Wexford to lose RTE Television

bmaxi

I'm not sure how many people are aware, I know I wasn't, but large areas of County Wexford will lose RTE TV reception when the switch over to Digital TV takes place. This is because RTE, in their wisdom, have chosen to broadcast on a frequency that causes interference to TV reception in Wales and have been forced to reduce power. This despite the fact that several other frequencies are available to them.
Basically what this means is, apart from certain favoured areas, thousands of households in Co. Wexford will be forced to install a satellite system to view RTE, from what I can gather, this system will be in addition to the current Sky/FTA systems. Outdoor and indoor aerials will be useless for RTE reception.
My information is, this situation can be remedied by the simple flick of a switch but it needs political input. So if you don't want to be faced with the expense of installing a satellite system then write to or call your local TD or councillor and get them on the job.

wreckless

would this mean other parts of Ireland further away than Wexford will also be the same? or are they able to direct the signal intensity in certain directions? or use booster staions down the country? is the booster option is the case, why not get them install them around mt. leinster?

where did this info come from?

St Senan

I can understand your frustration. But thousand of households in co Wexford and around Ireland will either have to buy an Mpeg4 TV or Mpeg4 set top box (saorview} when the switch over to Digital happens. At the moment the signal that's been sent out on Rf ch45 that is Blocking the (Preseli Signal) English channels is only a test signal, Now all that can change between October 2010 and January 2012 when analogue is supposed to switch off in Ireland so us installers are been told. I for one would prefer to install a second small satellite dish (Saorsat 9east) and connect it to the existing (Free sat/Sky dish 28 east) and have all the Irish and English channels on one receiver. I find that a lot elderly customers find it hard to use more than 1 remote control which is what's happening at the moment with people using cheap Freeview boxes to receive English channels and switching to the TV remote to receive Irish channels.

bmaxi

wreckless wrote: »

would this mean other parts of Ireland further away than Wexford will also be the same? or are they able to direct the signal intensity in certain directions? or use booster staions down the country? is the booster option is the case, why not get them install them around mt. leinster?

where did this info come from?

I asked a question on this thread, read it for yourself starting at post no 43.


http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056015326&page=3

It seems to me that a lot of people could be spared expense by a simple manoeuvre.

Scaller, I take your point but I think this is aimed at people who don't have an existing satellite system for UK tv.

St Senan

bmaxi wrote: »

It seems to me that a lot of people could be spared expense by a simple manoeuvre.

Scaller, I take your point but I think this is aimed at people who don't have an existing satellite system for UK tv.

But even so if this simple manoeuvre was performed Moving Irish Channels from RF channel 45 back to RF channel 39. People all over Ireland including here in co Wexford who haven't done so yet will still have to buy either an Mpeg4 TV or an Mpeg4 receiver when the analouge tv switches off.

Padjo1981

Would this mean you can refuse to pay your tv license??

charlie1966

This isn't about needing an Mpeg4 ready TV. Everyone will need an Mpeg 4 TV or set top box.
This is about the frequency that RTENL, the organization responsible for the digital transmission system in Ireland, choose to use in the south east, ie Wexford, some of Waterford and south and east Wicklow for the new digital transmission. The chosen frequency(Channel 45 from Mt Leinster) is in direct conflict with a transmitter in south Wales called Presely. RTENL know about the problem , but are still flogging it like a dead horse and sticking to using this channel 45. RTENL have been allocated a number of frequencies that they could use, ie channel 39, which they used early on in testing. There is no logical reason they could not switch back to channel 39, but because they have chosen to use channel 45 anyone wanting to view RTE after the digital switch over will have to fork out unnecessarily for a satellite dish and receiver to view RTE. The satellite equipment needed will not be the same as the equipment as is used for Sky, spo reusing that equipment is not an option.
Hope this helps to clear up any confusion. The public are been screwed again.

St Senan

Padjo1981 wrote: »

Would this mean you can refuse to pay your tv license??

