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RTE HD north of border

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  • 01-10-2012 12:08am
    #1
    kah22
    Registered Users Posts: 313 ✭✭


    RTE will soon be broadcast into the vast majority of northern Ireland via northern transmitters and I am looking forward to that.

    A few questions, however. As I understand it RTE2 broadcast in HD but they use mpeg4 while the British stations broadcast their HD programs in mpeg2 – am I correct?

    Assuming I am correct does that mean that we will not be able to receive RTE HD programs through the northern trasmitters?

    As a matter of interest how big of a difference does HD make to a television picture? To be honest I have a Sony Bravia television and a Humux HDR fox T2, and I receive a near perfect picture from from the south ALL of the RTE stations including news, junior plus TV3 and I don't see any difference in picture quality. I normally have my signal come in via the Humax
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    #2
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 0 ✭ [Deleted User]


    The UK use MPEG-4 for HD too, but they use DVB-T2 modulation instead. The NI mini mux will also use DVB-T2/MPEG-4 but for SD services. So you won't get RTÉ Two in HD from the mini mux, only via Saorview.


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    #3
    reslfj
    Registered Users Posts: 876 ✭✭✭reslfj


    kah22 wrote: »

    As a matter of interest how big of a difference does HD make to a television picture? To be honest I have a Sony Bravia television and a Humux HDR fox T2, and I receive a near perfect picture from from the south ALL of the RTE stations including news, junior plus TV3 and I don't see any difference in picture quality. I normally have my signal come in via the Humax

    The Freeview (DVB-T and MPEG-2) standard is old and will over time* be phased out. Freeview will not receive Saorview - SD or HD - and only 5 of the 7 NI muxes.

    The Saorview (DVB-T and MPEG-4) standard can receive Saorview and also decompress MPEG-2 for Freeview, but not the UK/NI FreeviewHD mux nor the NImux (RTE+TG4 as SD from Black Mountain (Divis), Brougher M).

    The FreevieHD (DVB-T2 and MPEG4) standard can receive all the signals.
    It is named 'HD' as 'a marketing name', because it was first used for HD broadcasts in the UK. The standard is now used for both SD and HD in many countries including NI. The NImux will provide a SD version of RTÉ 1+2 and TG4 in most of those parts of NI, where the signal from the ROI is not available. This includes large parts of Belfast.

    In the UK and even more in so in NI - you should only buy new DVB-T2/MPEG-4 FreeviewHD equipment.

    The old Freeview standard is only used some* more years to give viewers a fair lifetime for their existing older Freeview TV sets.

    Lars :)

    * likely the last Freeview mux will not close within the next 5 years (+-).


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    #4
    watty
    Registered Users Posts: 32,417 ✭✭✭✭watty


    "Saorview 2013" and later approved gear will do Freeview HD / DVB-T2 though.

    Maybe six months time is when to buy a PVR?


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    #5
    eirman
    Registered Users Posts: 994 ✭✭✭eirman


    kah22 wrote: »
    As a matter of interest how big of a difference does HD make to a television picture? To be honest I have a Sony Bravia television and a Humux HDR fox T2, and I receive a near perfect picture from from the south ALL of the RTE stations including news, junior plus TV3 and I don't see any difference in picture quality.
    The factors that make a visible difference between HD & SD .....
    • Acuity of eyesight ..... children can frequently see a quality difference, where parents sometimes can't and their grandparents see no difference.
    • Distance .... If you are too far from the screen (relative to size) you will see no difference.
    • Screen Size ..... You probably won't see any difference with small HD screens (less than 32").
    • Then of course you have to consider the quality of the broadcast, the TV & resolution.


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    #6
    SalteeDog
    Registered Users Posts: 450 ✭✭SalteeDog


    eirman wrote: »
    The factors that make a visible difference between HD & SD .....
    • Acuity of eyesight ..... children can frequently see a quality difference, where parents sometimes can't and their grandparents see no difference.
    • Distance .... If you are too far from the screen (relative to size) you will see no difference.
    • Screen Size ..... You probably won't see any difference with small HD screens (less than 32").
    • Then of course you have to consider the quality of the broadcast, the TV & resolution.

    Two additional points re. possible reasons why you may not have noticed any difference with RTE2 HD.

