http://www.rte.ie/tv/widescreen

JDxtra

Seen an advert on TV last night about widescreen. It was mildly funny, and quite good that RTE are promoting widescreen (I'm tired of most people having widescreen TV's set incorrectly!).

Here's the URL by the way... http://www.rte.ie/tv/widescreen

JDxtra

Actually, the URL being plugged in the TV promos is incorrect (it says www.rte.ie/widescreen).

Round Cable

Pat Kenny mentioned it at the start of the Late, Late Show.

Elmo

That link isn't working

Also RTE only control 2 of the channels in Ireland. TG4 aquires and commissions their own shows, Nuacht TG4 is produced by RTE for TG4 for Free, Sin E.

And their are 5 irish channels when you include Setanta.

Round Cable

http://www.rte.ie/tv/widescreen.html

RTÉ set up and still 'own' TG4 although they are well on their way to independance, and I really wouldn't call Setanta Sports an Irish channel, it's subscription only in 1 in 4 Irish households.

Elmo

No RTE did not set up TG4.

The setting up of TG4 was done true moneys given from the Exchequer, I am sure RTE helped in the setting up. RTE do have a company that looks after TG4 accounts, but in the end TG4 are independent.

TG4 is very much more indepentent, they don't use the Aquisitions that RTE have, they Commission their own show, they buy their own sporting rights.

Their news is produced by RTE.

IMO TG4 stand out from the crowd. (mainly because they don't have very much input from RTE)

Setanta is as much of an Irish Channel if not more so then TV3.

masteroftherealm

will still be in the traditional 4:3 formatfully

Can I please ask what formatfully is? Yet another example , albeit smal, l of the shortfalls of the national TV Broadcaster. TG4 is indenpendent and by far the better station IMO.

Round Cable

I read that RTÉ was given the task of setting up an Irish Language channel on behalf of the government, I don't know if that changed, TG4 are still tied to RTÉ, and in my eyes until they drop the freebies, they will be under RTÉ.

Setanta Sports is available in the UK, TV3 is free to all, Setanta requires a subscription on Digital Cable (Chorus) and Digital Satellite, it's a clone of UK versions, granted it shows quite a bit of different programming, unlike, say Sky One Ireland, it will never be counted as an Irish channel so long as I have to pay €13 a month for it, which BTW really isn't worth it.

icdg

To sort this all out TG4 are legally a wholly owned subsidary of RTÉ, Serbhisi Telefis na Gaelige Teoranta. They have no seperate licence or legal existance other than as a wholly owned subsidary of the RTÉ Authority. They are run seperately as a subsidary, and are not part of the RTÉ Television IBD, but are still legally part of RTÉ.

Provision exists for the setting up of Telefis na Gaelige, an independent statutory corporation which would look after after TG4. But these provisions have yet to be commenced (even though the relevant legislation, the Broadcasting Act 2001, is on the books four years now...)

Elmo

Setanta Sports is available in the UK, TV3 is free to all, Setanta requires a subscription on Digital Cable (Chorus) and Digital Satellite, it's a clone of UK versions, granted it shows quite a bit of different programming, unlike, say Sky One Ireland, it will never be counted as an Irish channel so long as I have to pay €13 a month for it, which BTW really isn't worth it.

That may change already NTL customers get it for Free with the basic Analogue package.

Setanta Ireland And Setant UK have different Schedules, Setanta Ireland have Irish Right to sporting event i.e. Champions League and F1 while I believe that ITV have those rights in Britian.

It is licenced in Ireland by the BCI, I think that makes it an Irish Channel.

I can I then assume that Sky is not a british channel just because you have to pay for their services?

TG4 are still tied to RTÉ, and in my eyes until they drop the freebies, they will be under RTÉ.

TG4 will always take the news from RTE just like S4C takes the news from the BBC.

Setanta Sports is available in the UK, TV3 is free to all, Setanta requires a subscription on Digital Cable (Chorus) and Digital Satellite, it's a clone of UK versions,

And what TV3 but a clone of ITV. Its basically ITV Ireland just another regional tv channel.

Round Cable

TV3 is available FTA for most people in Ireland, also TV3 is not available in the UK, despite it being mostly an ITV clone, if Setanta really wanted to be Irish it should try and secure the top epg position in the sports section, like they did with NTL.

Elmo

Setanta are an Irish Channel. Just because you cannot get it for Free does not take away the fact that they are an Irish Channel. I am guessing that setanta are trying very hard to be on the Basic Package on Sky, but that could be along time coming when Sky is one of its main competitors i.e. why should we allow Setanta go on the Basic package when we are trying to sell our sports package.

I hope that will the merger of NTL and Chorus (if it happens) that Setanta will be on the basic package.

