DAB in Ireland: RTE multiplex closed

L1011

These new services are wonderful, I never thought I'd live to see (well, hear?) the day that RTÉ played Linkin Park

VERYinterested

This site was launched a few weeks ago, has been updated recently, very informative:

http://www.digitalradio.ie/

sirlinux

is the 12a mux on the air tonight? im receiving 12c loud and clear, and the bbc mux off divis on and off, but no 12a.

L1011

Its on. Signal is 98 Random Pure-Defined Units.

L1011

That said, if you're in BBC-receiving land, you're gonna be a bit far out for 12A - it is Dublin Only basically, power has dropped a lot since it launched it seems (or at least reception quality in Maynooth has), and its not on Clermont. (I'm on an external antennae now for that 98% figure)

copacetic

Charles Slane wrote:

From Sunday Business Post - http://www.sbpost.ie/post/pages/p/story.aspx-qqqt=THE+INSIDE+TRACK-qqqs=mediaandmarketing-qqqid=24081-qqqx=1.asp

"RTE is close to making an announcement on the names of a new suite of digital radio stations.

It is testing four digital stations as part of a broader trial of digital radio here. Sources say there will eventually be six RTE digital stations, three of which will be music-based and three talk-driven. One of the music stations will be aimed at children."

here is announcement:

RTÉ announces details of 6 new trial DAB digital radio stations

RTÉ today (12 June 2007) announced details of six new trial digital radio stations, designed to bring wider choice to listeners on digital radio.

As part of its DAB digital radio trials, RTÉ introduced four new services this week with a further two in development for transmission later this summer.


RTÉ Junior is pop radio for children from twos to teens as well as for young parents. Predominantly music, RTÉ Junior is programmed around a child’s day and broadcast daily from wake-up to bed-time (7am to 9pm).


RTÉ Gold is a classic hits service capturing the very best of music from the 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s.


RTÉ Digital Radio News: Provided by RTÉ News and Current Affairs RTÉ Digital Radio News is a rolling news bulletin station, with all of the top national and international news stories at the touch of a button.


RTÉ 2XM is designed to be the station of choice for students and young adults, specialising in playing new music first.


Later this summer the following two new trial services will go live:

RTÉ Digital Radio Sport: Provided by RTÉ Radio’s sports department RTÉ Digital Radio Sport is a rolling sports bulletin station, with all of the top national and international sports’ news stories at the touch of a button.

RTÉ Choice will bring listeners a day-time choice of comedy, documentaries, vintage shows, music, international programming and well known presenters broadcasting at alternative times.

Managing Director of RTÉ Radio, Adrian Moynes, welcomed the trial stations saying;

“DAB digital radio represents a great opportunity to extend what we offer to listeners. We hope that listeners on digital radio will enjoy these 6 new trial services and will work with us to develop and improve them”

“RTÉ is already working with the radio industry and with regulatory bodies to explore this exciting new technology which we believe represents the future for Irish radio”


RTÉ’s six new DAB-only radio stations are available to anyone living in the Greater Dublin and North East coast area who owns a DAB digital radio. The six services will remain on public trial until November 2007

...

Zaphod

As per usual, the muck savages living outside the Pale can go swivel. And no mention of when it will be rolled out nationwide either.

I don't suppose they have any intention of transmitting these new channels via Astra or Hotbird?

copacetic

Zaphod wrote:

As per usual, the muck savages living outside the Pale can go swivel. And no mention of when it will be rolled out nationwide either.

I don't suppose they have any intention of transmitting these new channels via Astra or Hotbird?

It's a DAB trial, which answers both your questions?

Radio|Man

Hold tight.

Streams will be available online very soon I´m told

L1011

DMC wrote:

Aye, it appears they have definitely sorted it out as a proper part-time service.

Its now sorted out properly - carrier present at all times, but "station off air" and receiver jumps to playing RTE1 when its not there. Pity they don't throw the extra bandwidth on to the other stations when its gone, though.

Zaphod

copacetic wrote:

It's a DAB trial, which answers both your questions?

The trial has been ongoing for over a year and half already. It's not exactly bleeding edge technology they're dealing with. Back in January they issued a press release saying the new channels would be launched in March and now, 3 months late, they are touting this as "digital radio officially launched in Ireland". The eastern corner of Ireland maybe. It's as if there's some immutable law which states all trials shall be conducted in Dublin - regardless of the technical merits of conducting a trial where the geographical terrain is not exactly challenging or representative of the rest of the country. It certainly lies in sharp contrast with the BBC digital trials in Wales.

And I can't see either why the transmission of the new channels on DAB should automatically preclude them from being simultaneously broadcasted via satellite.

Radio|Man wrote:

Hold tight.

