expected to pay for RTE, TV3 and TG4. Lets face it, it works both ways.

I will agree with that when I see all the BBC channels on the Sky EPG

watty

JanusGeminius wrote: »

Actually on an efficiency basis that's not so bad an idea. A bit restrictive yes but then you'd only really need to complain if you planed to dodge the TVL and in that case I guess you'd keep your mouth shut.

It's an astoundingly bad idea and why the BBC was NEVER going to stay with Sky encryption. Read Greg Dykes speeches on card access before they ever went on Sky. S4C~Digidol was used a the prototype / test to go FTA.

What next? Scanning of retina and Insurance/tax / NCT before you can fill with Petrol?

Mandatory Store cards so they know what everyone is buying?

I may in a related note now avoid the M50 and drive across James St and Liffey rather than the evil evil evil barrierless trolls on the bridge.

icdg

JanusGeminius wrote: »

Your assuming it's one household, one card. Why not multiple cards registered to one address?

If the system is to work for the purpose intended (to enforce TV licence payment) then yes, of course its one household one card. Otherwise what's to stop a number of houeholds getting together, buying one TV licence between them and then getting multiple cards?

This of course, just illustrates the daftness of such a proposal anyway.

JanusGeminius

icdg wrote: »

If the system is to work for the purpose intended (to enforce TV licence payment) then yes, of course its one household one card. Otherwise what's to stop a number of houeholds getting together, buying one TV licence between them and then getting multiple cards?

This of course, just illustrates the daftness of such a proposal anyway.

Why not require STBs be connected to telephone lines, has to be done with Sky so why not DTT?

Sponge Bob

JanusGeminius wrote: »

Why not require STBs be connected to telephone lines, has to be done with Sky so why not DTT?

Compulsory eircom €26 a month line rental requirement for a €10 Boxer DTT package and/or a 'Free' RTE service , are you completely MAD ???????

bk

JanusGeminius wrote: »

Why not require STBs be connected to telephone lines, has to be done with Sky so why not DTT?

You do now that the number of homes in Ireland with a phone line has dropped to something like 75%?

Lots of people with mobiles don't bother with the Eircom tax.

What about those folks?

And you'd also need a phone point in every room in the house with a TV, kitchen, bedrooms, etc.

Also could you imagine waiting weeks for a new card to arrive from the government every time you buy a shiny new TV.

Also the management of it would probably out strip the current cost of TV license enforcement.

Finally the biggest reason against it, is that RTE, TG4 and TV3 would probably be vehemently against it. Think about it, people who wanted to dodge the TV license would just not bother with DTT and instead just put up a dish and get UK FreeSat, no RTE, TV3, TG4.

Finally it would open up the possibility that people could challenge the TV license in court, they could argue that they aren't receiving RTE, therefore they don't have to pay the TV license. Yes I know it is a TV license, not a RTE license, but if you stop broadcasting the national channels FTA, you'll start getting into tricky grey areas, specially at European court level.

Trust me no one with any sense wants to go there.

scath

Having a connection point at each TV wouldn't be a bad thing because you could use it for interactive TV. But I think MPs in the UK are starting to question the TV license as a funding mechanism, arguing that funding from direct taxation is better, not to restrict access to TV. I think over here, there's a feeling its days are numbered. Its a matter of waiting for the UK to give the lead, then we follow. I thought that encryption from a TV license point of view, with local top up machines that could validate TV license cards to an address and ID number would be fair. But for it to work, cable and Sky would have to adopt. Simply because the cost of collection by sky and UPC of the license would reduce the revenue return makes it unfeasible. Combo boxes might reverese that but valid points around freesat and its effect on Irish broadcasters make it not a runner.

I see USB DVB-Tsticks as a runner, will the put a TV license on that? At the mo they don't. License is for having a TV set not RTÉ per say.

That's one thing, the majority of TV tuner devices for PCs don't have the facility to accomodate a CAM so it would rule those out for encrypted PSB reception if it were to happen.

I'll stick with my SKY, can't see this going to take off too well. €10 a month for a few stations, most of which we have been getting free, and this then added on top of the TV licence fee going up next year :rolleyes:

watty

Karsini wrote: »

That's one thing, the majority of TV tuner devices for PCs don't have the facility to accomodate a CAM so it would rule those out for encrypted PSB reception if it were to happen.

