RTE Announce FTA Saorsat service

swedex

zg3409 wrote: »

No and as others have said they won't for financial reasons unless they are forced. There is no sign of then being forced. Officially they are still considering it, as to say no would mean people may try to force them.

We presume no commercial station will pay to be on Saorsat if it is not profitable for them.

Is there any reason why they aren't they being forced?

If Saorsat is used as a backup feed for transmitters, surely it should be a requirement for any channel on Saorview to be on Saorsat???

The Cush

swedex wrote: »

Is there any reason why they aren't they being forced?

There was no legaslative requirement for RTÉ launch a satellite backup but they made a commercial decision to do so and no legaslative requirement for TV3 (as the commercial licence holder) to be carried on such a commercial service. They're not happy about the DTT tariff as it is let alone paying an additional charge for a service that will only cover the 1%-2% of the population not already covered by Saorview. They were happy with c. 85% coverage for analogue TV3, Saorview gives them 98%+.

swedex

I'm part of the 1%-2% of the population that can't get Saorview, I know people moan that tv3/5e is rubbish but I would like to have the option to watch them or not. Worse still, I can hardly use their catch up service as I'm in 1mb dsl land.........I do have a nice view of the sea though. :rolleyes:

zg3409

Swedex you should write to the bai with your views:
http://www.bai.ie/

I contacted them in the past and they were helpful and wrote back. Those relying on Saorsat need to make their voices heard for change to happen. The more people who complain the more likely something will happen.

excollier

I guess TV3 reckon what people never had, they'll never miss

dowtchaboy

excollier wrote: »

I guess TV3 reckon what people never had, they'll never miss

I have TV3 now, thanks to Sairview.

I wouldn't miss it if it went.

I have ITV on Freesat, and ITV+1, so apart from Vincent Browne there's nothing interesting TV3 delivers.

Mr. Rabbit

Paddy C wrote: »

What about having a spot beam for Ireland on one of the upcoming Astra 1x birds? Surely that's all that's required and the rights holders can't complain of overspill. If it's OK for the main UK broadcasters to broadcast FTA on spot beams for the UK, then why can't RTÉ broadcast on one for Ireland. That way RTÉ can be FTA to all and can also be received on Sky for those that choose to have it and also on any receiver for those that don't.

Should RTÉ not be pushing for this from Astra for the future? It would make much more sense than having it on a different satellite requiring different equipment.

Careful now !

Mr. Rabbit

swedex wrote: »

I'm part of the 1%-2% of the population that can't get Saorview, I know people moan that tv3/5e is rubbish but I would like to have the option to watch them or not. Worse still, I can hardly use their catch up service as I'm in 1mb dsl land.........I do have a nice view of the sea though. :rolleyes:

Saorsat's been set up for people like you !

At least here in the UK we have Freesat, if we can't get Freeview.

bigVee

As one of the 1 to 2% not covered by Saorview (unless the Whitehead Relay on C52 can be nulled out here after DSO to allow reception from Claremont Carn also on C52) I have been very pleased with reception from Saorsat over the past 6 months which to date is the only FTA means of decent RTE/TG4 reception. It would be nice also to have the option of TV3 and 3e but these channels seem likely to remain conspicuous on Saorsat by their absense.

Mr. Rabbit

bigVee wrote: »

As one of the 1 to 2% not covered by Saorview (unless the Whitehead Relay on C52 can be nulled out here after DSO to allow reception from Claremont Carn also on C52) I have been very pleased with reception from Saorsat over the past 6 months which to date is the only FTA means of decent RTE/TG4 reception. It would be nice also to have the option of TV3 and 3e but these channels seem likely to remain conspicuous on Saorsat by their absense.

Sounds good.

What sort of dish size are you using and what receiver ?

I would imagine the NIMM may be receivable in parts of the town.

Hopefully, we should get a decent Saorview signal from Clermont Cairn after DSO (Perfect analogue, no Saorviw).

Stinicker

I made a complaint to the Department of Communications about TV3's refusal to join Saorsat and how they are totally neglecting people living in the countryside.

I received this reply back from the DCENR today,

Hi,

Our conversation yesterday regarding the carriage of TV3 on SAORSAT refers.
I have received the following information in respect of your query :

There is no contract between TV3 and my Department. TV3 is a commercial broadcaster and this Department no role in the operation of TV3 nor in its commercial or business decisions.

TV3 operates under contract from the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI) to provide a national commercial broadcasting service.

The Broadcasting Act 2009 provides for TV3 to operate on SAORVIEW, should it wish to do so. TV3 has made a commercial decision to use the SAORVIEW service and in that regard space has been made available on SAORVIEW for the two TV3 channels - TV3 and 3e.

As you are aware, SAORSAT is a satellite TV service developed and operated by RTÉ. Its aim is to provide coverage of the RTÉ and other TV channels carried on it to the last 2% of the population so that all the people of Ireland can chose to receive these channels on a free to air platform.