Streams will be available online very soon I´m told

Thanks for the info. All we need now is broadband!

copacetic

Zaphod wrote:

The trial has been ongoing for over a year and half already. It's not exactly bleeding edge technology they're dealing with. Back in January they issued a press release saying the new channels would be launched in March and now, 3 months late, they are touting this as "digital radio officially launched in Ireland". The eastern corner of Ireland maybe. It's as if there's some immutable law which states all trials shall be conducted in Dublin - regardless of the technical merits of conducting a trial where the geographical terrain is not exactly challenging or representative of the rest of the country. It certainly lies in sharp contrast with the BBC digital trials in Wales.

And I can't see either why the transmission of the new channels on DAB should automatically preclude them from being simultaneously broadcasted via satellite.



Thanks for the info. All we need now is broadband!

haven't been following this thread but I don't remember that press release and it isn't on rte.ie. have you a link?

It's a trial and as far as I know the license limits the broadcast to areas between dublin and dundalk. You are complaining about things out of RTÉs control. There would have to be much more negotiations before there could be any roll out nationwide of a trial or a full service.

As for your other quote "digital radio officially launched in Ireland" I'm not sure where you got this from, it doesn't seem to appear in the press release
above.

i didn't say it precluded them, it's just nothing to do with a DAB trial so seems a ridiculous thing to be complaining about imo.

the streaming will come from the new section of the site:
http://www.rte.ie/digitalradio/

DMC

copacetic wrote:

haven't been following this thread but I don't remember that press release and it isn't on rte.ie. have you a link?

This is where it gets very vague, I'd advise follow the path from page 17 of this thread to see where we have got to today.

digitalradio.ie calls it a test/trial, yet RTÉ make an announcement at the end of November that doesn't say its a trial/test anymore. Now, from the Radiowaves site, which you appear to have pasted in an earlier post, it says that its on trial until November 2007.

Also, on the new site, http://www.rte.ie/digitalradio/explained.html it says

This is just for starters. There are plans for more services later this year. And there are plans to roll this service out beyond Dublin and the North East to other major population centres. We have to start somewhere and this is as good as any place to start!

For more information, email dabradio@rte.ie.

For more about the dab digital radio trials involving both RTÉ and a range of commercial stations, please visit www.digitalradio.ie, the home of the Ireland's new Dab Digital Radio Group.

copacetic wrote:

You are complaining about things out of RTÉs control. There would have to be much more negotiations before there could be any roll out nationwide of a trial or a full service.

Its RTÉ that are pushing DAB. It is them that has coerced the industry into making up the digitalradio.ie industry group, and RTÉNL control the transmitters.

copacetic wrote:

As for your other quote "digital radio officially launched in Ireland" I'm not sure where you got this from, it doesn't seem to appear in the press release above.

I'm sure a page that advises people you can get a digital radio means this is as close to an official launch as we'll get, without Katy French, Derek Mooney and Laura Woods twiddling knobs in front of the Radio Centre in Montrose.

IMHO, the trial is over. RTÉ have a fully functioning DAB service that will be expanded on, in terms of more radio stations (as well as the 4 new services on air) and roll-out and also getting the industry on board. The services have not been interrupted recently, I'm sure its here to stay.

copacetic

well I see your point of view DMC, what people feel or think is one thing though and Zaphod was quoting various things that just weren't said imo. I didn't paste from the radiowaves site, just the actual press release which Zaphods 'quote' wasn't in.

Certainly RTÉ are pushing DAB and fair dues to them imo, but they still have a license for certain areas only.

DMC

copacetic wrote:

I didn't paste from the radiowaves site, just the actual press release which Zaphods 'quote' wasn't in.

Ah ok.... its just that we do like linked sources for all material.

copacetic wrote:

but they still have a license for certain areas only.

The papers yesterday definitely said its still a test, yet I find it daft that they would advise people to buy a DAB radio for a trial. Is there a link to the licence (Comreg) that definitely restricts broadcasts to Three Rock and Clermont Carn until November?

Zaphod

copacetic wrote:

well I see your point of view DMC, what people feel or think is one thing though and Zaphod was quoting various things that just weren't said imo.

So basically you're calling me a liar.

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/broadcaster-to-start-six-digital-radio-channels-59238.html (which I posted here)

(www.digitalradio.ie)

copacetic wrote:

i didn't say it precluded them, it's just nothing to do with a DAB trial so seems a ridiculous thing to be complaining about imo.

So it's better to have the new channels available to a limited catchment area on a perpetual trial basis, rather than trying to make them available to as wide an audience as possible?

copacetic

Zaphod wrote:

So basically you're calling me a liar.

