UTV Coming Soon To ROI EPG

Rick_

Accoring to an official e-mail from UTV, they will be on the ROI EPG by the end of the year, whether this means ITV 2 will be on there aswell remains to be seen. This is an e-mail received by a member on Digital Spy after they e-mailed UTV:

Date: Tue, 8 Nov 2005 17:41:02 -0000
From: Carl Stinson <Carl@u.tv>
RE: UTV In ROI

Mark,
Apologies for the delay in getting back to you. I've been told
unofficially that UTV should be EPG'd before the end of the year. I've
bounced it off the chief engineer within UTV Plc to see if they are have
an official ETA yet. As soon as I get any info back, I'll be sure to
pass it on.

Carl.

See this thread over on Digital Spy: http://forum.digitalspy.co.uk/board/showthread.php?t=301025

Paddy

DMC

Interesting.

But are we sure its the Irish EPG? I do understand that all ITV regions will appear on the UK EPG, once there is space after the reshuffle?

tabatha

what is epg? excuse my ignorance!

DMC

The channel guide that appears on your Sky digibox. Electronic Programme Guide. It means UTV might appear as a channel number (eg 278 or 934) on Irish Sky boxes.

Skyuser

NO ! I don't want that muck on the epg. Why can't we get ITV1?

kaizersoze

Ahh good ol' Carl:) . I exchanged many emails with him about various issues when I had broadband with UTV. He provided technical help on the UTV BB newsgroup. I'm not sure of his role in UTV but it wasn't BB. He did it in his spare time and was always very helpful and truthfull.
However, although it may be an "official" email from a UTV employee, he says he has been told "unoffically" so it may not happen that quickly. But I do think it will happen at some stage.

Mossy Monk

i agree with Sky user

UTV is terrible. too much local news and too much Julian*

*based on the last time i saw it

Skyuser

jeez, don't me started on Julian

Sparky

whos julian again, is it THAT guy?

Gonzo

Mossy Monk wrote:

i agree with Sky user

UTV is terrible. too much local news and too much Julian*

*based on the last time i saw it

I couldnt agree more, when ITV went FTA the other day we were blessed with being able to tune in other ITV regions, we went for ITV1 London ourselves and havent looked back since.... they have less regional programming than UTV and its better, its also proper ITV and no tacky utv voice-overs and adverts plus the best reason: NO Julian and thats a big plus, no one in our house can stand him for a second.

kevmac

Yeah, it's terrible that ULSTER TV has so many local news bulletins:rolleyes:

I was onto RTE the other day and I said to them that they should pull back on that 'ol news coverage for the Republic as nobody watches their TV station for local news.

Funnily enough the RTE bloke put the phone down on me;)

L1011

What?? You want rid of Julian? However could you say such a thing

Same fanbase as Wee Daniel, so me mammy and my 89 year old great aunt both love him.

Our man in Havana

Julian is the spawn of satan. He must be exterminated!

DMC

Regardless of peoples opinions of Julian (valid though they are...)

UTV's local news is a lot more important to its own viewers than local news in the Westcountry in England. There are more trouble and strife in daily life up Norn than there. It's a helluva lot more interesting!

As for ads, dont people switch channels/leave the room/fast forward anymore?

Sky+ users will be happy with any ITV region on the Irish EPG. So what if its UTV, as long as it screens the main ITV network programming, and we can Sky+ it, I don't care.

mjsmyth

Funny thing is, my brother lives in the UK and cannot get RTE, so he tuned in UTV as they show brief highlights of the GAA and other bits and pieces from around Ireland.

MJ

PoolDude

I wonder if ITV2 will be added aswell?

JohnDigital

Keep up, its already there, all ITV stations are.

CiDeRmAn

Well, the one I am after is C4, E4 and More4 are all well and good but I want the main channel, not to mention the Text. Any sign of that?