RTÉ is not required to provide SAORSAT and has developed the service on its own initiative.
I understand from RTÉ that SAORSAT currently carries RTÉ1, RTÉ2 (HD), TG4, RTÉ1+1, RTÉjr, RTÉ News Now and 10 Irish radio channels.

I also understand from RTÉ that, subject to agreement of the necessary commercial arrangements, carriage on SAORSAT is open to TV3 should they decide that they wish to be carried on the service. That decision, however, is a commercial matter for TV3 in the first instance.


I hope this is of assistance,

Regards,

I am now planning to target individual businesses and companies who advertise on TV3 to highlight the fact that by advertising on TV3 & 3e they are supporting a company who has turned its back on rural dwellers and who will be unavailable to a very high percentage of people living in the countryside.

Hopefully if advertisers start pulling adverts and TV3 have a drop in revenue they might reconsider their shortsightedness of their refusal to join the platform, which will bring Irish terrestrial channels to large parts of Northern Ireland for the first time also.

steveon

Well done Stinnicker on your message to the bai

What is really wrong here is the following part of their reply.

RTÉ is not required to provide SAORSAT and has developed the service on its own initiative.
I understand from RTÉ that SAORSAT currently carries RTÉ1, RTÉ2 (HD), TG4, RTÉ1+1, RTÉjr, RTÉ News Now and 10 Irish radio channels.


Rte Should be required to provide the entire country with a feasible option to receive all the Irish channels and tv3 should be forced to take carraige or be refuted it's license. The same should be made to all new channels that are to come on stream in the near future.

The RTE Saorview team are a shambles, I am continuously asking them when the Killaloe transmitter in Co.Clare will be enabled for Saorview...their answer sometime in October as if I didnt know that already.....and will not be any more specific than that....

Gerry Wicklow

"... TV3 operates under contract from the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI) to provide a national commercial broadcasting service.... "

TV3 have an interesting concept of national

bigVee

Mr. Rabbit wrote: »

Sounds good.

What sort of dish size are you using and what receiver ?

I would imagine the NIMM may be receivable in parts of the town.

Hopefully, we should get a decent Saorview signal from Clermont Cairn after DSO (Perfect analogue, no Saorviw).

I am on high ground about 5 miles south of Larne and line of sight to the Whitehead Relay also about 5 miles away. Using 80 cm solid aluminium dish with Spiderbox HD 7000. Slight loss of picture only in very heavy rain. According to Digital UK post code checker I should get NIMM although Larne Relay will also use C39 (Vertical). Parts of Whitehead should get NIMM but I think only chance for Larne apart from Sky would be Saorsat.

Peter Rhea

Stinicker wrote: »

. . . that by advertising on TV3 & 3e they are supporting a company who has turned its back on rural dwellers and who will be unavailable to a very high percentage of people living in the countryside.

That would suggest that 'a very high percentage' of country dwellers can't get Saorview. That simply isn't true.

Hopefully if advertisers start pulling adverts and TV3 have a drop in revenue they might reconsider their shortsightedness of their refusal to join the platform, which will bring Irish terrestrial channels to large parts of Northern Ireland for the first time also.

It's been mentioned before, but TV3's coverage shortcomings on analogue never seemed to bother them or their advertisers. Also, I would think that anyone in the north who wants the Irish channels has got them by now, one way or another. Saorsat might replace a few Sky subs., but I can't see it winning new viewers for RTE & TG4.

Peter Rhea

steveon wrote: »

Well done Stinnicker on your message to the bai

Was actually the DCENR . . .

The RTE Saorview team are a shambles, I am continuously asking them when the Killaloe transmitter in Co.Clare will be enabled for Saorview...their answer sometime in October as if I didnt know that already.....and will not be any more specific than that....

It will be using the current RTE2 analogue channel for Saorview, so you'll have to at least wait until that becomes available.

EDIT: See this post: http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=80836444&postcount=300, for approx. switch-on dates.

Ronnie Raygun

bigVee wrote: »

As one of the 1 to 2% not covered by Saorview ...

The "1 - 2%" applies to the ROI only, not the north.

bigVee

Ronnie Raygun wrote: »

The "1 - 2%" applies to the ROI only, not the north.

I expected that to be the case but in reality Saorsat appears to be providing FTA coverage over all of Ireland. At the moment my only alternative for RTE would be Sky.

Stinicker

bigVee wrote: »

I expected that to be the case but in reality Saorsat appears to be providing FTA coverage over all of Ireland. At the moment my only alternative for RTE would be Sky.

RTENL's figure is a total joke and in reality the figure of true Saorview coverage is far lower than 98%. I wonder what sort of signal overspill in there in Northern Ireland?

