Why cant there be FTA channels on Saorview?

zeebre12

Some posted this on this forum 'there really should be some FTA channels on Saorview at this stage such as Euronews, CBS Action, Food Network, France 24, True Movies etc. Setanta should be there as well. These may not be great channels but at least it's a bit more of a selection than just the highly limited selection of RTE, TV3 and TG4'..why does the UK have so many FTA channels, why can't any of them be on Saorview?, I'm sick of the same few channels..

L1011

Because they don't want to pay to be on it.

lertsnim

zeebre12 wrote: »

why can't any of them be on Saorview?, I'm sick of the same few channels..

At present the cost of going on Saorview is very costly and like any other business a TV channel would need it to be worth the cost.

icdg

Moved to Terrestrial

Of course, every channel on Saorview is free to air. However the sentiment expressed by the OP is worthwhile, the "closed shop" aspect of Irish DTT (witness the hoops UTV Ireland had to go through, effectively having to gain must carry status just to get in) is quite remarkable compared to across the water - it suits Sky and UPC just fine, of course, as it means anyone who wants any more than a basic TV service and can't afford the upfront costs of installing Saorview and Freesat will go with them.

watty

It's not a closed shop.

Analogue TV was.

It's just not economic for most broadcasters, especially given the STAGGERING penetration of pay TV here (82% Sky & UPC) also amount of Freesat/FTA Satellite.

Certainly it doesn't seem economic for TV3.

"They" have been trying to sell Digital TV as FTA and Pay platform since 2000.
It's TV was fantasy.
Boxer may have been a "Beautification" process with no intention ever to launch. They couldn't have even broken even with the Sky & UPC competition.

The indigenous UK TV other than UTV are never going to be on Saorview, the BBC for example can only be FTA on Irish Terrestrial if someone else pays the bill (or on a Pay Platform in Ireland).

BBC World is Free To Carry, cheaper than BBC1 etc, but who would pay the transmission costs which in any case DWARF the rights costs of paying for BBC1 content in Ireland.

The problem is the Irish Consumer, 82% prepared to waste on average about €550 a year on Pay TV, even though 92% of their viewing time is FTA content on Freesat + Saorview!

formerly scottish paddy

icdg wrote: »

Moved to Terrestrial
(witness the hoops UTV Ireland had to go through, effectively having to gain must carry status just to get in)

UTVIrl did not have to jump through hoops to "get in" they just had to get a broadcast licence like every other station (the same happens in the UK with Ofcom) and they do not have a "must carry status", they just pay to be on Saorview like everyone else, (including TV3).

formerly scottish paddy

watty wrote: »

The problem is the Irish Consumer, 82% prepared to waste on average about €550 a year on Pay TV, even though 92% of their viewing time is FTA content on Freesat + Saorview!

Sky is only worth having if you desperately want the sports channels, even the movies are not worth it!

marclt

I'm surprised shy don't launch Pick on Saorview. The freeview version is essentially a shop window for Sky, crammed full of trailers for Sky TV channels.

Isn't it a case of Saorview trying harder to sell capacity. Surely the more capacity they sell the lower the cost for all involved?

I don't understand why RTE don't brand their HD channels properly on saorview, it's an advantage over the others.

FRIENDO

Why have more fta channels on saorview, most people I know with Saorview have it combined with Freesat or fta satellite on the main viewing tv.
Yes Setanta would be a good addition for saorview.

Gerry Wicklow

FRIENDO wrote: »

....
Yes Setanta would be a good addition for saorview.

Especially since we're paying for it anyway.

watty

marclt wrote: »

I'm surprised shy don't launch Pick on Saorview. The freeview version is essentially a shop window for Sky, crammed full of trailers for Sky TV channels.

Isn't it a case of Saorview trying harder to sell capacity. Surely the more capacity they sell the lower the cost for all involved?

I don't understand why RTE don't brand their HD channels properly on saorview, it's an advantage over the others.

DEATH to all DOGS, "HD" included. The Box or TV says channel and resolution.

The cost vs capacity:

|\|\|\|\
1 2 3 4
As a Mux fills the cost drops, then a new mux is needed. More channels at this stage once TV3, TG4 and UTVI are HD (eventually) and Oireachtas starts (eventually, a scandal) then it makes little difference. It's only a big difference at point where everything doesn't quite fit in 1 Mux.

Why would Sky pay for an entire channel (Pick) on Saorview to be watched by 0.1% of 18%?

All the Sky Sports OR sky One, each on UPC and Sky, have less than 2% viewing each.

Only mass market channels not already free on Satellite are viable on Saorview.

Sam Russell

@ Watty:

It is because 2RN are controlled (whatever happened to competition) as to what they charge, and all charges are based on bandwidth used, there is no advantage in TV3, TG4, or UTVi to go HD, unless they all do. If one goes HD without the others, then the rest get a price reduction at their expense.

However, if 2RN were not controlled, 2RN could offer incentives to non-Saorview channels, or incentives for current channels to go HD. I]Just like Sky do to get new subscribers - 50% off for 6 months of 12 month contract[/I. Of course broadcasters would be stuck once they joined up.

watty

Sam Russell wrote: »

However, if 2RN were not controlled, 2RN could offer incentives to non-Saorview channels, or incentives for current channels to go HD.

Sorry,
This is nonsense,
1) The Pricing isn't actually set like that. (Costs are not the same as pricing)
2) As a Wholesale Transmission platform it would illegal and immoral for them to offer such incentives.

Sky isn't actually a Transmission Platform, Ses-Astra is.

However Sky should ONLY be a Pay TV provider, they shouldn't be allowed to own any channels or have shares in them.

Sky do not own or operate any Satellites.

The only incentive there is for Commercial Channels to offer HD is market Share. TV3 will never go HD unless they think they will lose too much share otherwise.

The Mux operators MUST charge proportionately to the bitrate a channel uses (SD or HD is actually irrelevant, it's bit rate really).

This is why Terrestrial has the poor 544 x 576 and 1440 x 1080 instead of 720 x 576 and 1920 x 1080 and rubbish data rates for all the "Radio" on DAB and Saorview, because the Channels/Stations correctly believe they don't need to pay for full quality, it won't get them more revenue.

This shows the lack of commitment to PSB quality (and why RTE is able to kill all the MW channels and have unwanted DAB). There is no regulation and proper consumer input to what RTE & TG4 is doing.

If RTE & TG4 was proper quality 1920 x1080 video and 256k audio the commercial channels would have to follow.

The Government has set a terrible example by refusing to pay for Oireachtas TV carriage, not having it on since 2008, even though THEY passed the laws saying no free lunch for anyone on DTT and that 2RN have to be paid the same commercial rates by everyone.

There isn't enough control, of a sensible kind. Look at TV3's antics, refusal to pay for full coverage entire period of Analogue, constantly breaching licence, fake programs that are only commercials and lipservice to Irish content, being allowed to operate while insolvent and getting nearly 1/2 their debt paid off by Tax Payer.

Or Setanta's fake FTA programming funded by Sound & Vision scheme that is simply licence fee payer funded Pay TV promotion.

2RN isn't the Problem. It's Government, Comreg, BAI, DCNER and Civil Service and their lassiez faire and self serving approach to Broadcasting that ignores the Irish Public.

Or RTE's wasted money on Presenters and Managers.

Why after 90+ years Radio and 15+ Digital Satellite Broadcasting world Wide, STILL no proper external Broadcasting?
Note a service (which doesn't even exist) simply for UK isn't a proper External Broadcasting Service.
I can get China and Romania on the Radio any night.
I can get external English TV on Satellite of maybe 20 countries.