Problems Viewing Content In Northern Ireland

RTÉ has negotiated rights with the GAA to stream live matches on RTÉ.ie within the entire Island of Ireland, thus making these matches available to viewers accessing content from within this territory. RTÉ must also restrict some on-demand content such as on-demand matches and some news content, to the Island of Ireland only.

We have received complaints from a number of users that, although they were trying to access content from locations within the Island of Ireland, they were being denied access. The majority of these complaints were from our users in Northern Ireland.

Please read the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) below if you are having problems viewing content. There is also information available regarding content available on the RTÉ.ie GAA Media Player, and some technical questions regarding the player are answered.

To ensure your computer is not affected please click on the link below. This clip is available to all users on the Island of Ireland only.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW CLIP

RTÉ.ie GAA MEDIA PLAYER GEO-ACCESS FAQ

Why is some GAA Player content only available in Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland?
RTÉ has negotiated rights with the GAA to stream live matches on RTÉ.ie within the entire Island of Ireland, thus making these matches available to viewers accessing content from within this territory.

For copyright reasons, RTÉ must restrict live streaming, and some on-demand content such as on-demand matches and some news content, to the Island of Ireland only. If this content is made available to viewers outside of Republic of Ireland or Northern Ireland, RTÉ would breach legally binding contractual commitments made to third party content licensors.

IP geo-access is the industry-standard technique required by content licensors to ensure content is only distributed to allowed territories.

How does IP geo-access work?
IP geo-access uses IP address information to identify a viewer's location. An IP address is the numerical address that each computer uses on the web. The computer's IP address is issued by the internet service provider (ISP).

How is my IP address issued?
IP addresses are issued by the internet service provider (ISP). An IP address can be issued either as a static (i.e. permanent) address, or as a dynamic (i.e. temporary address).

How does dynamic IP address allocation work?
ISPs commonly use a technique called dynamic address allocation to issue IP addresses to their customers. Dynamic address allocation operates as follows: When a customer connects to their ISP's network, an IP address is issued to the customer from a central pool of IP addresses. When the customer disconnects from their ISP's network, that IP address is restored to the central pool. That IP address can then be reissued when another customer connects. The next time the original customer connects, they will most likely be issued with a different IP address to the previous occasion.

I am unable to view Island of Ireland content on the GAA Player even though I am located in Northern Ireland. What is the reason for this?
If your ISP has issued an IP address that does not identify you as being located in Northern Ireland, then for copyright reasons you will be unable to access Island of Ireland content on the GAA Player.

I am located in Northern Ireland. If my ISP issues a static IP address, will I be able to access Island of Ireland content in the GAA Player service?
If an ISP issues a static IP address that identifies the customer as being located in Northern Ireland, then they will be able to access Island of Ireland content on the GAA Player. For technical reasons, not all ISPs are able to issue static IP addresses to residential customers however.

I am located in Northern Ireland. If my ISP issues a dynamic IP address, will I be able to access Island of Ireland content in the GAA Player?
If an ISP issues a dynamic IP address to a customer from an address pool that is specific to Northern Ireland, then that customer can be identified as being located in Northern Ireland, and they will be able to access Island of Ireland content on the GAA Player service. If however an ISP issues an IP addresses from a UK-wide address pool, then there is no way of telling from their IP address whether that customer is located in Northern Ireland or elsewhere, and for copyright reasons they will be unable to access Island of Ireland content on the GAA Player. For technical reasons, not all ISPs are able to issue Northern Ireland-specific dynamic addresses however.

I am located in the Republic of Ireland or Northern Ireland and cannot access Island of Ireland content in the GAA Player service. What should I do?
If you are unable to access Island of Ireland content on the GAA Player, you should contact your ISP to report the issue. You require an IP addresses that identifies you as being located in the Republic of Ireland or Northern Ireland to access Island of Ireland content on the GAA Player. If your ISP requires any further information, they can contact RTÉ.ie at the following address: onlinetechs@rte.ie. The ISP should include their Autonomous System (AS) number with any correspondence.

Why can't I contact RTÉ.ie directly rather than my ISP if I'm having problems accessing the service?
IP addresses are issued by the internet service provider (ISP). The ISP administers the IP address, how it is allocated, and the location to which it is issued. Therefore, in order to save time, you should contact your ISP in the first instance.

ABOUT THE RTE.ie GAA MEDIA PLAYER

Live:
The Live section will provide coverage of live matches all through the season. Live video of matches is available within the Island of Ireland only. Live audio of matches is available worldwide.

Replay:
A seven-day video catch-up service for championship matches. Available within the Island of Ireland only.

Programmes:
A catch-up service for all of RTÉ TV and Radio's dedicated GAA programming including The Sunday Game.

The Sunday Game night-time highlights programme will be available to users on the island of Ireland for seven days from 23.30 on the Sunday night of broadcast.

Users around the world will be able to access the programme from 9.30pm (Irish time) each Wednesday night.

Features:
Extended interviews, news clips, documentaries, features and much, much more.

What software do I require to access the service?
To access audio and video content on RTÉ.ie, you will need a computer with an internet connection of at least 1Mbps download speed and a web browser that has the latest Flash plug-in.

Why does the quality of the pictures I receive depend on the type of connection I have to the Internet?
There are a number of ways of accessing the Internet. Conventional dial-up uses a standard telephone connection. However, broadband connections, such as cable or ADSL, have greater capacity than standard telephone lines.

A broadband connection means you can receive far more information on your computer in the same time as a conventional dial-up connection. Broadband connections allow you to view video on the web at a higher quality than via dial-up connections. Live and replay video content can only be viewed over broadband connections of 1Mbps or greater.

Why is the availability of the service restricted in some cases?
For copyright reasons, in agreement with the associated rights-holder bodies, some content can only be accessed from the Island of Ireland. Unfortunately users outside the Island of Ireland will be unable to access this content.

How is access restricted?
Where access is restricted, the mechanism for doing so is based on the computer's IP address. An IP address is the numerical address that each computer has on the web. It is provided by the Internet Service Provider (ISP). An ISP is the company that provides Internet connections to residential and business customers.

I'm in the relevant territory and I can't access the service. Why?
If you are unable to access the service, you should contact your ISP to report the issue. You require an IP addresses that identifies you as being located in the Republic of Ireland or Northern Ireland to access the service. If your ISP requires any further information, they can contact RTÉ.ie at the following address: onlinetechs@rte.ie. The ISP should include their Autonomous System (AS) number with any correspondence.

Why don't I contact RTÉ.ie directly rather than my ISP if I'm having problems accessing the service?
IP addresses are issued by the internet service provider (ISP). The ISP administers the IP address, how it is allocated, and the location to which it is issued. Therefore, in order to save time, you should contact your ISP in the first instance.

Why can't I access the service from the office?
If you are using the Internet at work, your connection to the web may be on a network that operates behind a firewall. A firewall is the security system that shields your office network from outside users on the Internet.

In this case, you should contact your system administrator to check whether video streaming is permitted on your company network.

I am located in Northern Ireland and cannot access the service. What is the reason for this?
If your ISP has issued an IP address that does not identify you as being located in Northern Ireland, then for copyright reasons you will be unable to access Island of Ireland content in the RTÉ Player. See the information above.