Digital test in South Cork

Rippy

South Coast are currently testing their new digital system off of main Carrigaline transmitter. I have been told results look good. With a bit of luck it might start in September after all!

Ulsterman 1690

Is it on UHF or 12 GHz ?

Rippy

12 ghz i'm afraid, UHF DTT down here would really be news!

Ulsterman 1690

Do any of the deflectors plan on using UHF DTT ?

What exactly will 12 GHz MMDS offer that $ky doesnt ?

icdg

Not allowed to, there's only one national DTT multiplex operators' licence and while the licence is issued by Comreg, they can only grant it to whoever the Minister for Communications decides.

These 12Ghz services would be licenced as MMDS services.

Marcopolo85

icdg wrote:

These 12Ghz services would be licenced as MMDS services.

I might be wrong, but weren't the deflectors all against MMDS to start with? They used to call it a Mickey Mouse Distribution System? Couldn't work in Ireland, will fry your brains etc, etc????????!!!!!!


If 2Gigs is that dangerous you wouldn't want to be next to a 12 Gigs terrestrial transmitter!!

Ulsterman 1690

Not allowed to, there's only one national DTT multiplex operators' licence .

I thought there were six multiplexes ? Do they all HAVE to be awarded to the same outfit and how does this fit in with EU competition law ?

and while the licence is issued by Comreg, they can only grant it to whoever the Minister for Communications decides.

Have they learned NOTHING from the dodgy-payments-to-Ray-Burke affair Surely it would be up to the BCI to award it ?

BrianD

The licences that the deflector groups use were issued as a result of political lobbying and the fear that the government would lose votes.

In reality, the deflector system is a bankrupt idea with no future. Few of the community actually pay or pay and time and the receive a sub standard signal. The continued existence of licenced deflectors has, in my opinion, contributed to holding back the development of digital TV in Ireland. While this stop-gap sysytem continues there is no impetus to develop a digital alternative.

Being a "licenced" deflector does not necessary mean that you will automatically transfer to a digital. It would require the operators to create a new business model, investment in new equipment, marketing, the ability to negotiate with TV channels for carriage. I doubt if any of the current deflector operators - with the exception of SCTV - would have the experience or the capital to do this.

Ulsterman 1690

In reality, the deflector system is a bankrupt idea with no future.

As opposed to say MMDS ? :rolleyes:

The continued existence of licenced deflectors has, in my opinion, contributed to holding back the development of digital TV in Ireland.

No the incompetence of the Government and regulatory bodies is solely responsible for holding back the development of DTT in Ireland

While this stop-gap sysytem continues there is no impetus to develop a digital alternative.

On the contrary the existance of deflectors has created a market for multichannel TV outside of the large urban centres

Being a "licenced" deflector does not necessary mean that you will automatically transfer to a digital.

Being a lcenced deflector doesnt necessairly mean you will do anything but it does make it more likely

It would require the operators to create a new business model, investment in new equipment, marketing, the ability to negotiate with TV channels for carriage. I doubt if any of the current deflector operators - with the exception of SCTV - would have the experience or the capital to do this.

Time will tell but in the absence of a proper DTT service the deflectors are about all that keeps the West and South of Ireland from turning into "the valley of the clueless"