TG4 Beo: TG4 revamp their online catch up service

Elmo

http://beo.tg4.ie

TG4 were the first Irish service to go live on the web with www.tg4.tv in Windows media player. (okay RTÉ had their news service online first) but not a full catch up/live service.

They have just revamp the service using a flash based player along the lines of RTÉ player, BBC iPlayer etc.

posullivan

Hi , had been playing around the new TG4 online player for the past week, seems to be better quality than the older windows based one especially as it seems to be flash based.A significant point is the website needs a higher speed ie at least 1mps to operate so that may affect a lot of users in the broadband twilight zone who can only just get 500kps like myself in lancashire,.
I sent an email to one of the lads involved and apparently they are going to trial slower speeds ie 300-400kps in the next few weeks for those like myself without superfast links.
It also seems that it doesnt work on the PS3, ( have tried the older "fat" model here in the UK @ 500kps:mad: and in west cork the newer slim one at 1000 kps:D, )the website works fine but the video doesnt start or at best the audio may come up but no pictures.
Would be interested if anyone else can get a better result as for a second there i thought i could get the BBC iplayer , CHANNEL 4 OD and CHANNEL 5 ,RTE PLAYER (limited programme range) ,TG4 beo and TV3 player (dont laugh) all on the one machine here in UK .
One can always hope:rolleyes:
Paul

norma.h

Hi,
Can anyone help me with getting tg4 online. I'm in the uk and used to get it fine. Having not been to the site for a few months I now can't get any of the catch-up programmes that I used to watch - just a black screen comes up.
do I need a different player or something. I love tg4, great music and documentaries!
cheers
Norma

Elmo

norma.h wrote: »

Hi,
Can anyone help me with getting tg4 online. I'm in the uk and used to get it fine. Having not been to the site for a few months I now can't get any of the catch-up programmes that I used to watch - just a black screen comes up.
do I need a different player or something. I love tg4, great music and documentaries!
cheers
Norma

I noticed it had a problem for me in Chrome (internet browser) but not in Internet explorer, do you have an error message coming up?

www.tg4.tv

norma.h

No - there's no error message, just a black square where you'd expect the picture to be. This is on a chrome clone browser (Iron), but the same thing happens on Internet Explorer and Firefox.

posullivan

am watching programmes fine online using internet explorer here in lancashire, ? update / reinstall flash player player might do the trick?

norma.h

posullivan wrote: »

am watching programmes fine online using internet explorer here in lancashire, ? update / reinstall flash player player might do the trick?

Thanks - but no joy. I've re-installed flash but nothing happening. I disabled third party firewall in case that was blocking it but no difference. Stumped!

posullivan

wonder if worth checking if you can get it on a diff computer from the same location? is it from home where you watch,get it on laptop or tablet vs main computer
i assume op sytem and anti virus is updated( sorry if i sound like teaching granny to suck eggs)

Elmo

norma.h wrote: »

Thanks - but no joy. I've re-installed flash but nothing happening. I disabled third party firewall in case that was blocking it but no difference. Stumped!

Tour De France is currently on air is that available internationally?

Working fine for me here in Explorer


is this link working

http://live.tg4.ie/main.aspx?content=611720637441

posullivan

working ok here, getting cula4 ,on tg4 beo

Digifriendly

Here in NI when I access this page it says 'TG4 are currently broadcasting content that is not available in your region' i.e. GAA highlights. Why then is this programme 'in the clear' on TG4 and not blacked out via Sky Digital here in NI?

Elmo

Digifriendly wrote: »

Here in NI when I access this page it says 'TG4 are currently broadcasting content that is not available in your region' i.e. GAA highlights. Why then is this programme 'in the clear' on TG4 and not blacked out via Sky Digital here in NI?

Online seems to have some strange rules over broadcast. For example they all seem to be paying extra for content which becomes on demand after its initial broadcast, yet I would think that this is purely a replacement to TV thus replacing revenues coming from broadcast which are being lost????? Do you have access to GAA 2011 on their on demand section??? Also RTÉ One, RTÉ Two and TG4 take away advertising from the web for some reason on their live services. TV3 only broadcast a few select shows live on line.

Minstrel27

Digifriendly wrote: »

Here in NI when I access this page it says 'TG4 are currently broadcasting content that is not available in your region' i.e. GAA highlights. Why then is this programme 'in the clear' on TG4 and not blacked out via Sky Digital here in NI?

I ask myself the exact same question when trying to use the BBC iPlayer.

Digifriendly

I think I may have the answer myself or at least this this is my guess/take on the situation - due to GFA TG4 hold Irish languague rights for the whole of the island of Ireland so AFAIK all their material is now broadcast 'in the clear' in NI via Sky digital. However the only way they can ensure some of their programmes which carry e.g. sports with rights only for Ireland (GAA/Tour de France) are not shown outside of Ireland via the internet is to block these programmes with non ROI IP addresses. This even blocks out those like myself who live in NI though we get the programme via satellite.

Regarding accessing BBC iplayer outside UK I guess its a bit similar but much more restrictive as BBC blocks all content to non UK IP addresses. Don't forget that due to programme rights even some iplayer material is unavailable for people in UK. Regional news programmes and some other regional programmes aren't always available. However it must be totally frustrating for those in ROI who want to access not only BBC iPlayer but other BBC sites with video material and find that its only open to UK users. It would make me very cross indeed!

Elmo

BBC worldwide also get paid by Irish Platforms (Sky and UPC) thus while they are available FTA via satellite the try to reduce their access to their on demand services.

In terms of sports if TG4 can have only Irish language rights to certain sports why not let them have live rights to Rugby's European Cup Matches