What is MMDS?

I love Joan Burton

Im ashamed to admit it, i dont actually know what it is!

Why is ntl always mentioned? its obviously through an aerial?

Is it still available if so where?

blaz

I love Joan Burton wrote: »

Im ashamed to admit it, i dont actually know what it is!

Why is ntl always mentioned? its obviously through an aerial?

Is it still available if so where?

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=mmds

I love Joan Burton

blaz wrote: »

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=mmds

:P

In an irish context i meant

Minstrel27

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multichannel_Multipoint_Distribution_Service

This is what it is

I love Joan Burton

"In Ireland, UPC Ireland (previously Chorus and NTL Ireland) offer MMDS TV services almost nationwide"


Where does one enquire about these services?

BuffyBot

upc.ie?

I love Joan Burton

BuffyBot wrote: »

upc.ie?

Nope no real mention of it tbh on the site, im asking as im in the back arse (well sort of) of nowhere so wondering about its availability

Minstrel27

Contact UPC and they will be able to tell you if it is available or not. We have no way of knowing here.

gpjordanf1

Minstrel27 wrote: »

Contact UPC and they will be able to tell you if it is available or not. We have no way of knowing here.

Isn't there an option on their site where you put in your address and it tells what services you can avail of??

Minstrel27

I don't know. Is there?

Puggy

The link is on the home page... look for what services are available at my address

http://www.upc.ie

Just thought, maybe this thread is a wind up

watty

MMDS is on the way out, poor quality Pay TV. In a few years time will be closed and frequency used for LTE Mobile Phones.

It will not have UPC's HD TV, VOD or Broadband. So if you want pay TV and are not in a Cable area you are better with Sky.

But if you just want the main UK channels and Irish TV (i.e. no Discovery, Sky1, Sky Sport), then Freesat via dish + Saorview via Aerial is best with free HD channels and no subscription.

MMDS is a pay TV service of UPC, a lower quality, no HD and less channel version of cable.

icdg

Put simply, MMDS is a "wireless cable" service operated by UPC and available in areas which are not cabled. It uses a roof top mesh aerial and a set top box. It offers a subset of the UPC digital TV service. In Chorus areas the analogue service is to my knowledge still available, but its only an 11 channel service and doesn't offer any Irish channels other than TV3.

It was reasonably popular in its analogue form during the 1990s, but since Sky began offering the UK and Irish terrestrial channels, has really been unable to compete, particularly in ex-Chorus areas where the DVB-T (digital terrestrial) format is used. (This has led to a situation where UPC cannot use any of the equipment it uses in other markets on the ex-Chorus network and is effectively restricted to the gear Chorus ordered from Sagem).

I personally don't think it should be closed by the regulator, on the grounds that it is the only real pay-TV competitor to Sky (in the absence of pay-DTT which isn't viable IMO) and closing it would gift its market to Sky. On the other hand I can see UPC closing it of their own volition if subscriber numbers dwindle too low.

The Cush

The situation with MMDS should become clearer within the next six months or so.

A Comreg expert report and consultation is due in Dec. MMDS Licence review and liberalisation due next March.

BobMc

just recently gave up on MMDS and moved to the dreaded sky, we've waited years and the missus needs to be able to record some shows, will see what happens in the future regards mmds

steveon

BobMc wrote: »

just recently gave up on MMDS and moved to the dreaded sky, we've waited years and the missus needs to be able to record some shows, will see what happens in the future regards mmds

MMDS compared to sky is dire, picture quality is rubbish and has no record functions and way less channels, no Hd...stick with sky unless u are in a cabled area.

stacexD

I wouldn't bother getting MMDS. Not only is it outdated etc but you lose a lot of channels (mostly the american ones) and you can't get + on MMDS.

It's only about €1.50 a month cheaper.
Not 100% sure on this one but I don't think it can be included as part of a bundle.

MMDS is only still in use for areas where UPC don't have fibre optic cable put down, like out in the countryside or in certain places where they had issues laying cable through peoples gardens etc.

Also you have to get it tech installed so you can't save money with self install.

It's really just a half-assed alternative for those who can't get cable... should be a lot cheaper if you ask me.

Solair

I'd agree with all of the above.

MMDS is not really even in the same league as digital cable tv or Sky or FreeSat.

Wouldn't really bother getting it.

Cable's huge advantage is that it can deliver very fast broadband, way beyond eircom's current capabilities, and also telephone service without an eircom line.

MMDS however is just a bog-standard pay TV service.