No.
Even if you have a dvd player or vcr in your house connected to a tv without receiving any tv channels you will still have to pay
a tv license.

johnmcdnl

Padjo1981 wrote: »

Would this mean you can refuse to pay your tv license??

the license is to own a tv - if you threw the tv out and used a computer monitor then yes you wouldn't have to pay...

but if it's possible to recieve tv - ie by using an aerial, satellite in conjunction with a tv/monitor/computer whatever you have to pay the license...

your not paying the license to get RTE - it's to be allowed to own a device that can receive tv signals basically...

and even if your tv is broken or can't receive a signal you still have to pay because you could fix it


no getting out of the license as long as you own a tv regards of what stations you can get on it

bmaxi

scaller wrote: »

But even so if this simple manoeuvre was performed Moving Irish Channels from RF channel 45 back to RF channel 39. People all over Ireland including here in co Wexford who haven't done so yet will still have to buy either an Mpeg4 TV or an Mpeg4 receiver when the analouge tv switches off.

With either Satellite or DTT, you are going to need a box but with Satellite you will also need a dish, cabling and installation. I bought the box I used for £10.99 stg. I got perfect DTT on a rabbits' ears. I just don't see why people should be forced into unnecessary expense.

Judgement Day

Will anyone miss it, I know I won't now that the final season of 24 is over?

St Senan

bmaxi wrote: »

With either Satellite or DTT, you are going to need a box but with Satellite you will also need a dish, cabling and installation. I bought the box I used for £10.99 stg. I got perfect DTT on a rabbits' ears. I just don't see why people should be forced into unnecessary expense.

Again i can see your point. But over the last 10 years i would say that 75% of the public in co wexford have some sort of satellite dish fitted be it Sky or Freesat/free to air to receive the English channels. Eventually the people that don't subscribe to Sky or UPC will have to invest in Either a dish for Saorsat 9east or a wideband aerial with an Mpeg4 TV or Receiver to receive the Irish channels which will be Known as Saorview. The only people that's affected at the moment with the Irish tv channels without tv3 broadcasting on Rf channel 45 is people living along the coast, The box you have is designed for Freeview an English service that RTENL dosent give 2 hoots about. If the situation dosent change ( RTENL Again don't give 2 hoots about people a long the coast receiving English tv on a Freeview box) then you will need a Dish fitted to receive the English channels and Probably a Wideband/Grid aerial pointed at Mt Leinster or Clonattin in Gorey to receive Mpeg4 Irish channels.

bmaxi

scaller wrote: »

Again i can see your point. But over the last 10 years i would say that 75% of the public in co wexford have some sort of satellite dish fitted be it Sky or Freesat/free to air to receive the English channels. Eventually the people that don't subscribe to Sky or UPC will have to invest in Either a dish for Saorsat 9east or a wideband aerial with an Mpeg4 TV or Receiver to receive the Irish channels which will be Known as Saorview. The only people that's affected at the moment with the Irish tv channels without tv3 broadcasting on Rf channel 45 is people living along the coast, The box you have is designed for Freeview an English service that RTENL dosent give 2 hoots about. If the situation dosent change ( RTENL Again don't give 2 hoots about people a long the coast receiving English tv on a Freeview box) then you will need a Dish fitted to receive the English channels and Probably a Wideband/Grid aerial pointed at Mt Leinster or Clonattin in Gorey to receive Mpeg4 Irish channels.

Is it not the case that most people who receive UK tv along the coast and even a lot of those inland who do not receive UKtv, would already have an aerial capable of receiving DTT from Mt. Leinster?
The problem, as far as I can see, is that UK tv from Wales will make this unwatchable.
Do you disagree with the guy on the Terrestrial forum that the the simplest solution for all is for RTE to switch frequencies?

St Senan

bmaxi wrote: »

Is it not the case that most people who receive UK tv along the coast and even a lot of those inland who do not receive UKtv, would already have an aerial capable of receiving DTT from Mt. Leinster?
The problem, as far as I can see, is that UK tv from Wales will make this unwatchable.
Do you disagree with the guy on the Terrestrial forum that the the simplest solution for all is for RTE to switch frequencies?