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/broadcaster-to-start-six-digital-radio-channels-59238.html (which I posted here)

(www.digitalradio.ie)


So it's better to have the new channels available to a limited catchment area on a perpetual trial basis, rather than trying to make them available to as wide an audience as possible?

thats a news story not an anouncement and it specifically says that RTÉ wouldn't confirm the dates.

your quote:

Back in January they issued a press release saying the new channels would be launched in March

clearly isn't true, so yes if you like I am calling you a liar by definition. I'm not sure who runs digitalradio.ie but I know it isn't a source of RTÉ information.

your quote:

now, 3 months late, they are touting this as "digital radio officially launched in Ireland".

seems to say this is what RTÉ announced yesterday when it isn't in the press release. So either I misunderstood your way of quoting things or again it just isn't true.

I don't recall saying it was 'better' to trial channels in a limited area, I just said that that it what the trial is licensed for. no more, no less.

copacetic

DMC wrote:

Ah ok.... its just that we do like linked sources for all material.

all RTÉ press releases are available here:

http://www.rte.ie/about/pressreleases/index.html

you'll note that the one zaphod is talking about doesn't exist.

flogen

I think digitalradio.ie is a cross-station industry group whose membership consists of the stations currently involved in DAB radio. You can bet that RTÉ and perhaps Today FM are the prominent members, however, but God knows who writes the text on their website.

DMC

copacetic wrote:

all RTÉ press releases are available here:
http://www.rte.ie/about/pressreleases/index.html

Not all of them, some are here...

http://www.rte.ie/radio1/pressreleases/

And news is not just limited to there, newspaper archives, and anything pertaining to DAB has been quoted in this thread.

As for the rest of it, I don't care who is right, and who is wrong...

so...

copacetic

DMC wrote:

And news is not just limited to there, newspaper archives, and anything pertaining to DAB has been quoted in this thread.

well I realise that, but if people are quoting press releases and announcements then it should at least be true imo.

As you said you like links on this thread apparently but only from newcomers like myself?

I'll leave ye all to it so if accurate information is no big deal..

DMC

copacetic wrote:

As you said you like links on this thread apparently but only from newcomers like myself?

I'll leave ye all to it so if accurate information is no big deal..

There are newcomers all the time. Its getting more publicity, people might be enquiring as to what equipment to get, or to see what the fuss is all about. As someone who regularly welcomed n00bs here as a moderator, I personally welcome your contributions here, as well as all people who might look into it and never comment.

Some of us are vets of page 1 of this thread, a lot of it where we had no news to comment on, but, it serves us very well in tracing the exact steps and development of the technology in this country.

Zaphod

I emailed RTÉ and they say they currently have no plans to transmit the new channels via satellite. Then again, I might be lying.

copacetic

Zaphod wrote:

Then again, I might be lying.

certainly seems pretty likely based on your previous posts.

noelcosgrave

I'm tempted to grab this combined DRM/DAB unit and was wondering what my prospects of picking up the BBC MUXs would be.

Sulmac

'Found' the online streams for the 4 new DAB only stations:

http://www.rte.ie/smiltest/dab_news.smil RTÉ Digital Radio News

http://www.rte.ie/smiltest/dab_2xm.smil RTÉ 2XM

http://www.rte.ie/smiltest/dab_gold.smil RTÉ Gold

http://www.rte.ie/smiltest/dab_junior.smil RTÉ Junior (if you can bear it)

DMC

noelcosgrave wrote:

I'm tempted to grab this combined DRM/DAB unit and was wondering what my prospects of picking up the BBC MUXs would be.

I thought I replied to this...

DAB from the north in Drogheda would be highly surprising. FM from the north doesn't really make it there.

Mayo Exile

Complete nooob about DAB. Was thinking of buying a set to pick up the trial ( or is it still a trial......?). Should I wait until sets come with this AAC+ codec standard? Or does this matter for Ireland?

Thread from Askaboutmoney:

http://www.askaboutmoney.com/showthread.php?p=342471

DMC

Mayo Exile wrote:

Complete nooob about DAB. Was thinking of buying a set to pick up the trial ( or is it still a trial......?). Should I wait until sets come with this AAC+ codec standard? Or does this matter for Ireland?

Well, Pure have setup distribution for Ireland now...

http://www.digitalradio.ie/news_articles/02072007.htm

And if its a straight lift of gear from the UK... it appears to be all systems go.

AAC+ codec is still some time away, I'd be surprised to see DAB+ radios on sale in the UK before year end, and at that, the UK will still use MP2 for many, many years to come.

david23

Pure have said they will have sets on sale in August/September that can be upgraded to receive AAC+ by means of a USB port. They expect to have AAC+ sets which don't need an upgrade on sale by the end of the year.

Apparently DAB is in about 20% of UK homes now so it will take a few years before they can switch over to the new DAB+ standard. There have been reports that DAB sales have slowed in the UK due to a number of press stories that all the current DAB radios on sale are about to become obsolete as the BBC switches to DAB+.