Al Jazeera Arabic

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  • omnidirectionalomnidirectional Posts: 18,796
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    gottago wrote: »
    Interestingly this doesn't seem to have a license on the Ofcom page and they're usually quick to update that list.

    Possibly licenced abroad like Babestation, it doesn't seem to have a TLCS licence either for the Virgin Media broadcast which started in March 2013.
  • SpotSpot Posts: 25,118
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    Well I've always said that if they want to drive uptake of DVB-T2 equipment they need to get some content which doesn't duplicate what's available already. Although I'm not sure this channel will do that by iteslf. :)
  • gottagogottago Posts: 14,094
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    Possibly licenced abroad like Babestation, it doesn't seem to have a TLCS licence either for the Virgin Media broadcast which started in March 2013.
    Oh yeah, good point.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 115
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    kasg wrote: »
    Well I think most of us were hoping that the move to DVB-T2 would at least see the end of the horrors of 544*576 resolution.

    Being fair, it would look better even at that resolution if they gave it the proper bitrate. Nevertheless, the lower carriage costs of DVB-T2 and H264 should be quite exciting in terms of channel choice. It might encourage UKTV to finally make the leap with GOLD etc.
    M60 wrote: »
    There'll now be two more SD slots on COM7 to sell to whoever wants to get on-board DTT, presumably given the reduced coverage and hardware for quite a competitive rate. Shame on the PQ, 544x576i looks shocking.


    I thought there were only three HD channels on Com7? If so, another HD channel to come as well. Crossing my fingers for Dave HD, but knowing my luck, we'll get Babestation.
  • Mickey_TMickey_T Posts: 4,962
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    Arqiva still using 544x576 for widescreen on a T2 mux ffs! :o

    I despair! >:(
  • M60M60 Posts: 5,578
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    christoFar wrote: »
    Being fair, it would look better even at that resolution if they gave it the proper bitrate. Nevertheless, the lower carriage costs of DVB-T2 and H264 should be quite exciting in terms of channel choice. It might encourage UKTV to finally make the leap with GOLD etc.

    I thought there were only three HD channels on Com7? If so, another HD channel to come as well. Crossing my fingers for Dave HD, but knowing my luck, we'll get Babestation.

    Gold could be a possibility depending on carriage terms with Sky and VM. COM7 has capacity for up to five HD slots, three of which are used with another available but you won't fit a fifth in now unless the bit rates are compromised on the rest. Once C4 get their two services on board it will mean one has to use COM8 unless they cram them both in to COM7?
  • a516a516 Posts: 5,241
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    Possibly licenced abroad like Babestation, it doesn't seem to have a TLCS licence either for the Virgin Media broadcast which started in March 2013.
    Could Al Jazeera Arabic be using the "Al Jazeera 6-8" licence? Other broadcasters appear to be able to change service names on their licences?
  • Mickey_TMickey_T Posts: 4,962
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    M60 wrote: »
    Gold could be a possibility depending on carriage terms with Sky and VM. COM7 has capacity for up to five HD slots, three of which are used with another available but you won't fit a fifth in now unless the bit rates are compromised on the rest. Once C4 get their two services on board it will mean one has to use COM8 unless they cram them both in to COM7?

    Maybe Arqiva will lower all the HD channels to 1280x720 resolution. :D

    I shouldn't laugh, knowing how they like to cram 'em in, it'll probably happen. :o
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 3,605
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    Honestly can't see the point of this channel as it is in a language very very few can understand.
  • M60M60 Posts: 5,578
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    Mickey_T wrote: »
    Maybe Arqiva will lower all the HD channels to 1280x720 resolution. :D

    I shouldn't laugh, knowing how they like to cram 'em in, it'll probably happen. :o

    Your probably right there - that will be the next thing! I doubt the BBC will allow their services to drop in res though and if they did then we'd all suffer, even satellite viewers!
  • a516a516 Posts: 5,241
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    A side point: Al Jazeera HD has been DOG and ticker-less for hours now. Apart from name and headline straps a clean version of the channel.
  • DWA9ISDWA9IS Posts: 10,557
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    M60 wrote: »
    Your probably right there - that will be the next thing! I doubt the BBC will allow their services to drop in res though and if they did then we'd all suffer, even satellite viewers!

    Yes I think the BBC would say no! The other channels on the MUX would suffer more though! I cant see the BBC ever dropping to 1280x720!
  • Mickey_TMickey_T Posts: 4,962
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    As the mux belongs to Arqiva, would the BBC even have a real say in the matter?

    They could protest, but ultimately they couldn't do much about it could they?
  • M60M60 Posts: 5,578
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    lotrjw wrote: »
    Yes I think the BBC would say no! The other channels on the MUX would suffer more though! I cant see the BBC ever dropping to 1280x720!

    That would be serious regrettion - possibly Al Jazeera may sacrifice HD bitrate on their channel at the expense of the SD Arabic version if five HD services is still the ultimate aim out of DTT COM7?

    The BBC could utilise some of this extra T2 SD capacity, plus the remaining HD slot for extra streams for the Winter Olympics too, if they wanted to and the price was right.
  • DWA9ISDWA9IS Posts: 10,557
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    Mickey_T wrote: »
    As the mux belongs to Arqiva, would the BBC even have a real say in the matter?

    They could protest, but ultimately they couldn't do much about it could they?

    Surely the resolution is encoded before it reaches Arqiva though? Which would mean that the only thing that Arqiva could do, is reduce the bitrate to the lowest acceptable!
    Also Im sure the BBC have already agreed terms with Arqiva that include their channels having the space needed for 1920x1080? If not I really wonder why not!
  • DWA9ISDWA9IS Posts: 10,557
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    M60 wrote: »
    That would be serious regrettion - possibly Al Jazeera may sacrifice HD bitrate on their channel at the expense of the SD Arabic version if five HD services is still the ultimate aim out of DTT COM7?

