Minister Eamon Ryan Launches the First HDTV Broadcast of an Irish Sporting Event

Eamon Ryan T.D., the Minister for Communications, Energy & Natural Resources, launched the first broadcast of an Irish sporting event in High-Definition TV (HDTV) today, speaking to assembled guests at RTÉ's facilities in Croke Park. The Leinster GAA Football final, which pitted Dublin against Laois, was chosen to be the first official high-definition broadcast of the Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) Pilot, currently underway.

 Commenting at the launch of the HDTV trial, Minister Ryan stated: "This is a very exciting time for broadcasting in Ireland. Ireland is making preparations to join the broadcasting revolution evolving in Europe and the rest of the world and to meet this challenge head on."

 High-Definition TV (HDTV) is currently available to a limited degree on satellite, but today is the first time a broadcast of HDTV will be performed from a digital terrestrial network in Ireland. From 16th July a reel of High-Definition content from RTÉ, TV3 and TG4 will be available on the DTT trial.

 The HD trial was organised by the three terrestrial broadcasters, RTÉ, TV3 and TG4, as well as BT and CEDA, who worked closely together to develop a range of content that would suitably test the system and demonstrate the improvement in picture quality. Chair of that group, John Hunt, Director of Operations at RTÉ Television, said: "HD is important to broadcasters and it is vital that the terrestrial providers do not get left behind in the development of improved services made available by such technology. We believe the best quality television pictures should be available to all viewers in Ireland and that is why it is so important that this trial is a success. The broadcasters would like to thank all those who have helped get this trial off the ground."

 CEDA, the Electrical Distributors Association provided the HDTVs for the live event. In order to see the full impact of a high-definition picture, trial participants must have a special set top box connected to their TV and must also have a HDTV. Whilst the launch is likely to be watched by only a limited number of viewers, it marks a significant new departure in Irish terrestrial broadcasting. 

 "I applaud the efforts made by RTÉ, our National Broadcaster, TV3 and TG4, CEDA and BT, in developing and organising the HDTV trial and in showing the clear benefits of a digital TV platform over the current analogue terrestrial network. A DTT service is capable of providing much more for Irish viewers in the long-term in terms of quality, service and additional channels than an analogue service can," continued the Minister.

Notes:

Further details on the DTT Pilot can be found at the following address http://www.dcmnr.gov.ie/Broadcasting/Digital+Television/Digital+Terrestrial+Television+Pilot/DTT+Pilot.htm

Digital Television: Uses state-of-the-art digital technology to broadcast television signals - using the binary system on which computers and all modern communication technologies are based. Digital technology is much more flexible than analogue and it allows the transmission of perfect pictures in various display formats, including standard- and high-definition television.

 High-Definition Television (HDTV): is a digital television broadcasting system with a significantly higher resolution than traditional formats. HDTV allows much more detail to be shown when compared with standard definition television. This is done by increasing the number of pixels or dots on the screen (effectively halving their size).  A standard picture has 576 pixels whilst a full HD picture has 1080.  In order to get the full benefits of a high definition transmission, the programme must have been filmed and produced in high definition and must be seen on a full HD screen.

 Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT): uses digital technology to provide a greater number of channels, and high quality sound and pictures, through a conventional aerial instead of a satellite dish or cable connection. Similar to standard analogue television, Digital Terrestrial Television is transmitted on radio frequencies. The primary difference is the use of multiplex transmitters which allow the reception of multiple channels in the same space as that occupied by a single analogue channel. DTT is received via a set-top box, or integrated receiving device, that decodes the signal received via a standard aerial. DTT is also known as DVB-T.

 Analogue Terrestrial Television: The traditional method used to broadcast off air television signals. The signals are sent by radio waves from a national network of masts and antennae and are received through an aerial.

 EPG: Electronic Programme Guide is the on-screen TV listings guide which provides current and future programme details. It features channel searches, programme summaries, immediate access to a selected programme, and reservation and parental control functions.

 Multiplex (Mux): used to combine multiple signals into a single transport stream for distribution and transmission.

 Set-Top Box (STB): a digital receiver in a stand-alone box for connection to a TV, enabling it to receive digital TV services via satellite, cable or terrestrial.

 Integrated Digital Television (iDTV): a television with an integrated digital receiver.

MPEG-2: MPEG-2 is a standardised compression technique for the generic coding of moving pictures and associated audio information. It is the most commonly used standard for DTT in Europe. It is also the coding method used for DVDs.

 MPEG-4: MPEG-4 is a next-generation compression technique for the coding of moving pictures and associated audio information. It allows large quantities of data to be transmitted over channels with limited bandwidth. HDTV delivery is an application where MPEG-4 compression has been used.