Digital Switchover - UTV Region (DigitalUK)

reslfj

Mr. Rabbit wrote: »

With the NI mux and the increase in C.C.'s ERP, things are less certain.

Do you have any recent indications that the NImux will not start ? or the switch to channel 52 at high power will not happen?

All I have seen recently indicates it will happen on October 24.

Lars

formerly scottish paddy

Mr. Rabbit wrote: »

It's not that I don't think it'll happen. It's just that I'm more certain about UTV HD being on channel 103 on the 24th, if you see what I mean.

With DSO up here we even have the times when transmitters are switchiing, and definite confirmation there'll be 4 HD channels on all transmitters in NI on Digital UK's postcode checker, come October 24th.

With the NI mux and the increase in C.C.'s ERP, things are less certain.

Still, we'll see what October 24th brings !

Well we know the time all analogue transmitters will be turned off, 10:00am on the 24th, and that Clermont will start transmitting on CH52 at 160kw on the 24th (existing CH53 DTT will continue for two weeks) The NImm is on your postcode checker so is at least as likely to happen as UTV HD.
You do not have the times when transmitters are switching, you have terms like mid-morning, early afternoon, and mid-afternoon.
I agree with you that there will be HD channels on the transmitters including UTV HD, I don't know why there was any doubt? (unlike UTV HD on SKY)
When you say things are less certain I think you are referring to unfounded speculation on these forums.

lawhec

formerly scottish paddy wrote: »

Well we know the time all analogue transmitters will be turned off, 10:00am on the 24th, and that Clermont will start transmitting on CH52 at 160kw on the 24th (existing CH53 DTT will continue for two weeks) The NImm is on your postcode checker so is at least as likely to happen as UTV HD.
You do not have the times when transmitters are switching, you have terms like mid-morning, early afternoon, and mid-afternoon.
I agree with you that there will be HD channels on the transmitters including UTV HD, I don't know why there was any doubt? (unlike UTV HD on SKY)
When you say things are less certain I think you are referring to unfounded speculation on these forums.

The only thing that could potentially delay the start up of the NIMM would be if a data feed containing the services for the multiplex for some reason broke down - but that could potentially happen to the other six multiplexes too. I don't know about Black Mountain and Carnmoney Hill but during Brougher's high-powered late night tests the TX for the NIMM was fired up and testing. Arqiva have dealt with over 1000 sites in Britain now in nearly four years without a major technical problem (in terms of the transmission network) occurring. There is absolutely nothing to suggest DSO in NI will be any different. Even bad weather doesn't seem to stop them - they completed stage 2 of DSO in NE England last month despite many parts being flooded!

There's nothing either to suggest that Saorview broadcasts on E52 from Clermont won't go on at some point on the 24th either. Indeed while at the main transmitter sites a junior technician with RTÉNL can simply hit the power-down switches for the analogue TV transmitters, their main riggers I'm sure will be at Mt. Leinster and Clermont to pull the old feeds and get the new ones up and running. The frequency change at Three Rock went without hitches for them.

The only "negative" prediction I'll make is that Joe Duffy's switchboard will have a meltdown, if not on the 24th then on the 25th!

Souriau

SPECIAL EDITION – 04 OCTOBER 2012
 After lunchtime on 17 October, viewers should check to see if their Freeview* TVs and digital boxes have already adopted the changes below and require no further action. If not they should retune their product as normal.
(*including BTVision, TopUp TV and YouView models).
 Retuning advice and a wide range of dedicated guides/manuals are available at www.tvretune.co.uk.
Full details of the changes are available from www.dmol.co.uk
The following changes to Freeview TV guide channel numbers will be made on Wed 17 October 2012:
NATIONALLY
 HD channels will move to LCNs 101-120 with BBC One HD at 101
 Marketplace will move from LCN 61 to LCN 50
 The Adult section will start at LCN 171 (currently 91)

mrdtv2010

The following changes to Freeview TV guide channel numbers will be made on Wed 17 October 2012:
NATIONALLY
 HD channels will move to LCNs 101-120 with BBC One HD at 101
 Marketplace will move from LCN 61 to LCN 50
 The Adult section will start at LCN 171 (currently 91)[/QUOTE]


After the 24th Freeview HD will be available in NI including UTVHD. By the end of the year or early next BBC1NIHD will be carried via DTT, Sky/satellite and cable. In Ireland UPC will likely want to carry the HD versions of the NI PSB channels and Sky/Freesat and, by then, overspill will offer the NI PSB HD channels. The competitive dynamics mean that RTE1 has to go HD. This happened in the UK where BBC1 had to go HD following the big Sky rollout.. So RTE1 HD in 2013?

