Saorview Updates - 2023

mackersdublin

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121278758#Comment_121278758

LCN 29 has actually stopped showing that Connect loop. I noticed it yesterday after I posted. It's currently just showing a static screen (SD 16:9) with Saorview's telephone number and email address. LCN 30 is just a data stream as usual

So potentially another SD channel could replace the first Saorview Info channel. Personally I would of thought Sky Mix would replace Challenge. It's a far better channel with new material

RoTelly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121278876#Comment_121278876

It would have been nice to see Sky Mix, Sky Arts, Challenge and Sky News on Soarview. Perhaps by dropping Virgin Media FOUR. Are RTÉ2 +1 and RTÉjr playing out as full channels? If so they could share.

In saying that I am not a huge fan of adding sky channels but we are where we are.

fritzelly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121278980#Comment_121278980

Better than nothing compared to the UK, they promised so much when Saorview was launching and we ended up with the same channels

mackersdublin

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121278980#Comment_121278980

RTÉjr broadcasts 7am-7pm every day, while RTÉ2 +1 broadcasts 7pm-3am approx weekdays and 12pm-3am approx weekends, so a timeshare isn't an option currently

RoTelly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121279172#Comment_121279172

Yeah I'd forgotten that RTÉ2+1 has strange hours.

Put Sky Mix on from 7pm

Glaceon

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121278876#Comment_121278876

It just dawned on me that it's an 1890 number, they've been gone for a couple of years now!

Glaceon

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121278876#Comment_121278876

There's still 4 Mb/s of null PIDs on Mux 2 so there's room for one or two more SD channels I'd say.

Mickey Mike

Virgin Media One HD next

Gerry Wicklow

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121287379#Comment_121287379

Yeah enough said.

Sam Russell

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121285470#Comment_121285470

My current mobile number is number starting with 089-4xx xxxx, so they have not gone away.

fritzelly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121287854#Comment_121287854

Ermm you're confusing mobile numbers with the lo-call 1890 number which has been abolished

Sam Russell

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121287868#Comment_121287868

You are correct. I am confused and should have noticed the 1 at the beginning. Sorry - easy mistake to make - well, at least for me.

StreetLight

The same incorrect phone number is also listed on Channel 30.

decor58

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121287591#Comment_121287591

It has been announced that France2 and France3 are to start broadcasting in UHD on the French DTT system TNT, with a number of UK channels switching off their SD broadcasts or going online when will the penny drop with VM or the regulator move.

TAFKAlawhec

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121301063#Comment_121301063

VM could simply threaten to take their channels of Saorview if they were told "HD minimum or nothing" for any of their stations on the platform. Be careful what you wish for.

One big problem with UHD/4K broadcasting is that it simply hasn't taken off in the way HD did 10-15 years ago did. There's very limited FTA programming in Europe and not a huge amount more for pay platforms - it seems the finances, not to mention changing viewer habits, are putting major roadblocks in the way for 4K "linear" broadcasting. If you want 4K content, streaming platforms appear to be the place to go to.

France Televisions is putting out UHD simulcasts of their France 2 & France 3 channels mainly in time for the Paris Olympics next year. Spain (TVE) has also done some terrestrial UHD tests recently, but I'm not aware of anywhere else in Europe that UHD is planned for terrestrially - not a hope of it happening in the UK at least for now.

But back to home pastures, I still wouldn't think it would take much to have their SD broadcasts on Saorview taken up to a resolution of 720/704x546 - it gave a noticeable increase in sharpness when the RTÉ News channel was given it, and the VM channels are running at a video bitrate that giving them the full D1 resolution shouldn't cause much macroblocking.

Hotblack Desiato

They can threaten to take VMTV services off Saorview but won't they lose 6 Nations and other FTA-obligatory events? Also would be forced to seek regulation in Luxembourg or somewhere? Eir and Vodafone etc. could then just drop them too unless paid to carry. They'd also presumably lose Screen Ireland, or whatever the gaelstapo are callling it now, funding.

