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Saorview channels coming to UPC [Merged - all RTÉ Two HD on UPC queries here]

  • 24-02-2012 1:18pm
    #1
    Registered Users Posts: 15,452 ✭✭✭✭The Cush


    An article in today's Irish Independent (paper edition) on UPC's financial results says RTÉ2 HD together with RTÉjr/RTÉ1+1 will launch in March. RTÉ News Now will follow in June.

    This now up on http://www.siliconrepublic.com/new-media/item/25954-upc-in-exclusive-deal-with/
    UPC in exclusive deal with RTE to host new digital TV channels

    UPC has reached a deal with RTE to be the only pay TV provider to be carrying RTE’s new digital channels, including RTE HD, RTE +1, RTE Junior and later in the summer RTE News Now.

    UPC Ireland chief executive Dana Strong told Silicon Republic that UPC will begin broadcasting the new RTE channels in April on its cable TV network.

    She added that a new RTE News Now channel will be added in June.

    “We reached agreement with RTE this week and see this as a great expansion of service for customers."

    RTE launched the new channels as part of its €70m digital terrestrial TV (DTT) rollout.

    On 24 October this year analogue TV will be switched off and viewers across Ireland will only be able to access TV either by TVs connected to DTT-enabled TVs and set-top boxes or via pay TV networks like UPC (cable), Magnet (fibre) and Sky (satellite).


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Comments

  • Hosted Moderators Posts: 7,484 ✭✭✭Red Alert


    RTE 2 HD - good, assuming they don't do something silly like transcode the MPEG4 that saorview uses to the MPEG2 streams that UPC use. I hope they'll encode the MPEG2 feed properly straight from RTE!

    RTE+1 - unnecessary with a DVR
    RTE Junior - also unnecessary, given that it's a simulcast of RTE 2 for the most part


  • Registered Users Posts: 21,401 ✭✭✭✭Alun


    Red Alert wrote: »
    RTE+1 - unnecessary with a DVR
    Not really. The +1 channels in general can still come in handy to avoid recording conflicts when all your tuners are used up on other recordings.


  • Registered Users Posts: 2,092 ✭✭✭celticbest


    RTE Jr is already carried on channel 601?


  • Registered Users Posts: 32,417 ✭✭✭✭watty


    UPC use MPEG4 for HD.

    The only thing of real value is the occasional HD on RTE2. You are missing nothing else on UPC, except it costs more than Saorview + Freesat.


  • Hosted Moderators Posts: 7,484 ✭✭✭Red Alert


    watty wrote: »
    UPC use MPEG4 for HD.

    Ah ha, I didn't know that! Thanks :)


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  • Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 11,460 Mod ✭✭✭✭icdg


    celticbest wrote: »
    RTE Jr is already carried on channel 601?

    The RTÉ Jr that's on 601 is just RTÉ Two simulcast, its not a separate channel. I imagine it will replaced by the RTÉjr Channel (which is just the RTÉ Two block repeated) when this occurs.

    Wonder if it will lead to a wholesale renumbering of the EPG given previous Irish channels have been placed before the UK terrestrials as well as in the appropriate section of the EPG? Though City Channel's slot is up for grabs, I wonder how long it can continue to operate in "zombie" mode (it is just replaying the same programmes over and over again).


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 1,960 ✭✭✭Ranicand


    So Sky will not share their HD channels nor will they share Sky Atlantic or the F1 channel.


    In return UPC has Satanta HD in their guide this costs €15 on Sky and it is not HD.
    UPC have all the ITV channels in the EPG and now all the extra RTE channels including RTE 2HD.


  • Registered Users Posts: 13,238 ✭✭✭✭djimi


    Im fairly sure I know which of those looks the better option when you put it like that!


  • Registered Users Posts: 32,417 ✭✭✭✭watty


    Er.. All the ITV channels and RTE don't need Sky or UPC


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 7,818 ✭✭✭Minstrel27


    Ranicand wrote: »
    UPC have all the ITV channels in the EPG and now all the extra RTE channels including RTE 2HD.

    How much do you pay UPC for that? Do UPC also provide ITV1 HD and all the ITV +1 channels?


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 1,960 ✭✭✭Ranicand


    Minstrel27 wrote: »
    How much do you pay UPC for that? Do UPC also provide ITV1 HD and all the ITV +1 channels?

    I have Sky these days.

    I know all the channels above are free but it is nice to have them in the one EPG.


  • Registered Users Posts: 4,618 ✭✭✭Infoanon


    icdg wrote: »
    Wonder if it will lead to a wholesale renumbering of the EPG given previous Irish channels have been placed before the UK terrestrials as well as in the appropriate section of the EPG? Though City Channel's slot is up for grabs, I wonder how long it can continue to operate in "zombie" mode (it is just replaying the same programmes over and over again).

    Last time they did an unannounced renumbering it peeved off a lot of viewers.
    I assume 107 is just in holding mode possibly for RTE2HD - wonder if it will be free or part of the HD package ? - I doubt if UPC has the same technology to allow eg 102 to be RTE2 SD/HD


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 7,818 ✭✭✭Minstrel27


    Ranicand wrote: »
    I know all the channels above are free but it is nice to have them in the one EPG.

    It is nice. You are right about that. I get 7 day EPG from them all too.