Freddie59

steveon wrote: »

MMDS compared to sky is dire, picture quality is rubbish and has no record functions and way less channels, no Hd...stick with sky unless u are in a cabled area.

A bit of a slanted view there Steve.;) Picture quality across both platforms, depending on the type of TV you view it on, can vary wildly. No record functions? That silver UPC DVR in my sister's house must be an hallucination.:)

steveon

Freddie59 wrote: »

A bit of a slanted view there Steve.;) Picture quality across both platforms, depending on the type of TV you view it on, can vary wildly. No record functions? That silver UPC DVR in my sister's house must be an hallucination.:)

I agree some tv's arent too bad but the vast majority of screens will have a much blockier picture to that of sky, I often got complaints from people who switched from sky to Upc when I installed MMDS...

MMDS has served it purpose in the past but cannot live up to satellite tv which is why UPC itself operates a satellite service throughout Europe.

icdg

Freddie59 wrote: »

A bit of a slanted view there Steve.;) Picture quality across both platforms, depending on the type of TV you view it on, can vary wildly. No record functions? That silver UPC DVR in my sister's house must be an hallucination.:)

That no record functions applies to ex-Chorus areas where DVRs are not available, because UPC's standard equipment is DVB-C and doesn't work on the ex-Chorus network. DVRs are available to ex-NTL customers (ie in Dublin, Galway, Waterford, and Mayo).

Solair

Basically, the majority of MMDS customers are in ex-Chorus areas.

In ex Cablelink/NTL areas the MMDS network just uses DVB-C, the same as normal digital cable television, but with a smaller range of channels. This means that UPC can use the same boxes as they do on their cable network in those areas.

In ex Chorus (Irish Multichannel/Cork Multichannel etc) MMDS areas, there's a different technology in use. Chorus opted to use DVB-T, which is the digital terrestrial standard for their MMDS system. It is incompatible with their cable systems and requires totally different set top boxes.

There is really no reason why UPC couldn't implement DVR and HD services on the Chorus MMDS platform if they wanted to. It would simply require a new range of DVB-T boxes. They are obviously not very interested in developing the platform.

Something like this could be used : http://www.sagemcom.com/EN/products/image-sound/digital-tv-set-top-boxes/niv3/operator/terrestrial/eti90-hd.html

I would suspect the problem is that the platform's future is unsure and it is not really competitive with Sky or FreeSat.

enfant terrible

steveon wrote: »

MMDS compared to sky is dire, picture quality is rubbish and has no record functions and way less channels, no Hd...stick with sky unless u are in a cabled area.

I switched from sky to upc cable and find the picture nearly as bad as my relatives MMDS.

The 50mb broadband is great though.

Solair

enfant terrible wrote: »

I switched from sky to upc cable and find the picture nearly as bad as my relatives MMDS.

The 50mb broadband is great though.

I'm finding the image quality almost as good as sky on their HD box in Cork City.

Maybe it depends on the area and the quality of the set top box.

steveon

enfant terrible wrote: »

I switched from sky to upc cable and find the picture nearly as bad as my relatives MMDS.

The 50mb broadband is great though.

This thread is about MMDS not cable, two completely different things. Cable is again not as good as satellite but is way better than MMDS.

MMDS is through an aerial fitted usually to the roof of a house and is usually in areas out in the countryside or in newer built estates that UPC never cabled when they had the chance to and instead only provided MMDS to.

Dvr's were rolled out on the DVB-T system in Killarney and a few other areas by UPC but proved to problematic and were pulled very quickly.

enfant terrible

steveon wrote: »

This thread is about MMDS not cable, two completely different things. Cable is again not as good as satellite but is way better than MMDS.

MMDS is through an aerial fitted usually to the roof of a house and is usually in areas out in the countryside or in newer built estates that UPC never cabled when they had the chance to and instead only provided MMDS to.

Dvr's were rolled out on the DVB-T system in Killarney and a few other areas by UPC but proved to problematic and were pulled very quickly.

I know I was making the point my UPC cable picture is not much better than my relatives MMDS picture out in the countryside.

lucernarian

steveon wrote: »

This thread is about MMDS not cable, two completely different things. Cable is again not as good as satellite but is way better than MMDS.

MMDS is through an aerial fitted usually to the roof of a house and is usually in areas out in the countryside or in newer built estates that UPC never cabled when they had the chance to and instead only provided MMDS to.

