HD programmes on RTE.

Jpmarn

I starting a discussion on RTE on which channel they broadcast various programmes especially home produced and made in HD. Presently RTE One is a sd channel while RTE two is in HD. Take the schedule for next Sunday evening at 6.30pm. On RTE one you have the History of the Irish Landscape made in HD and down scaled to sd. On RTE two HD you have Top Gear which is not advertised for HD. There is a waste of a HD channel here. Why do they not prioritise HD programmes for a HD channel. I can name 2 Irish made tv series that were originally shown on RTE One and have been shown in HD on the various satellite channels. It is Kitchen Hero and Firefighters.

irishfeen

What really annoys me is that films often made in native HD are being broadcast in upscaled SD on RTE TWO HD

Rick_

ALL films are natively a resolution far in excess of what we call 'HD'.

Yes, even ones made before HD TV's were invented.

Sam Russell

I think RTE have a small problem with Saorview. They would rather it wasn't there. They have gone into a sulk and pretended it does not exist since the rump government of Biffo dealt them a swipe by denying them any extra advertising.

newbie2

@OP
Most people still do not have RTE TWO HD. Therefor they will still be watching RTE TWO on SD - a waste of time distrupting a channel schedule because a programme is available in HD - so put it on a HD channel. Also I tihnk it's in RTE's remit that RTE ONE is reserved for home produced programmes only (well 60%) while RTE TWO is the vehicle for aquired programming.

irishfeen

Sam Russell wrote: »

I think RTE have a small problem with Saorview. They would rather it wasn't there. They have gone into a sulk and pretended it does not exist since the rump government of Biffo dealt them a swipe by denying them any extra advertising.

Definitely, the lack of attention paid to RTE News Now in particular is ridiculous. RTE should be made broadcast a live news channel even say 7am-10pm, the amount of reporters and presenters they have at their disposal is being totally wasted. Whatever about the picture quality of HD programs on RTE Two the picture quality of News Now is worse then a poor You Tube video.

irishfeen

newbie2 wrote: »

@OP
Most people still do not have RTE TWO HD. Therefor they will still be watching RTE TWO on SD - a waste of time distrupting a channel schedule because a programme is available in HD - so put it on a HD channel. Also I tihnk it's in RTE's remit that RTE ONE is reserved for home produced programmes only (well 90%) while RTE TWO is the vehicle for aquired programming.

I would say 80%+ households in the country has access the RTE Two HD either on UPC, Sky or Saorview, the only ones that don't have it are people with the old SD sky/UPC boxes.

Jpmarn

RTE two HD is widely available throughout the Republic of Ireland. It is standard on Saorview. Most people I imagine have HD ready TV sets these days.

doney84

Jpmarn wrote: »

RTE two HD is widely available throughout the Republic of Ireland. It is standard on Saorview. Most people I imagine have HD ready TV sets these days.

It is standard definition on the NI mux but is in HD on all Saorview transmitters in the Rep of Ireland

Sam Russell

irishfeen wrote: »

Definitely, the lack of attention paid to RTE News Now in particular is ridiculous. RTE should be made broadcast a live news channel even say 7am-10pm, the amount of reporters and presenters they have at their disposal is being totally wasted. Whatever about the picture quality of HD programs on RTE Two the picture quality of News Now is worse then a poor You Tube video.

I have been thumping on about RTE NN for years. RTE could use a number of radio programmes to provide content for RTE NN. They do this currently for Morning Ireland. They could use Today with PK, News at One, and Drivetime - just to name a few. All they need is an automoted studio to provide the video. Currently they use a webcam on Morning Ireland which is a bit naff, but an automated studio would be a once off purchase and would have a wide application. Using simulcast and repeats is pointless.

icdg

irishfeen wrote: »

I would say 80%+ households in the country has access the RTE Two HD either on UPC, Sky or Saorview, the only ones that don't have it are people with the old SD sky/UPC boxes.

That's a massive overestimation when it comes to UPC. Until recently you didn't get a HD box from UPC unless you actually took the HD pack. Even now the only guaranteed way of getting a HD box from UPC is to take the HD pack.

Do not underestimate the amount of UPC customers (and Dubliners in general) who do not have rooftop aerials and hence cannot receive Saorview. (I've tried it with a set-top aerial. In my location at least its unwatchable).

irishfeen

icdg wrote: »

That's a massive overestimation when it comes to UPC. Until recently you didn't get a HD box from UPC unless you actually took the HD pack. Even now the only guaranteed way of getting a HD box from UPC is to take the HD pack.

Do not underestimate the amount of UPC customers (and Dubliners in general) who do not have rooftop aerials and hence cannot receive Saorview. (I've tried it with a set-top aerial. In my location at least its unwatchable).

A roof top aerial is still needed in Dublin, did you try a proper indoor aerial rather then the rabbits ears? ... Jesus would never have though that.... get up on the roof and throw up an aerial, it will only take about 15 minutes if you have the right gear. I changed ours for Saorview without any problems, its grand to have Saorview for bedrooms as a backup if anything happened sky.

As for the number the majority here have either sky/Saorview [Everyone with Saorview has HD and the majority of sky boxed are now upgraded to HD], I don't know much about UPC numbers or HD but surely numbers are rising rapidly.

icdg

irishfeen wrote: »

, I don't know much about UPC numbers or HD but surely numbers are rising rapidly.

More slowly than you'd think, take up of UPC HD was delayed by the fact that they didn't have any Sky channels in HD for ages and people just weren't pushed paying the extra for HD whilst Sky Sports wasn't there.

Sam Russell

Is there any technical reason why RTE 1 and RTE 2 could not swap the HD resolution on the fly? For example, RTE 1 broadcast in HD and RTE 2 in SD for a film on RTE 1 which is available in HD.

watty

A small but significant number of models don't like that. Also not really possible on cable or Satellite.

Machinehead

On the issue of RTÉ One HD content, one could paraphrase Fr. Jack and say "that would be a scheduling mater". When a new programme or series becomes available in HD it should raise a flag somewhere in the bowels of RTÉ that perhaps logic would dictate it should be aired on RTÉ Two HD.
My understanding is that everyone in the ROI now has the option access to Two HD via various platforms if they have a TV or STB equipped to do so, the signal is broadcast in 1080i but can be downscaled for older TV's via scart. Given that situation for those viewing via scart rather than HDMI or iDTV, HD is irrelevant to them. HD programming should be reserved for a channel with HD output - not rocket science!
Judging by reports on other forums Mux 2 is ready for launch but not enough content to fill it. TG4 HD is already available, TV3 have the HD studios ready & RTÉ One HD should be available by year's end. Perhaps then with some jiggling around between Muxes we can expect better bit rates for the HD services thus delivering the quality they deserve.

Sam Russell

Turning on the second mux is just a question of who is to pay for it. No-one wants to pay so it stays off. RTE would fill the first mux on their own, so that leaves TG4 and TV3 to pay for the second one. I guess that there is some resistance on that front.