MUX 2 launch date ?

galtee boy

12 element wrote: »

RTE One to go HD too I'm hearing.

Obviously RTE1 will go HD at some stage in the future, are you hearing that it will be soon and is your source reliable ?

irishfeen

Hopefully RTE One HD, TV3 HD and TG4 HD and the Dail channel all launch to make a retune worth while.

Sam Russell

If the second mux starts up, there is room for three more channels to go HD. To me the most obvious configuration would be for RTE to take Mux1 and the other channels to go on the second Mux. In that case, each Mux would have 2 HD channels and 2 SD channels. The extra channel on the second mux would be OTV (I presume). Additional (non RTE) radio channels could be allowed to fill the space left on Mux2.

This all assumes that there is agreement on transmission fees.

Mux1

RTE 1 HD
RTE 2 HD
RTE NN
RTE jr/Plus

Mux2

TV3 HD
TG4 HD
3E
OTV

Assuming that an HD channel takes 3 times the bandwidth of an SD channel, this would give RTE 50% of the total cost of transmission, TV3 25%, TG4 18% with OTV taking the balance. Radio channels would have to pay something, but only on Mux2.

The Irish Film channel that has been mentioned could time share with OTV (and cost share).

This scheme would be a saving for TV3 compared with analogue.

12 element

galtee boy wrote: »

Obviously RTE1 will go HD at some stage in the future, are you hearing that it will be soon and is your source reliable ?

Yeah sooner rather than later probably January. We'll have to see but has always been spot on far!

galtee boy

12 element wrote: »

Yeah sooner rather than later probably January. We'll have to see but has always been spot on far!

Ok, we await with baited breath ! I think all this testing of Mux 2 is not for nothing, especially so close to Christmas and something new could be about to show up, but this is just speculation and all the test channels could disappear and not reappear for months again.

RonanAnthony

Hey guys I called RTÉNL earlier there.
They gave me some bad news!!
All this testing that were getting is due to disappear middle of next week.
They saz they are only testing the frequencies over a longer period of time and that no new channels are on the horizon and that there won't be ne in the foreseeable future as no channels have come forward and offered to be carried on saorview yet.
More information call RTÉNL on 012082259

I'm raging myself

Souriau

Souriau wrote: »

CH on E44. Mux 2 is slightly stronger than Mux 1

MHEG-5 Aertel is on Test channel 1 and 2

Why is Test channel 4 and 5 got the 4:3 test card stretch to fill the 16:9
The resolution is also poor, little hazy

My LG 32LF7700, UK spec only, Freesat with Freeview and MPEG-4 tuners build-in
This TV does not show the aspect ratio correctly for the 2 channels, Test Service 4 & 5, that is broadcasting with 4:3 flag so it is shown as strecth to 16:9 ratio. I have checked the setting on the TV and is set for Orginal screen aspect ratio.
While my Sony TV, Saorview certified, does show the 2 channels on correct aspect ratio, 4:3.

irishfeen

RonanAnthony wrote: »

Hey guys I called RTÉNL earlier there.
They gave me some bad news!!
All this testing that were getting is due to disappear middle of next week.
They saz they are only testing the frequencies over a longer period of time and that no new channels are on the horizon and that there won't be ne in the foreseeable future as no channels have come forward and offered to be carried on saorview yet.
More information call RTÉNL on 012082259

I'm raging myself

Ah that's a pitty, it will probably mean TG4 and TV3 will make their HD channels exclusive to pay tv undermining the Saorview platform.

watty

I think RTE has to pay RTENL for carriage of the Radio.

watty

irishfeen wrote: »

Ah that's a pitty, it will probably mean TG4 and TV3 will make their HD channels exclusive to pay tv undermining the Saorview platform.

I think BCI can be challenged to do something about that as it breaks the spirit of having licence.

Either you give same or better to FTA or lose licence and be a Pay TV Foreign channel only should be the rule for an Irish Licence.

T3 & TG4 get money from TV Licence.

Setanta shouldn't get a penny yet they do. Their FTA/FTV is a fake, it's part of their marketing to get a Skybox and viewing Pay TV card into your house. Boycott the Setanta Card scheme and complain to BCI.

