RTE Announce FTA Saorsat service

Apogee

There is equally no evidence that Saorsat isn't a separate charge.

It's a matter of language regarding DTT backup imho - one thing to state "it is probable that Saorsat will be a copy of Saorview" as opposed to "it is expected that Saorsat will be a copy of Saorview".

The Cush

watty wrote: »

There is no evidence that Saorsat is a separate charge.

Apogee wrote: »

There is equally no evidence that Saorsat isn't a separate charge.

Discussed with watty previously.

Deputy Liz McManus: What will that provision cost RTE?

Mr. Conor Hayes: A limited amount, which is detailed in the document we have supplied the committee. It will cost us approximately €1.5 million per year. We can manage it. As other channels come on board, part of the cost will be defrayed.

mark_79

I have practically zero interest in RTE programming or anything associated with it however I am interested in knowing if this Saorsat (or whatever its called) service will be viewable through Sky set top boxes?

If not does that mean RTE channels will be dropped from the Sky boxes when the switch over takes place?

watty

It's nothing to do with Sky or UPC.

Neither Saorsat or Saorview can be received on Sky or UPC, ever.

Existing Irish Channels on Sky and UPC are not affected. It's up to Sky & UPC if they want to carry the new Services on Saorview.

homelink

Does anyone know when the test broadcasts for Saorsat will begin?
Also where can you pick up a KA lnb.

watty

1) No. Probably not more than than a handful even in RTE. They are secretive to own staff.

2) You can only get flange/waveguide kind. You'd need to make / buy a horn. Wait till you hear more.

homelink

watty wrote: »

1) No. Probably not more than than a handful even in RTE. They are secretive to own staff.

2) You can only get flange/waveguide kind. You'd need to make / buy a horn. Wait till you hear more.

Thanks for that.

getcover

Sorry if this has been asked before, but will the RTE digital service be avaialable through the aerial only, it won't be on any satellite?

another way of asking the question is will it be FTA on Astra 28 by any chance?

dowtchaboy

getcover wrote: »

Sorry if this has been asked before, but will the RTE digital service be available through the aerial only, it won't be on any satellite?

Polite answer: The RTE digital services will be on both terrestrial aerial and satellite. There may be some differences in what is available on Saorview (over the aerial) and Saorsat (via a satellite dish) - we just don't know for sure yet.

another way of asking the question is will it be FTA on Astra 28 by any chance?

No - the service will come from a just launched satellite on a different frequency & LNB to yer normal Sky or anyone else. We don't know if Sky will continue to carry RTE etc. on their EPG - they might. It does seem very unlikely that the Irish channels will ever go FTA (ie unencrypted) on any of the broad coverage Astra satellites as this would involve RTE and TV3 in paying much higher copyright fees - the Saorsat coverage is much much tighter - really only covers the island of ireland.

The www.saorview.ie site has a lot of infor as do the stickies at the top of this forum and the Boards.ie terrestrial forum.
Also if you do a search for "watty" you will find one or two posts about it.....:)

watty

sky will continue to carry what they carry and have option to carry more later.

Saorsat is supposed to just be fill-in and backup of Saorview, not a separate service like Freeview and Freesat.

www.saorview.ie

www.saortv.info

Apogee

ISAA reported possible activity on Ka-sat here. So had a look this evening, with Ka-LNB mounted offset to Ku-band.



I think this is 13E:


And if you go a few degrees west, get much stronger TPs - 9E?


The 3 TPs are IF 1439MHz, 1364MHz, 1117MHz. Assuming LO of 18750MHz, corresponds to 20189MHz, 20114MHz, 19867MHz.

Unfortunately, I don't have a DVB-S2 blindscanner

Sam Russell

Apogee wrote: »

Unfortunately, I don't have a DVB-S2 blindscanner

I do. Where are you based?

Apogee

I 'borrowed' the Uncle's Argus Mini 2-in-1 which is supposed to have blindscan.

It picked up at frequency at 11185MHz, SR 24995 which corresponds to one of TPs - 11185-9750 = 1435 MHz. Scan failed unfortunately. Signal may be a bit low, or the carrier might still be blank.

Souriau

Would a TBS DVB-S2 PCI card for the PC will work for SaorSat?
http://www.tbsdtv.com/english/product/8921.html

TIA.

12 element

Souriau wrote: »

Would a TBS DVB-S2 PCI card for the PC will work for SaorSat?
http://www.tbsdtv.com/english/product/8921.html

TIA.

I'd say it's likely that it will with the right LNB and dish.

LordSutch

Saorview Question (apologies if this has already been tackled).

I have a three year old Samsung 32" LCD (Mpeg 2) TV and I wish to receive Saorview using my roof top aerial in conjunction with the DVB slot on the back of my TV. So, can this be acheived by inserting the Mpeg 4 card, or do I also need a 'Saorview' set top box to convert my aerial signal?

Apogee

LordSutch wrote: »

So, can this be acheived by inserting the Mpeg 4 card, or do I also need a 'Saorview' set top box to convert my aerial signal?

Wrong thread and wrong forum. Try here for Saorview info.


Short answer: MPEG4 modules useless for HD services - get a box.

Mr. Rabbit

What's the current state of play with Saorsat ?

Are they currently testing ? When do they hope to have the service up and running ?

PressTheButton

The Cush has posted information on that subject HERE.

