The Virgin Media Television thread

deezell

STB. wrote: »

The quality of the game being shown on the Saorview output for 3E looks like its being shot on the equivelant of a 1 megapixel camera.

But that's also the quality of their astra sd channel, 544 pixels. The old analogue PAL system was sharper at almost 700 dots. Fortunately, the match is in glorious 1920 on Premier hd if you have it, no Sky hd sub required.

deezell

Actually, if you do the maths, a 544 horizontal resolution on a 16:9 screen only requires a vertical resolution of 544x9 divided by 16, 306 pixels, so the required image would only be about 1.6 MPixels, the kind of quality available on mobile phones nearly ten years ago.

STB.

deezell wrote: »

Actually, if you do the maths, a 544 horizontal resolution on a 16:9 screen only requires a vertical resolution of 544x9 divided by 16, 306 pixels, so the required image would only be about 1.6 MPixels, the kind of quality available on mobile phones nearly ten years ago.

The video resolution is 528x576i, which is shíte alright.

Its when you further batter the bit rate down to that of a wattery mess that make it truly shocking.

Strawberry HillBilly

The downside of TV3 going HD is being able to see the plaster on Brian Kerrs head. LOL

deezell

Strawberry HillBilly wrote: »

The downside of TV3 going HD is being able to see the plaster on Brian Kerrs head. LOL

TV3 is now to be known as TV3 SHD, for shíte definition

reubenreuben

Whay does TV3 state that Ireland am is HD on the saorview EPG. It isn't HD.

brick man

reubenreuben wrote:

Whay does TV3 state that Ireland am is HD on the saorview EPG. It isn't HD.

I asked Saorview that very question on twitter a week ago and I am still waiting for a reply

galtee boy

That new weekend breakfast show is marked in " yellow" on the Sky Epg indicating "full" HD and not just upscaled. I suspect the same EPG information is being fed to Saorview and Sky, even though there is no HD on Saorview.

tlaavtech

Sam Russell wrote: »

Saorview could change the definition of the SD signal to 720/704 by 576i. This would improve the perceived quality greatly. It would have little impact on the charges to each broadcaster if they were all changed. I suspect TV3 deliberately reduce their bandwidth to fuzzy vision standards to reduce their charges as they have lower bandwidth than other broadcasters.

While they are at it it could also change HD to be 1920x1080 rather than RTE's stupid 1440x1080. Once you go to any large screen, the lack of pixel matching is really obvious.

(I can dream, can't I?)

Sam Russell

tlaavtech wrote: »

While they are at it it could also change HD to be 1920x1080 rather than RTE's stupid 1440x1080. Once you go to any large screen, the lack of pixel matching is really obvious.

(I can dream, can't I?)

They could do both. I suspect that it would make little difference to the share-out of the charges. And it would not require a third mux.

deadybai

Do you have to subscribe to TV3 HD? On sky. Went to go onto it last night and said you have to subscribe. Surely you dont have to pay extra for a regular tv station?

deezell

deadybai wrote: »

Do you have to subscribe to TV3 HD? On sky. Went to go onto it last night and said you have to subscribe. Surely you dont have to pay extra for a regular tv station?

You need a regular sky sub, then the HD topup. Thats all part of TV3's plan, get the world cup, then go into cahoots with Sky for the HD version. All partly funded by public money. Regular sky subscribers only get the 544 pixel sub standard SD version thats on Saorview.

Elmo

deezell wrote: »

You need a regular sky sub, then the HD topup. Thats all part of TV3's plan, get the world cup, then go into cahoots with Sky for the HD version. All partly funded by public money. Regular sky subscribers only get the 544 pixel sub standard SD version thats on Saorview.

It will be interesting to see if Sky viewers watch on ITV/STV/UTV HD. Are UTV showing all the matches? or will the only show ITV games and not ITV4 ones?

icdg

ITV have yet to announce how matches will be divided between ITV and ITV4 - though I'd imagine any Ireland game scheduled for ITV4 would be shown by UTV. I don't think any will be though.

galtee boy

Also, TV3 keep saying all 48 games will be shown on TV3 and 3e and in HD. So seeing as there is no 3e HD on Sky or UPC, how is that going to work ?

deezell

galtee boy wrote: »

Also, TV3 keep saying all 48 games will be shown on TV3 and 3e and in HD. So seeing as there is no 3e HD on Sky or UPC, how is that going to work ?

Don't be surprised if they split between Tv3 and Tv3 HD, there's no apparent reason that the HD channel has to reflect the Sht D one.

Infoanon

deezell wrote: »

Don't be surprised if they split between Tv3 and Tv3 HD, there's no apparent reason that the HD channel has to reflect the Sht D one.