There is not many houses in co Wexford that dont receive UK tv. Be it Sky, UPC, or Free on satellite. I for one would love RTENL to flick the switch back to RF ch 39 it would make my life easier with customers But again i will say that RTENL don't give 2 hoot's about you, or any body that lives a long the coast that can receive the overspill from Preseli in wales. If they decide to stay on RF45. then the only solution for people along the coast to be able to receive both Irish and English Tv is to just have 1 Aerial pointing at Mt Leinster, Forth Mt or Clonattin and satellite tv for English. Or the new satellite service Saorsat fitted for Irish channels.

bmaxi

scaller wrote: »

There is not many houses in co Wexford that dont receive UK tv. Be it Sky, UPC, or Free on satellite. I for one would love RTENL to flick the switch back to RF ch 39 it would make my life easier with customers But again i will say that RTENL don't give 2 hoot's about you, or any body that lives a long the coast that can receive the overspill from Preseli in wales. If they decide to stay on RF45. then the only solution for people along the coast to be able to receive both Irish and English Tv is to just have 1 Aerial pointing at Mt Leinster, Forth Mt or Clonattin and satellite tv for English. Or the new satellite service Saorsat fitted for Irish channels.

Then we are at one and have just been going round the houses in this thread.
The simplest solution, and the one which will cause the least expense, is for RTE to switch frequencies and that is what I want everybody to tell their local representative. RTE may not give two hoots at the moment but they can be made to give two hoots, that can only happen by exerting pressure on them.

St Senan

bmaxi wrote: »

Then we are at one and have just been going round the houses in this thread.
The simplest solution, and the one which will cause the least expense, is for RTE to switch frequencies and that is what I want everybody to tell their local representative. RTE may not give two hoots at the moment but they can be made to give two hoots, that can only happen by exerting pressure on them.

The DTT channels on RF ch45 that you lost is only a test and TV3 is not even on it.
As i said in a earlier post that could all change. Installers around the county including myself don't even bother to tune in Irish DTT on peoples TV's when installing new Aerials. If people can still receive Analogue on their Aerial then they will be fine until 2012.

bmaxi

scaller wrote: »

The DTT channels on RF ch45 that you lost is only a test and TV3 is not even on it.
As i said in a earlier post that could all change. Installers around the county including myself don't even bother to tune in Irish DTT on peoples TV's when installing new Aerials. If people can still receive Analogue on their Aerial then they will be fine until 2012.

The whole point is to ensure DTT from Mt. Leinster does not broadcast on Ch. 45 in 2012, when there are other channels available which will not necessitate shelling out on a separate satellite system. Why wait until 2012 and then try to change what might already be a fait accompli and there is no option but to install a separate satellite system? The time to do something is now. My information, BTW, is that it is very likely TV3 will be carried on DTT.

St Senan

bmaxi wrote: »

The whole point is to ensure DTT from Mt. Leinster does not broadcast on Ch. 45 in 2012, when there are other channels available which will not necessitate shelling out on a separate satellite system. Why wait until 2012 and then try to change what might already be a fait accompli and there is no option but to install a separate satellite system? The time to do something is now. My information, BTW, is that it is very likely TV3 will be carried on DTT.

Up till 2 months ago the Irish test channels were broadcast on RF ch39. Maybe next month RTENL will broadcast on either RF ch 39, 42,45,49, who knows only them. Since they moved from 39 to 45 anybody on the coast who are receiving UK channels started having problems. As i have said before many a time RTENL don't give a Hoot about people along the coast using Freeview. We can go on and discuss this topic to death like what is happening on the Terrestrial forum.

bmaxi

scaller wrote: »

Up till 2 months ago the Irish test channels were broadcast on RF ch39. Maybe next month RTENL will broadcast on either RF ch 39, 42,45,49, who knows only them. Since they moved from 39 to 45 anybody on the coast who are receiving UK channels started having problems. As i have said before many a time RTENL don't give a Hoot about people along the coast using Freeview. We can go on and discuss this topic to death like what is happening on the Terrestrial forum.

I would be quite happy for RTE to broadcast on anything other than channel 45, and I know it's possible that they might. I'm finding it hard to see why you have a difficulty in trying to ensure that they do.