Softcam and a cheap USB/Serial ISO card reader for the viewing card. The HW doesn't need CI on a PC.

watty

Phone Lines

Telecom Eirean 82%
ericom now 69%

channelsurfer

can just imagine the mandarins in the DCMNR briefing Ryan on it..... and then he comes out and spouts crap like the one box... that would be completly anti-competive and defeat the purpose of FTA television where anyone can pick up DTT if they dont want to pay provided they had a MPEG4 box.
their jaws probably dropped wide open as he was spouting it...then again maybe not.

JanusGeminius

scath wrote: »

Having a connection point at each TV wouldn't be a bad thing because you could use it for interactive TV. But I think MPs in the UK are starting to question the TV license as a funding mechanism, arguing that funding from direct taxation is better, not to restrict access to TV. I think over here, there's a feeling its days are numbered. Its a matter of waiting for the UK to give the lead, then we follow. I thought that encryption from a TV license point of view, with local top up machines that could validate TV license cards to an address and ID number would be fair. But for it to work, cable and Sky would have to adopt. Simply because the cost of collection by sky and UPC of the license would reduce the revenue return makes it unfeasible. Combo boxes might reverese that but valid points around freesat and its effect on Irish broadcasters make it not a runner.

I see USB DVB-Tsticks as a runner, will the put a TV license on that? At the mo they don't. License is for having a TV set not RTÉ per say.

General taxation funding is also in my opinion a better option. But would people be able to stomach the inevitable increase in income tax?

And when I suggested the telephone idea I did it on the basis that It's the only option to enforce a multi-room card system. Sky do it, and it's inconceivable that Boxer won't.

Elmo

And when I suggested the telephone idea I did it on the basis that It's the only option to enforce a multi-room card system. Sky do it, and it's inconceivable that Boxer won't.

:mad: at Sky/UPC/Boxer, :mad: at multi-room card systems

I just don't see why we have to pay extra for products that we have already bought. Cable/Sat TV is expensive anyway without multiroom fees.

Why?

I am glad I don't pay multiroom fees

Kind of OTT but your a possibly right But I think it is a con.

icdg

JanusGeminius wrote: »

General taxation funding is also in my opinion a better option. But would people be able to stomach the inevitable increase in income tax?

And when I suggested the telephone idea I did it on the basis that It's the only option to enforce a multi-room card system. Sky do it, and it's inconceivable that Boxer won't.

The problem with funding RTÉ from general taxation is that it leaves it far too easy for the Government to threathen RTÉ with a funding cut if things don't go its way. It puts RTÉ under far more political pressure if its day-to-day funding is from the Exchequer rather than the licence fee, which is ringfenced and never decreases.

Successive Australian governments have used the threat rather effectively against the ABC since their licence fee was abolished.

This is off-topic, anyways...

Elmo

It puts RTÉ under far more political pressure if its day-to-day funding is from the Exchequer rather than the licence fee, which is ringfenced and never decreases.

Poor TG4 !

reslfj

icdg wrote: »

...far too easy for the Government to threathen RTÉ with a funding cut if things don't go its way.

This is off-topic, anyways...

But very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very,......, very,very, very important to understand.

Lars

watty

The original real trials of DTT included DVB-RCT for interactive/return path. Several Mbps but of course shared with 20,000 people on one mast is only 9600bps or less. But it would allow interactive without phone.

However the way Sky uses phone for Multiroom won't work with DVB-RCT or broadband unless there is a single shared modem.

I don't expect Boxer to offer authenticated multiroom, with phone lines below 69% of households. Sky was rolling out a UK model.

thomasking22008

but i use free to air satellite bbc and itc and channel 4 for free satellite and i will use free digital dtt rte tv3 and tg4 it save your money pay every month but most people use free film four e4 and more 4 pay on dtt what rip off better use uk satellite and just 4 irish channel it save your money then pay every month in my adivce i will be use ONCE PAYMENT OFF that it

Elmo

but i use free to air satellite bbc and itc and channel 4 for free satellite and i will use free digital dtt rte tv3 and tg4 it save your money pay every month but most people use free film four e4 and more 4 pay on dtt what rip off better use uk satellite and just 4 irish channel it save your money then pay every month in my adivce i will be use ONCE PAYMENT OFF that it

And you should also receive a few additional Irish channels for free also.

I would love to see some one actively start selling/marketing FreeSat in the Irish market with DTT installation. (The begrudgery, Denis O'Brien thinks he so ****ing great!!!).

channelsurfer

it will be interesting to see boxers start up offers to see what they will have in their packages. they willl need to be very good to attract even a fraction of the customers they are expecting.
as watty says.. sky will do a 9.99 package as an intro to compete with boxer but dont ever expect rte etc to be availalbe once you stop subscribing to sky as the the DCMNR dont seem to even want to contemplate that and conveniently ignore it along with rte who trot out the line of rights issues.... even though a ftv card would solve those isses.

