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DTT? What do we need

  • 24-08-2010 12:36pm
    #1
    touts
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,588 ✭✭✭


    What do you need to pick up DTT in your home from October?

    I assume it needs a box and/or boxes for multiroom. What are the best options currently on the market? Is there a decoder with a hard disk for recording? I presume the Freeview boxes in the UK are useless for the Irish system.

    Will the signal be strong enough that an indoor aerial will suffice or will it need a new external one.

    Can you use a line splitter (as with current analog TV) or will each box need a dedicated line from the aerial (as with satellite).

    Is there a subscription element (e.g. a card in the decoder box)?

    Apologies for asking what has probably been asked a hundred times but I couldn't find it and many of the threads here are now very long and technical for a newbie. I would like to get ahead of some of this before I find myself up on my roof in pouring November rain trying to line up an aerial in the rough direction that I think the transmitter might be. Perhaps a sticky thread with an idiots guide to getting DTT might be a good idea. With DTT being switched on in October for 94% of the population you would think that RTE would at least be telling people what to do to get it.


Comments

  • #2
    Randyleprechaun
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 876 ✭✭✭Randyleprechaun


    Hi,

    You will need the following:

    1. A UHF aerial pointed to the relevant transmitter for your area. This aerial must be correctly selected to suit the transmitter, to give best results. Some ancillary equipment may be required depending on your location

    2. All Tv's must have MPEG 4 digital tuner. If they don't you will require an MPEG4 DTT receiver at each TV location to allow digital signal to be viewed on your TV.

    If you have aerial(s) already, they may be sufficient to receive the DTT. I think if you can get a good TV3 analogue signal, you should be ok for DTT. I'm open to correction on that.

    If you are getting cabling installed for this installation ensure that it is good qualiy cable and not the cheap stuff.


  • #3
    watty
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 32,417 ✭✭✭✭watty


    More than an MPEG4 tuner.
    RTÉ Free-to-Air DTT Receiver


    NorDig Unified ver 2.0. equipment requirements http://rtenl.ie/downloads/NorDig-Unified_ver_2.0.pdf

    Based on above, RTE NL Soarview Minimum Receiver Requirements http://rtenl.ie/downloads/RTE-FTA-DTT-Receiver-Spec.pdf

    “Approved Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) Receivers

    RTÉ has appointed Teracom AB to conduct receiver
    compliance testing for Irish free-to-air (FTA) DTT receivers. Those
    receivers which pass the tests thereby meeting the Irish DTT
    specification will be eligible to be licensed to use RTÉ’s “Saorview”
    logo, which will confirm to consumers that the receiver is Irish FTA
    DTT compliant. RTÉNL will publish a full list of compliant DTT receivers
    on its web site.

    Manufacturers/distributors wishing to use the Saorview logo should contact Teracom (irdtest@teracom.se)
    to arrange testing. When a receiver passes the tests, it will then be
    eligible to be licensed by RTÉ to carry the Saorview logo.”

    via http://rtenl.ie/dtt.htm

    Summary

    * DVB-t (DVB-T2 will work as all support DVB-T)
    * MPEG-4 H.264 video even for non-HD
    * AAC support even for stereo, not just MP2 Audio
    * HD support for non-SD TVs (SCART down scaling) as there may not be simulcast SD & HD
    * HD only on HDMI (Copy protection)
    * MPEG5 extended EPG and Interactive.
    from http://www.techtir.ie/isaa/saorview/setbox

    Nordig 2.0 doesn't mandate MHEG5 middleware. RTE NL does. (Freeview HD is mostly OK, but AAC audio is optional on UK spec, not on Irish Spec)


  • #4
    The Cush
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 15,848 ✭✭✭✭The Cush


    touts wrote: »
    Will the signal be strong enough that an indoor aerial will suffice or will it need a new external one.

    The problem right now is we don't know the location of all planned 51 DTT transmitters. They are to be rolled between now and late 2012 (this is what we know now). Currently analogue RTÉ is transmitted from 170 transmitters, less for TG4 and a lot less for TV3.

    If you can receive analogue TV3 by aerial now you will be OK for DTT as it transmits from 12 large coverage transmitters and all are transmitting the current DTT engineering tests but DTT will also tranmit from 39 others that don't carry analogue TV3. Some of the planned 51 sites are new and have never carried analogue TV

    Some households will have to move their aerials to one of the DTT transmitters others will not be in coverage of a DTT transmitter and will have to install a new satellite dish (Saorsat) to receive the digital channels.

    Best advice right now wait until RTÉ launch their information campaign.
    touts wrote: »
    Is there a subscription element (e.g. a card in the decoder box)?
    There was a plan for pay DTT but that failed in May. Might happen 2012/13.


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