It's the money of the TV licence payer being misused.

Elmo

The BAI will do nothing. We're still having the same discussion as before, suggesting things that no one in RTÉ, TV3, TG4, DCENR, Setanta, Sky and UPC will do or have any plans to do. They are overpaid and uninterested in their jobs. They are only interested in keeping the status quo.

Lets face it DCENR gave funding to TG4 HD before the minister called on the Department to carry out a public review and the BAI to carry out a sectorial impact review. This funding for HD was provided in 2011, yet the BAI don't mention it in their report into the Expressions of Interest that were provided to them.

The minister still hasn't simply asked his Department or the BAI do carry out such reviews. PATHETIC.

Thus TG4 HD remains as usual a "trial" :rolleyes:

This is the kind of crap that goes on, so the likelyhood of RTÉ ONE HD in 2013 is highly unlikely.

Hotblack Desiato

Sam Russell wrote: »

It does not cost any extra to put RTE 1+1 on the mux, other than some extra rights costs (if any) because otherwise it would be stuffed with zeros.

It costs us decent horizontal resolution on SD channels. RTE1 looks ridiculously soft.

Hotblack Desiato

watty wrote: »

That's a bizarre outlook. The only stuff that can't retune isn't compatible and shouldn't have been sold here.

Not that it can't retune, but that the user will need to retune.

AFAIK it's not in the Saorview spec that boxes can automatically detect and tune in a new mux. Freeview boxes don't.

So if Mux 2 lauches just before Xmas, we will have OAPs and other vulnerable (or just tech-averse) viewers left without 1 or 2 of the four main channels until someone can retune it for them. Would be a stupid time of year to do that.

Mr. Rabbit

Freeview boxes don't.

All three of my Freeview HD boxes detect Mux 2 and tune it in without any problems.

Hotblack Desiato

(Presuming that they tuned it in automatically, and you didn't have to do anything - is that correct?)

Some can, but it's not part of the spec, so you can't say 'Freeview boxes auto-retune' any more than you can say 'Saorview boxes record'.

Some Freeview boxes auto-retune.
Some Saorview boxes can record.

jimbowilson

Holywell Hill co Donegal MUX2 has switched on with test transmissions. 98% signal and 100% quality. will check which channel mux number tomorrow

The Cush

jimbowilson wrote: »

Holywell Hill co Donegal MUX2 has switched on with test transmissions... will check which channel mux number tomorrow

Should be on UHF Ch.33.

jimbowilson

The Cush wrote: »

Should be on UHF Ch.33.

That's the very one

irishfeen

Just for future reference lads, I am receiving all the Saorview channels on Mux 1 without any problem (signal strength 55) but the testing channels on Mux 2 are intermittent with a signal strength of about 7 and a Bit error level of 300-2000 most of the time. Any idea of the problem in case they decide to power up full time next year?

peking97

What's your antenna type?

The Cush

irishfeen wrote: »

Just for future reference lads, I am receiving all the Saorview channels on Mux 1 without any problem (signal strength 55) but the testing channels on Mux 2 are intermittent with a signal strength of about 7 and a Bit error level of 300-2000 most of the time. Any idea of the problem in case they decide to power up full time next year?

When you say signal strength 55 or 7, is that a % bar graphic? If so, the 55% for Mux1 is also a little low but good enough for stable reception.

RTÉ have said previously that coverage of the various muxes from any one transmitter may differ slightly from each other.

My guess would be your aerial setup needs looking at, aerial and/or cabling. Are you using an indoor or outdoor aerial? VHF or UHF?

irishfeen

The Cush wrote: »

When you say signal strength 55 or 7, is that a % bar graphic? If so, the 55% for Mux1 is also a little low but good enough for stable reception.

RTÉ have said previously that coverage of the various muxes from any one transmitter may differ slightly from each other.

My guess would be your aerial setup needs looking at, aerial and/or cabling. Are you using an indoor or outdoor aerial? VHF or UHF?

Yeah I think its a % bar, its a samsung tv anyway. There is two old aerial's, an RTE and a TV3 aerial but it has been working away without any bother up to this point, even in bad weather there is never any problems. You are probably right I will buy a new aerial if they ever power up MUX 2.