I would say that they will be pushing to be on DTT if it ever happens.

Their is no need for TV3 to be available in the UK since ITV have their own regional channels for the UK.

Rick_

Strange how the advert and the website state that 14:9 streched is WRONG and no widescreen broadcasts should be viewed this way, YET this is EXACTLY what RTÉ are doing on analogue!

Muppets!

Paddy

Telefís

I stll haven't seen this advert and I watch a ton of RTÉ output. Is it possible that it is only being screened to 'young people' on RTÉ 2?

RT&#201 wrote: »

14:9 specifies that programmes made in 16:9 must be produced in a 'shoot and protect' mode of 14:9 to ensure that viewers using conventional 4:3 TV receivers do not lose any essential picture information.

Oh really - so how is it that The Late Late Show graphic on their astons is partially cut off in 4:3?
How is it that the Rose of Tralee aston graphics were partially cut off in 4:3?
How is it that Questions and Answers consistantly includehalf of people's heads in shot in 4:3?
How is it that your Presentation graphics so regulary ignore 14:9 safe areas?

RT&#201 wrote: »

When a programme is being transmitted in 4:3, such as archive programmes that were originally made in 4:3, the widescreen receiver will automatically switch to 4:3

So how is it that Gay Byrne's tribute two-part series was shot in 16:9 despite at least 50% of its content being archive footage? The beautiful framing and compostion of 4:3 was given a nasty slap in the face with the disgusting cropping that went on on this programme - why the hell make it in 16:9, especially in light of the only modern-day footage being flippin talking heads! And these are eminently more suited to 4:3 too!
A typical RTÉ move - wanting to be seen to be 'all modrin like', and smugly contrast 'old-fashioned' 4:3 archive footage with 'glorious' 'up-to-the-minute' 16:9 :mad:

This is happening on a regular basis with RTÉ now - even if programmes are dominated with archive material and the only contemporary element being talking heads, they still go ahead in 16:9. This is patently unfair to the older and equally worthy material and makes for a thoroughly unsatisfactory visual experience.
Can we not 'bear' to look at 4:3 anymore? :rolleyes:

Mossy Monk

Telef&#237 wrote: »

A typical RTÉ move - wanting to be seen to be 'all modrin like', and smugly contrast 'old-fashioned' 4:3 archive footage with 'glorious' 'up-to-the-minute' 16:9 :mad:

its not just RTÉ that do this

did they not pillarbox it or did they stretch 4:3 content to fill the screen

icdg

Indeed, the BBC are by far the worst offenders when it comes to turning archive programming into widescreen.

Plus they broadcast 4:3 shows in pillarboxed 16:9 on occassion (see what they do with ABC World News Tonight for an example. It is the only time I ever change my digibox to 4:3 zoom - unlike a lot of 4:3 set owners, I prefer to watch 16:9 programmes in 16:9, even at the cost of letterboxing).

Telefís

Indeed it is not just RTÉ that do this, but it is typical of the organisation to go with the flow and follow like a sheep the practices, even if they are bad, of other broadcasters.

On Gay's programme Mossy they zoomed in to fill the 16:9 screen - as they always do on their archive programmes.
The tops of all the people's heads were chopped off in the archive material.
And what makes it so much worse is that we're all so used to seeing the Late Late and other studio productions in classic 4:3, and the framing techinques. It is so much more blatently apparent that the images are being cropped on 'classic' archive material. Everyone knows what the old Late Late sets look like, and the camera compostions used etc.

The cropping was awful - so so bad. Shame on RTÉ.

And this also goes for so many other programmes where the cropping is so evident - like footage of O'Connell St and Dublin city centre from c1900 used in documentaries, with Nelson's Pillar virtually cropped out!
Likwise the framing of people and buildings so evidently composed in 4:3 is wrecked with 16:9 cropping.
Fair enough, a balance has to be struck between 4:3 and 16:9 material in the same programme - but Gay's documemtary was definitely a contender for 4:3 exclusive :mad:

Mossy Monk

Telef&#237 wrote: »

they zoomed in to fill the 16:9 screen

shows like that should be 4:3 if it is majority 4:3 material

Telefís

Well I was both surprised and pleased in equal measure last night to see 'Altered State', an RTÉ series about the Church's relationship with the State that uses copious amounts of archive footage, being made exclusively in 4:3!

What an insightful move by RTÉ - nothing short of astonishing coming from them!
In format the documentary series is as good as identical to the Gay Byrne programmes - loads of archive footage interspersed with modern-day talking head interviews, all of which were shot in 4:3!
Hopefully this is a sign of things to come - though it only reinforces the question as to why RTÉ made the Byrne programme in 16:9 :mad: