MUX 2 launch date ?

Mr. Rabbit · 02-09-2013 4:33pm

Souriau wrote: »

MUX2 transmitting from Clermont Carn on E56

Nothing from CC at all at this location.

Peter Rhea · 02-09-2013 4:55pm

Mr. Rabbit wrote: »

Nothing from CC at all at this location.

Well, they've obviously switched it off since Souriau reported 5 days ago.

Surely it's obvious to those who post reception reports in this thread, that these 'tests' are conducted periodically & have nothing to do with any impending launch of a new mux?

Exactly why they are carried out would be interesting to know.

eirman · 02-09-2013 5:06pm

Mr. Rabbit wrote: »

Nothing from CC at all at this location.

The 7 test channels were on air for two (maybe three) days.

Follow this thread and set up email alerts to catch them the next time

Machinehead · 02-09-2013 5:14pm

Peter Rhea wrote: »

Surely it's obvious to those who post reception reports in this thread, that these 'tests' are conducted periodically & have nothing to do with any impending launch of a new mux?

Exactly why they are carried out would be interesting to know.

I think what has changed here & that has prompted all the discussion on MUX2 is the pattern of these tests. Usually the 2nd MUX has been switched on for one (usually) or sometimes two days. Lately these tests have been running for up to three days or more only to be switched off in the evening.

Peter Rhea · 02-09-2013 5:58pm

Machinehead wrote: »

I think what has changed here & that has prompted all the discussion on MUX2 is the pattern of these tests. Usually the 2nd MUX has been switched on for one (usually) or sometimes two days. Lately these tests have been running for up to three days or more only to be switched off in the evening.

What prompted the discussion was someone asking about new channels a few pages back. I don't see any mention of 'patterns' & I don't see why anyone would take it upon themselves to interpret these 'patterns'.

At least this time, the discussion didn't just retread old ground, but threw up mention of the 'new year' launch of RTE1 HD & introduced the angle of the MMDS switchoff.

Mr. Rabbit · 02-09-2013 6:04pm

It's a pity they couldn't come to some sort of arrangement with Freeview.

Even Freeview Light relay stations in NI have more channels than Saorview.

Mr. Rabbit · 02-09-2013 6:07pm

eirman wrote: »

The 7 test channels were on air for two (maybe three) days.

Follow this thread and set up email alerts to catch them the next time

I do a scan every so often on channel 56.

Obviously I was unlucky this time.

Peter Rhea · 02-09-2013 6:36pm

Mr. Rabbit wrote: »

It's a pity they couldn't come to some sort of arrangement with Freeview.

'They' being Saorview? I would have thought people would be done posting this kind of nonsense by now.

Mr. Rabbit · 02-09-2013 7:23pm

Peter Rhea wrote: »

'They' being Saorview? I would have thought people would be done posting this kind of nonsense by now.

Indeed Peter.

I would imagine there is still a demand for UK channels to be carried in the ROI on Saorview. I know it's highly unlikely to ever take place, but the demand is still there. Remember the extraordinary lengths people along the east coast and in the Dublin area went to in order to get UK television in the 70's and 80's ?

Still, around 20 stations on Freeview Light compared to half a dozen on Saorview ?

Peter Rhea · 02-09-2013 7:40pm

Mr. Rabbit wrote: »

Remember the extraordinary lengths people along the east coast and in the Dublin area went to in order to get UK television in the 70's and 80's ?

That's all utterly irrelevant now & has been for ages.

Still, around 20 stations on Freeview Light compared to half a dozen on Saorview ?

So a bigger, richer country has a better PSB tv service than we do? How did that happen?!

Hotblack Desiato · 02-09-2013 7:42pm

The Cush wrote: »

What do you mean by the level of disconnect between RTÉ and RTÉNL?

How RTE programming barely mentioned Saorview at all until right before ASO. They let on that that was the 'launch' of DTT in Ireland, when it'd been broadcasting for a couple of years at that stage.
They still do hardly anything to promote their digital channels. Presumably peeved that the government banned News Now from having any advertising and nixed RTE3.

As Saorview is owned by RTÉ I can't see RTÉ One HD launching elsewhere before Saorview.

Saorview is owned by 2RN which is supposed to be independent. I'd be surprised to see it launch while not on Saorview, but it's possible especially if RTE would get stuck with most of the Mux2 costs as a result.

