Analogue Switch Off - 24/10/2012

chasm

I've had saorview, through an aerial in my loft, for something like a year now(forget exactly!) after buying a samsung tv with the required specs by reading this forum. I had an old lidl welltech tv in my bedroom connected to one of those small, portable indoor aerials and after weighing up pros and cons decided i'd give the tv to a friend and buy a new tv with built in dvd player rather than buying a box (i only have a single wall socket and between plug adaptors and extension leads i didn't want to add more plugs lol). I opted for a 22" technika from tesco and when i brought it home last night i plugged in the aerial from the sittingroom tv and tuned in the channels, then unplugged it all and attached to the bracket in the bedroom.

Now, the plan was my brother was going to go into the loft "one of the days" and run another cable down to the bedroom for me, but i decided to test it using the little aerial i had been using and lo and behold a perfect picture on it. Double checked to make sure it was the digital signal i was receiving and it was so am very happy with my purchase and so glad i didnt opt for the box instead. The picture on my welltech tv, using the little aerial, wasn't terrible but it wasn't brilliant either -you had to get it "just right" to get any teletext without blanks or 2 stories overlapping on the news (yes some of us still used teletext) lol, so i really was not expecting the picture to be anywhere near what it was on the new tv.

Am very happy indeed and thanks to all the helpful posters on this forum my switch over, from when i bought the samsung almost 2 years ago to buying this tv was very straightforward and stress free. So thanks Guys

The Cush

Roundup of the ASO news on RTÉ yesterday

Analogue TV signal replaced by digital - http://www.rte.ie/news/2012/1024/digital-switchover-television.html
RTÉ News Special: Digital Switchover - http://www.rte.ie/player/ie/show/10067763/
RTÉ.ie Extra Video: Digital Switchover - Making It Happen - http://www.rte.ie/news/av/2012/1024/media-3421588.html

The Great Analogue Switch-Off (Today with PK) - http://podcast.rasset.ie/podcasts/audio/2012/1024/20121024_thegreatan_c20032268_20032279_232_.mp3
Digital Switchover with Dustin joining John on the line - http://podcast.rasset.ie/podcasts/audio/2012/1024/20121024_digitalswi_c20032325_20032330_232_.mp3
Drivetime Maghera ASO - http://www.rte.ie/radio/radioplayer/rteradioweb.html#!rii=9%3A10066751%3A83%3A24%2D10%2D2012%3A (starts 16:00 mins in)

http://www.rte.ie/ten/2012/1024/soarview.html

TV3 5:30 News - http://www.tv3.ie/3player/show/2/54874/1/News-Updates (starts at 8:10 mins)
TV3 Midday News Bulletin - http://www.tv3.ie/3player/show/2/54847/1/News-Updates

Capt'n Midnight

Piece of carp antenna ( Philex 27743R ) going into a USB Tuner, downstairs, in the middle of a housing estate and I'm getting RTE2 :eek:

Richard

kah22 wrote: »

Does it have to be a HD box will an ordinary Freeview box not do. There is no way her tv will broadcast HD - it's one of them big monsters that it took two men to carry . All she is interested in getting at this stage is RTE and we would hope she would receive the signal been broadcast out of Belfast.

As long as it has a SCART socket it will be fine. As long as she gets a Freeview HD box with a SCART socket (most, if not all have that) then it will work.

I'm surprised that an OnDigital box is still working, btw.

zilog_jones

Here's my recording of RTE One from Spur Hill yesterday:

The transmission of blackness remains for over a minute before disappearing completely - this is not something caused by my capture card as it doesn't blank/mute static at all (as you'll see at 6:50 in the video), and my backup VHS recording shows the same.

marclt

The black screen will be where the signal feed has been cut off before the transmitter is actually powered down.

zilog_jones

marclt wrote: »

The black screen will be where the signal feed has been cut off before the transmitter is actually powered down.

Yeah I thought it was something like that, but it seems a lot longer than other recordings I've seen from other TXs. Maybe they had a sequence and Spur Hill was quite far down in the list? I guess they didn't want to cause too much of a shock to EirGrid by shutting them all down at the same time.

The Cush

zilog_jones wrote: »

The transmission of blackness remains for over a minute before disappearing completely - this is not something caused by my capture card as it doesn't blank/mute static at all (as you'll see at 6:50 in the video), and my backup VHS recording shows the same.