Dvr's were rolled out on the DVB-T system in Killarney and a few other areas by UPC but proved to problematic and were pulled very quickly.

If they have proper cable in Killarney, surely some sort of simulcast DVB-C system could be set up and have customer boxes swapped out over a couple of years?

watty

No Spectrum for simulcast.

Comreg actually reduced the Spectrum of MMDS and has refused to licence extra spectrum for DOSCIS upload.

The MMDS could have been expanded, and perhaps should have been 10 years ago with Broadband using DOCSIS over Wireless. But Chorus and NTL messed up.

So the usually pre-decided outcome of the Comreg will be obvious. Closing MMDS as it uses the same spectrum as allocated to Mobile WiMax and Mobile LTE in the rest of Europe. A pity as the Fixed DOCSIS is a superior system.

Simulcast or changeover of DVB-T areas to DVB-C isn't financially viable. They would have to supply a box that can receive both (very expensive box, not even a standard item, all pay TV boxes do DVB-C OR DVB-T)... gradually replace all the boxes on a Mast and then in an instant switch from DVB-T to DVB-C. So blame Chorus and Comreg. Between them they crippled MMDS.

So currently most of it is poor quality and value also it's doomed.

Get Freesat + Saorview (or Saorsat from end October 2011 probably) or Sky.

lucernarian

watty wrote: »

No Spectrum for simulcast.

Comreg actually reduced the Spectrum of MMDS and has refused to licence extra spectrum for DOSCIS upload.

The MMDS could have been expanded, and perhaps should have been 10 years ago with Broadband using DOCSIS over Wireless. But Chorus and NTL messed up.

So the usually pre-decided outcome of the Comreg will be obvious. Closing MMDS as it uses the same spectrum as allocated to Mobile WiMax and Mobile LTE in the rest of Europe. A pity as the Fixed DOCSIS is a superior system.

Simulcast or changeover of DVB-T areas to DVB-C isn't financially viable. They would have to supply a box that can receive both (very expensive box, not even a standard item, all pay TV boxes do DVB-C OR DVB-T)... gradually replace all the boxes on a Mast and then in an instant switch from DVB-T to DVB-C. So blame Chorus and Comreg. Between them they crippled MMDS.

So currently most of it is poor quality and value also it's doomed.

Get Freesat + Saorview (or Saorsat from end October 2011 probably) or Sky.

Watty, did you read my post? I was talking about simulcasting it over their cable network if they have one in Killarney.

Freddie59

steveon wrote: »

This thread is about MMDS not cable, two completely different things. Cable is again not as good as satellite but is way better than MMDS.

MMDS is through an aerial fitted usually to the roof of a house and is usually in areas out in the countryside or in newer built estates that UPC never cabled when they had the chance to and instead only provided MMDS to.

Dvr's were rolled out on the DVB-T system in Killarney and a few other areas by UPC but proved to problematic and were pulled very quickly.

My nephew has one on cable in Kilkenny.

icdg

To_be_confirmed wrote: »

Watty, did you read my post? I was talking about simulcasting it over their cable network if they have one in Killarney.

The ex-Chorus cable network already is DVB-C. It's the MMDS network that is DVB-T.

Solair

There were a few MMDS fed small cable systems using DVB-T where Chorus had cheaped-out and failed to install a fibre feed to an isolated cable system and just whacked up an MMDS antenna instead.

All of the 'proper' cable systems including all the ex-Chorus ones, use DVB-C. So, you're not very likely to come across this system other than in a few small towns or isolated housing estates in the countryside.

Also, if those MMDS fed cable systems are plugged into a proper UPC cable head-end, the cable system would have the bandwidth to organise a temporary simulcast until the boxes were swapped.

There's absolutely no possibility of doing this with MMDS on air as there simply is not enough bandwidth.

Remember, that Chorus used DVB-C cable boxes made by Sagem in Cork and elsewhere, these are 100% compatible with UPC cable. They physically look like the Sagem DVB-T MMDS boxes, but they are not using the same technology.

lucernarian

icdg wrote: »

The ex-Chorus cable network already is DVB-C. It's the MMDS network that is DVB-T.

That's incorrect in some cases. E.g. in the likes of parts of Trim I believe.

Also my post was a query about

steveon wrote:

Dvr's were rolled out on the DVB-T system in Killarney

I thought that a place like Killarney would have had some sort of cable network already. So I wanted to confirm if that was a DVR trial for purely MMDS customers or if there was a small cable system that used DVB-T (picked up from another MMDS site)