    The BBC could utilise some of this extra T2 SD capacity, plus the remaining HD slot for extra streams for the Winter Olympics too, if they wanted to and the price was right.

    I can see the BBC making use of the SD capacity on there, people over on the broadcasting forum have said about BBC 1+1 so who knows that might go onto COM 7 or 8 as an SD channel who knows?
  • M60M60 Posts: 5,578
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    lotrjw wrote: »
    I can see the BBC making use of the SD capacity on there, people over on the broadcasting forum have said about BBC 1+1 so who knows that might go onto COM 7 or 8 as an SD channel who knows?

    Certainly a good option for migration to T2 hardware although the BBC Trust may have issues about lack of universal availability. They don't seem too bothered about this with BBC Four/CBeebies and News HD so you never know - would be low cost in terms of distribution too.
  • DWA9ISDWA9IS Posts: 10,557
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    M60 wrote: »
    Certainly a good option for migration to T2 hardware although the BBC Trust may have issues about lack of universal availability. They don't seem too bothered about this with BBC Four/CBeebies and News HD so you never know - would be low cost in terms of distribution too.

    Yes the universality bit would be an issue and as such I was thinking that the BBC would use the capacity from the last SD red button for BBC 1+1 and shove the red button streams onto the connected service only!
  • BahtatBahtat Posts: 756
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    Honestly can't see the point of this channel as it is in a language very very few can understand.

    I wonder if this is the first non-English channel to broadcast on terrestrial, in England at least? I can't remember any others?
  • chrisychrisy Posts: 9,418
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    M60 wrote: »
    possibly Al Jazeera may sacrifice HD bitrate on their channel at the expense of the SD Arabic version if five HD services is still the ultimate aim out of DTT COM7?

    They might be able to reduce Al Jazeera HD to 1440 and include the ¾ res Al Jazeera Arabic without making a noticeable impact on the other channels. There are less pixels in the SD channel than they'd be removing from the HD one!
    The BBC could utilise some of this extra T2 SD capacity, plus the remaining HD slot for extra streams for the Winter Olympics too, if they wanted to and the price was right.

    I fully expect BBC RB 303 HD to return on one of these HD muxes for the Winter Olympics. There's space on one of Arqiva's other muxes for RB 302 too.
  • chrisychrisy Posts: 9,418
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    Bahtat wrote: »
    I wonder if this is the first non-English channel to broadcast on terrestrial, in England at least? I can't remember any others?

    In England outside of Manchester, yes. Elsewhere in the UK, no.

    If you go back to analogue then the Leicester RSL was an Asian channel, maybe some of the others were too?
  • DWA9ISDWA9IS Posts: 10,557
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    chrisy wrote: »
    They might be able to reduce Al Jazeera HD to 1440 and include the ¾ res Al Jazeera Arabic without making a noticeable impact on the other channels. There are less pixels in the SD channel than they'd be removing from the HD one!



    I fully expect BBC RB 303 HD to return on one of these HD muxes for the Winter Olympics. There's space on one of Arqiva's other muxes for RB 302 too.

    yes the return of BBC RB HD 303 would seem logical and 302 could even go on com 7 and become BBC1+1 afterwards.
  • BahtatBahtat Posts: 756
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    chrisy wrote: »
    In England outside of Manchester, yes. Elsewhere in the UK, no.

    What was that then? I know it's not the first in the rest of the UK, that's why I said England.
  • lbearlbear Posts: 1,773
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    lotrjw wrote: »
    Once all the COM MUXs are converted they could mandate that one more PSB MUX go DVB-T2!
    The remaining DVB-T1 PSB MUX would then have to carry all PSB video channels!
    That would mean 10 channels on there and no radio, but the BBC could start using its BBC B MUX for just its own HD channels then and might be able to squeeze its radio channels on there!

    Im guessing if it does go something like this, then the last PSB MUX still in DVB-T1 mode, would be easily converted to DVB-T2 in 2018!

    I hope you realize that there are only five PSB channels. My own preference is for a DVB-T MHEG2 "Legacy mux" for these five plus radio. In fact I would prefer that Five be relieved of its PSB requirement in exchange for not having to provide its main channel in HD. Five gets considerable preference compared to, say, UK TV in exchange for broadcasting a few minutes of news each day. By their own greed they have lost LCN 105, a reserved place in a logical numbering sequence if they had not declined three times to bring FiveHD to DTT. (The other way to look at this is to make their main "analogue" channels HD on DTT a condition of continuing to be a PSB)

    Conversion to DVB-T2 really could start quite soon as market penetration of HD is now 60% + (counting all platforms). What will not happen is a transition to DVB-T/MHEG4 (the "Nordig" standard) as only Freeview HD and YouView boxes have the ability to receive the broadcasts. Simply moving to DVB-T2 would actually provide greater compatibility with existing equipment on sale in the UK (apart from pan-European units which would not qualify for the Freeview HD badge as they do not have -T2 but do have MHEG4.)
  • technologisttechnologist Posts: 13,334
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    lbear wrote: »
    I hope you realize that there are only five PSB channels..)
    NO

    The,PSB channels are
    ,ALL BBC channels
    Those analogue channels that were PSB ... Itv 1 regions/ utv/STV .... Ch4 .... Ch5

    These can fit quite well on two regionalised HD T2AVCmuxes and one BBC HD mux nationwide.
    And still leave space for commercial daughter channels on the D3&4 mux...
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