Highly unlikely

icdg

There are a number of reasons, actually.

It is a simulcast of TV3. As a simulcast; this means it will, on the UPC Horizon platform completely replace TV3. TV3 SD is not available to UPC Horizon viewers except on analogue. Some newer TVs may not have an analogue tuner.

On the Sky platform, TV3HD swaps with TV3, for HD pack customers. Sky only allows this swap to take place for HD channels that are exact simulcasts of their analogue equivalents. If TV3 HD were not an exact simulcast of TV3, Sky would be obliged by their own rules (which they wrote!) to move TV3 SD back to 103 and dump TV3 HD at the bottom of the entertainment category.

You miss the biggest point. Why would they split them in this way when it is just as easily to split between TV3 and 3e! If they need to split. There are no simultaneous KOs in the RWC, and as ITV is the UK host broadcaster, no prospect of interference from The X Factor or suchlike.

iseegirls

icdg wrote: »

You miss the biggest point. Why would they split them in this way when it is just as easily to split between TV3 and 3e! If they need to split. There are no simultaneous KOs in the RWC, and as ITV is the UK host broadcaster, no prospect of interference from The X Factor or suchlike.

From the schedule of The X Factor which was released this week, there will be two clashes between the show and rugby on TV3- 19th September (France v Italy) and 11th October (USA v Japan). Up to them whether to have The X Factor on after the rugby, or put XF on 3e, or put the rugby on 3e.

Elmo

iseegirls wrote: »

From the schedule of The X Factor which was released this week, there will be two clashes between the show and rugby on TV3- 19th September (France v Italy) and 11th October (USA v Japan). Up to them whether to have The X Factor on after the rugby, or put XF on 3e, or put the rugby on 3e.

Rubgy on 3e would boost the channel more than XFactor IMO.

galtee boy

Elmo wrote: »

Rubgy on 3e would boost the channel more than XFactor IMO.

Non runner, they promised the RWC in HD, so unless 3e goes HD very soon ( very unlikely ), the RWC has to be on TV3 HD.

Charles Slane

galtee boy wrote: »

Non runner, they promised the RWC in HD, so unless 3e goes HD very soon ( very unlikely ), the RWC has to be on TV3 HD.

But did they promise to show every game in HD?

Elmo

Charles Slane wrote: »

But did they promise to show every game in HD?

Initially they had plans to sell them to other broadcasters.
Then they said 24 games on 3e
Then they said all 48 games on TV3 in HD
Now ?

I don't think RWC was happy with how TV3 were announcing what they planned to do.

lertsnim

galtee boy wrote: »

Non runner, they promised the RWC in HD, so unless 3e goes HD very soon ( very unlikely ), the RWC has to be on TV3 HD.

A promise means nothing.

JCX BXC

Red Rock starting soon, looking forward to it :P

OldRio

Charles Slane wrote: »

But did they promise to show every game in HD?

They didn't promise to show every game in HD behind a pay wall and yet they will. They seem a law to themselves.

iseegirls

TV3s Autumn Schedule to be released today. They're having the launch from the Aviva Stadium later this afternoon.

Elmo

iseegirls wrote: »

TV3s Autumn Schedule to be released today. They're having the launch from the Aviva Stadium later this afternoon.

Only getting to look at it now. Am I right to suggest that most of the new Irish Prime Time programming will not air until January 2016?

I am lost to what season of The Great Irish Bake Off they are announcing, is it the 3rd or 2nd and have they put off showing which ever series they are announcing since their last autumn launch?

http://www.tv3.ie/xpose/article/tv-news/177178/TV3-reveals-details-of-Autumn-Programming

iseegirls

Elmo wrote: »

Only getting to look at it now. Am I right to suggest that most of the new Irish Prime Time programming will not air until January 2016?

I am lost to what season of The Great Irish Bake Off they are announcing, is it the 3rd or 2nd and have they put off showing which ever series they are announcing since their last autumn launch?

http://www.tv3.ie/xpose/article/tv-news/177178/TV3-reveals-details-of-Autumn-Programming

This will be the third season of GIBO.
Normally they'd put up a PDF of the brochure, so hopefully once that goes up it may give us an indication surrounding starting dates.
But it feels like all efforts are going into the Rugby World Cup for the next 2 months, and leaving any new programming to start in either November or January.

Elmo

iseegirls wrote: »

This will be the third season of GIBO.
Normally they'd put up a PDF of the brochure, so hopefully once that goes up it may give us an indication surrounding starting dates.
But it feels like all efforts are going into the Rugby World Cup for the next 2 months, and leaving any new programming to start in either November or January.

