RTE News Now tv channel & app relaunch

galtee boy

I see RTE have announced that they are going to relaunch both the RTE News Now tv channel and app in September and both will be called RTE News ( dropping the word Now from the title). More live content is to be added apparently. I've always thought there was great potential for RTE News to be properly developed as a news channel. Outside of peak hours, it would be a huge boost for the likes of Saorview if it ran the BBC News channel in between it's own programming.

JDxtra

It really needs a refresh, looking very dated now. I would like to see it bumped up to HD (at least on Saorview).

twinklerunner

JDxtra wrote: »

It really needs a refresh, looking very dated now. I would like to see it bumped up to HD (at least on Saorview).

It’s on a terrible epg number on Sky (521). It should be on 503 as there is no sign of the BBC News channel being carried on Sky in Ireland.

lertsnim

I hope those horrible banners are removed and it goes full screen. A boost in resolution would be nice too.

Beechwoodspark

Have to say I like the banners they can often give the headlines at a glance

JDxtra

For a service that contains a lot of text information, it needs to be HD to be crisp and readable. Fuzzy-vision SD doesn't cut it in 2020 when nearly everything on YouTube, Netflix etc is HD or 4K.

icdg

I wouldn’t get hopes up about any major changes - this is a channel which RTE management quite clearly see as being on borrowed time and if you think they’re about to pile investment into it I think disappointment awaits. Suspect a slightly modified logo will be the only change that occurs.

galtee boy

JDxtra wrote: »

For a service that contains a lot of text information, it needs to be HD to be crisp and readable. Fuzzy-vision SD doesn't cut it in 2020 when nearly everything on YouTube, Netflix etc is HD or 4K.

Totally agree about text/graphics and HD, but no chance of it going HD on Saorview. I am surprised Sky dont put it out in HD, but isnt there something about Sky not putting a channel in HD unless the source signal/production from the host broadcaster meets their requirements for HD transmission ?

JDxtra

galtee boy wrote: »

Totally agree about text/graphics and HD, but no chance of it going HD on Saorview. I am surprised Sky dont put it out in HD, but isnt there something about Sky not putting a channel in HD unless the source signal/production from the host broadcaster meets their requirements for HD transmission ?

Correct, they have minimum standards that are to be met for it to be listed in the HD category.

Digifriendly

I live in N. Ireland and watch this channel regularly and enjoy not only news content but other programmes they show from time to time especially documentaries. Agree that it needs to go HD but little chance I'm afraid in present economic climate.

Elmo

Just changed over at mid-night.

On screen graphics remain, slightly different colours. Background image lighter.

Clock and date a bit better.

Logo ... logo? Oh just slap it up there in the corner that’s made to fit the old logo!

patrickmooney

Oh my. That logo really looks lost up there. Somehow I was expecting more - really shouldn’t have expected anything.

icdg

The app looks a lot nicer, but really only the navigation has changed, content is the same.

lertsnim

That's a wasted opportunity to refresh the look of the channel.

EdmondShiels3

Just checked it now using the player. Have the made the video screen a bit smaller or is that just the player. Looks a bit better but still too much the same.

JDxtra

Relaunch? It's the same but without the word "now" in the logo. I don't use the app.

Irish_peppa

If rte and all the saorview channels wanted to could they live stream on youtube like Sky news does? And if so why dont they? Surely that would increase their viewing numbers? Or instead of using that god awful rte player why dont they just set up a youtube channel like RT. Nice quick easy way to view their old previously broadcasted content?

Elmo

Irish_peppa wrote: »

If rte and all the saorview channels wanted to could they live stream on youtube like Sky news does? And if so why dont they? Surely that would increase their viewing numbers? Or instead of using that god awful rte player why dont they just set up a youtube channel like RT. Nice quick easy way to view their old previously broadcasted content?

Willie O’Reilly questioned if you tube was social media, I suspect that’s how RTÉ view you tube a disruptor to be used as little as possible.

lertsnim

Channel 4 used to have all their shows on YouTube but took them off the platform. Maybe YouTube take too much of a cut in advertising.

galtee boy

I'm embarrassed to have started this thread, relaunch my ass ! The app does look better, but the tv channel, what a lost opportunity to really make something of it.

jos28

I was hoping that the new update app would work on my Samsung tv, sadly not. If I try to update it I get an error message ' Service is experiencing issues'

mackersdublin

Virgin Media stil haven't updated their EPG. Both Saorview and Sky updated theirs on Monday morning, but 4 days later Virgin Media as usual haven't made the relevant rebrand update. They are so slow with channel rebrands

icdg

Well, last time I checked they still hadn’t changed BBC News 24 to BBC News, and it’s only been 12 years!

