Ireland will show the UK how to do it when it launches its digital terrestrial television (DTT) service, which is expected to feature high definition content, according to an ERT Weekly investigation.
A two-year Government-funded DTT pilot project kicked off last August and next month will see a 1,000-home trial across the east coast of Ireland – from Dublin to Dundalk.
According to one industry source, the test, which is transmitting from the Three Rock site in south Co. Dublin and from the Clermont Carn site in Co. Louth, is in standard definition for the time being.
“However, the preferred strategy when the full service is introduced – probably at the end of 2008 – is that at launch, or very soon thereafter, there will be high-definition service,” said the spokesman.
“Part of the DTT service will include HD content.”
ERT Weekly understands that the test currently uses the MPEG 2 transmission standard, but that there will also be high capacity MPEG 4 when the national service rolls out.
The spokesman said: “Although nothing is decided, trials have started and the specification may change during the course of the test.”
The position in Ireland is somewhat different to the UK, where regulator Ofcom is caught up in a row about its proposed auction of broadcast spectrum that will be freed following the move to digital TV.
It had been hoped that the Government would earmark some of it to bring high-definition viewing to digital terrestrial TV. The move – which is likely to see a series of auctions in the second half of 2008 – would put an end, many believe, to any hopes of this country ever having an HD service on digital terrestrial TV.
The Irish source said: “It is believed that one of the features that will be used to make the DTT service attractive to viewers will be the availability of HD content.
“High definition will form part of the DTT trial between now and August 2008.”
In the UK, the industry disagreed with Ofcom’s stance and set up the HD for All Group of broadcasters, manufacturers and retailers to push for spectrum to be held for a free terrestrial HDTV service.
It has just over two months to change ministerial minds – consultation on what to do with the digital dividend closes on March 20.
This week, HD for All launched its consumer campaign, after a successful launch in the trade press through ERT Weekly.
 Readers can download a protest letter to sign and send to ministers to demonstrate their support for a high-definition TV service on Freeview, via our website, www.ertweekly.com.