Digital Terrestrial TV question

lukin

The other thread about the Maplin's set top box is kind of related to what I want to know:
I don't have Sky Digital but I would like to know if it is possible to get just the four Irish channels (RTE 1, RTE 2, TV3 & TG4) on digital?
(When it rains it affects the quality of my broadcast) Can you buy a set-top box and aerial/satellite dish?
I know RTE have rolled out DTT, I don't really know what it's all about though.

watty

RTE have not rolled out DTT yet.

Maybe this summer.

lukin

watty wrote: »

RTE have not rolled out DTT yet.

Maybe this summer.

I love this country!

Doodler

Just to give you the complete picture, lukin, DTT has not been rolled out officially, but there are live "trials" which incorporate the 4 main terrestrial channels free to air. This has been going on for a year or more - quality and consistency has been pretty good. Depending on where you are in the country you may be able to receive these channels now.

You would have to buy a set-top box (€50) and an aerial. There's a chance (small imo) that the set-top box will become obsolete by the time the service goes "official" in which case you buy a new one.

Doodler

Oh and if you already can receive the analgue channels you might be able to use your existing aerial!

watty

Buying an MPEG2 only setbox may also delay introduction of new channels. Too many MPEG2 only boxes could set us back years.

Doodler

watty wrote: »

Buying an MPEG2 only setbox may also delay introduction of new channels. Too many MPEG2 only boxes could set us back years.

No. It's caveat emptor for people buying mpeg2 tuners now - I can't believe their interests will be taken into account in deciding Ireland's DTT standard.

SPDUB

Doodler wrote: »

No. It's caveat emptor for people buying mpeg2 tuners now - I can't believe their interests will be taken into account in deciding Ireland's DTT standard.

If the Government say nothing when they could say something there will be a political stink about allowing consumers to be "ripped off"

SRB

SPDUB wrote: »

If the Government say nothing when they could say something there will be a political stink about allowing consumers to be "ripped off"

Ah, but as the transmissions are part of a closed trial (leaving RTE's Odd "switch on a TX, see if it causes problems, then if it does switch it off again" antics of Decemeber aside) only people who have been given trial boxes are meant to be watching and those boxes are MPEG2/4. As has been said time and time again here, don't buy a box just for the trial, if you have one well and good, but otherwise wait until the DTT service is launched. Whenever that may be.

SPDUB

SRB wrote: »

Ah, but as the transmissions are part of a closed trial (leaving RTE's Odd "switch on a TX, see if it causes problems, then if it does switch it off again" antics of Decemeber aside) only people who have been given trial boxes are meant to be watching and those boxes are MPEG2/4. As has been said time and time again here, don't buy a box just for the trial, if you have one well and good, but otherwise wait until the DTT service is launched. Whenever that may be.

They're not going to get away with the semantics of a closed trial when from Day 1 RTE1 RTE2 TV3 TG4 have been transmitted in the clear ,have been reported in the newspapers etc as such with no statement in reply saying "you shouldn't be watching as it's a closed trial " and indeed making no effort to encrypt the signal to prevent more people watching especially when they got their actual triallists

watty

The standard was decided already (MPEG4), but politics in this country works not on what is rational but political perception of what the public will take. The politicians could override what has been decided, just as the illegal deflectors that anywhere else would have been closed got licensed. Or the churches got given UK CB channels.

The Government has been milking this trial as much as possible as it wasn't really a trail at all, but mostly political to show EU we are serious about DTT.

lukin

Doodler wrote: »

Just to give you the complete picture, lukin, DTT has not been rolled out officially, but there are live "trials" which incorporate the 4 main terrestrial channels free to air. This has been going on for a year or more - quality and consistency has been pretty good. Depending on where you are in the country you may be able to receive these channels now.

You would have to buy a set-top box (€50) and an aerial. There's a chance (small imo) that the set-top box will become obsolete by the time the service goes "official" in which case you buy a new one.

Thanks Doodler, only saw your reply now as I didn't keep an eye on my own thread.
How does one actually go about becoming one of the "triallers"?
Can anyone do it or is it by invitation only (I know there's a whole other thread on that but it's about 12 pages long).

Edit:doesn't matter, I'm nowhere near Three Rock Mountain or Clermont Carn.

Antenna

watty wrote: »

but politics in this country works not on what is rational but political perception of what the public will take. The politicians could override what has been decided, just as the illegal deflectors that anywhere else would have been closed got licensed. Or the churches got given UK CB channels.

The UK also brought in a licence to facilitate church radio services too - in response to illegal church radios in Northern Ireland - this situation wasn't just confined to "this country". Its hardly a big deal anyway - that bit of spectrum is hardly seen as 'valuable'. Who else was looking for it? I don't think the IRTS were looking for the 10 metre amateur band to be extended below 28MHz? Business 2 way radio would have no interest in having frequencies around 27-28 MHz what with frequent and severe Sporadic-E interference (especially from Italy) and the cumbersome antennas needed. As it is 2-way radios usage between 68 and 87 MHz has died down a lot due to to mobile phones.

watty

Actually I think that particular one made sense too, it was just an example of something getting chosen as a standard because a lot of people using it. Sometimes it's a good idea.

I'm glad they didn't get given 50MHz or 70MHz.

homer911

I bought a new HD Ready TV in the sales - set it up, plugged in my trusty set-top aerial and turned on the auto tuning. The TV picked up the usual 4 analogue channels. It also picked up the same channels in digital, plus some "scrambled" TV signals, plus a number of digital radio stations. The quality of the digital channels is excellent and includes EPG. It doesnt include teletext however.

Looks like it works fine to me...

(Sorry, should I said I am in south County Dub)