The Cush

irishfeen wrote: »

There is two old aerial's, an RTE and a TV3 aerial but it has been working away without any bother up to this point, even in bad weather there is never any problems. You are probably right I will buy a new aerial if they ever power up MUX 2.

You may not require a new aerial, the existing TV3 (UHF) may be OK if it's still in good condition.

It would be a good idea to remove the VHF aerial and UHF/VHF aerial combiner and while up there check the condition of the UHF aerial, the co-ax cable connections to the aerial and the co-ax cable itself.

I assume you're receiving your signal from Mullaghanish (VHF aerial in Cork), is this the recommended Saorview transmitter for your location?

irishfeen

The Cush wrote: »

You may not require a new aerial, the existing TV3 (UHF) may be OK if it's still in good condition.

It would be a good idea to remove the VHF aerial and UHF/VHF aerial combiner and while up there check the condition of the UHF aerial, the co-ax cable connections to the aerial and the co-ax cable itself.

I assume you're receiving your signal from Mullaghanish (VHF aerial in Cork), is this the recommended Saorview transmitter for your location?

No its actually Maghera, that's what the Saorview website says anyway, we live on the wrong side of a hill to receive signal from Mullaghanish, but I am thinking that the signal is actually been got from Mitchelstown at the minute. I actually opened up the box joining the two aerials and its in a bad way with rust so I put on the cover and left it alone:)... it would only be costing me money if I went at it.

Hotblack Desiato

It could cost you a lot more if water gets into the cable and runs down into your TV / STB.

The Cush

irishfeen wrote: »

No its actually Maghera, that's what the Saorview website says anyway, we live on the wrong side of a hill to receive signal from Mullaghanish, but I am thinking that the signal is actually been got from Mitchelstown at the minute. I actually opened up the box joining the two aerials and its in a bad way with rust so I put on the cover and left it alone:)... it would only be costing me money if I went at it.

Can you identify the frequency/UHF channel no of the 2 muxes you're receiving at the moment? Someone mentioned earlier in the thread Mitchelstown Mux 2 was switched on recently, maybe you're picking that up with the Maghera UHF aerial which might explain the difference in signal strength between the 2 muxes.

It would be a good idea to remove that corroded uhf/vhf combiner (doesn't help the signal strength) and simply join the downlead from the UHF aerial to the house feed using f-connectors/joiner and waterproof tape to seal. Also check the co-ax connection to the UHF aerial for corrosion/water ingress.

irishfeen

ninja900 wrote: »

It could cost you a lot more if water gets into the cable and runs down into your TV / STB.

The TV is not directly connected to the aerial, its running down to the tv point on the wall, so no possibility of touching the tv, I understand what you are saying though it happened to the grandmother's TV a few years ago with a very old aerial.

irishfeen

The Cush wrote: »

Can you identify the frequency/UHF channel no of the 2 muxes you're receiving at the moment? Someone mentioned earlier in the thread Mitchelstown Mux 2 was switched on recently, maybe you're picking that up with the Maghera UHF aerial which might explain the difference in signal strength between the 2 muxes.

It would be a good idea to remove that corroded uhf/vhf combiner (doesn't help the signal strength) and simply join the downlead from the UHF aerial to the house feed using f-connectors/joiner and waterproof tape to seal. Also check the co-ax connection to the UHF aerial for corrosion/water ingress.

From what I can make out MUX 1 is running on Freq 690000 and MUX 2 - 746000 if you can understand that? Ya I will try and sort it out soon but as I said I have had no problems with MUX 1 all along.

The Cush

irishfeen wrote: »

From what I can make out MUX 1 is running on Freq 690000 and MUX 2 - 746000

Maghera UHF Chs. 48 & 55, H polarised aerial.

Mitchelstown is allocated 40 (626000) & 43 (650000), V polarised aerial.

irishfeen

The Cush wrote: »

Maghera UHF Chs. 48 & 55, H polarised aerial.

Mitchelstown is allocated 40 (626000) & 43 (650000), V polarised aerial.

So i'm not picking up any of them??:rolleyes:

Edit ... Ah I understand it now yeah it seems i'm getting both Muxes from Maghera.