RTÉ to become a national broadcaster!

[Ulick]

RTÉ and TG4 to be freely available in North in 2012

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2010/0202/1224263582384.html

MARK HENNESSY London Editor

RTÉ TELEVISION channels and TG4 will be freely available throughout all of Northern Ireland from 2012, once the planned digital television changes come into force, Minister for Communications Eamon Ryan said yesterday.

Some BBC channels will equally be carried free on the system due to come into force in the Republic at the same time, under the deal signed yesterday in London between Mr Ryan and his British counterpart, Ben Bradshaw.

The deal will ensure that the Irish and British authorities co-operate on the transition from analogue to digital television services, including joint ownership of television masts along the border.

RTÉ and TG4 are available to approximately half of Northern Ireland's population, although a commitment to make both more freely available was included in the St Andrews Agreement.

Negotiations with a number of companies to provide the €100 million digital system in the Republic – which have run into some difficulties – are still continuing, "but come what may, we are switching in 2012", Mr Ryan said.

The continued availability of signals from the BBC, particularly those from BBC Northern Ireland, was important, the Minister added, so that people in the Republic "understand the context and issues" that affect people in Northern Ireland.

The Republic and Northern Ireland will operate different digital systems, Mr Ryan went on, but the set-top boxes needed to decode the signals – which will not incur a separate fee unlike the Sky TV model – will be identical.

[Bensars]

Freely available now.

Although i get with analogue aerial, over the last few months i have been able to get on the freeview box in perfect picture quality. Numbers 801-805 ( i think)

[A Quinn Martin Production]

Freely available now.

Although i get with analogue aerial, over the last few months i have been able to get on the freeview box in perfect picture quality. Numbers 801-805 ( i think)

I too get all channels on the analogue system but on Freeview I can only get sound!!  This was discussed before, so does this mean the Irish channels will be available on Freeview??

[theskull1]

Freeview must only be spat out on certain transmitters or on low power I assume. Not able to receive in the DUP heartland AFAIK

[sandwiches_in_the_boot]

The RTÉNL DTT network uses the MPEG 4 compression standard and MHEG 5 (V6) middleware   MPEG 4 is different to the MPEG 2 compression standard used in the UK.  Retailers should note that televisions with MPEG 2 tuners only, will not pick up the Irish DTT service, when it develops.

http://www.digitaltelevision.ie/National+DTT/Useful+Information.htm

Those in the north using standard freeview boxes are operating MPEG2 to view BBC and Dave etc. The south broadcast MPEG4, which is why I presume some only get sound. As far as I know there are boxes coming out which decode both, so you should be able to watch RTE freeview in future.

For those who can already view and hear RTE on freeview - what kind of box are you using? Where in relation to the border are you?

[RMDrive]

Are RTE planning to transmit on Freesat?

[Eoghan Mag]

Is there any way I can block BBC from coming this direction?

[magickingdom]

this is something that should have happened long ago, to break down barriers its good to see 'the other sides' point of view. i often thought it would be a good idea if the govs mailed out a copy of a southern newspaper to every household in the north and a northern one to everyone in the south once a year. .

[ziggysego]

Is there any way I can block BBC from coming this direction?

Why would you want to? Just don't watch it.

[mayogodhelpus@gmail.com]

this is something that should have happened long ago, to break down barriers its good to see 'the other sides' point of view. i often thought it would be a good idea if the govs mailed out a copy of a southern newspaper to every household in the north and a northern one to everyone in the south once a year. .

Why would I want to read a newspaper from the North, I can't stand to sight of the Connacht Tribune (with its Heron Choker propeganda) let alone a 6 county local paper    There sports pages would also want to learn the name of two other counties other than Dublin or Kerry too.

[tyssam5]

this is something that should have happened long ago, to break down barriers its good to see 'the other sides' point of view. i often thought it would be a good idea if the govs mailed out a copy of a southern newspaper to every household in the north and a northern one to everyone in the south once a year. .

Why would I want to read a newspaper from the North, I can't stand to sight of the Connacht Tribune (with its Heron Choker propeganda) let alone a 6 county local paper    There sports pages would also want to learn the name of two other counties other than Dublin or Kerry too.

Is this the GAA section of the Irish Times you're complaining about? 

[mayogodhelpus@gmail.com]

this is something that should have happened long ago, to break down barriers its good to see 'the other sides' point of view. i often thought it would be a good idea if the govs mailed out a copy of a southern newspaper to every household in the north and a northern one to everyone in the south once a year. .

Why would I want to read a newspaper from the North, I can't stand to sight of the Connacht Tribune (with its Heron Choker propeganda) let alone a 6 county local paper    There sports pages would also want to learn the name of two other counties other than Dublin or Kerry too.

Is this the GAA section of the Irish Times you're complaining about? 

Nothing wrong with the Irish Times, read it from time to time myself. Like the Examiner too. I tend to read the Irish Times, Irish Examiner, Irish Independent, Irish Daily Mail, Sunday Independent on a kind of rotation basis so as to get a more rounded take on the news, I'm back reading the Irish Indo after boycotting it in the last 2 years of the Ahern Dictatorship.

I should have said two other non-Ulster counties other than Dublin or Kerry. However what I did describe sounded like the Evening Herald.

[muppet]

Is there any way I can block BBC from coming this direction?

Put an O'Neill's ball on your roof.

[Eoghan Mag]

Is there any way I can block BBC from coming this direction?

Why would you want to? Just don't watch it.

I don't watch it but I don't want anyone else in my family exposed to BBC. TV3 is bad enough.

[Zapatista]

I don't watch it but I don't want anyone else in my family exposed to BBC. TV3 is bad enough.

Yip, better to censor them and take all yer info from rte