Scottish paddy

I think RTE are desperate to establish an Irish controlled digital television platform, hence the speed at which they have started their MPEG 4 service. As Watty correctly points out FTA on satellite will never be a runner for Ireland the costs involved in relation to the UK are just too great. Small countries in Europe who broadcast on satellite do so in their own language, which effectively “limits” their coverage. $KY are never going to let RTE channels remain if you cancel your subscription……..just think how many people would take advantage of that! The best solution for RTE is an Irish DTT service where people can avail of the national channels FTA. The deal RTE has with $KY also benefits RTE, (as Watty also states), as it does not cost the licence payer anything and yet allows the national channels to be available on another platform for those that use that service, both in the Republic and in Northern Ireland, in much the same way that the national channels are available on cable. Watty, I disagree that RTE are paranoid about BBC etc. FTA …..in fact they have suggested that they are carried FTA on DTT throughout the island;

Based on this view RTÉ believes that there would be significant public value in creating the framework whereby reciprocity of free-to-air terrestrial broadcasting services could be achieved on both sides of the border. The initiation of DTT in the Republic of Ireland now offers this as a real possibility, notwithstanding the political, legal and regulatory issues to be addressed in order to enable this to come into being.

RTE submission to OfCom UK.

watty

Moved all the RTE/Sky stuff here:
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055350933

BowWow

Sunday Busimess Post

1st. February 2009

By Catherine O’Mahony

Last July, the private consortium that won the licence to provide commercial digital terrestrial television (DTT) services in this country, Boxer DTT, promised confidently to have services up and running by last month, although it subsequently conceded that this was more an aspiration than a prediction.
But, at the start of this month, negotiations over the contract for DTT are still ongoing, according to the Broadcasting Commission Of Ireland (BCI). It has declined to produce documentation about the licence application in response to a request under the Freedom of Information Act.
Lucy Gaffney of Communicorp, the driver of the Boxer DTT group, which also comprises the Swedish group Boxer, has played down the delay.
‘‘It’s a complex process,” she said last week. She was, she said, unable to hazard a guess as to when the contract deal might be finalised.
Nor would she comment on whether there was any particular sticking point. The BCI said it would not be in the public interest to release any documents about the matter because of their commercial sensitivity.
RTE is proceeding with its own preparations to switch to digital television transmission, but it is questionable if it will go ahead with a launch of a public service DTT service in September, unless Boxer is ready to launch as well.
It’s generally felt that the commercial and public service broadcasting elements of DTT need to be coordinated to make the changeover from analogue services a success.
RTE is expected to invest around €110 million in capital infrastructure for the DTT service, but it’s understood only €45 million of this relates to the requirements of the public service DTT which are to be operated by RTE. The rest relates to the costs associated with facilitating Boxer’s service.
It is understood that RTE – which bid unsuccessfully to operate the commercial DTT licence itself – last year offered Boxer a contract that envisaged charging it some €10 million a year to access the RTE digital network.
The status of this contract is unknown. Where does it leave DTT?
The digital radio project is already floundering amid uncertainty over the legislative environment for it. This has resulted in commercial operators pulling out, leaving only RTE providing a service to larger urban areas. Part of the government’s original plan for DTT was to establish a so-called ‘DTT champion’, an independent entity that would oversee a coordinated rollout of services nationwide, with input from all of the various interest groups: the government, RTE, the BCI and the commercial sector.
There’s no sign of any move to set up such a body.
Technically, Ireland doesn’t have to go digital until 2012, which is when analogue transmission services are to be switched off across Europe. By law, RTE must be ready with its digital TV network by December 31, 2012. But with homes in Northern Ireland set to be switched to digital later this year, Ireland had been expected to take action towards converting significant numbers of homes to digital in advance of that.
Originally, the plan had been for more than 90 per cent of homes to be switched to digital receivers before 2012. France is beginning its analogue switch-off in November this year, while most of Portugal is expected to have converted to digital by year-end.
In Britain, the changeover is advanced, with only three million homes still reliant on the analogue signal. Ireland looks to be lagging further and further behind.

Zonda999

Fupp sake!:mad::mad:. How much longer will we be forced to wait. As long as they dont turn off the trial services anyway. That'd be taking away something we already have!

