DTT - Bandwidth vs Channel count

dgently

If I've understood this corectly, the numbers and types of channels possible for IRL DTT is limited, especially while it is being broadcast along with (as opposed to instead of) the full analogue signal.

Common sense suggests they will continue to use standard MPEG2 for the four FTA channels. Could Channel 6 also be considered a domestic channel? There are so many TVs being sold with integrated tuners that it would be hard to imagine them doing anything else for the home channels.

It also seems logical to expect encryption of the remainder - and if there's encryption then wouldn't that make MPEG4 the logical choice (given that a special STB would be required)?

If they go with MPEG4, would that make a HD channel more feasable?

How many MPEG4 SD channels could be broadcast along with the analogue feed and the MPEG2 FTA's?

Mossy Monk

dgently wrote:

Could Channel 6 also be considered a domestic channel?

in the same sense as RTÉ, TV3 and TG4 i wouldnt think so

Fingleberries

Mossy Monk wrote:

in the same sense as RTÉ, TV3 and TG4 i wouldnt think so

Why not? Just because the station started on Cable?

What would be the requirement to see Channel 6 as a domestic channel?
- More news / home grown content?

- TV3 have only recently started producing more local content.
- TG4 shows large quantities of imported content

Mossy Monk

Fingleberries wrote:

Why not? Just because the station started on Cable?

What would be the requirement to see Channel 6 as a domestic channel?
- More news / home grown content?

not because the station is on cable, but as you said yourself, news and home grown content. granted TV3 barely qualify with that criteria. Channel 6 in my eyes is another Sky One/E4 type channel

although TG4 show a lot of imported programming they also show a massive amount of home grown programming too

watty

Any MPEG2 Digital TVs with CI slot can do SD MPEG4 (not HD).

Sadly most of the newer TVs sold here, while having digtal & analogue tuners in Europe and UK are sold here with Analogue only.

Alun

watty wrote:

Any MPEG2 Digital TVs with CI slot can do SD MPEG4 (not HD).

Is that via the MPEG4 decoder card you mentioned earlier, or are there other devices available that would plug into the CI slot? Just curious seeing as I've just bought a Philips set with DVB-T and CI slot Are such things readily available or only through specialist sources?

Sadly most of the newer TVs sold here, while having digtal & analogue tuners in Europe and UK are sold here with Analogue only.

I've found that it tends to be the higher end sets that have the digital tuners, in fact I'd say it's difficult to find a set in this class that doesn't have one.

Uncle Grueber

Mossy Monk wrote:

not because the station is on cable, but as you said yourself, news and home grown content. granted TV3 barely qualify with that criteria. Channel 6 in my eyes is another Sky One/E4 type channel

although TG4 show a lot of imported programming they also show a massive amount of home grown programming too

So PopScene, Night Shift & Day Shift, Take Six, The Loop, Global Beat, Pop 20, Game On - all Irish produced programmes on Channel 6, aren't enough to qualify it as a domestic Irish channel then???

Mossy Monk

what news do they offer?

Uncle Grueber

Mossy Monk wrote:

what news do they offer?

So you believe that broadcasting news is a prerequisite to being considered a domestic channel?

Mossy Monk

and where exactly did you get that from? Channel 6 is the same as Sky One and all those other channels