    1. If your Humax is attached to the TV via Scart then nothing will be in HD. - You need to connect via HDMI. (Sorry for stating the obvious).
    2. - Much (most actually) of the content on RTE2 isn't actually HD at all. Generally it's only the sports stuff (Champions league, GAA matches) and the newer batch of US dramas that are HD.


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    #7
    kah22
    Registered Users Posts: 313 ✭✭kah22


    Many thanks guys for your input, I have a better idea now of what HD is and how I'll receive it

    Kevin


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    #8
    MACHEAD
    Registered Users Posts: 499 ✭✭MACHEAD


    As stated by Eirman, there's a number of factors that determin whither or not you'll see much difference between SD and HD. In some cases an SD source can actually look worse on a HD broadcast. But where the orignial material is recorded in HD, then the difference is quite clear.

    Suday afternoon, the Sen. Hurling Final Replay for example, the HD picture (on a Sony Bravia 32") was brighter sharper more vivid than the equivalent on RTÉ 2 SD. On long panning shots across the stadium you could percieve individual people in the stands. On close up action shots you could see the detail of the grass.

    How much fine detail one wants is I suppose down to personal taste, but I'll bet once you've seen live sports or movies in HD, you won't want to go back.


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    #9
    reboot
    Registered Users Posts: 1,460 ✭✭✭reboot


    kah22 wrote: »
    RTE will soon be broadcast into the vast majority of northern Ireland via northern transmitters and I am looking forward to that.

    A few questions, however. As I understand it RTE2 broadcast in HD but they use mpeg4 while the British stations broadcast their HD programs in mpeg2 – am I correct?

    Assuming I am correct does that mean that we will not be able to receive RTE HD programs through the northern trasmitters?

    As a matter of interest how big of a difference does HD make to a television picture? To be honest I have a Sony Bravia television and a Humux HDR fox T2, and I receive a near perfect picture from from the south ALL of the RTE stations including news, junior plus TV3 and I don't see any difference in picture quality. I normally have my signal come in via the Humax
    Have been watching RTE HD for some time in S.Down from the Kippure Tx and more recently 3 Rock on ch 30,.I personally think the HD pictures across all the Sky channels are not as good as HD received on terrestial.
    Although I do think the Sky HD quality over the past few days has improved somewhat.For some time I have been of the opinion that Downton Abbey HD on ITV 1 HD (Sky),for example ,has been at times hard to watch as the blacks are very crushed. Guess its all in the eyes of the beholder,but it helps to know what to look for?


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    #10
    Mr. Rabbit
    Registered Users Posts: 778 ✭✭✭Mr. Rabbit


    It'll be interesting to compare the difference between RTE 2 HD on Sky, RTE HD on Saorview (if I can receive C.C. after the power increase on Oct. 24th), and RTE SD from the NI Mux.


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    #11
    zg3409
    Registered Users Posts: 6,700 ✭✭✭zg3409


    Mr. Rabbit wrote: »
    It'll be interesting to compare the difference between RTE 2 HD on Sky, RTE HD on Saorview (if I can receive C.C. after the power increase on Oct. 24th), and RTE SD from the NI Mux.

    I have:

    RTE2 HD on Saorview
    RTE2 HD on Saorsat
    RTE2 HD on Sky
    RTE2 SD on Sky

    According to the sums RTE2HD should have most detail on Sky as they seem to be using the most bandwidth. This may change over time depending on how many channels they combine on the mux and if RTE NL launch MUX 2 and give RTE2 HD on Saorview more bandwidth. Saorsat also will probably add another carrier some day.


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    #12
    reboot
    Registered Users Posts: 1,460 ✭✭✭reboot


    Mr. Rabbit wrote: »
    It'll be interesting to compare the difference between RTE 2 HD on Sky, RTE HD on Saorview (if I can receive C.C. after the power increase on Oct. 24th), and RTE SD from the NI Mux.

    I am comparing them now.As you know its not easy to compare these things as a normal viewer just looking at a constantly changing picture,assuming the source material is HD to start with.Perhaps we will be presented with a few minutes of test card as BBC HD did.Even 5.1 sound set up?
    The other thing worth pointing out is that when you switch the Sony Bravia from HDMI to TV, the picture setting have to be set to suit you.At present I don't think either come close to the picks on NHK HD.
    Having witnessed the original HD format with NHK on CRT Monitors,what would I know?


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