RTÉ Launches Digital Division (replaces RTÉ Publishing), trial RTÉ Player on SAORVIEW

The Cush

RTÉ launched it Digital division on Monday, the division replaces RTÉ Publishing. It will be responsibile for leading the broadcaster’s overall digital strategy.

It will manage and develop RTÉ's digital platforms and services such as RTÉ.ie, RTÉ Player and RTÉ News Now and will include RTÉ Libraries and Archives within the division.

From the Irish Times "the broadcaster said the concept of “free to access” would remain for “core” content and services extended on to digital platforms, but new services would be developed on a subscription and pay-per-view basis".

Managing Director of RTÉ Digital is Múirne Laffan (from Sept 2011), previously Executive Director of RTÉ Publishing.

RTÉ Press Release - RTÉ launches RTÉ Digital
RTÉ Digital - http://www.rte.ie/blogs/digital/
RTÉ Digital’s Strategy Document - http://www.rte.ie/blogs/digital/2012/05/21/rte-digitals-strategy-document/

This from the Digital Strategy Document

2 Innovation:

We will anticipate and respond to the changing needs of audiences, using technology to drive creativity and provide multiple complementary touch points to the public.

• We will intensify the pace and energy with which we extend and develop innovative content and services and deliver great user experiences across devices and platforms. Key services will be extended onto small screens and large screens.
• Mobility and On-Demand will be a key feature of our offering for multi-screen consumption.
• We will launch RTÉ Player on connected TVs.
• We will trial RTÉ Player on SAORVIEW.
• RTÉ Player will also be launched on cable.
• We will expand the distribution of content onto new platforms such as Hulu, Google TV, and YouTube.
• We will launch RTÉ Aertel Digital on digital cable and satellite services.

Some news links
http://www.siliconrepublic.com/new-media/item/27313-rt-s-new-digital-strategy/
http://www.businessandleadership.com/marketing/item/35250-rt-launches-digital/
http://www.iftn.ie/news/?act1=record&only=1&aid=73&rid=4284959&tpl=archnews&force=1
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/finance/2012/0522/1224316503422.html

Elmo

So RTÉ have role out their new Digital division to replace RTÉ Publishing.

http://www.rte.ie/about/pressreleases/2012/0521/rtedigital21052012.html

21st May 2012, RTÉ; RTÉ today announced the launch of a new division, RTÉ Digital http://www.rte.ie/blogs/digital/ which will be responsible for leading RTÉ's overall digital strategy. A central part of this strategy is to ensure RTÉ's content is available wherever and whenever the audience requires. RTÉ Digital will harness the collective digital expertise of the organisation to bring high-quality content and services to Irish and international audiences across a range of platforms, devices and markets. In addition, RTÉ Digital will continue to manage and develop its stable of industry-leading digital platforms and services such as RTÉ.ie, www.rte.ie, RTÉ Player www.rte.ie/player and RTÉ News Now www.rte.ie/news/player_newsnow.html.
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The division announced today replaces RTÉ Publishing and has been formed through internal re-organisation

And they are providing RTÉ Player on UPC! http://www.rte.ie/blogs/digital/2012/05/22/rte-player-available-on-upc/

And a new web based player will be happening in HTML 5.

Digital Strategy Doc http://www.rte.ie/blogs/digital/files/2012/05/DIGITAL-STRATEGY-DOCUMENT-16-MAY-2012.pdf

http://www.rte.ie/blogs/digital/2012/05/21/check-out-our-release-today-launching-rte-digital/

Apogee

RTÉ wrote: »

We will trial RTÉ Player on SAORVIEW.

They might consider updating their 'Minimum Receiver Requirements' first.

How many of the current Saorview STBs have an ethernet port?

mike65

I was going to say that's of scant value, still its future proofed.

the broadcaster said the concept of “free to access” would remain for “core” content and services extended on to digital platforms, but new services would be developed on a subscription and pay-per-view basis".

How long until we have real HD on all channels?.

Cart & horse RTE, cart & horse.

icdg

Moved to broadcasting.

Just another rebrand of RTÉ Commercial Enterprises Limited really, from what I can tell. Where the RTÉ Guide and the TV/radio tie-in business fits in this new reality I can't figure out.

Elmo

I don't understand how RTÉ can even trial RTÉ Player without a Broadcast Licence and certain putting it on UPC without a licence seems to be a very strange move, considering the messing surrounding RTÉ One +1, RTÉjr, RTÉ TWO HD, RTÉ NN and even Digital Aertel. (Oh alright RTÉ Aertel).

Poor Aertel!

Though I prob shouldn't give out considering the messing about with said channels.

Apogee

Why would they need a licence for RTÉ Player on either UPC or Saorview?

watty

No licence needed for Internet content.

Improving the content would be better than spending money helping UPC (the only people with significant numbers of customers able to have decent video over IP).

Cut the Presenter pay by 2/3rds and 1/2 the number of managers would be a start. This is another little empire for someone to eat licence revenue without actually producing content.

Elmo

Apogee wrote: »

Why would they need a licence for RTÉ Player on either UPC or Saorview?

I though it was broadcast based rather than internet based. Mainly because they only plan to provide 7days. TV3 Player is also being added.

