Irish Channels On EPG

Charles Slane

Originally posted by dmeehan
my tv never had text until i got the sky remote with the text button

What ???

Just having a new button on a remote control is not going to change the way your TV was made (ie with or without teletext)

arkles

i presume he/she means the digital text on bbc and sky that is accessed by hitting the text key while in sky mode, that text can be accessed without ur tv having a teletext card

dmeehan

nope
charles and arkles, you both got it wrong
my tv remote has no text button (although i have seen versions of my tv with a text remote), but obviously, the text is transmitted anyway

i could use the text button on the sky remote to view the text on the analogue stations too..

Charles Slane

But the TV must have had teletext capability to begin with, it's just that your original remote didn't have a text button (for some bizarre reason).

dmeehan

why is that?
i mean why would they stick in text capability and then not give ya the remote?

Charles Slane

Originally posted by dmeehan
why is that?
i mean why would they stick in text capability and then not give ya the remote?

I know, it sounds odd. But the teletext capability depends on electronic circuitry within the TV itself, in order for the TV to be able to display it.

When teletext first came out it was possible to buy a seperate box that sat on top of your TV that could enable it to display text. It's a long time ago, and I seem to remember it cost around 300 quid (an outrageous price at the time). In fact we had a TV with no telext, but our video recorder (a Grundig, I think) had text - one of the few video recorders to feature it. So you had to go to the channel on the video to view the text.

But as teletext became standard (very quickly) the add-on boxes stopped being made.

You've got to think of text as being like having remote controlled central locking in a car. If you have the central locking, but don't have the remote to work it, it's still there, you just can't use it. However if you don't have the central locking, it doesn't matter whether you have a remote control or not - the doors won't lock.

If the TV doesn't have the circuitry - it can't display the text.

Obviously your TV had the circuitry, but maybe youo had the wrong remote supplied, and it didn't have a button it should have.

Does that make sense ?

Charles Slane

Just found a great site that explains things a lot better than my crappy "central locking" analogy.

http://teletext.mb21.co.uk/faq.shtml#what

It explains that the teletext info is decoded by the television.

And this timeline -

http://teletext.mb21.co.uk/timeline/ceefax1974-77.shtml

gives the history of teletext.

DMC

Mike Brown's site, always worthy of a plug

(Great transmitter site photos too!)

Gadgie

Originally posted by mocar
i can get it (text that is ) when i view rte through my aerial but not through the digibox (sky)

If you're talking about what I think you're talking about, just switch the digibox off, unplug it for a few seconds, plug it back in, and after about 30 seconds switch it back on and you should have text.

Glenn

Gadgie

Originally posted by Charles Slane


That's the point that I was trying to make.

But I did say "analogue" twice.

Charles, I'm confused at this stage and I'm not sure what you are referring to.

I am talking about regular text (ie. non-interactive text like Aertel, Threetext, etc.). I have lost this many times when viewing channels on Sky, and when I lose it I lose it on all channels that provide it (except of course analog channels). A digibox reboot always solves this. This is the type of text that I am assuming that the original poster was referring to.

Sorry for any misunderstanding,

Glenn

Mossy Monk

Originally posted by dmeehan
why is that?
i mean why would they stick in text capability and then not give ya the remote?

i have heard of a situation like this before. the shop where the television was bought put the wrong remote into the box

Charles Slane

Originally posted by Glennus


Charles, I'm confused at this stage and I'm not sure what you are referring to.

I am talking about regular text (ie. non-interactive text like Aertel, Threetext, etc.). I have lost this many times when viewing channels on Sky, and when I lose it I lose it on all channels that provide it (except of course analog channels). A digibox reboot always solves this. This is the type of text that I am assuming that the original poster was referring to.

Sorry for any misunderstanding,

Glenn

Yeah Glenn, I'm also talking about regular text. And I'm confused too. I don't understand how rebooting the digibox coould have any effect on regular text.

As far as I understand it, regular text is as much a part of the picture as the on screen logo (Sky One's logo for example). The broadcaster either puts it there, or they don't. But the digibox can make it disappear.

I'm perplexed

Can anyone else shed some more light on this ??

Gadgie

Originally posted by Charles Slane
Yeah Glenn, I'm also talking about regular text. And I'm confused too. I don't understand how rebooting the digibox coould have any effect on regular text.

I don't know much about the digibox, but I do know that sometimes if I switch channels too fast/mess around in 'other channels' too much/turn the digibox on and off too quickly I sometimes lose the text services, also sometimes I lose the programme listings (ie. when I press 'i' on the remote it comes up with 'programme synopsis is not available'). A reboot solves these problems.

Glenn

Originally posted by Charles Slane

You've got to think of text as being like having remote controlled central locking in a car. If you have the central locking, but don't have the remote to work it, it's still there, you just can't use it. However if you don't have the central locking, it doesn't matter whether you have a remote control or not - the doors won't lock.

I think thats a great analogy-ten out of ten:D
mm

Genghis

Also,

Sometimes manufacturers market products as 'lower price / lower spec'. By not including the remote the TV is effectively 'text-free' and therefore lower spec. It would probably cost more to modify a standard TV to not include text so they just sell it without a remote.

mocar

thanks lads. i was talking about analogue text. so i cant see how plugging out the box would help. but will try it in morning.

mo

robert muldoon

I have noticed in"programming planning" when I program a station to come on at a certain time,say 7.30pm, that the pro gram has already started when it auto switches over, has anyone else this problem? it could be as much as 5 mins.

mocar

SUCCESS :-). Thanks unplugging the box worked. thanks for all the help
mo

Originally posted by robert muldoon
I have noticed in"programming planning" when I program a station to come on at a certain time,say 7.30pm, that the pro gram has already started when it auto switches over, has anyone else this problem? it could be as much as 5 mins.