Following on from marclt post, listen to the report from the Maghera transmitter at ASO yesterday on RTÉ Radio 1's Drivetime programme

http://www.rte.ie/radio/radioplayer/rteradioweb.html#!rii=9%3A10066751%3A83%3A24%2D10%2D2012%3A (starts 16:00 mins in)

Antenna

The Cush wrote: »

TV3 5:30 News - http://www.tv3.ie/3player/show/2/54874/1/News-Updates (starts at 8:10 mins)
TV3 Midday News Bulletin - http://www.tv3.ie/3player/show/2/54847/1/News-Updates

Don't think this was linked to in posts here but TV3 on Monday (the 22nd) the 5:30 news had a report from reporter Paul Byrne from Cork:
13:30 into
http://www.tv3.ie/3player/show/2/54764/1/News-

watty

zilog_jones wrote: »

Yeah I thought it was something like that, but it seems a lot longer than other recordings I've seen from other TXs. Maybe they had a sequence and Spur Hill was quite far down in the list? I guess they didn't want to cause too much of a shock to EirGrid by shutting them all down at the same time.

I got no noticeable black screen, but then woodcock is one of lowest power "main sites" (used to be a relay).

The Cush

Antenna wrote: »

Don't think this was linked to in posts here but TV3 on Monday (the 22nd) the 5:30 news had a report from reporter Paul Byrne from Cork:
13:30 into
http://www.tv3.ie/3player/show/2/54764/1/News-

It was posted in another thread a few days ago - http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=81383984&postcount=16

formerly scottish paddy

Is it save enough now to say that ASO has not been a disaster?
All those predictions of chaos and melt down have not come true, even Joe Duffy need not have gone off on holiday! I think all credit to the guys at RTE NL for delivering Saorview in such a short time scale and on budget, it's not often we get a good news story these days.

The Cush

formerly scottish paddy wrote: »

Is it save enough now to say that ASO has not been a disaster?

And not a whisper on Liveline, they've kept him off air the last few day (allowed him back for Funny Friday tomorrow).

kah22

My last question was for a friend but now I have one myself.

I’m living in Armagh and wondering if I am receiving RTE 2 HD. My channel information says Ch55 746000kHg, 8MHz. It shows up on Program number 801

I ask because I have two aerials one pointing to the main Belfast transmitter and the other to the Monaghan transmitter. I was receiving a pretty decent RTE digital signal pre switchover.

Am I correct in assuming that if the picture comes from Belfast you won’t receive it in HD but in SD, but if it is coming from across the border then it will be HD?

As a matter of interest I have a Sony Bravia TV and a Humax HDR-FOX T2 assuming my signal is from Monaghan will I be seeing RTE in HD.

Thanks for the answers and sorry for all the questions but this digital switchover is quite confusing.

Peter Rhea

Channel 55 is used at Monaghan for Saorview & RTE2 on Saorview is HD.

lawhec

formerly scottish paddy wrote: »

Is it save enough now to say that ASO has not been a disaster?
All those predictions of chaos and melt down have not come true, even Joe Duffy need not have gone off on holiday! I think all credit to the guys at RTE NL for delivering Saorview in such a short time scale and on budget, it's not often we get a good news story these days.

There was always going to be a few hiccups along the way, that was unavoidable, like the case involving some households in isolated parts of Kerry, the backlog and running out of Freeview HD receiver stock for the Help Scheme in Northern Ireland (they must have underestimated the potential popularity of northerners of all shades wanting to get RTÉ!) and some confusion as to actually what services are provided on certain platforms e.g. Saorsat or Freeview from relays. It's hard to see how it could have been done more smoothly in hindsight - while some northerners might have been a bit confused as to what the "DSO xx days" logo on BBC Newsline might have meant, at least it brought it to their attention. Same goes for "X 24 OCTOBER"

geriatrix

lawhec wrote: »

...and running out of Freeview HD receiver stock for the Help Scheme in Northern Ireland (they must have underestimated the potential popularity of northerners of all shades wanting to get RTÉ!)...

My advice to all shades and no shade is to take the best offer - the Freeview HD receiver and get both Saorview AND HD.
My neighbour got a Humax HD-FOX T2, two new aerials and a year's aftercare for £40! It's free for some categories.
The Helpscheme is open to eligible people until 24 November, tel. 0800 40 85 900 or e-mail info@helpscheme.co.uk

Antenna

lawhec wrote: »

while some northerners might have been a bit confused as to what the "DSO xx days" logo on BBC Newsline might have meant, at least it brought it to their attention.

Surely the confusion there mainly was digital viewers seeing the DSO xx days BUG and wondering if some action/retuning had to be done with their equipment.
I was a bit surprised when I first saw it myself on digital satellite and wondered was a wrong feed being accidently sent for satellite.

galwaytt

quick question: I have a Walker combination receiver: since the ASO/DSO/whatever, I've noticed an issue with sound and picture sync. Last night in particular I found Primetime particularly bad. If I changed channel, and then back again, it re-synced, but drifted out again shortly thereafter.

Switching to the Satellite feed, the issue isn't there on the BBC etc, so seemed to me to be a Saorview problem.

Now, there is a sound sync function on the box, but in one 'direction', only, expressed in milliseconds iirc, but adjust that in the only direction you can actually made it worse - I needed to adjust the 'other' way, but it didn't seem possible.

Anyone else noticed anything similar ?