The Cush · 02-09-2013 8:16pm

ninja900 wrote: »

Saorview is owned by 2RN which is supposed to be independent. I'd be surprised to see it launch while not on Saorview, but it's possible especially if RTE would get stuck with most of the Mux2 costs as a result.

Saorview and Saorview TV are business names registered to RTÉ back in Sept 2010.

2RN isn't independent, it's a 100% wholly owned subsidary of RTÉ with a semi-independent board and that only happened a few months ago.

ninja900 wrote: »

How RTE programming barely mentioned Saorview at all until right before ASO.

I would agree with with you about the low level of promotion of Saorview and Saorview channels on RTÉ1 and 2 from its launch in May 2011 to ASO in Oct 2012. RTÉ News Now, RTÉ1+1 didn't get a lot of mention during this time and I remember when RTÉ News Now on Saorview got a mention during the election count it raised a few posts here. Of course RTÉjr was only running as a test service during this period with no real schedule until it was relaunched a few months ago.

Peter Rhea · 02-09-2013 8:25pm

ninja900 wrote: »

They still do hardly anything to promote their digital channels.

Can you elaborate? What do you think they should be doing?

The Cush · 02-09-2013 9:23pm

Peter Rhea wrote: »

Surely it's obvious to those who post reception reports in this thread, that these 'tests' are conducted periodically & have nothing to do with any impending launch of a new mux?

Exactly why they are carried out would be interesting to know.

Lawhec posted the following here previously and if I remember correctly Saorview:Brian posted similar here previously or over on the Saorview facebook page

lawhec wrote: »

The second Saorview multiplex tends to be occasionally fired up at different sites if only to check that the relevant transmission systems are in good working order so that when it comes on air full time there should be very little pre-launch testing to do.

With an approx. time frame for the launch of RTÉ One HD from RTÉ themselves and the second mux required for this maybe we'll see Mux 2 testing ramped up towards theend of the year.

Capt'n Midnight · 03-09-2013 1:01am

Elmo wrote: »

I don't know about this. Your right to say that Sky are very protective but If sky can in some way get the 12% that don't subscribe they will be very happy to do so.

Most of that 12% could order SKY tomorrow if they felt it was worth getting.

Seeing as how any commercial DTT could only offer a subset of the channels SKY offer it's unlikely that many would bite unless the price was really attractive, and that means slim margins.

I don't think that Ka-sat will be used for subscription TV , but like broadband it's another factor that could undermine some sort of top-up-tv. Give a million and a half to Eutelsat and you can start transmitting regardless of the BAI. Less if you haggle.

MUX 2 would be nice but I'm not holding my breath

Hotblack Desiato · 03-09-2013 1:11am

Peter Rhea wrote: »

Can you elaborate? What do you think they should be doing?

Mention their existence occasionally would be a start.

Many times, coverage of an event has been mentioned as 'available on the RTE website' etc but no mention that it was also on News Now as well.
The occasional programmes on NN get no promotion at all.

The fact that R1/2FM are on Saorview seems to be regarded as some sort of secret at RTE - never mind the extra digital radio channels.

The Cush · 03-09-2013 1:15am

Capt'n Midnight wrote: »

MUX 2 would be nice but I'm not holding my breath

RTÉ has put on paper that RTÉ One HD will launch in the new year.
Without Mux 2 there's no capacity for RTÉ One HD.

So if all goes to plan Mux 2 will be operational in the new year.

Souriau · 03-09-2013 12:51pm

I agreed with someone earlier comment on that RTE should have all it own channels on MUX1 with it own digital text while TV3 HD and TG4 HD can start on MUX2
Having RTE channells on MUX 1 and some RTE channels on MUX2 then they would have to transmitted both MUX with the same digital text.
Also maybe a possibility of if all RTE channels are on the same MUX and if something big is happening, they can contuine the program on another channel say from RTE1 to RTE2 or RTE News and this would allow the digital recorder to follow the program without the break up.

On Freeview the BBC channels are on 1 PSB MUX with it own digital text while BBC1 HD and BBC2 HD on the HD MUX is not having no digital text
for me to access BBC digital text for sport or news, I have to tune into BBC1 SD from BBC1 HD to access the digital text.

eirman · 03-09-2013 1:16pm

ninja900 wrote: »

Mention their existence occasionally would be a start.

Many times, coverage of an event has been mentioned as 'available on the RTE website' etc but no mention that it was also on News Now as well.
The occasional programmes on NN get no promotion at all.