Oh and Gogglebox which starts .... This time next year?

RWC is a great opportunity to have lasting increases in audience share.

gordongekko

They just interviewed someone from tv3 on the last word and I'm hoping I miss heard but I thought she claimed that tv3 would not be in hd on saorview as you need a hd box and the saorview box is not hd.What horse****

Sam Russell

gordongekko wrote: »

They just interviewed someone from tv3 on the last word and I'm hoping I miss heard but I thought she claimed that tv3 would not be in hd on saorview as you need a hd box and the saorview box is not hd.What horse****

I think wahat was meant was .... TV3 would not be in hd on saorview as TV3 need to pay more for that.

What horse****

Elmo

Sam Russell wrote: »

I think wahat was meant was .... TV3 would not be in hd on saorview as TV3 need to pay more for that.

What horse****

This is why Irish TV has become so bad, TV executive haven't go a ....

deezell

Elmo wrote: »

This is why Irish TV has become so bad, TV executive haven't go a ....

It says it all that the network provider 2RN has failed to attract a single new customer to market beside UTV, while the unused banwidth is broadcast into thin air. At the very least Tv3 should have had the bandwidth of their old analogue channel, which is an entire mux. If they controlled that they could have Hd on their main channel, decent Sd on 3e and then sell the spare at a market rate. 2RN's business model is as antiquated as their ridiculous name. It's like the 1980's when the Post & Telegraphs ran the phones and telecommunications exclusively, it took five years to get a connection, half their technology dated from before the 50's and their organisational structures dated from the 1900's. The worst thing next to aging infrastructure is ancient civil service style business practices. Hence the world cup will be broadcast on slightly better than VHS tape quality though the infrastructure is bang up to date.

The Cush

deezell wrote: »

It says it all that the network provider 2RN has failed to attract a single new customer to market beside UTV, while the unused banwidth is broadcast into thin air. At the very least Tv3 should have had the bandwidth of their old analogue channel, which is an entire mux. If they controlled that they could have Hd on their main channel, decent Sd on 3e and then sell the spare at a market rate. 2RN's business model is as antiquated as their ridiculous name.

The BAI is the body responsible for the spare capacity on the public service muxes by regulation. 2RN is responsible for transmission and distribution of the content carried on the muxes.

Regarding TV3 having their own multiplex, there are 6 spare UHF multiplexes so it wouldn't be a problem allocating them 1 if they really wanted it. The problem would be the capital and operating costs for that mux.

The operating cost for the 2 mux network is about €12m p.a., so it would cost TV3 approx. €6m to operate a single mux, expensive if they fail to attract any customers. 2RN spent €61m rolling out the existing 2 mux network, how much would it cost to equip 64 transmitters with the necessary hardware to transmit that mux. Of course they could go back to the old analogue days where they were only available from a limited number of transmitters (12 of 170-180).

The market rate for the mux has to cover the operating and initial capital costs otherwise you're running at a loss (that's without a profit margin).

2RN's transmission business model is based on the actual operating costs, capital costs plus a regulated profit margin. They are still in debt to almost €40m for rolling out the DTT network.

reubenreuben

gordongekko wrote: »

They just interviewed someone from tv3 on the last word and I'm hoping I miss heard but I thought she claimed that tv3 would not be in hd on saorview as you need a hd box and the saorview box is not hd.What horse****

I have just listened to the recording of this and Matt Cooper asked if TV3 will be broadcasting HD during the Rugby world cup, she states that 'you need a hd box for the HD and that saorview is not a hd box'

She doesn't state if it is available on saorview or not, she states that you need a HD box.

In other words, this is sales talk or bullocks in other words!

deezell

reubenreuben wrote: »

I have just listened to the recording of this and Matt Cooper asked if TV3 will be broadcasting HD during the Rugby world cup, she states that 'you need a hd box for the HD and that saorview is not a hd box'

She doesn't state if it is available on saorview or not, she states that you need a HD box.

In other words, this is sales talk or bullocks in other words!

"Saorview is not a hd Box" is doubletalk for " Saorview is not a subscription satellite TV service plus a premium for hd" in other words, get a sky sub, then a Hd sub, and tv3 gets its cut. How the IRB took their eye off the ball when awarding the rights is a mystery. They took no cognisance of the ability of the bidder to deliver a quality product.

deezell

The Cush wrote: »

The BAI is the body responsible for the spare capacity on the public service muxes by regulation. 2RN is responsible for transmission and distribution of the content carried on the muxes.

Regarding TV3 having their own multiplex, there are 6 spare UHF multiplexes so it wouldn't be a problem allocating them 1 if they really wanted it. The problem would be the capital and operating costs for that mux.