Mossy Monk

JohnDigital wrote:

Keep up, its already there, all ITV stations are.

you should keep up, this thread is about EPG placement in the RoI

JohnDigital

Mossy Monk wrote:

you should keep up, this thread is about EPG placement in the RoI

Doh! - :eek:

FREEBBC

ITV3 & ITV4 have been removed from the irish sky epg:mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad:
bring them back.;)

Our man in Havana

Have you been living under a rock?

mellow joe

Paddy C wrote:

Accoring to an official e-mail from UTV, they will be on the ROI EPG by the end of the year, whether this means ITV 2 will be on there aswell remains to be seen. This is an e-mail received by a member on Digital Spy after they e-mailed UTV:

Date: Tue, 8 Nov 2005 17:41:02 -0000
From: **********@u.tv>
RE: UTV In ROI

*****,
Apologies for the delay in getting back to you. I've been told
unofficially that UTV should be EPG'd before the end of the year. I've
bounced it off the chief engineer within UTV Plc to see if they are have
an official ETA yet. As soon as I get any info back, I'll be sure to
pass it on.

****

Again with the UTV:D how more of these threads?


(Ed. by Watty. I can create problems if you post 3rd parties names & email addresses)

iano

Just be aware that the email quoted is from an engineer (actually a technical manager, I think) in the ISP division of UTV.

He will have no direct knowledge of anything to do with UTV/ITV/TV3 on the SKY platform.

BrianD

Exactly. People overlook some very basic underlying issues.

1. UTV has not bought the rights to many of the programmes it broadcasts for the RoI.

2. While UTV is available on cable and mmds this is because of 'legacy' issues relating to these services being 'relay' services. A loophole but it still survives.

3. While a member of the ITV 'network', UTV is one of three independently owned stations i.e. no ITV shareholding. What ITV 1-4 does or doesn't do has no bearing on UTV.

4. Digital Satellite as a relatively new medium allows control of reception by geographic territories - something that appeals very much to programme rights holders. If you don't have the rights you don't get that region.

5. As fat as Sky are concerned UTV is a local station just like City Channel. A bigger and better one but a local station all the same.

So really, UTV on the Irish EPG is a long shot but by no means impossible.

What is interesting would be what ITV does with TV3. UTV is heavily dependent on ITV for programming. What if ITV decides to go with TV 3 ...

L1011

BrianD wrote:

4. Digital Satellite as a relatively new medium allows control of reception by geographic territories - something that appeals very much to programme rights holders. If you don't have the rights you don't get that region.

Analogue satellite also allowed this, coming on to 25 years ago now. Encryption and control of who has what cards where is nothing new and in no way, shape or form related to digital satellite.

There is, and always has been a world of satellite outside of Sky. HBO were using early scrambling systems to encrypt and control reception of their signal to the USA only by around 1984.

L1011

BrianD wrote:

What is interesting would be what ITV does with TV3. UTV is heavily dependent on ITV for programming. What if ITV decides to go with TV 3 ...

Additionally, you really don't understand how the ITV Network works. Programming is commisioned by the network not ITV PLC. ITV PLC may provide a lot of it, but it provides it to the network, who provide it (back) to all affiliates.

And UTV are an affiliate of the network. They cannot lose their ITV programming. TV3, however, are not an affiliate of the network; they are a company partially owned by ITV PLC and who, as a result, have an easy time getting ROI rights to ITV PLC produced shows - notice how one of ITV - that is the networks - biggest draws, The Bill, is unavailable. Because its not made by ITV PLC, it is sold to the network. And its owners, Freemantle, sold it to RTÉ for the Irish audience, because they have nothing to do with ITV PLC.

Just because Carlton & Granada bought out all bar 4 regions, merged and called themselves ITV does not mean they are Independent Television/Channel 3. Something I notice you said in point #3 and managed to forget completely by the end.

BrianD

That was then. It was all fine and dandy when the network started. It's obviously significantly changed now with only 4 players in the network. I have never read up on the ins and outs of the ITV programme agreement (or what ever laws underpin it) but suffice to say I wouldn't fancy being one of the three independents if a substantial amount of clout was held by the Carlton/Granada group.

Re digital satellite. 1984 falls into what I would term relatively new in the grand scheme of things.

Anyway, the key issue has always been point number one.

watty

Hit nail on head MYOB.