Thats most likely a scheduling problem.
I have seen it the other way as well,ie: The digibox switching to the channel before the programme has started.
Thats a problem if you are recording the programme, as you either miss the start or the finish:(

Haven't seen it happen on RTÉ yet but it has happened with Star Trek Enterprise on Sky one a few times.
mm

dmeehan

I think the irish channles are the worst offenders
i always miss the start of friends on net2 for example

Hagar

I suspect chicanery here on the part of the broadcasters. The situation is similar to the ability to set your car radio to auto switch channels to news/ traffic broadcasts. The change is triggered by a broadcast signal. Some radio stations, RTE for instance, send this signal at the start of the 2 minutes of ads which come on just before the news forcing you to listen to the ads. It amazing how many ads I've endured before I found out what was going on.

Of course we all know SKY would never knowingly try to maximise their advertising exposure...

UK Sky viewer

Do you see the same eps at the same time we see them on E4? I heard that you were ahead of us on season 8, but we're only 4 weeks behind the US.

Gadgie

Originally posted by UK Sky viewer
Do you see the same eps at the same time we see them on E4? I heard that you were ahead of us on season 8, but we're only 4 weeks behind the US.

I presume you're talking about 'Friends'. Network 2 were a week ahead of E4, but E4 showed two episodes back-to-back one week, and now when 'Friends' is shown on E4 on Thursday, we get that episode on Monday.

Glenn

Originally posted by Hagar
I suspect chicanery here on the part of the broadcasters. The situation is similar to the ability to set your car radio to auto switch channels to news/ traffic broadcasts. The change is triggered by a broadcast signal. Some radio stations, RTE for instance, send this signal at the start of the 2 minutes of ads which come on just before the news forcing you to listen to the ads. It amazing how many ads I've endured before I found out what was going on.

Of course we all know SKY would never knowingly try to maximise their advertising exposure...

I think you've hit the nail on the head, banged it in, and the picture is now firmly hanging on the wall;)
mm

John R

Originally posted by Hagar

Of course we all know SKY would never knowingly try to maximise their advertising exposure...

I am not so sure, I have always found SKY one and SKY's film channels epg info very accurate. Although I rarely use the planner, I just don't trust the box enough, the software is still buggy, or at least it is on my boxes.
There seems to be two different types of epg systems used. Sky's own channels the BBC channels and a few others have a real-time epg where a programme starting triggers the epg to change. The rest of them have a schedule based epg where the info changes at the correct time regardless of what is being shown. Unfortunately RTE use the latter, which is a pain considering how loose their schedules are.

eirman

Isn't it about time that this sticky thread was unstuck !

Tony

Originally posted by eirman
Isn't it about time that this sticky thread was unstuck !

I second that

icdg

I agree.

ATTN: Thread unstuck.

DMC

and off she floats down the page It has been a good servant to this board!

CHRISTYG

I have a strange question, even by my standards. On days when Radio 1 splits frequency- e.g. for midweek racing, the Dublin Horse Show, and I presume for next Friday's General Election results- which frequency will be on Sky?

carrolls

The FM version will be the one on Sky

jabarrett35

Hi
I've just noticed that RTE radio 1 on on 892 still switchs to RnG at various times. Also it seems to carry the MW output rather than FM eg the morning service on Sunday, even though the info says 'Moonie goes wild'. I can get the FM in other channels. I've contacted RTE about this. Has anyone else noticed this?

John

Mossy Monk

the version on the EPG is the one the WRN broadcast (correct me if i'm wrong). other channels is the only way to hear the full service on satellite. it sounds a lot better too

Gadgie

Originally posted by jabarrett35
Hi
I've just noticed that RTE radio 1 on on 892 still switchs to RnG at various times. Also it seems to carry the MW output rather than FM eg the morning service on Sunday, even though the info says 'Moonie goes wild'. I can get the FM in other channels. I've contacted RTE about this. Has anyone else noticed this?

John

I've contacted RTÉ twice about this and have yet to receive a reply...

I also mailed RTÉ and TV3 about the possibility of them showing programmes in anamorphic widescreen on Sky; only TV3 replied who answered "We have no immediate plans.". Tight-lipped as ever...

Glenn

CHRISTYG

What's the need for RTE to be on "other channels" when it's on the EPG?? Yes, I know that ITV is (at least in Northern Ireland. One day soon in ROI!) But ITV has got 14 other regions, so therefore if you want to accsess the other regions, you have to go to "Other Channels" But there is only the one RTE!!!!

carrolls

Oh look, the "Irish Channels On EPG" has swam back up again.
Well anyway, With regard to your question about "Other channels".
Every channel that is on the EPG can also be picked up on the
"Other Channels" option.
The reason for this is simply putting a channel in the "Other Channels" option is like manually tuning in a Preset channel on your TV. "Other Channels" is a manual tuner while the EPG is an Automatic tuner.

Mossy Monk

the reason why RTÉ and Other Channels are featuring is because the Radio 1 on the RTÉ transponder is different to the Radio 1 on the EPG

carrolls

Yes, but you can tune in both RTE Radio One's on the "Other Channels" option.

Mossy Monk

yes you can but why would you want to do that when there is already 1 available on the EPG

carrolls

I was just directly responding to CHRISTYG who wanted some clarification on the purpose of the "Other Channels" option.

What's the need for RTE to be on "other channels" when it's on the EPG??

jabarrett35

Yes, but Rnag is not RTE Radio 1 and most people would not know that you can get RTE1 in "other channels" and nor should they it does non make any sense at all. The should have a FM and AM Radio 1 on the EPG just like BBC radio 4 LW and FM, or would that be too difficult!!

John