The operating cost for the 2 mux network is about €12m p.a., so it would cost TV3 approx. €6m to operate a single mux, expensive if they fail to attract any customers. 2RN spent €61m rolling out the existing 2 mux network, how much would it cost to equip 64 transmitters with the necessary hardware to transmit that mux. Of course they could go back to the old analogue days where they were only available from a limited number of transmitters (12 of 170-180).

The market rate for the mux has to cover the operating and initial capital costs otherwise you're running at a loss (that's without a profit margin).

2RN's transmission business model is based on the actual operating costs, capital costs plus a regulated profit margin. They are still in debt to almost €40m for rolling out the DTT network.

The transmission network was and is funded by the licence fee and the taxpayer. Once you understand that, it is up to he BAI/2rn to utilise it to the maximum benefit of the licence/taxpayer. Do this, and then optimise your ability to recover capital and running costs from a top class service. Instead they're just sitting on ball because they own it.

Sam Russell

deezell wrote: »

The transmission network was and is funded by the licence fee and the taxpayer. Once you understand that, it is up to he BAI/2rn to utilise it to the maximum benefit of the licence/taxpayer. Do this, and then optimise your ability to recover capital and running costs from a top class service. Instead they're just sitting on ball because they own it.

That is not so.

TV3 refused to pay the full analogue price and so only transmitted from the main transmitters to 80% of the population. When Saorview started they refused to pay for transmission charges on Saorview. They forced ComReg to set up the current system where the broadcaster pays for bandwidth, and 2RN are fully regulated. They currently use the least bandwidth of any of the five main channels. They have history in this.

2RN are fully regulated and cannot take any initiatives. It is like forcing a shop like Arnotts to work on a fixed mark up and not allow any sales or promotions.

By the way, if 2RN changed the basic resolution of SD from 544 by 576 to 704 by 576, this would increase the bandwidth required by a little over 10%, and so only increase the charge for SD by such an amount, but make a huge difference to the picture quality. This would be certain as HD versions of most channels are available.

It also appears we are about to get RTE 2+1 on channel 12.

The Cush

deezell wrote: »

The transmission network was and is funded by the licence fee and the taxpayer.

2RN is a separate company within RTÉ and is self financing via transmission and mast network charges, have a look at their accounts via the CRO.

They borrowed €38.25m to finance the upgrade of the transmission network and used the network assets as security for the loan

Lender security

It was one of the conditions to the availability of the project loan facility that RTÉNL execute a security deed agreement and provide the lender security as follows:

a) Lands of 13 main DTT transmission sites;
b) All RTÉNL present and future fixtures and fittings on the DTT transmission sites;
c) All RTÉNL rental income and occupational leases;
d) Rights and benefits of RTÉNL insurance policies;
e) Certain bank accounts of RTÉNL relating to the DTT project (i.e. the Sinking Fund Account and the Insurance Proceeds Account);
and
f) Deeds of Assignment creating security assignments in respect of certain commercial contracts and DTT Construction Contracts.

channelsurfer2

http://www.herald.ie/entertainment/tv-radio/tv3-to-go-global-as-bake-off-and-pippa-oconnor-sign-up-31498809.html

James Corden chatshow high on the agenda... surely thats a failed format as they shifted previous American chat shows to the graveyard shift on 3E as it got no one watching.

iseegirls

channelsurfer2 wrote: »

http://www.herald.ie/entertainment/tv-radio/tv3-to-go-global-as-bake-off-and-pippa-oconnor-sign-up-31498809.html

James Corden chatshow high on the agenda... surely thats a failed format as they shifted previous American chat shows to the graveyard shift on 3E as it got no one watching.

They've tried Jimmy Kimmel and Conan, but perhaps they just aren't as well known to the Irish, unlike James Cordon (I guess). Plus they didn't help themselves by showing Conan nearly 2/3 weeks after the air-date. They need to be broadcast the day after.

Macy0161

reubenreuben wrote: »

I have just listened to the recording of this and Matt Cooper asked if TV3 will be broadcasting HD during the Rugby world cup, she states that 'you need a hd box for the HD and that saorview is not a hd box'

She doesn't state if it is available on saorview or not, she states that you need a HD box.

In other words, this is sales talk or bullocks in other words!

I texted in to say that it saorview receivers are HD, and she was being disingenuous. Didn't hear whether Matt read it out or not - I doubt it given he's not impartial on TV3 issues...