Antenna

BowWow wrote: »

Sunday Busimess Post


But with homes in Northern Ireland set to be switched to digital later this year,

Yet more inaccuracy.
Northern Ireland is scheduled for 2012 actually

slegs

BowWow wrote: »

Sunday Busimess Post

1st. February 2009

By Catherine O’Mahony

Last July, the private consortium that won the licence to provide commercial digital terrestrial television (DTT) services in this country, Boxer DTT, promised confidently to have services up and running by last month, although it subsequently conceded that this was more an aspiration than a prediction.
But, at the start of this month, negotiations over the contract for DTT are still ongoing, according to the Broadcasting Commission Of Ireland (BCI). It has declined to produce documentation about the licence application in response to a request under the Freedom of Information Act.
Lucy Gaffney of Communicorp, the driver of the Boxer DTT group, which also comprises the Swedish group Boxer, has played down the delay.
‘‘It’s a complex process,” she said last week. She was, she said, unable to hazard a guess as to when the contract deal might be finalised.
Nor would she comment on whether there was any particular sticking point. The BCI said it would not be in the public interest to release any documents about the matter because of their commercial sensitivity.
RTE is proceeding with its own preparations to switch to digital television transmission, but it is questionable if it will go ahead with a launch of a public service DTT service in September, unless Boxer is ready to launch as well.
It’s generally felt that the commercial and public service broadcasting elements of DTT need to be coordinated to make the changeover from analogue services a success.
RTE is expected to invest around €110 million in capital infrastructure for the DTT service, but it’s understood only €45 million of this relates to the requirements of the public service DTT which are to be operated by RTE. The rest relates to the costs associated with facilitating Boxer’s service.
It is understood that RTE – which bid unsuccessfully to operate the commercial DTT licence itself – last year offered Boxer a contract that envisaged charging it some €10 million a year to access the RTE digital network.
The status of this contract is unknown. Where does it leave DTT?
The digital radio project is already floundering amid uncertainty over the legislative environment for it. This has resulted in commercial operators pulling out, leaving only RTE providing a service to larger urban areas. Part of the government’s original plan for DTT was to establish a so-called ‘DTT champion’, an independent entity that would oversee a coordinated rollout of services nationwide, with input from all of the various interest groups: the government, RTE, the BCI and the commercial sector.
There’s no sign of any move to set up such a body.
Technically, Ireland doesn’t have to go digital until 2012, which is when analogue transmission services are to be switched off across Europe. By law, RTE must be ready with its digital TV network by December 31, 2012. But with homes in Northern Ireland set to be switched to digital later this year, Ireland had been expected to take action towards converting significant numbers of homes to digital in advance of that.
Originally, the plan had been for more than 90 per cent of homes to be switched to digital receivers before 2012. France is beginning its analogue switch-off in November this year, while most of Portugal is expected to have converted to digital by year-end.
In Britain, the changeover is advanced, with only three million homes still reliant on the analogue signal. Ireland looks to be lagging further and further behind.

Boxer will never happen. The business case doesn't stack up.

lucernarian

Some of that is blatantly untrue. Northern Ireland will have Analogue TV until early 2013 under current plans.

RTÉ must be ready by law to provide digital TV by 2015, not 2012.

And this article is written by someone who has little clue on the challenges that DTT switchover will bring to Ireland, specifically with reception and eqiupment compatibility. I daresay there's few mortals in the Irish Times now who have to make do with what they receive through an aerial these days.

Antenna

To_be_confirmed wrote: »

And this article is written by someone who has little clue on the challenges that DTT switchover will bring to Ireland, specifically with reception and eqiupment compatibility.

Very true. The UK public has the huge carrot to go digital of dozens of FTA channels on DTT there.
And there is both Freeview and Freesat to go digital in the UK, so if DTT is not available, there is also Freesat.
Here DTT (where available) is not providing anything extra to what is already available on analogue. With this being the case, the reality is most people will not bother with DTT (if available) until a TV needs replacement and a new one has DTT tuner built-in.

reslfj

BowWow wrote: »

Sunday Busimess Post

In Britain, the changeover is advanced, with only three million homes still reliant on the analogue signal. Ireland looks to be lagging further and further behind.

In Britain only the Selkirk transmitter and its relays is post-DSO. I addition the Whitehaven area was used as a DSO trail in 2007, but with only a few thousand households.