Indeed many of the programs purchased by ITV Network would have pan British Isles "rights". The ITV company (Carlton & Granada) is not yet actually ITV.

S4C~digidol was the "test case". It and BBC had ALWAYS intended to be FTA, They solved all the negotiating issues with the Program Providers, Actors, Writers, Mucisians etc of going FTA. This gave the BBC confidence and a template later to succeed.

The ITV network, being commercial was happy to let S4C and BBC be the pioneers and it was inevitiable they would follow. For lots of reasons (in more than one of Greg Dyke's speeches) ITV and BBC are unlikely to EVER return to Sky encryption.

If Sky decided it had a vested interest, THEY would pay costs of UTV & other ITV channels on ROI EPG. After all, while BBC pays Sky for UK EPG, SKY pays BBC for BBCNI1 and BBC2 NI EPG on ROI!

At the end of the day it (rights issues) is about money and profits, NOTHING to do with who owns TV3 or EU directives.

It's not about ANY laws, it is only about commercial civil contracts, some of which are only enforcable by not suppling more programming if broken, which since that would mean a bigger loss, often the providers "kiss and make up" when the broadcasters do exceed the terms of supply contract. After all without the boradcasters the sports and program providers would only sell DVDs.

L1011

The three independents have nothing to worry about, programme wise, for the lenght of time that the Broadcasting Act, 1990 continues to exist. The Network sources programming, they pay for what they use - which in UTVs case is less than anyone else and is missing some expensive productions like the evening talk show and Friday night primetime - and thats that. The original producer of the show owns it for outside the UK, and that is mostly ITV PLC, but UTV, STV and Channel will continue to have up to 20 hours a day of trash TV handed to them on a plate.

1984 was when we had 2 TV channels, the UK had 4 and one satellite channel and there were people watching 405-line black and white in Band I. The gap between then and now covers pretty much every TV technology advance we've had since colour and the start of the multi-channel world.

watty

I think conditional access on Cable (quite applicable to Satellite or terrestrial) is a LOT earlier than 1984.

In 1985 I did a proposal for a Kerry / Clare consortium on scrambling the re-transmitted BBC /ITV and also linking via microwave from a best pickup point.

INCLUDING how to apply for the licences!

The last meeting was in Railway Hotel in Limerick City. They squabbled. They wantewd to make money without spending it.

They asked if I had a plan B.

My plan B was to rent a couple of satellite channels. EVEN THEN it was financially viable to do this JUST FOR MUNSTER (likely receiveable on 1/2 of Europe). With conditonal acccess. And make a profit inside a year!

Who knows what the BBC & ITV might have thought about that!

I also discussed Rebroadcast with the BBC (I wasn't long away from them then). They were bemused and did not give any kind of sensible reply, other than that there was always "spillover" and ROI reception outside their control.

It wasn't untill years later that Irish Cable TV paid a penny to BBC /ITV.


I don't think I need to explain how far forward ANY co-operation scheme went between all those Kerry/LImerick/Clare retailers

L1011

Cable was never 'my thing', but yes, the early picture rotation, unkeyed decoder systems were in use in the US around the time of HBO launching - 1972.

philologos

ill stick with ITV London for now, UTV doesnt show the Richard Hammond Show at 5pm

watty

Was 1972 about the time too the first Direct to Home (or village) Satellite TV occured? Russian Sat with Indian Gov Education on about 870MHZ using big home mesh dishes lying in a pit dug in ground in each remote Indian Village. I remember some people claimed reception in England.

Sualtam

And ever since people have been saying 'UTV Coming Soon To ROI EPG';)

BrianD

Going slightly off topic. When the UK switches off analogue and goes completely digital. Can 'overspill' still be claimed (even allowing for the fact that the TX's are lower powered)? The freeview boxes are a one off purchase but is there and 'conditional access' involved and I use that phrase in the broadest sense. Can the copperfasten the rights issue on DTT as they have with D-sat? In otherwords, 'relaying' the BBC/ITV on cable/mmds would not be a 'given' as is at the moment.

rlogue

Strictly speaking, 'overspill' could be claimed as the main UK channels are free to air on Freeview. The area in which Freeview can be received in the Republic is much smaller than analogue, however in theory the cableco's receive stations could be somewhere on Inishowen where Freeview reception is quite easy.