The quality of ITV4 on satellite is way better than TV3 on saorview - can't see me watching any RWC games that are available on ITV1 or ITV4 on TV3 tbh.

deezell

Macy0161 wrote: »

I texted in to say that it saorview receivers are HD, and she was being disingenuous. Didn't hear whether Matt read it out or not - I doubt it given he's not impartial on TV3 issues...

The quality of ITV4 on satellite is way better than TV3 on saorview - can't see me watching any RWC games that are available on ITV1 or ITV4 on TV3 tbh.

ITV4 transmits in 720 by 576 pixels, full SD resolution. TV3 is 544 by 576, Saorview and satellite which insanely is almost half the pixels required on the Horizotal, the widest part of the screen, compared to the vertical. addin a really low bandwidth on the saorview side because that is the payment method for saorview, and you have sub VHS quality a lot of the time.

deezell

The Cush wrote: »

2RN is a separate company within RTÉ and is self financing via transmission and mast network charges, have a look at their accounts via the CRO.

They borrowed €38.25m to finance the upgrade of the transmission network and used the network assets as security for the loan

"2RN are fully regulated and cannot take any initiatives" says Jimmy Russel, so they should not be expected to act like a commercial operator, but should act in the interest of the consumer. How about divvying up the entire available bandwidth of the Two Mux between the current customers, let them pay roughly the same as they currently pay, a little increase for TV3 and a little decrease for RTE. If another player wants in on the MUX then they can pay more to retain the bit they get ''free' , or open a third MUx if thenew customer requires. Its like a toll road operator closing a lane of a toll road and charging more per cart for the reduced service to maintain its income. Its not a comercial operation, not in real world terms until you have some element of freedom and some element of competition. In the absence of these its a public service, levered by state owned assets and should act in the public interest, instaed of throwing shapes. i'm no friend of TV3 but I abhor this kind of pretend commercial business which is constrained by a type of regulation which only ever disimproves the end product, never enhancing it. When you read a phrase like "regulated profit margin" you know you're in trouble, it sounds like something from a Markist manifesto.

ftakeith

TV3's new content is terrible

As I have ITV on satellite, I will watch the rugby world cup there

As a setanta pack customer, champions league is on BT Sport and wednesdays games maybe also on RTE2hd

I will be cancelling 'sky box sets' in January 2016 as I will have everything watched from there.

TV3 HD is no loss to me as their content will be even crap when Liberty take full control

Sam Russell

deezell wrote: »

"2RN are fully regulated and cannot take any initiatives" says Jimmy Russel , so they should not be expected to act like a commercial operator, but should act in the interest of the consumer. How about divvying up the entire available bandwidth of the Two Mux between the current customers, let them pay roughly the same as they currently pay, a little increase for TV3 and a little decrease for RTE. If another player wants in on the MUX then they can pay more to retain the bit they get ''free' , or open a third MUx if thenew customer requires. Its like a toll road operator closing a lane of a toll road and charging more per cart for the reduced service to maintain its income. Its not a comercial operation, not in real world terms until you have some element of freedom and some element of competition. In the absence of these its a public service, levered by state owned assets and should act in the public interest, instaed of throwing shapes. i'm no friend of TV3 but I abhor this kind of pretend commercial business which is constrained by a type of regulation which only ever disimproves the end product, never enhancing it. When you read a phrase like "regulated profit margin" you know you're in trouble, it sounds like something from a Markist manifesto.

It is Sam Russell, not jimmy Russel.

Moving all SD channels to 704 by 576 from 544 by 576 would change bandwidth required from 2.2 MB/s to 2.5 MB/s, so a little over 10%, and overall bandwidth used would increase by a about 10%. Charges would shift slightly for each broadcaster (as RTE use two HD channels) but not by much. The PQ would improve greatly, as the source material for TV3 and UTVi is available elsewhere in HD. No more fuzzy-vision.

2RN (Saorview) should be allowed to be the freedom of going commercial and introducing a bit of enterprise and competition. They already have some freedom on their other operations.

Doing both should be a no-brainer, but there are a lot of no-brains around.

As for opening extra muxes, that is purely governed by demand. Once mux 2 is full, 2RN are obliged to open mux 3, but this has a much lesser impact than the opening of mux 2 had.

Elmo

The one extra customer that 2rn did get TV3 opposed it air on Saorview!

On Conan I assumed TV3 lost the rights to tru.

iseegirls

Elmo wrote: »

On Conan I assumed TV3 lost the rights to tru.

There was a big gap between 3e stopping the rights (around Jan 2014) and TruTV UK started (Aug 2014) - maybe around 8 months? I find it even odder that they had Conan doing a link-up with TV3 for their Autumn launch 4 months previously to his show disappearing from the schedules.

Gonzo

TV3 had much better picture quality in the analogue days compared to digital.