I assume their other paid for VOD content is also Internet based.

watty

You can't do VOD on live Broadcast. There are two methods:
1) Really good Broadband and the ISP has direct connections to the Servers. The "public" real Internet isn't used.


2) There is a PVR HDD.
2a)In the background the Provider is broadcasting "likely to be wanted content" to everyone and the PVR secretly records this on a hidden partition. Sky does this and I forecast it would be done years earlier. This is cheapest and best method for "popular" content. Your VOD catalogue is actually showing what is on the disk already.
2b)You browse the VOD catalogue and the content may or not be there. If it isn't they attempt to stream it. If the connection isn't good enough it tells you the video will be available at <whatever time>. It's downloaded in the background to the HDD.

After a certain time or number of views the content is deleted.

For purely "catch up TV" it's possible to get the "ultimate" Tivo. A box that has so much HDD space and so many channels that it records all designated channels for up to 2 weeks!

There are also Cable Company based "PVR" where you have no HDD, but the cable company actually records for you and due to Fibre or Fibre/Coax can then deliver HD quality VOD.

It's not possible to do Broadcast SD quality VOD on the Public Internet in real time, never mind HD. "YouTube" so called HD is about 1/2 to 1/4 the quality of real broadcast.

Hotblack Desiato

Apogee wrote: »

How many of the current Saorview STBs have an ethernet port?

Does any currently approved Saorview STB have an ethernet port which functions for IPTV??? I doubt it.

dbcool

wonder will they launch it on saorsat too ?

Elmo

Just took a look at RTÉ Player and TV3 Player on UPC.

It is a pity the interface are not the same on both. Lots of Ireland AM clips on TV3 Player, I didn't click into any of the shows, RTÉ Player provides ads but you can fastforward, which defeats the purpose of advertising, not that I am complaining. I assume TV3 player will have as many ads as the Internet version a reason not to bother with TV3 Player.

No clear sign as to how much their on-demand service costs.

watty

dbcool wrote: »

wonder will they launch it on saorsat too ?

It's not actually "on" Saorview. It's using Broadband. So with suitable Broadband and box (the first rare and 2nd rarer) it will work on "Saorsat" just like on "Saorview".

Hardly any "Saorview" boxes or TVs have ethernet for Broadband. Less than 30% of Internet users in Ireland have good enough Broadband for decent VOD/HbbTV/MHEG-IC etc.

ftakeith

RTÉ catch-up on Samsung smart TVS

Samsung has teamed up with RTÉ to bring the broadcaster’s catch-up service to its smart TV platform.
The app will allow viewers to access a selection of RTÉ’s programmes through compatible TVs or Blu-ray players from this month.
This is the first time that the catch-up service has come to smart TV platforms. The app will work with Smart TV enabled Samsung’s TVs and blu-ray players sold last year and in 2012.
The new app has been designed with a larger screen in mind, so has had some changes to the interface and also how the video is delivered to the TV. Video is deployed at a higher bitrate to the TV than the desktop version of RTÉ Player, and also uses adaptive bitrate stream. This means that faster broadband connections will get higher quality video, and if the connection slows for any reason, the app will drop to a lower bit arte to avoid pauses in the video.
The move is part of RTÉ’s push to bring its digital services to a wider audience.
In recent weeks RTÉ has signed a deal with UPC to bring its catch-up service to customers on-demand through its digital set-top boxes, and the RTÉ Player is also available through mobile apps, the PlayStation 3 and online.
Samsung is hoping it will help drive uptake of smart TVs.

I have it on my samsung smart tv now

zg3409

ftakeith wrote: »

I have it on my samsung smart tv now

Can you post screen shots?
Can you tell exactly which TV you have?
Can you give a review of the service?
Are any programmes missing when compared to the web version?

Thanks in advance

Elmo

zg3409 wrote: »

Can you post screen shots?
Can you tell exactly which TV you have?
Can you give a review of the service?
Are any programmes missing when compared to the web version?

Thanks in advance

Samsung App V Saorview?

ftakeith

zg3409 wrote: »

Can you post screen shots?
Can you tell exactly which TV you have?
Can you give a review of the service?
Are any programmes missing when compared to the web version?

Thanks in advance

I don't have a mobile phone

Elmo

ftakeith wrote: »

I don't have a mobile phone

But do you have a TV?

Here is the press release from RTÉ Digital

http://www.rte.ie/blogs/digital/2012/06/07/samsung-partners-with-rte-digital-to-become-the-first-tv-brand-to-launch-rte-player-on-smart-tv/

dkane

I got the RTE player app on my Samsung ES6300 today.
Much nicer interface than on UPC.

Hotblack Desiato

Any chance of getting RTE Player on a Humax Foxsat, now or in the future?

It can get ITV Player (which works), and it can connect to BBC Player (but playback fails as it's geolocked.)

Johnny Johnson

ninja900 wrote: »

Any chance of getting RTE Player on a Humax Foxsat, now or in the future?

It can get ITV Player (which works), and it can connect to BBC Player (but playback fails as it's geolocked.)

I don't think you will ever see RTE Player on a Freesat box.

Hotblack Desiato

No. But there is no technical or rights reason why not