RTE to introduce DTT ... by 2001

MOH

Was googling for info about the RTE site being hacked last night and came across this article from December 1998.

Beginning with:

RTE Online is one of the better Irish websites on the internet. Often criticised for being top heavy and insular, RTE's outlook on the future of television in Ireland is anything but. For RTE, the future is digital and they want to give internet access as part of that package - all for £65 per year.

It goes on to say

RTE's DTT system is set for launch in 2000 with a full deployment expected by 2001. The most important aspect for many users is that it will also offer internet access via the same set top box. A 98% coverage is expected within two years of the launch of the service.

Gave me a laugh anyway.

watty

Old news.

The Government decided a Commercial 3rd party had to do it, which killed it off, as the only bidder was It'sTV with insufficient backing, a ill thought out and unlicenced plan for Broadband that would never have worked. That fell through in 2001 and the licence offer languished till the present 3 tenders received.

The commercial situation is now much worse for pay DTT with credit crunch, over 70% digital Pay TV Sky/UPC and 10% to 20% free Satellite viewers with all the main UK channels free (none free in 2000).

The Internet access was fantasy, misreporting.

Yes the box could use DVB-RCT to communicate BACK to mast at up to 20Mbps. But that speed is shared to EVERYONE on a mast. Real speeds would have been less than dialup. Internet maybe, but not Broadband. At least Interactive without phone line, which is the purpose of DVB-RCT.

MOH

watty wrote: »

The Internet access was fantasy, misreporting.

Yes the box could use DVB-RCT to communicate BACK to mast at up to 20Mbps. But that speed is shared to EVERYONE on a mast. Real speeds would have been less than dialup. Internet maybe, but not Broadband. At least Interactive without phone line, which is the purpose of DVB-RCT.

Well, it was 1998, back before the whole country had ready access to quality broadband as an alterna -- oh, wait.

Onikage

Old news indeed, if we were still using sterling (£) then!

watty

Punts IR£