Delta2113

They changed Sky Two to Sky Replay but still havent changed True Movies to Sony Movies Classic and RTE News on 200.

Infoanon

Delta2113 wrote: »

They changed Sky Two to Sky Replay but still havent changed True Movies to Sony Movies Classic and RTE News on 200.

That's probably because changing the EPG name on VM results in recordings being lost unless VM put a blank EPG on with the older name.

RTE news revamp is a lost opportunity but funding is non existent - I don't personally like the smaller video screen

AJB39

Infoanon wrote: »

That's probably because changing the EPG name on VM results in recordings being lost unless VM put a blank EPG on with the older name.

RTE news revamp is a lost opportunity but funding is non existent - I don't personally like the smaller video screen

But you can’t record anything on the RTÉ News channel on the the new Virgin Media 360 box and they still haven’t changed the name.

Delta2113

Unless for some bizarre reason RTE has asked for this on the 360 box I think it's a bad move for Virgin having this channel non record-able. Somebody might want to record a Covid 19 briefing for example.

mackersdublin

mackersdublin wrote: »

Virgin Media stil haven't updated their EPG. Both Saorview and Sky updated theirs on Monday morning, but 4 days later Virgin Media as usual haven't made the relevant rebrand update. They are so slow with channel rebrands

The rebrand from RTÉ News Now to RTÉ News was exactly 3 weeks ago and surprise surprise Virgin Media stil haven't updated their EPG

Elmo

mackersdublin wrote: »

The rebrand from RTÉ News Now to RTÉ News was exactly 3 weeks ago and surprise surprise Virgin Media stil haven't updated their EPG

Seems many in RTÉ are still using news now on social media, many on broadcast continue to say news now app, particularly an nuacht on radio.

dublinman1990

My mother's Android phone is getting a message on the RTÉ News app to say there is "An error connecting to RTÉ".

Her network is An Post Mobile.

What can I do here to fix this error? I just reported some feedback to Android to say that it's not working. TIA.

Ten Pin

TBH anything app related from RTE is going to have glitches.

Just use the web version...
https://www.rte.ie/news/

Delta2113

Try deleting the app and re-download.

Elmo

Very annoying to see that RTÉ have the ablity to move the titles for RTÉ News up and allow for a ticker across news programmes, on Budget day.

They could easily provide the same with RTE NEWS CHANNEL the time in the RHC and the weather in the left hand corner as light text dogs/bugs.

Ronan Raver77

Watching the Dublin game now on RTE News.. Anybody have the spec of the picture quality compared to HD? besides the obvious :P lot of discussion about it sd quality i presume!!?

JDxtra

Ronan Raver77 wrote: »

Watching the Dublin game now on RTE News.. Anybody have the spec of the picture quality compared to HD? besides the obvious :P lot of discussion about it sd quality i presume!!?

RTE News has a resolution of 544 x 576 on Saorview, which is embarrassing in 2020.

For comparison...

Sky News (SD) is 704 x 576 (also looks very poor) and CNN (HD) is 1920 x 1080.

...and yet we can stream from services like Netflix, Disney+ and even YouTube in 4K UHD.

Ronan Raver77

JDxtra wrote: »

RTE News has a resolution of 544 x 576 on Saorview, which is embarrassing in 2020.

Cheers JD.. I have seen better quality on club games streams than this!! Watching on sky tv and its just awful.

Delta2113

They should have carried it on RTE1 and then obviously it would have been in HD.

Elmo

Delta2113 wrote: »

They should have carried it on RTE1 and then obviously it would have been in HD.

Strange alright that it wasn't on ONE, it usually only used when they have clashing sports on both ONE and 2.

kazoo106

Seems the app has disappeared completely from the Google Play store !

donspeekinglesh

kazoo106 wrote: »

Seems the app has disappeared completely from the Google Play store !

Still there for me. There was an update to it yesterday though.

lertsnim

kazoo106 wrote: »

Seems the app has disappeared completely from the Google Play store !

It doesn't show for me either.

kazoo106

you sure ?

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=ie.rte.news&hl=en_IE

lertsnim

I am sure that a search of RTÉ News didn't find it yesterday.

kazoo106

Yeah - can confirm re-published in the play store today