The mushy text on RTE News was too embarrassing even for RTE to tolerate (eventually - getting a gas bill paid in RTE probably takes 2 years and ministerial approval)

VMTV don't feel embarrassment though judging by much of the content they put out, and they only regard their Saorview channels as a shop window for their paid services (as if)

StreetLight

The info slate on Channel 30 has finally been updated to show the new 0818 phone number.

TAFKAlawhec

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121313558#Comment_121313558

They might no longer get access to "protected" events like six nations rugby, but I'd doubt they'd lose too much sleep over the rest. As far as media regulators go, they could happily go to Luxembourg or somewhere else within the EU for licencing that has less restraints than Ireland. Eir, Vodafone, Sky & other pay-tv platforms in the state would probably start billing VM carriage fees for their channels on their platforms (which AFAIK only have VM1 as a "must carry" under current legislation - happy to be corrected if I'm wrong) in such a circumstance, but the amount would likely be inconsequential notwithstanding (a) that Virgin Media would prefer you'd be on their own platform, where available, and (b) it would be unlikely the other pay-TV operators would be willing to drop the VM channels wholesale if they could do so tomorrow.

As it stands, the main VM TV channels are available already in HD to ~80% of households in the state. Calls for them to be provided in HD via Saorview holds IME little real-world traction outside of discussion boards like here.

But just to throw an oddball suggestion in, with the current bitrates they use on DTT (~3 Mb/s video each) each VM channel on Saorview could go 1440x1080 HD without any additional capacity needed - if the video encoding was swapped to HEVC/H.265. How many such DTT receivers are capable of HEVC video in Ireland is a different question, not to mention wherever 2RN & CnaM would allow this.

Johnboy1951

As it stands, the main VM TV channels are available already in HD to ~80% of households in the state.

Is that "~80% of households" the current number paying Sky for access or is it based on something else?

Does it include those using "dodgy boxes"?

Just wondering as it is a long time since I had anything to do with Sky.

EDIT:

From what I can find there are approx 1.7 mil households in Ireland.

Sky has about 700K subscribers in Ireland which equates to approx 40%.

Are there an equal number of 'dodgy boxes' as Sky subscribers?

I must have wrong numbers or be misunderstanding something, as the above is rather doubtful.

decor58

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121318661#Comment_121318661

If Sky has 700k subs and VM have 400k subs with the addition of Eir and Vodafone, do they offer the VM channels in HD, the 80% figure may not be too far off the mark. Whatever about numbers, VM would be very in HD as others close down their SD service or go online, but as a previous contributor said, Pigs will fly, ah well.

lgs 4

Virgin had never any intention of going HD on Saorview. The only way if Sky stop the HD backhander. There where talks some time back about Virgin UK trying onload Irish operations to a new owner .Like when RTL sold 5 Channel to Viacom .That's went 5 HD became free to air .

TAFKAlawhec

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121318661#Comment_121318661

My "~80%" bit comes from some stats a few years ago that suggested that only around 15% of households in the state rely on terrestrial television for their main TV viewing for the four ex-analogue or "base" channels of RTÉ 1, RTÉ 2, VM1 (ex. TV3) and TG4 - on that basis, it is not too off to deduce that (a) a very large amount of the the remainder subscribe to a pay-tv service (VM, Sky, Vodafone, Eir etc.) that carry at least VM1 in HD, and (b) while the figures will have been somewhat skewed somewhat by changing media consumption habits, and that some will have "cut the cord" as the 'murican's would say (i.e. abandon pay-TV) most homes will still have some element of linear television available on tap - and I haven't seen a huge amount of evidence that in terms of raw percentages that this has changed beyond minor significance. So IMO to say that VM has a HD presence in roughly 80% of households in the ROI, a chance it might be slightly lower at 75% or so.

Personally, I'd like to see the results of a more recent survey.