The fact that R1/2FM are on Saorview seems to be regarded as some sort of secret at RTE - never mind the extra digital radio channels.

I've heard newsnow mentioned a few times when the were giving special coverage to some news event. The last mention was yesterday (RTE Radio 1) relating to the poet's funeral.

The Cush · 03-09-2013 1:22pm

eirman wrote: »

I've heard newsnow mentioned a few times when the were giving special coverage to some news event. The last mention was yesterday relating to the poet's funeral.

They do now but in the period between Saorview launch in May 2011 and ASO in Oct 2012 there was little enough mention of the extra channels at a time when they should've been pushing these channels on the newly launched Saorview.

eirman · 03-09-2013 3:30pm

RTE Radio 1 are presently running an advert for the gold music channel

Elmo · 03-09-2013 7:16pm

eirman wrote: »

RTE Radio 1 are presently running an advert for the gold music channel

Does the ad inform the audience that it is available on Saorview?

They do now but in the period between Saorview launch in May 2011 and ASO in Oct 2012 there was little enough mention of the extra channels at a time when they should've been pushing these channels on the newly launched Saorview.

And the RTÉ Guide at that time should have had a page each week dedicated to all Irish Digital services (RTÉ ONE +1, RTÉJR, RTÉ NEWS NOW, 3E, Setanta Ireland and Setanta 1).

irishfeen · 03-09-2013 7:18pm

Elmo wrote: »

Does the ad inform the audience that it is available on Saorview?

And the RTÉ Guide at that time should have had a page each week dedicated to all Irish Digital services (RTÉ ONE +1, RTÉJR, RTÉ NEWS NOW, 3E, Setanta Ireland and Setanta 1).

:eek: the RTÉ Guide is still going in 2013 :pac:

sky23 · 03-09-2013 8:47pm

The Cush wrote: »

RTÉ has put on paper that RTÉ One HD will launch in the new year.
Without Mux 2 there's no capacity for RTÉ One HD.

So if all goes to plan Mux 2 will be operational in the new year.

any chance we will get dolby 5.1 on either hd channels?

mackersdublin · 04-09-2013 7:30pm

sky23 wrote: »

any chance we will get dolby 5.1 on either hd channels?

+1

I've UPC HD and all the UK channels have Dolby 5.1, RTÉ Two, TG4 and Setanta Ireland don't :mad:

Sam Russell · 08-09-2013 1:26pm

The Cush wrote: »

They do now but in the period between Saorview launch in May 2011 and ASO in Oct 2012 there was little enough mention of the extra channels at a time when they should've been pushing these channels on the newly launched Saorview.

As I have mentioned before, Sean O'Rourke, at the ASO 'launch' mentioned the 'new' channel RTE NN. Even he was not aware that RTE News dept had their own TV News channel (sort of).

Now Sky are sponsoring 'The Late Late Show', is there going to be conflict of interest wrt the Saorview offering?

Elmo · 08-09-2013 6:26pm

Sam Russell wrote: »

As I have mentioned before, Sean O'Rourke, at the ASO 'launch' mentioned the 'new' channel RTE NN. Even he was not aware that RTE News dept had their own TV News channel (sort of).

Now Sky are sponsoring 'The Late Late Show', is there going to be conflict of interest wrt the Saorview offering?

I am sure that RTÉ got paid lots by Sky not to develop saorview

Peter Rhea · 08-09-2013 6:29pm

Elmo wrote: »

I am sure that RTÉ got paid lots by Sky not to develop saorview

Does the smiley face mean it's a joke?

Elmo · 09-09-2013 3:54pm

Peter Rhea wrote: »

Does the smiley face mean it's a joke?

No one could pay for the incompetence in FTA TV in this country.

marclt · 09-09-2013 7:21pm

Mux 2 was back on at Mt Leinster earlier. It went off air around 6.15. I'm not sure how much more testing needs to take place really.

I was in France last week, picked up a few of the multiplexes. Just 5 or 6 TV channels on each one - picture quality was amazing - even in SD. Freeview looks poor in comparison, but nothing as poor as the channels squeezed into one multiplex.

RE Radio - It would be much better if they stations had a basic MHEG screen, even just giving the programme schedule or something to highlight what they are. Depending on the receiver, some might get audio and just a blank screen, which is pretty poor.

MUX 2 launch date ?

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