Johnboy1951

A sound sync problem has been noticed on some Saorview transmissions.

Once in a while I notice it .... I usually use Pause and then release it immediately, and the problem is fixed for some time.

I use an Ariva 120 Combi STB, but I have seen reports of similar events with other devices.

galwaytt

Johnboy1951 wrote: »

A sound sync problem has been noticed on some Saorview transmissions.

Once in a while I notice it .... I usually use Pause and then release it immediately, and the problem is fixed for some time.

I use an Ariva 120 Combi STB, but I have seen reports of similar events with other devices.

....so if it's across several different devices, is it safe to assume it's not the devices, but the service that's at issue ?

Johnboy1951

galwaytt wrote: »

....so if it's across several different devices, is it safe to assume it's not the devices, but the service that's at issue ?

Not on that basis alone, IMO.

There might be a commonality between the devices that causes it ..... or it might be from the transmission.

I do not know

Antenna

formerly scottish paddy wrote: »

Is it save enough now to say that ASO has not been a disaster?
All those predictions of chaos and melt down have not come true, even Joe Duffy need not have gone off on holiday!

The Cush wrote: »

And not a whisper on Liveline,

Though RTE are unlikely themselves to give very much coverage to any Saorview related problems, out of concerns it may causes advertisers (on RTE TV) and advertising agenices to be concerned.

A much bigger concern for them though (than actual reception or STB issues) is of course a precentage of viewers deciding not to bother at all with Saorview (at least for now) and only watch UK channels on existing FTA satellite receivers (or MPEG2-only TVs near the border).

formerly scottish paddy

Antenna wrote: »

Though RTE are unlikely themselves to give very much coverage to any Saorview related problems, out of concerns it may causes advertisers (on RTE TV) and advertising agenices to be concerned.

A much bigger concern for them though (than actual reception or STB issues) is of course a precentage of viewers deciding not to bother at all with Saorview (at least for now) and only watch UK channels on existing FTA satellite receivers (or MPEG2-only TVs near the border).

I would think that that number would be quite small and in terms of the overall audience percentage very low, and will diminish rapidly.
How long will people be satisfied only watching news and current affairs about a country were they do not live?

formerly scottish paddy

Well looks like I was right in what I said above. The "Saorview effect" has given a big boost to electrical shops.............so much for people not bothering to get it :rolleyes:
http://www.independent.ie/national-news/electrical-stores-get-powerful-sales-boost-from-digital-switch-3276095.html

The Cush

zilog_jones wrote: »

Here's my recording of RTE One from Spur Hill yesterday:

...

The transmission of blackness remains for over a minute before disappearing completely - this is not something caused by my capture card as it doesn't blank/mute static at all (as you'll see at 6:50 in the video), and my backup VHS recording shows the same.

Just had a look back at the shutdown I recorded on an analogue HDD recorder, RTÉ1 Mullaghanish

mouse click to analogue off - 3 sec
analogue off (black screen) to transmitter power off (static) - 18 sec

Richard

formerly scottish paddy wrote: »

Is it save enough now to say that ASO has not been a disaster?
All those predictions of chaos and melt down have not come true, even Joe Duffy need not have gone off on holiday! I think all credit to the guys at RTE NL for delivering Saorview in such a short time scale and on budget, it's not often we get a good news story these days.

I agree. Part of me wanted to laugh at stupidity, but there wasn't much to laugh at. Silly me.

The Cush

Richard wrote: »

I agree. Part of me wanted to laugh at stupidity, but there wasn't much to laugh at. Silly me.

I'd say Mary Curtis and her team are relieved - http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=81138287

Apogee

Irish Times wrote:

Around 55,000 households are without a television service as they have yet to switch to a digital provider, according to new figures from Television Audience Measurement Ireland.The 55,000 homes, which represent 3 per cent of Irish households, have had no analogue television service since the digital switchover on Wednesday, October 24th.
[...]
Vivienne Flood, from RTE, said that it had been expected that small percentage of households would be slow to switch and added that the figure released by TAM was in line with expectations.

However, a spokesman for the Department of Communications said he was surprised that so many households remained without a TV service.

“I would have thought that if 55,000 people were without television that we would hear more about it on local media and would be on the phone to Joe Duffy.”

Despite the number of households yet to switch, only 229 people called the digital switchover helpline in the two days following the analogue signal being turned off.
[...]

Full article:
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2012/1102/breaking26.html

Antenna

Apogee wrote: »

Full article:
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2012/1102/breaking26.html

I would expect most of those are not people that need any sort of help, but have decided to watch just UK FTA channels on existing equipment that does not also receive Saorview/RTE etc (be it FTA satellite, grey-market Freesat, cancelled Sky subscription box, or MPEG2-only TVs in NI/Wales spillover area) for the time being.
There are people known to me who are purely using FTA satellite for their regular TV viewing since 24th October, and using RTE player on their PC for certain RTE shows they are anxious to see.