In general however, one of the main constraints on broadcasters wanting to be on Saorview and/or wanting to be HD on the platform has been because by the time of DSO/ATO in 2012, only a small minority of households in the Republic were dependent on terrestrial reception for their main TV viewing (at 15% mentioned above) which when factored in to the cost of appearing on it is likely to be too expensive for many aspiring channels when it comes to a return of investment.

Aidan McCarthy

French television will be booadcasting in UHD on their Digital TV system. We can not see virgin media tv channels going in to UHD never mind HD. We can not see that happn anytime for now but maybe in the Future

Hotblack Desiato

I find the 15% figure hard to believe given that Saorview is free and vast numbers of British channels are FTA as well, are 85% of the population really that stupid?

RoTelly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121325977#Comment_121325977

Setting up an Aerial is an issue for many people, people want convenience. For example my sisters don't really understand how I have set up free TV from my Parents along with broadband. Also being unable to record on Sat is a massive issue for people, can't even pause saorview on their TV, while HD channels from BBC are not coming in but the UHD tests look amazing.

dublinman1990

If VM are so intent on keeping their channels in SD on Saorview to entice potential customers to pay for their broadband service in the near future. They will have a very hard time to convince people that this strategy will carry any weight as to where their other competitors are going at the moment.

Sky for example are very slowly beginning to move their FTA channels away from SD broadcasting to be screened in HD. They are applying to the trend that HD broadcasting is very quickly becoming the norm around Ireland and in the UK. And they did that with converting Pick in SD to Sky Mix in HD on Sky, Freesat and VM O2 in the UK.

Sky Mix also do have a version of their channel that includes Irish advertising. They did this as a way to entice people to pay for SkyQ or Glass/Stream subscriptions here in Ireland. And they still have to allow Sky Arts and Sky News to go HD as well to make that strategy stick.

It should be high time that VM should consider doing the same strategy with their own stations on Saorview maybe not now but maybe in the next year.

VM and Sky are regarded as direct competitors in the TV and broadband market in this country.

If VM want to play catch up while they compete with Sky for subscribers numbers here within the next few years. They must not risk cannibalising more potential customers away from trying to go onto their own TV platform in the near future. They must offer the HD bouquet of their channels as a basic offering on Saorview to entice some of their viewers to pay for their broadband service as an added extra if these Saorview viewers swtich to cable TV in the near future.

Gerry Wicklow

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121325977#Comment_121325977

Not stupid, just ill-informed. An awful lot of people think satellite = Sky and just can't grasp the concept of FTA. If you try to explain it to them they think you must mean "dodgy boxes". Then you also have Sky's greatest ally, inertia. When you hear them say "Oh I'll check that out at the weekend" or whatever, you know they just wont bother.

The same concept applies to a lot of utilities. People pay €100's more each year because they are too lazy to spend a few minutes shopping around. This applies to Electricity, Gas, Broadband, Mobile, Insurance etc etc. These companies will all happily jack up the price at the end of their 12mth contract and a lot of people just accept it.

A recent personal example. My BB contract expired and went up €15/pcm (my own fault, got my dates wrong) A quick 5 minute phone call got me back on my previous rate. 5 minutes effort to save €180 makes sense to me.

/Rant

decor58

If the VM logic is to use Saorview as a shop window for their subscription services they should also realise that many of the 15 or 20% of viewers have no interest in a subscription service so why not cater for them. As has been said many times a lot of the more attractive programmes on VM are FTA on ITV so they loose both ways, subscribers and viewers but I do think VM in HD on Saorview is a case of flogging a dead horse. Also Liberty Global in the UK, through ITV, are involved with both Freeview Freesat and Freely while offering a subscription service to the same market.

Hotblack Desiato

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121326127#Comment_121326127

So people don't understand the very basics of how a TV works. We get this here all the time, they buy a massive flat screen and plug it into the mains and nothing else and get no picture and wonder why 😂

How is it that people in the UK manage though?

And yes of course you can record satellite, just need an STB that records, same as with Saorview.

HD channels on BBC not coming in??? they've moved all their channels to HD on satellite.

marclt

Someone is reading this forum…. !!!!