Antenna wrote: »

Yet more inaccuracy.
Northern Ireland is scheduled for 2012 actually

To_be_confirmed wrote: »

Northern Ireland will have Analogue TV until early 2013 under current plans.

RTÉ must be ready by law to provide digital TV by 2015, not 2012.

2012 is the correct year for DSO in NI http://www.digitaluk.co.uk/when_do_i_switch/utv_region

All EU countries (except Poland) have agreed to do DSO by the end of 2012. The GE06 agreement says before the summer of 2015.

There is a small hope that the new UK HD multiplex may be broadcast from Divis from 2010, like it will from London. It will depend upon finding an unused channel and it will be transmitted with reduced power like all pre-DSO DTT is in the UK.

slegs wrote: »

Boxer will never happen. The business case doesn't stack up.

Boxer did start broadcast in the western part of Denmark today. 1 mux and 9 pay-tv channels. Boxer uses 7 main transmitters and no relays.
http://www.boxertv.dk/?page=1702 (translate with http://translate.google.com/translate_t# )


But the business case may be more difficult in Ireland, as the UK Freesat and Freeview are available. Astra 2D is very difficult to receive in Denmark and Sweden.

Lars

The Cush

To_be_confirmed wrote: »

Some of that is blatantly untrue. Northern Ireland will have Analogue TV until early 2013 under current plans.

RTÉ must be ready by law to provide digital TV by 2015, not 2012.

N Ireland will switchover in the 2nd half of 2012 (no exact date yet). The Channel Islands was planned as the last region to switchover in 2013 but with the French switchover plans finalised the C.I. will now switchover in November 2010 with N.I. the last region in 2012.

As reslfj has said the EU has strongly advocated that by 2012 all analogue terrestrial TV transmitters in Europe should be switched off in order to free up radio frequencies for other uses, the 2015 date is 17 June 2015 as decided at Geneva 2006, the date after which countries will no longer be required to protect the analogue services of neighbouring countries against interference and be able to freely use frequencies assigned for digital services. This date is generally viewed as an internationally mandated analogue switch-off date, at least along national borders.

The people pushing for 2012 or earlier deadline for ASO are the mobile telecoms companies and of course governments for the financial gain from the digital dividend.

The BCI has stated "It's not written in stone," "It was the target date." In the current economic climate 2015 may be a more realistic date.

reslfj wrote: »

In Britain only the Selkirk transmitter and its relays is post-DSO. I addition the Whitehaven area was used as a DSO trail in 2007, but with only a few thousand households.

Whitehaven 20,000 households. The Welsh villages of Ferryside and Llansteffan also completed switchover in 2005.

BowWow wrote: »

Sunday Busimess Post

1st. February 2009

By Catherine O’Mahony

...

France is beginning its analogue switch-off in November this year, while most of Portugal is expected to have converted to digital by year-end.

Portugal plans to complete switchover by 1 January 2011 not year-end. A FTA multiplex licence was only awarded in Dec 08 with a planned national pilot launch in April 2009.

More Music

Well I can 100% confirm that in some places where RTE NL have installed new DTT equipment for their own public service MUX they have also installed Boxer's equipment.

So the reality is it need not be that far away, it's the contracts and financial stuff that needs to be sorted.

slegs

More Music wrote: »

Well I can 100% confirm that in some places where RTE NL have installed new DTT equipment for their own public service MUX they have also installed Boxer's equipment.

So the reality is it need not be that far away, it's the contracts and financial stuff that needs to be sorted.

Physically they may be able to broadcast but without customers they wont last 1 year. This is ITV Ondigital all over again and if Boxer realise this they may not even sign a contract.

Irish customers who want premium channels will chose Sky the vast majority of the time. Boxer wont be able to compete with Sky and UPC on price or channel lineup.

Those in the know who want non subscription will choose Irish DTT FTA and UK Satellite FTA.

Where is Boxer's market??? The only market I can see is those who cant put up a dish or those who dont know you can get DTT FTA along with UK Satellite FTA. This isn't enough for them to survive.

They wont last 1 year if they launch and possibly may not even launch.

pa990

I think that they will launch, they have invested / spent X amount of money.. they won't just call it a day.
What would their investors/ share-holders say ??

IMO, Boxer will launch.
How long they last...... well, that's something else.

Like a lot of people on this forum, i do believe that a freeview type operation be more successful, just look at countries where pay-DTT has failed
ie, UK, Spain etc


The sooner Boxer launch.. the sooner they fail.. the sooner we have freeview..

So come come on Boxer.. BRING IT ON..