The satellite network (Saorsat) is being developed to reach the remaining 2% of the population and will be available in the second half of 2011.

- from Dept of Communications Ministerial Brief that Pat Rabbitte received when he became Minister.

PressTheButton

Mr. Rabbit wrote: »

What's the current state of play with Saorsat ?

Are they currently testing ? When do they hope to have the service up and running ?

Have you not been reading your Ministerial briefs, Pat (alias Mr. Rabbit)?

Mr. Rabbit

The satellite network (Saorsat) is being developed to reach the remaining 2% of the population and will be available in the second half of 2011.

Still doesn't tell me what's currently happening though. The second half of 2011 is surely a bit vague ? Any time after mid June then ? Or maybe as late as Christmas ? Is anyone in the anorak faternity currently receiving any signals ?

Have you not been reading your Ministerial briefs, Pat (alias Mr. Rabbit)?

Hey, but I'm a singer, (i.e. Eddie Rabbit) not an Irish Politician, so I'm not really au fait with these things.

rob the satman

Not Roger Rabbit then:D:D

The Cush

Mr. Rabbit wrote: »

What's the current state of play with Saorsat ?

Are they currently testing ? When do they hope to have the service up and running ?

Mr. Rabbit wrote: »

Still doesn't tell me what's currently happening though. The second half of 2011 is surely a bit vague ? Any time after mid June then ? Or maybe as late as Christmas ? Is anyone in the anorak faternity currently receiving any signals ?

Latest semi-official information from a Saorview trade event a few weeks ago (discussion starts here).

Basically RTÉ are saying nothing about Saorsat right now.

scaller wrote: »

On the topic of Saorsat it is not certain whether this system will work or not as Des said this only at trial at the moment he didn't seem to want to talk about it.

Deleted User wrote: »

They are testing saorSAT at the moment they said, but could offer no information on it or wheter it would work even.It's all that new to them.

scaller wrote: »

And Des said that at the moment he is not going to discuss saorsat.

scaller wrote: »

He wasn't very forthcoming on the subject of Saorsat.

Latest official information

RTÉNL expect to be able to make more information publicly available about this new service in late 2011.

http://www.saorview.ie/what-is-saorview/saorsat/

Mr. Rabbit wrote: »

Is anyone in the anorak faternity currently receiving any signals ?

See post #1122 on the previous page

Mr. Rabbit

Thanks for the info. cush.

Looks like we'll have to wait a wee while longer !

Joe7

rob the satman wrote: »

Not Roger Rabbit then

Peter Rabbit, more like . . .

Mr. Rabbit

Nor Pat :D:D

Apogee

Three Criteria Test on the Broadcasting Transmissions Market

Submissions:
http://www.comreg.ie/publications/consultation_submissions_-_three_criteria_test_on_the_broadcasting_transmissions_market.583.103838.p.html

Response:
http://www.comreg.ie/publications/response_to_consultation_-_three_criteria_test_on_the_broadcasting_transmission_market.583.103837.p.html

It's remarkable that McCarthy didn't recommend abolishing this useless bloody talking shop and having its functions absorbed back into the Dept. Anyway, couple of references to Saorsat in the submissions:

RT&#201 wrote:

Q. 2. Do you agree with ComReg’s draft finding that the retail pay TV (cable and satellite) and free to air terrestrial TV services, which are national in scope, are not in the same retail market? Please explain your answer and provide evidence where available.

RTÉ does not agree, and points to the take-up by circa 10% of the Irish population of the UK Free Satellite service, thereby proving that the free-to-air and Pay TV markets are becoming indistinguishable. The advent of Irish DTT and the existence of combination-receivers which can receive both terrestrial Irish DTT and free-to-air UK satellite services further underlines this development. In addition, the Consultation document refers to SAORSAT, the proposed free-to-air Irish satellite service, on pages 23 and 24, and RTÉ contends that given the variety of free-to-air services coming into the Irish market that the market could be expected to tend towards the inclusion of both pay TV and free-to-air over time.

RT&#201 wrote:

Finally, RTÉ cannot agree with the expressed view on page 42 that despite the proposed free-to-air digital satellite service (SAORSAT) that ‘it is unlikely that households could adjust their dishes.’ Therefore, RTÉ and RTÉNL do not agree that the second criterion is satisfied in the Irish national terrestrial broadcasting market.

TV3 Gobdaws wrote:

RTÉ’s proposed Saorsat platform, whilst meeting the need to reach the “final 2%” of Irish homes, does present the end user with an expensive alternative to free-to-air reception (currently estimated at €375). End users would have to purchase set-top boxes capable of receiving the Ka band. Promotion by the state broadcaster of hybrid boxes capable of Ka and Ku band signals, at what is likely a higher price, present possible state aid issues regarding the promotion of a competing satellite platform capable of receiving non-Irish channels, that currently exist “in the clear”.

Apogee

FWIW I check Ka-sat again over w/e and the signal at 1439MHz was gone (bottom most peak on previous photo). This was the peak which was detected by the blindscan receiver.

Pangea

More information by late 2011?
Thats disappointing ,first they said saorsat would be running in the 2nd Quarter of 2011, big difference.

STB

That doent mean it wont be available to anoraks before then!

Profesionally it wont be available for test till the end of this month anyway. And that includes other users such as Satellite Broadband Ireland.