  • Registered Users Posts: 500 ✭✭✭who is this


    Infoanon wrote: »
    Last time they did an unannounced renumbering it peeved off a lot of viewers.
    I assume 107 is just in holding mode possibly for RTE2HD - wonder if it will be free or part of the HD package ? - I doubt if UPC has the same technology to allow eg 102 to be RTE2 SD/HD

    UPCs different set top boxes already have had (slightly) different EPG numbers, at least in the past.

    I can't remember if its still like this, but in the past the service channel was on 999 for older boxes and 100 only on newer boxes. RTÉ Two HD can completely replace RTÉ Two so the situation is not even as complicated as the way Sky did it, i.e. : RTÉ Two HD is an exact simulcast of RTÉ Two (if I'm not mistaken). They don't need to include the SD version anywhere else


  • Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 11,460 Mod ✭✭✭✭icdg


    UPCs different set top boxes already have had (slightly) different EPG numbers, at least in the past.

    I can't remember if its still like this, but in the past the service channel was on 999 for older boxes and 100 only on newer boxes. RTÉ Two HD can completely replace RTÉ Two so the situation is not even as complicated as the way Sky did it, i.e. : RTÉ Two HD is an exact simulcast of RTÉ Two (if I'm not mistaken). They don't need to include the SD version anywhere else

    There is a complication with UPC which means this isn't possible.

    On Saorview, all channels are transmitted in MPEG-4, there is no such thing as a separate "Saorview HD" box, the same boxes are used for HD and SD and so there is only one RTÉ Two HD, which you see in SD if you connect via SCART to a non-HD TV. There is no need for a separate RTÉ Two (SD) in the scenario.

    On UPC things are different. HD channels are transmitted in MPEG-4, like on Saorview, but SD channels are transmitted in MPEG-2. HD channels are not viewable and are not even present on the EPG of non-HD boxes. Put simply this means that if UPC were to carry just RTÉ Two HD, SD viewers would lose RTÉ Two. That won't happen. That's why RTÉ Two HD will, on UPC, be a separate channel with a separate EPG number.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 117 ✭✭HattieMcDoogal


    icdg wrote: »
    That's why RTÉ Two HD will, on UPC, be a separate channel with a separate EPG number.

    I'm thinking maybe they'll stick the RTE HD channels somewhere near BBC HD and BBC1 HD. Just checked and there is actually 4 EPG spaces between them. BBC HD is 135 and BBC1 HD is 140.


  • Registered Users Posts: 4,618 ✭✭✭Infoanon


    Hopefully they don't do something stupid and place 'RTE News Now' on 201....

    RTE1 +1 could end up on 107

    Also wondering why 119 & 121 are still blank.


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,029 ✭✭✭patrickmooney


    Infoanon wrote: »

    Also wondering why 119 & 121 are still blank.

    Re 119 and 121, I wish UPC would just move more4+1 and gold+1 back into those slots alongside their main channels.


  • Registered Users Posts: 2,092 ✭✭✭celticbest


    Re 119 and 121, I wish UPC would just move more4+1 and gold+1 back into those slots alongside their main channels.

    ^ :confused: That would make sense and UPC couldn't have that......


  • Registered Users Posts: 2,092 ✭✭✭celticbest


    Any here the date these channels are due to be lauched on UPC ?


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  • Registered Users Posts: 2,092 ✭✭✭celticbest


    ^^ anyone here the launch date yet??

    All seems very quite in relation to it now, I really thought UPC would be promoting this in a big way.


  • Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 11,460 Mod ✭✭✭✭icdg


    celticbest wrote: »
    ^^ anyone here the launch date yet??

    All seems very quite in relation to it now, I really thought UPC would be promoting this in a big way.

    If the channels were anything to write home about they might be. You're not missing anything that you can't accomplish with the existing two RTÉ channels and a DVR.


  • Registered Users Posts: 2,092 ✭✭✭celticbest


    icdg wrote: »
    If the channels were anything to write home about they might be. You're not missing anything that you can't accomplish with the existing two RTÉ channels and a DVR.

    I'm looking at RTE2 HD for sport......


  • Registered Users Posts: 4,691 ✭✭✭ciaran76


    Just read Twitter there and they said RTE digital channels RTE TWO HD and RTE One+1 and RTEjr later this month and RTE News from June.


  • Registered Users Posts: 4,618 ✭✭✭Infoanon


    RTE1+1 has appeared this morning on ch.107 replacing City Channel.

    Programmes don't commence until 7pm ! and afaik Fair City cannot be shown due to rights issues at 9pm...


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,419 ✭✭✭mackersdublin


    About time City Channel has been replaced

    I really hope UPC have called it RTE One +1


  • Registered Users Posts: 2,092 ✭✭✭celticbest


    UPC's online TV Guide still has City Channel listed as 107........

    Is RTE Two HD listed yet?


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 652 ✭✭✭jeckle


    According to UPC Announcements RTE Two HD will be available to all UPC digital customers from Thursday 15th March on channel 135. I wonder does that mean we will lose BBC HD, which was due to end this year, or will it be moved to another channel number.


  • Registered Users Posts: 6,478 ✭✭✭SteM


    jeckle wrote: »
    According to UPC Announcements RTE Two HD will be available to all UPC digital customers from Thursday 15th March on channel 135. I wonder does that mean we will lose BBC HD, which was due to end this year, or will it be moved to another channel number.

    I hope we don't loose BBC HD. I thought it was due to be replaced by BBC2 HD, rather than being dropped?


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  • Registered Users Posts: 1,431 ✭✭✭forzacalcio


    Why is it being dropped?


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