mrdtv2010

lawhec wrote: »

The only thing that could potentially delay the start up of the NIMM would be if a data feed containing the services for the multiplex for some reason broke down - but that could potentially happen to the other six multiplexes too. I don't know about Black Mountain and Carnmoney Hill but during Brougher's high-powered late night tests the TX for the NIMM was fired up and testing. Arqiva have dealt with over 1000 sites in Britain now in nearly four years without a major technical problem (in terms of the transmission network) occurring. There is absolutely nothing to suggest DSO in NI will be any different. Even bad weather doesn't seem to stop them - they completed stage 2 of DSO in NE England last month despite many parts being flooded!

There's nothing either to suggest that Saorview broadcasts on E52 from Clermont won't go on at some point on the 24th either. Indeed while at the main transmitter sites a junior technician with RTÉNL can simply hit the power-down switches for the analogue TV transmitters, their main riggers I'm sure will be at Mt. Leinster and Clermont to pull the old feeds and get the new ones up and running. The frequency change at Three Rock went without hitches for them.

The only "negative" prediction I'll make is that Joe Duffy's switchboard will have a meltdown, if not on the 24th then on the 25th!

The UK distribution networks are backed up: the main sites are fibre fed and via that Intelsat satellite delivery system as a backup. The relays rebroadcast the main stations and in many cases have the satellite feed as well. See the mb21 web site. Arqiva probably have a fibre feed for the NIMM and could easily use the Sky Astra feed as a backup for the NIMM transmitters.

Souriau

Message came up on UTV tonight about the DSO on 10th and 24th October

Mr. Rabbit

Souriau wrote: »

Message came up on UTV tonight about the DSO on 10th and 24th October

Yep, been having them all week on UTV, Channel 4, and Channel 5.

Interestingly, Newsline reported on Thursday evening that they had loads of e-mails and tweets asking what the "20 days to DSO" meant. You would think at this stage of the game everyone would be aware of what's happening. Seemingly not.

Still, not long to go now until stage one.

formerly scottish paddy

Mr. Rabbit wrote: »

Interestingly, Newsline reported on Thursday evening that they had loads of e-mails and tweets asking what the "20 days to DSO" meant. You would think at this stage of the game everyone would be aware of what's happening. Seemingly not.

Doesn't say much for the Digital UK campaign.

The Cush

Interview: Michael Wilson On UTV's Northern Identity & Digital Future - The Irish Film & Television Network

How is the digital switchover going to affect UTV?
Looking at the way the other ITV regions have been affected, I’m not sure that it’s going to affect us at all to be quite honest. We’re clearly going to have greater competition in the market, but we already have a very strong market position. While RTÉ will be available in the North on DTT, it’s already available on Sky and cable so anyone who wants it has it already, so I’m not expecting that to be a major change. I think that it will give us a chance to promote our digital assets more and to drive people to services like U.tv. We are about to launch a new app and a new mobile website. Both of those will be launched before the end of the year. I think anything with the word digital scares a part of the audience but I thing that once they find out that it’s a fairly standard process I think that it will help us push other digital assets.

A significant number of analogue TV viewers in the Republic will no longer receive UTV unless they opt for a paid digital service, will that affect commercial revenues?
You know not much will change for us in the Republic. We’ll still be available on UPC. We aren’t currently available on Sky but, contrary to what I initially thought, I learnt yesterday that the digital signal travels further than the analogue signal so I’m not expecting it to have a huge audience change. As long as the audience has a box for the Southern DTT services, they should be able to get us. In the North, if you have the freeview HD box then the audience shouldn’t lose any of the Southern service. So depending on which technology the viewer buys or has, there shouldn’t be a huge change. Again, anyone who wants us in the South will get us now on cable anyway so there’s no change in that.

Digifriendly

"As long as the audience has a box for the Southern DTT services, they should be able to get us."
What does this mean? Is UTV to be made available on Saorview?

MarkK

Digifriendly wrote: »

"As long as the audience has a box for the Southern DTT services, they should be able to get us."
What does this mean? Is UTV to be made available on Saorview?

I expect by "audience" in this case he means the current UTV audience getting analogue overspill should be able to get UTV by digital overspill.

He also seems to think the whole of the republic can get UPC, so maybe I'm being too generous!

Pangea

Currently getting a very fuzzy BBC One NI via analogue, I wonder when the Digital is on full power in the north is there a chance I will be able to get it on digital? My TV is Saorview and Freeview HD capable.

