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RTENL Website - RTÉ Free-to-Air DTT Receiver Specification

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Comments

  • #32
    The Cush
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2, Paid Member Posts: 16,314 ✭✭✭✭The Cush


    Mark#1 wrote: »
    Is there a list anywhere of what countries use MPEG4/MPEG2?

    ...

    AFAIK, the following are correct. Can anyone add or correct?

    MPEG2
    UK
    France SD

    MPEG4
    Ireland
    France HD
    NZ
    Oz
    Estonia
    Poland

    See a previous post here for a list of MPEG4 countries.
    Also another list on DigiTAG.


  • #33
    lawhec
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,757 ✭✭✭lawhec


    Mark#1 wrote: »
    AFAIK, the following are correct. Can anyone add or correct?

    MPEG2
    UK
    France SD

    MPEG4
    Ireland
    France HD
    NZ
    Oz
    Estonia
    Poland


    Mark
    Australia is still currently MPEG2 for SD and HD channels. Some talk about MPEG4 services, but no formal moves yet. DTT setup plan from the start has been different to that in Europe & more like the USA, incumbent broadcaster given a (temporary) frequency to transmit a multiplex which contains at the minimum a SD simulcast of the analogue channel and a HD channel that is also normally a simulcast but may at times show different programming. Commercial broadcasters were barred from "multicasting" or setting up new, different/specialist channels on their multiplex but this bar was lifted on 1st Janurary. The main terrestrial broadcasters, both commercial and public, are pooling their resources together to start a free-to-air branded service to complement/compete against the Pay-TV providers called... you guessed it - Freeview! The logo they're using looks frightfully familiar as well...

    http://www.freeview.com.au

    The public networks, ABC and SBS, have been permitted to do limited multicasting before 1st Janurary this year. ABC have had ABC2, a second spin-off channel that is a bit more experimental than the core ABC1 (known simply as ABC TV until last year) channel. My experience is that for those with just DTT, ABC2 is quite a popular channel but is less so with those who have Pay-TV packages from Foxtel or Austar. SBS, the multicultural broadcaster, have their World News Channel. This is basically a near 24-hour version (doesn't broadcast in the wee hours) of the rolling rebroadcasting of news bullitens from around the world in languages other than English that takes up the morning & early afternoon of the main SBS channel. I'm sure it is useful for recently immigrated families from Asia & mainland Europe, as well as those who speak a language other than English in the home. However as these broadcasts are not subtitled in English (SBS say that once this was done, their usefulness would be nil which is a little bit odd considering then that the news bulliten itself might already be out of date depending on world events) they're of little use to those that only speak English, though this has not stopped me having a curious glance.

    Hmmm, maybe all of that should be on a different topic, but I felt it was worth telling!

    Anyway, any country which has already switched off their analogue TV broadcasts are currently MPEG2. This would include Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Finland, Sweden (though there are moves to go MPEG4 in the future), Luxembourg, the Netherlands & Flemish Belgium. You can then add to this list countries still broadcasting analogue TV, the UK, France (FTA television), Spain, Italy & Denmark (again moves are planned to convert to MPEG4 in the near future).


  • #34
    STB
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,178 ✭✭✭STB


    The simple reality of it is that there is no in between. There never ever will be "SD" Mpeg4 boxes on the market, anyhow.. Technology has long moved on.

    Mark the ONLY country to us with the very same spec is the kiwis (and including the MHEG5 middleware). The nearest in terms of available products without the middleware is France.

    Boxes will not be specifically made for the Irish market. HD DTT boxes are already down below €100 thanks to countries like France, Croatia, Poland and Sweden. Ireland is too small to bring the price down any further. Our best hope is that someone has the sense to source a cheap OEM and brand it (like say Power City for example).

    An example of the boxes popular in France

    The Techwood RTHD-500B is available for €100.

    The Sagem ITD-81HD is around the €90. It was €51 last month on special.

    The Netbox Netgem 7600 is about €140.

    Of course you'll get any of these second hand for about half the price on the french ebay. Use TNT HD as a search term. I am not allowed any more DTT boxes in the house :(.

    Still the combo boxes are the best value. An Mvision for €189 the most freely available.


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