BrianD

BrianD wrote:

Going slightly off topic. When the UK switches off analogue and goes completely digital. Can 'overspill' still be claimed (even allowing for the fact that the TX's are lower powered)? The freeview boxes are a one off purchase but is there and 'conditional access' involved and I use that phrase in the broadest sense. Can the copperfasten the rights issue on DTT as they have with D-sat? In otherwords, 'relaying' the BBC/ITV on cable/mmds would not be a 'given' as is at the moment.

Yes Terrestial overspill can still be claimed.
The aerial array that brings terrestial Divis to NTL in Dublin receives signals plenty good enough to receive DTT from Divis aswell.

watty

BrianD wrote:

Going slightly off topic. When the UK switches off analogue and goes completely digital. Can 'overspill' still be claimed (even allowing for the fact that the TX's are lower powered)? The freeview boxes are a one off purchase but is there and 'conditional access' involved and I use that phrase in the broadest sense. Can the copperfasten the rights issue on DTT as they have with D-sat? In otherwords, 'relaying' the BBC/ITV on cable/mmds would not be a 'given' as is at the moment.

The Digital Muxs will be increased in power dramitically and all the existing analog only repeaters (nearly 1000?) will convert to digital.

The low power is to minimise interference to Analog TV services.

There is no conditional access inherent on Freeview. Some boxes and most PC cards don't have CI or CAM. Only TopUp TV uses conditional Access. BBC is totally opposed to conditional access on Terrestrial or Satellite and always was. That's why they put their money where their mouth was and went FTA on satellite. They spend the money "saved" on conditional access on more services.

watty

The MMDS / Cable operation does not rely on "overspill" etc any more, all MMDS/Cable/Rebroadcast operators must by irish law, now pay the originating station for the rights (BBC1, ITV, C4, Five), or have permission for free carriage (TV5, DW-TV, BBC World TV, Al Jazzera etc).

The "overspill" concept only ever applied to private individuals, never to Cable/MMDS etc, The Cable companies "stole" rights for years till around the era that Chorus and NTL bought existing operations or RTE was forced to sell of the dublin cable that they had.

Ronnie Binge

Eternal Wonderer wrote: »

Accoring to an official e-mail from UTV, they will be on the ROI EPG by the end of the year, whether this means ITV 2 will be on there aswell remains to be seen. This is an e-mail received by a member on Digital Spy after they e-mailed UTV:

Date: Tue, 8 Nov 2005 17:41:02 -0000
From: Carl Stinson <Carl@u.tv>
RE: UTV In ROI

Mark,
Apologies for the delay in getting back to you. I've been told
unofficially that UTV should be EPG'd before the end of the year. I've
bounced it off the chief engineer within UTV Plc to see if they are have
an official ETA yet. As soon as I get any info back, I'll be sure to
pass it on.


Carl.

See this thread over on Digital Spy: http://forum.digitalspy.co.uk/board/showthread.php?t=301025

Paddy

Five years later, no sign of this.

Could we have some enterprising satellite retailer giving a push to combo boxes for free to air digital terrestrial/satellite?

In these recessionary times it would be good for $ky and UPeeC to get a spanking from free to air solutions...

Tony

Wow a five year old thread dragged up, is that a record?

Sam Russell

Tony wrote: »

Wow a five year old thread dragged up, is that a record?

That's what some people do when boards is off the air!:D

St Senan

Ronnie Binge wrote: »

Five years later, no sign of this.

Could we have some enterprising satellite retailer giving a push to combo boxes for free to air digital terrestrial/satellite?

In these recessionary times it would be good for $ky and UPeeC to get a spanking from free to air solutions...

We have, look here
http://satellite.ie/acatalog/Terrestrial_and_Satellite__Free_to_Air_Combo_Receivers.html

http://www.freesat.ie/index.php?cat=HD_receivers1

snaps

Least they can use the search function!

Tony

snaps wrote: »

Least they can use the search function!

Very good point although the search function is not always available.