With lack of Saorview in rural Ireland and Northern Ireland it is fair to come to a conclusion that there will be only about 70% coverage on the Island of Ireland. Saorsat is an unmitigated disaster when there is no legislation providing for it and there needs to be legislation abolishing Saorsat and instead providing a service of Saorview via Satellite with exact duplication of services available both available terrestrially and via satellite. TV station who are unwilling to provide service across via satellite should then be excluded from the terrestrial broadcasting system also. There should also be branding and certification of DVB-S2 satellite receivers similar to the Saorview brand.

At the moment some people are getting charged up to €400 for Saorsat an inferior platform which does not include TV3 / 3e.

The Cush

Stinicker wrote: »

RTENL's figure is a total joke and in reality the figure of true Saorview coverage is far lower than 98%. I wonder what sort of signal overspill in there in Northern Ireland?

56-60% depending on which document you read.

Peter Rhea

Stinicker wrote: »

RTENL's figure is a total joke and in reality the figure of true Saorview coverage is far lower than 98% . . . With lack of Saorview in rural Ireland and Northern Ireland it is fair to come to a conclusion that there will be only about 70% coverage on the Island of Ireland. Saorsat is an unmitigated disaster when there is no legislation providing for it and there needs to be legislation abolishing Saorsat and instead providing a service of Saorview via Satellite

They should just have concentrated on transmitting Saorview from more of the small sites down here & never mind the north. They have their own transmission network.

Also, when dealing with Saorview, you shouldn't confuse geographic & population coverage.

detective

Something really weird happened tonight while I was watching the Champions League. I have the Walker combo box and I have nothing connected to the terrestrial port. I only have a connection to the satellite port - a diseqc with Saorsat and Freesat.

Anyway tonight while watching RTE 2 HD it started to freeze quite a bit and it went from RTE 2 HD to RTE 2?!?!?!? How could this have happened? I reckon it's a problem on the broadcasting side of things and not the box? Didn't think Saorsat would ever have a connection to regular RTE 2 nonHD.

detective

By the way there is only a HDMI cable attached to the TV and no SCART.

swoofer

the game is boring so i have switched to saorsat, mine is fine atm but wil keep an eye. i dont rate walker stuff

Stinicker

Stinicker wrote: »

RTENL's figure is a total joke and in reality the figure of true Saorview coverage is far lower than 98%. I wonder what sort of signal overspill in there in Northern Ireland?

With lack of Saorview in rural Ireland and Northern Ireland it is fair to come to a conclusion that there will be only about 70% coverage on the Island of Ireland. Saorsat is an unmitigated disaster when there is no legislation providing for it and there needs to be legislation abolishing Saorsat and instead providing a service of Saorview via Satellite with exact duplication of services available both available terrestrially and via satellite. TV station who are unwilling to provide service across via satellite should then be excluded from the terrestrial broadcasting system also. There should also be branding and certification of DVB-S2 satellite receivers similar to the Saorview brand.

At the moment some people are getting charged up to €400 for Saorsat an inferior platform which does not include TV3 / 3e.

To be fair, not all Freeview channels are available on Freesat either - Dave is still encrypted on satellite.

Stinicker

Karsini wrote: »

To be fair, not all Freeview channels are available on Freesat either - Dave is still encrypted on satellite.

Yes but Dave gets the equivalent of <1.0% of the UK audience figures. TV3 & 3e by comparison get 14% of the Irish audience. Having these channels absent from Saorsat would similar to ITV and Channel 4 being absent from Freesat.

Freesat as a platform only took off when it got all the channels on boards and became a proper replacement alternative to Freeview in the UK. Before then people were relying on the Free to View "Freesat from Sky" cars which saw the channels encrypted but free once you bought the card for £20.

Saorsat addresses the rights issue by being focused over Ireland only and for much of the NE and SW of Ireland requires a whopping 1metre dish so it is not exactly available to the masses either. TV3 should be on Saorsat and they can't claim rights issues as they are already beaming into half of Northern Ireland on Saorview where it is easily receivable.

Peter Rhea

Stinicker wrote: »

TV3 should be on Saorsat

I wonder what would have happened if RTENL had upgraded all the relay sites & charged them more to be carried on Saorview? Would TV3 have bothered with Saorview at all?

darth_maul

No minor all ireland final on saorsat, maybe the GAA should be putting pressure on TV3, parts of Ireland can not get the matches they show. The GAA should never have signed an agreement with a broadcaster that is not available in some rural areas. Quite frankly other than the GAA matches TV3 wouldn't be missed at all.

watty

Only BCI and Government can fix it. BCI is useless.

Capt'n Midnight

Stinicker wrote: »

Saorsat addresses the rights issue by being focused over Ireland only and for much of the NE and SW of Ireland requires a whopping 1metre dish so it is not exactly available to the masses either. TV3 should be on Saorsat and they can't claim rights issues as they are already beaming into half of Northern Ireland on Saorview where it is easily receivable.

1 meter dish isn't a whopping big dish, most people who will need one will be in the country side.

In good weather a 40cm dish will do in North Wales.

For the first time Saorsat provides all-island coverage without contract.