Peter Rhea

You're unlikely to get digital if your analogue reception is that bad. Coverage is only planned to replicate analogue.

Mr. Rabbit

Peter Rhea wrote: »

You're unlikely to get digital if your analogue reception is that bad. Coverage is only planned to replicate analogue.

Indeed Peter, probably not

Your probably better off going for Freesat pangea.

I left instructions today for my 83 year old parents on how to tune a TV and Humax STB on Wednesday, but I don't think they'll be that tech. savey to understand. My dad is a confirmed technophobe, so I'll probably end up having to call over on Wednesday and so it myself.

reboot

Mr. Rabbit wrote: »

Yep, been having them all week on UTV, Channel 4, and Channel 5.

Interestingly, Newsline reported on Thursday evening that they had loads of e-mails and tweets asking what the "20 days to DSO" meant. You would think at this stage of the game everyone would be aware of what's happening. Seemingly not.

Still, not long to go now until stage one.

I saw that,you ,did I hear the presenter Stephen,say it meant DSO would happen on the 17th Oct?Back to sport!

The Cush

Special one hour programme entitled The Magic Box: Digital Switchover (or The Story of TV in Northern Ireland, depending on which scheduled you look at) to be presented by Eamonn Holmes will be shown on BBC One NI and UTV at 10.35pm on Tuesday 23 October, 2012.

UTV-BBC broadcast to mark end of digital TV switch
Published Monday, Oct 8 2012, 14:13 BST | By Andrew Laughlin

A simultaneous live broadcast between the BBC and Northern Ireland's UTV presented by Eamonn Holmes is to mark the end of analogue television in the UK later this month.

...

Marking the historic moment, Holmes will present the first simultaneous live broadcast from UTV - the ITV licence holder in Northern Ireland - and BBC on the evening of October 23.

http://www.digitalspy.ie/media/news/a418611/utv-bbc-broadcast-to-mark-end-of-digital-tv-switch.html

UK to complete DSO this month
October 9, 2012

The UK’s digital switchover project will come to an end on October 23 when Olympian Mary Peters turns off analogue TV services to Northern Ireland.
...

http://www.digitaltveurope.net/28894/uk-to-complete-dso-this-month/

http://www.iftn.ie/broadcast/BroadcastNews/?act1=record&only=1&aid=73&rid=4285458&tpl=archnews&force=1
http://www.u.tv/Entertainment/UTV-and-BBC-join-forces-for-NI-first/ac48b1e6-7bce-4df3-b3f0-a3a7499c865e
http://www.eventmagazine.co.uk/Events/article/1153735/arqiva-completes-digital-switchover-belfast-event/
http://www.broadbandtvnews.com/2012/10/09/uk-ready-to-complete-digital-switchover/
http://www.atvtoday.co.uk/5978-utv-and-bbc-northern-ireland-unite-for-television-celebration/

Arqiva press release

8 October 2012 – At midnight on 23 October, Olympian Dame Mary Peters, will bring 50 years of analogue TV services in Northern Ireland to a close and switch on a new highpower digital TV transmission service by Arqiva. For the final leg of the UK’s five-year, £630 million digital switchover project, Northern Ireland’s Olympic pentathlon hero will be joined at Belfast’s Divis broadcast transmission station by Arqiva CEO, John Cresswell, to turn off analogue TV services to Northern Ireland.

http://www.arqiva.com/corporate/press/archive/2012/2012-10-9%20-%20Belfast%20to%20Complete%20Final%20Leg%20of%20UK%20TV%20Digital%20Switchover%20Programme.pdf

UTV Press Release - http://www.utvmedia.com/resources/documents/B/r/o/BroadcastingfirstNR_141740.docx

formerly scottish paddy

Question is, is RTE planning anything to mark the end of analogue tv in its 50th year?
Might be worth asking them.

mrdtv2010

Perhaps someone should capture this tonight and put it on YouTube. Looking at the schedule and with past DSO practice in the UK, the plug will be pulled on 'The Town that never retired' . This marks the end of BBC2 analogue in the UK and Ireland, the beginning of the end for CEEFAX and IIRC the end of the first regular colour transmissions in Ireland. Normally when analogue is powered down you can expect to see BBCA from the high power masts at Divis, Brougher and Limavady within the hour, based on previous UK experience. By 0600 Wednesday the signal configuration will be stable and the reception reports will be very interesting. The relays will follow throughout the day. The beginning of a whole new era of television in Ireland.