St Senan

bmaxi wrote: »

I'm finding it hard to see why you have a difficulty in trying to ensure that they do.

Hear you go http://www.rtenl.ie/contactus.htm
Every Aerial rigger i know in the county including myself have sent John Clarke an email when this happened without reply. I am saying the same to Disgruntled customers contact john.clarke@rte.ie As i said before this Frequency change happened over 2 Months ago.

From the RTENL website

http://www.rtenl.ie/dtt.htm#howget

Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT)
Currently there are no approved STBs or iDTVs available for the Irish market. Approved equipment will be available in advance of the launch of the service.
Please note that the vast majority of UK "Freeview" boxes and iDTVs will not work on the Irish DTT service when it is launched.

When will I get it?

DTT is not available at the moment and the actual launch date or dates is a matter for RTÉ, in respect of the public service multiplex, and the BCI, in respect of the three commercial multiplexes.


RTÉNL is undertaking engineering work to prepare the network for the delivery of DTT to the homes of Ireland. The roll-out of the infrastructure necessary to provide this service has started and will continue over the next four years.

RTÉNL anticipates that DTT services will be launched to the viewing public in the next year or so but, as previously mentioned, the actual launch date or dates is a matter for RTÉ, in respect of the public service multiplex, and the BCI, in respect of the three commercial multiplexes.


RTÉNL is currently undertaking live tests from a number of sites but these are subject to interruption from time-to-time and will cease once testing is complete and cannot be considered to be a “live” service.



All us guys can do is wait and see what happens.

bmaxi

scaller wrote: »

Hear you go http://www.rtenl.ie/contactus.htm
Every Aerial rigger i know in the county including myself have sent John Clarke an email when this happened without reply. I am saying the same to Disgruntled customers contact john.clarke@rte.ie As i said before this Frequency change happened over 2 Months ago.

From the RTENL website

http://www.rtenl.ie/dtt.htm#howget

Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT)
Currently there are no approved STBs or iDTVs available for the Irish market. Approved equipment will be available in advance of the launch of the service.
Please note that the vast majority of UK "Freeview" boxes and iDTVs will not work on the Irish DTT service when it is launched.

When will I get it?

DTT is not available at the moment and the actual launch date or dates is a matter for RTÉ, in respect of the public service multiplex, and the BCI, in respect of the three commercial multiplexes.


RTÉNL is undertaking engineering work to prepare the network for the delivery of DTT to the homes of Ireland. The roll-out of the infrastructure necessary to provide this service has started and will continue over the next four years.

RTÉNL anticipates that DTT services will be launched to the viewing public in the next year or so but, as previously mentioned, the actual launch date or dates is a matter for RTÉ, in respect of the public service multiplex, and the BCI, in respect of the three commercial multiplexes.


RTÉNL is currently undertaking live tests from a number of sites but these are subject to interruption from time-to-time and will cease once testing is complete and cannot be considered to be a “live” service.



All us guys can do is wait and see what happens.[/QUOTE

]
You don't say what the content of your e-mail was, Were you asking which channels was to be used or did you point out the difficulty that would arise by using ch. 45?
What I want to do is add another dimension to that. You have got nowhere by approaching RTE directly. What I'm saying is that people should lobby their public representatives to put pressure on RTE not to broadcast DTT on channel 45 and the reasons for it. What's the problem there?

St Senan

Bmaxi Have you still got Analouge Irish tv channels. Are you receiving any UK channels.
I dont see why you want action now as I have said before what you have lost is only a test service
We can discuss this to death But to be honest i have said all that i want to say on the matter there is Nothing you or me can do/ Nothing is going to change until RTENL have finished testing.

RTÉNL is currently undertaking live tests from a number of sites but these are subject to interruption from time-to-time and will cease once testing is complete and cannot be considered to be a “live” service.

Going to your local T.D's is not going to have a effect on RTENL.
And to be honest I dont want to start talking about Politics.

bmaxi

scaller wrote: »

Bmaxi Have you still got Analouge Irish tv channels. Are you receiving any UK channels.
I dont see why you want action now as I have said before what you have lost is only a test service
We can discuss this to death But to be honest i have said all that i want to say on the matter there is Nothing you or me can do/ Nothing is going to change until RTENL have finished testing.

