Digital Terrestial TV

[Dougal Maguire]

For the last 2 years or so the Irish Digital TV Body was running a digital tv test in Dublin and North Leinster. During this period I was able to receive all the Dublin TV and Radio stations from the Cooley transmitter in North Louth through the digital freeview facility on my television. The test stopped at the end of August but RTE indicated that they intended aid they'd continue it on. I've noticed that while its back on I can only get sound and no picture when I now turn to the digital freeview facility on my TV. Has anyone else in noticed this or got any ideas what the problem might

[Dougal Maguire]

Thanks for that

[ziggysego]

Dougal, Fionn is the resident geek.

[Hardy]

Not picking on you, Ziggy and I know it's a joke in this case, but that's one thing that really annoys me - people who know something being called geeks, nerds or anoraks. Usually by ignoramuses who know nothing about anything and wear their ignorance as a badge of honour. You know the kind of thing - "I'm useless at maths/science/technical stuff, I can't spell, I wouldn't know where to put oil in my car"". Translation: I think it's cool to be stupid and the fact that I know nothing makes me much more fun and interesting than people who are intelligent and actually know stuff.

[ziggysego]

I was wrong Fionn.

Hardy's the geek.

[nifan]

Its better than being a nerd

[ziggysego]

Oi, I like being a nerd.

[nifan]

I prefer the term boffin

[ziggysego]

How's married life working out for you?

[under the bar]

I remember reading somewhere that as part of athe Anglo Irish Agreement in 1985, the southern Govt agreed to turn the Louth transmitter up to full power so all of NI could get a good signal.   RTE paid no heed apparently and left it at half power or whatever.    Anyone else hear or know of this?

[Donagh]

MPEG-4 set-top boxes are out there and a few integrated TV have MPEG-4 compatible decoders (a couple of Sony's I believe).

The Sony W4000s have the integrated MPEG4 decoders.

[Donagh]

That's the ones alright. However they won't be able to decode the planned HDTV services from UK Freeview.

Really? I bought one thinking they would do both the Freeview HD and the new southern service. Was talking to some lad on one of the AV forums who has one and he was telling me it had the terrestrial HDTV tuner.

[Donagh]

Ofcom have stated that the multiplex (PSB3 as it'll be known, currently Multiplex B) which will carry the HD services will use the DVB-T2 modulation as opposed to the current DVB-T. DVB-T2 was just finalised last month I believe after the BBC did a number of tests in Guildford (outside London) this year using a prototype transmitter & receiver. The main advantage is that it can give a better bitrate compared to DVB-T (around a 1/3  to 1/2 more) - they reckon that they can transmit 3 maybe 4 HD services per multiplex using DVB-T2 as opposed 2 using DVB-T (3 with a reduction of picture quality). However the tuner should be able to receive the current RTÉ test transmissions - wherever you'd get them in Belfast right now is another thing.

Thanks for that. Did a bit of quick reading up on it there and I might be alright with it.

I was hanging on the assumption that when the time comes to switch the analogue off, the pressure would come on to make the digital signal available in the north. Will probably be living down around border by then anyway so it probably won't matter.

[offtheground]

Is anyone on here using Free-sat or the freesat from sky deal??
Moreover, can you get RTE on it? - or can you tune it in if you know the frequency??  as per - http://www.wildsat.com/astra.htm

[T Fearon]

Clarification required here. Is Hardy annoyed at the use of the term "geek" or by the fact that term has never been applied, by any human being, to himself?

By his own definition of the word, he deludes himself as he consider's himself a "geek"