NI Mini Mux RTÉ1 & TG4 picture quality

TAFKAlawhec

Is it me or is the SD picture quality for RTÉ1 and TG4 on the NIMM (Brougher Mountain in my case) a good bit better than the equivalent on Saorview? It's particularly noticeable on solid, on-screen graphics (not the channel DOGs) on the likes of scoreboards for sports coverage or the banners used for Nuacht TG4, Morning Ireland etc.where the contrast of foreground and background colours show a good difference in sharpness compared to the same channel on Saorview which is noticeably softer & blurry in comparison.

I don't have a DVB-T2 USB tuner to properly analyse it, but it seems to me all three video streams on the NIMM, including RTÉ2 in SD, are broadcast in full D1 resolution (720/704 x 576 pixels) compared to RTÉ1 and TG4 being 544 x 576 on Saorview.

Seems to me that other than for programme rights blocking, northerners watching RTÉ1 or TG4 on the NIMM are getting a better picture to watch compared to southerners through Saorview. Certainly if I'm watching a programme on either channel I now prefer to watch via the NIMM mux rather than Saorview.

Digifriendly

RTE2 though is obviously superior on Saorview due to HD.

Antenna

BTW are the usual teletext services available on RTE1, 2 and TG4 on the NI mini-mux (NIMM)??

Souriau

Antenna wrote: »

BTW are the usual teletext services available on RTE1, 2 and TG4 on the NI mini-mux (NIMM)??

No old style Aertel or new MHEG-5 digital text on NIMM platform

Digifriendly

Souriau wrote: »

No old style Aertel or new MHEG-5 digital text on NIMM platform

Interestingly no digital text either on any HD channels in NI on Freeview.

zg3409

Digifriendly wrote: »

Interestingly no digital text either on any HD channels in NI on Freeview.

Are you using a freeview HD certified box?

Mr. Rabbit

Souriau wrote: »

No old style Aertel or new MHEG-5 digital text on NIMM platform

Yep, only on the Sky NI service.

Analogue text is also still carried on TV3, 3e, and TG4 on Saorview.

A digital text service is available on RTE 1, RTE 2, and RTE News Now.

Souriau

Digifriendly wrote: »

Interestingly no digital text either on any HD channels in NI on Freeview.

I have Freeview certified PVR, Humax HDR-Fox T2.
Digital text does work on BBC channels and Sky Text on 206 but not on TG4/RTE on channel 51, 52 or 53 via NIMM

Mr. Rabbit

Sky 206

?????????

RTE 1, RTE 2 HD, and TG4 are on Sky channels 161,162,and 163 respectively on a Sky HD box. RTE 2 (SD) is on 227. Analogue text is avalable through all these channels, but only via a scart connection. It wont work using an HDMI port.

The old standard Sky SD boxes have RTE 2 on 162 with RTE 2 HD on 227, though the HD service is unavailable.

There is no digital text on the Sky NI service.

Ronnie Raygun

Mr. Rabbit wrote: »

?????????

206 is the LCN for Sky text on Freeview.

Souriau

Mr. Rabbit wrote: »

?????????

RTE 1, RTE 2 HD, and TG4 are on Sky channels 161,162,and 163 respectively on a Sky HD box. RTE 2 (SD) is on 227. Analogue text is avalable through all these channels, but only via a scart connection. It wont work using an HDMI port.

The old standard Sky SD boxes have RTE 2 on 162 with RTE 2 HD on 227, though the HD service is unavailable.

There is no digital text on the Sky NI service.

We are talking about Freeview NIMM via terrestrial not satellite transmission of RTE

winston_1

Mr. Rabbit wrote: »

Yep, only on the Sky NI service.

Analogue text is also still carried on TV3, 3e, and TG4 on Saorview.

A digital text service is available on RTE 1, RTE 2, and RTE News Now.

W S teletext (what you wrongly refer to as analogue teletext as all teletext is digital) cannot be decoded on most Freeview HD boxes. One exception is the Icecrypt box and it would be interesting if anyone has one to check for WST on the NI minimux.

Mr. Rabbit

Souriau wrote: »

We are talking about Freeview NIMM via terrestrial not satellite transmission of RTE

Yep, I know.