For convenience tomorrow:

http://www.digitaluk.co.uk/transmitternetwork/tools__and__resources/almanac/pdfs/DSOTx_Northern_Ireland_Jan12v2.0.pdf, for a list of the BBCA frequencies
http://www.digitaluk.co.uk/when_do_i_switch/northernireland, for the schedule for the main transmitters and relays.

The Cush

mrdtv2010 wrote: »

Looking at the schedule and with past DSO practice in the UK, the plug will be pulled on 'The Choir' which runs between 2350 -0050.

The schedule for BBC2NI is different, "Later Live ... with Jools Holland" runs from 2350-0020 followed by "Today at Conference"from 0020-0050 which is followed by "The Choir".

So a 23:50 or 00:20 switchoff

mrdtv2010

The Cush wrote: »

The schedule for BBC2NI is different, "Later Live ... Jools Holland" runs from 2350-0020 followed by "Today at Conference"from 0020-0050 which is followed by "The Choir".

So a 23:50 or 00:20 switchoff

Yes, I just changed it, having looked at the BBC2NI listings on Sky! It will go off probably during the program or at the end, the BBC2 NI announcer might say something. I imagine that BBC1 and UTV will have features in their local news tonight. You may also start to see the Digital UK caption overlaying BBC2NI analogue tonight if past form is anything to go by.

formerly scottish paddy

Reply from RTE Information Office regarding analogue switch off on 24th :

Thank you for your email. The minister will be switching off the analogue signal here in RTÉ and there is also a small event planned in RTÉ to mark the switch off. Currenly there are no further plans being made but I have forwarded on your email to the people looking after the Saorview switchover.

I hope this has been of some use.

Kind Regards,

*******
RTÉ Information Office

So there you have it.

The Cush

Denis Wolinski, DigitalUK NI National Manager on U105 this morning

http://www.facebook.com/saorview#!/digitaluknorthernireland/posts/333548990074377

The Cush

Alliance raises RTE Digital switchover concerns - Newry Times

Alliance representatives have raised concerns that many people across Northern Ireland will be unable to pick-up RTE, TG4 and TV3 Television Channels after the Digital Switchover which commences tomorrow, 10th October 2012.

Earlier this year Ministers confirmed that RTE 1, RTE 2 and TG4 will be available via Freeview following completion of the Digital Switchover on 24th October 2012.

After further investigation it appears that viewers will need to obtain a new Freeview HD box to receive RTE and TG4 with TV3 to remain unavailable. BT Vision viewers will also have to wait until early 2013 to get RTE whilst Saorview coverage will be patchy, limiting ability of Northern Irish residents to pick-up Ireland’s Freeview service.

...

Commenting on the exclusion of TV3 from the Freeview platform, Muir stated, “Whilst I accept that Freeview can never offer a limitless number of channels I am particularly disappointed that TV3 will remain unavailable due to the technical and commercial reasons. TV3 is a popular channel watched by many and should be available across the Island of Ireland.

http://newrytimes.com/2012/10/09/alliance-raises-rte-digital-switchover-concerns/

mrdtv2010

The Cush wrote: »

Alliance raises RTE Digital switchover concerns - Newry Times

A Freeview HD box is £32 at Richer Sounds in the UK. The article is wrong about BT Vision as posters here received the RTE DTT services via BTVision direct from Saorview and BT is migrating its customers to YouView which is, of course, Freeview HD.

SRB

0.20 junction is the one to watch, into Today at the Conference.

mrdtv2010

The Cush wrote: »

Denis Wolinski, DigitalUK NI National Manager on U105 this morning

http://www.facebook.com/saorview#!/digitaluknorthernireland/posts/333548990074377

Also on UTV at 1800 tonight: good general piece and link to UTV's DSO website.

SRB

While BT Vision boxes will receive Saorview, only the YouView BT Vision boxes will receive the NI Mini Mux. Also, there are now three Vision "platforms", the original, a very buggy Vision 2 and now YouView. The latter two will allow viewers to record Saorview the original s/w won't. I can't imagine though there are that many BT Vision viewers in NI that it will be a major issue.

Delboy5

My analogue BBC2 is gone already.....just getting a blank screen at the min !!

mrdtv2010

SRB wrote: »

While BT Vision boxes will receive Saorview, only the YouView BT Vision boxes will receive the NI Mini Mux. Also, there are now three Vision "platforms", the original, a very buggy Vision 2 and now YouView. The latter two will allow viewers to record Saorview the original s/w won't. I can't imagine though there are that many BT Vision viewers in NI that it will be a major issue.

Agreed. YouView is the replacement for BT Vision 2.0, hence the 'free' box offer from October 26th for BT customers. It is a much better proposition...