30th April 2012 - an end of an era...

Submitted by lawhec on 25 April 2012 - 10:11pm

The early hours of this coming 30th April will mark the closure of a chapter in European broadcasting, but few in Ireland will realise it and indeed you wouldn't blame them for not noticing. It'll be the final shut down of all current analogue television at 19.2 degrees east, the home of the original Astra satellite fleet.

Pay TV in Ireland.

There are things we can discus about pay TV and things we can't!

Quote:

Prohibition on interception of services.
9.—(1) No person, other than a duly authorised officer of the
Minister, shall, in relation to a service provided by a licensee or a
service provider—

( a ) intercept the service,

Read more

3. Saorsat

Update 27th January 2012 * NEW *

RTE will run Saorsat on Ka-Sat 9E and to confirm service start date soon.

Update 17th November 2010
viewer orientated non-technical explanation of Irish Digital TV, Saorview and Saorsat at SaorTV.Info

Saor is the Gaelic for Free. Existing analogue TV (TV via an aerial)
is free. You pay a TV licence simply for having a Receiving Apparatus.
Saorsat is the name for the new all digital service that is for 2% to 8% people that won't be able to get Saorview, the Digital Terrestrial Service via an aerial. It's not a competitor to Sky, Magnet or UPC.
Simply an alternative way to deliver Saorview.

Some information here is preliminary and not yet confirmed.

When and How?

The Saorsat service is proposed to be supplied via Ka-Sat @ 9E, using Ka-Band. The Satellite is many for Internet use and has 80+ spots. One covers Ireland. The satellite was launched successfully 26th/27th December 2010. It's unlikely a service will be available before end of May 2011.

Read more

2. Saorview

Technical Launch 29th October 2010

Full launch Spring 2011 Analogue Close down October 2012

Update 17th November 2010 * NEW *
viewer orientated non-technical explanation of Irish Digital TV, Saorview and Saorsat at SaorTV.Info

Update 29th October 2010

Saorview web site live (click on logo).

RTE Saorview sub site

Read more

1. Analogue to Digital Changeover (DSO, ASO)

Virtually every Country is replacing Analogue TV with Digital TV. The commencing of new Digital services (DSO, Digital Switch On) and ceasing of existing Analogue TV (DSO Digital Switch Over, ASO Analogue Switch Off) is much more rapid than the change from 405 Line to 625 line Analogue in the UK (over 15 years). Some countries (Netherlands and USA) have already turned off the Analogue TV they had since late 1940s/ early 1950s.

There is no such thing as a Digital Aerial or Digital Amplifier. Terrestrial Digital (TV via an aerial) uses the same aerials and amplifiers as 60 year old Analogue TV. The only difference is that in Ireland we used VHF (Big long rods) and UHF(short rods or grid/bowtie) for Analogue TV, but for Digital we will use UHF only. All existing TG4 and TV3 is on UHF using Analogue.

Many masts are already transmitting digital signals and this will be official for over 85% of the country by 31st October 2010. From then till mid 2011 and information campaign will "ramp up". No-one needs to "rush in" to any purchases or decisions. Most people will not need an new aerial. Some time during 2011 the Digital coverage (signals that can be received on an Aerial) will reach at least 95% and be complemented by a Satellite signal via a Dish for those that eventually will have no Aerial signal (2% to 8% of people).

Read more