However, analogue text from RTE was mentioned. This is only avalable via digital satellite and not on Saorview or the NIMM.

The oonly analogue text service currently available on Saorview is on TG4, TV3, and 3e.

Souriau

TAFKAlawhec wrote: »

Is it me or is the SD picture quality for RTÉ1 and TG4 on the NIMM (Brougher Mountain in my case) a good bit better than the equivalent on Saorview? It's particularly noticeable on solid, on-screen graphics (not the channel DOGs) on the likes of scoreboards for sports coverage or the banners used for Nuacht TG4, Morning Ireland etc.where the contrast of foreground and background colours show a good difference in sharpness compared to the same channel on Saorview which is noticeably softer & blurry in comparison.

I don't have a DVB-T2 USB tuner to properly analyse it, but it seems to me all three video streams on the NIMM, including RTÉ2 in SD, are broadcast in full D1 resolution (720/704 x 576 pixels) compared to RTÉ1 and TG4 being 544 x 576 on Saorview.

Seems to me that other than for programme rights blocking, northerners watching RTÉ1 or TG4 on the NIMM are getting a better picture to watch compared to southerners through Saorview. Certainly if I'm watching a programme on either channel I now prefer to watch via the NIMM mux rather than Saorview.

I checked this last night

Freeview NIMM DVB-T2 platform
RTE1, RTE2 & TG4 are 720x576

Saorview DVB-T platform
RTE1, TV3 & TG4 are 544x576
RTE2 HD is 1440x1080

TAFKAlawhec

The NImm doesn't seem to carry any MHEG data (i.e. no Aertel V2.0) and while I don't know about WST, it would seem pretty pointless to do so when it isn't part of the Freeview HD spec.

Souriau

NIMM doesn't transmitt Digital text or EBU or WST for RTE & TG4, the only data is being transmitted is subtitles.

On RTE1 via NIMM I see this
Stream 0 = Video 720x576, H264 MPEG-4 AVC part 10
Stream 1 = Audio layer 1,2,3, mpga, 48000 Hz, 192kb/s
Stream 2 = Subtitles DVB

On RTE1 via Saorview I see this
Stream 0 = Video 544x576, H264 MPEG-4 AVC part 10
Stream 1 = Audio layer 1,2,3, mpga, 48000 Hz, 192kb/s
Stream 2 = Audio layer 1,2,3, mpga, Nar
Stream 3 = Subtitles teletext

On TV3 via Saorview
Stream 0 = Video 544x576, H264 MPEG-4 AVC part 10
Stream 1 = Audio layer 1,2,3, mpga, 48000 Hz, 192kb/s
Stream 2 = Audio layer 1,2,3, mpga, Nar
Stream 3 = Teletext
Stream 4 = Subtitles teletext

It's a bit ridiculous that the RTE One and TG4 picture quality in NI is better than in the south. I know there's no space to expand on Mux 1 but I'd be hoping that RTENL change the resolution of the SD channels when Mux 2 starts.

Digifriendly

Karsini wrote: »

It's a bit ridiculous that the RTE One and TG4 picture quality in NI is better than in the south. I know there's no space to expand on Mux 1 but I'd be hoping that RTENL change the resolution of the SD channels when Mux 2 starts.

Totally agree. Only short term answer for you might be a massive high gain aerial pointed to Black Mountain!

Antenna

Souriau wrote: »

No old style Aertel or new MHEG-5 digital text on NIMM platform

Has anyone enquired as to why RTE has no teletext service on the NIMM? Surely lack of capacity on the MUX is not an issue?!

Digifriendly

Antenna wrote: »

Has anyone enquired as to why RTE has no teletext service on the NIMM? Surely lack of capacity on the MUX is not an issue?!

Interestingly no teletext service either on BBC1HD/BBC2HD here in NI via DTT.

marclt

Is that because they'd have to carry separate data channel on the HD mux too?

The HD multiplex seems to operate differently from the other 6 SD ones.

Tax The Farmers

Is there any reason why Radio na Gaeltacht is the only radio service on the NIMM. Surely RTE Radio 1 at the very least should also be on offer ? Particularly in the light of the closure of the Longwave service which was the only terrestrial platform they could be heard on in half of Co Antrim.