RTÉNL is currently undertaking live tests from a number of sites but these are subject to interruption from time-to-time and will cease once testing is complete and cannot be considered to be a “live” service.

Going to your local T.D's is not going to have a effect on RTENL.
And to be honest I dont want to start talking about Politics.

I don't know why you have a problem with this. If you feel it's a waste of time to approach your public representative on a subject, that's your prerogative, I happen to think otherwise.
Let me say it just one more time. If RTE broadcasts on Ch 45 then I and a lot more people are going to be out of pocket, probably to the tune of about €200. I don't intend to let that happen without some input.
I don't know why you continue to harp on about these being test transmissions, I'm well aware of that fact, what I am trying to prevent is DTT going live on that channel. I'm not going to prevent it by doing nothing. If it's the case that RTE, without my input, decide to broadcast on a channel other than 45, then well and good but I intend to have my say.

St Senan

bmaxi wrote: »

I don't know why you have a problem with this. If you feel it's a waste of time to approach your public representative on a subject, that's your prerogative, I happen to think otherwise.
Let me say it just one more time. If RTE broadcasts on Ch 45 then I and a lot more people are going to be out of pocket, probably to the tune of about €200. I don't intend to let that happen without some input.
I don't know why you continue to harp on about these being test transmissions, I'm well aware of that fact, what I am trying to prevent is DTT going live on that channel. I'm not going to prevent it by doing nothing. If it's the case that RTE, without my input, decide to broadcast on a channel other than 45, then well and good but I intend to have my say.

Bmaxi I was going leave the last post as my final post on this subject but seen as you can't let go on this.

Firstly I don't have a problem. Secondly I am not the one who is Harping on in this thread. All i am trying to do is to tell people not to start panicking, At this moment in time you are the one who is wanting people to contact their public representative about something that might or might not even happen in 2012. Next month is when RTEnl is to start rolling out both Analouge and Digital side beside hopefully digital on any mux lower than 42. Also last year the Irish channels were broadcast for a while on Mpeg2 then all of a sudden that changed to Mpeg4 now there is thousand's of LCD/PLASMA TV.s that are less than 2 years old in peoples house's that wont receive Irish DTT channels after Analouge switch off. Nobody panicked then and contacted their T.D's. If you are aware of the fact that what you have lost is only a test transmission then why continue this thread. As I asked you earlier If you still have Analouge Irish channels then relax and wait until RTENL decide to move to a different RF ch. And hopefully they will move back to RF channel 39 for good at some stage during their tests.

Harry.c

Bmaxi,
As Scaller has pointed out this IS ONLY a test signal.... Also if RTENL want to broadcast on this channel, they can do,
The sevice you are reciving from wales is in affect a spillover, so in a way we are not really intitled to recieve it as we are not paying for it!
Re you still reciving analouge Irish tv where you are at the moment.

Also as Scaller points out us in the game in Wexford dont even bother tuning in the DTT on costomers tv,s as it is still only a test signal,
If I do it i make sure the costomer is aware of the test ie TV3 not there yet.....

St Senan

Well Harry.c how's thing's. Anyhow i thing that Bmaxi was only getting the Irish DTT test on his indoor Aerial. I don't think he was getting any English TV. But the main point here is that if people down around your area and other area's that are not effected by the test channels on RFch 45 see the title of this thread Wexford to lose RTE Television they might get the wrong idea and as Zerk's pointed in a differan't thread A lot of so-called 'companies' appearing and offering solutions,many of which won't even be needed by customers. I can foresee many perfectly good Aerials being replaced at a tidy profit by guys whose morals are slightly dubious.At least the reputable riggers and installers will tell people the truth instead of confusing them further by jargon that the ordinary joe soap won't understand just to extract further money from them.
All i can say to the Wexford people is that its only people around the coast that is affected by this test. DON'T panic its only a test.

Plenty of info here for people who dont understand the whole Digital and Analouge switchover http://www.mpeg4ireland.com/

bmaxi

I don't receive Uk tv from an aerial and I do receive (poor) analogue Irish TV. I had been receiving excellent Irish DTT.
I'm not sure why you have set your face against people lobbying to ensure that they don't have to install a separate satellite system to receive Irish TV, it seems to me a perfectly reasonable thing to do. After all we've been told umpteen times that Wexford Hospital is not closing but we are still lobbying to prevent that.
At the risk of repeating myself, I know this is a test, what I want to ensure is, when RTE goes live from Mt. Leinster, it does not broadcast on CH.45. One thing is certain, in dealing with officialdom, it is better to prevent something than to try and change it when it is done.
You can go on all you like about it being a test and that it's possible that it won't broadcast on that channel but it appears to me that the only ones who have anything to gain from that eventuality are those who supply and install satellite systems.

St Senan

bmaxi wrote: »

I don't receive Uk tv from an aerial and I do receive (poor) analogue Irish TV. I had been receiving excellent Irish DTT.
but it appears to me that the only ones who have anything to gain from that eventuality are those who supply and install satellite systems.

What it appears to us installers who have tried to explain to YOU and the other people here not to panic is that in your first post you say favoured areas of the county wont be affected. But with your Experience in the TV/ Satellite installation you will be OK. you wont have to Spend €200 as you said in Post 23.

Bmaxi . You are Knowledgeable in installations as you have pointed out in other threads you are receiving UK TV from satellite systems that you fitted your self so If you want your Irish DTT TEST signal back forget about your rabbits ears and install yourself a Wideband group B or a Grid Aerial.

So can we Please stop this TIT for TAT.

bmaxi

scaller wrote: »

What it appears to us installers who have tried to explain to YOU and the other people here not to panic is that in your first post you say favoured areas of the county wont be affected. But with your Experience in the TV/ Satellite installation you will be OK. you wont have to Spend €200 as you said in Post 23.

Bmaxi . You are Knowledgeable in installations as you have pointed out in other threads you are receiving UK TV from satellite systems that you fitted your self so If you want your Irish DTT TEST signal back forget about your rabbits ears and install yourself a Wideband group B or a Grid Aerial.

So can we Please stop this TIT for TAT.

I have installed satellite systems, for friends and family but I wouldn't consider myself knowledgeable. Most of what I know I've learnt on here and I'm grateful for that. I know next to nothing about installing TV aerials but my information, again obtained here, is that installing an aerial is not a solution as it will suffer interference from Wales, presumably that goes for those aerials already installed too.

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056015326&page=4

If I was knowledgeable about these things I could argue the toss with these guys but I'm not.
My sole objective in starting this thread was to make other people aware of the situation, not to get into a tit for tat battle with you or anyone else. I'll continue to do that, on here, or by other means.
I'm pretty confident I could install a satellite system if I had to but my point is, why should I, or anyone else, have to.

patff

I don't understand the technical stuff on here so far.

I get four channels, RTE1, RTE2, TV3 and TG4, using an exterior aerial in the attic.

Is this service coming to an end? I don't want f--king satellite TV. I only watch champs league and "Shameless". I pay my licence, why can't this be left as it is.

Will I have to install something? For 3-4 hours TV per week?

I'll bet this decision was made by some knobhead in Dublin:mad:

St Senan

patff wrote: »

I don't understand the technical stuff on here so far.

I get four channels, RTE1, RTE2, TV3 and TG4, using an exterior aerial in the attic.

Is this service coming to an end? I don't want f--king satellite TV. I only watch champs league and "Shameless". I pay my licence, why can't this be left as it is.

Will I have to install something? For 3-4 hours TV per week?

I'll bet this decision was made by some knobhead in Dublin:mad:

The decision was made a few years ago Wales started to change from Analouge to Digital in August 2009

The 4 channels you and everyone in Ireland receive at the moment are Analouge and will cease to broadcast some time in 2012. They Analouge signal will be replaced with a Digital signal. What people will need to receive this signal is a wide band or a Grid Aerial pointed at the nearest transmitter and a suitable TV with an Mpeg4 digital Tuner or a Mpeg4 set top box.

If you read here it will explain it to you http://www.mpeg4ireland.com/