Ireland airs its first HD broadcast on terrestrial TV
While the game might not have been a classic, last Sunday's Leinster Football final in Dublin was a momentous occasion in the history of Ireland's HDTV evolution – the game was the first Irish terrestrial broadcast to be shown in high-definition.
HDTV is available via satellite in Ireland but this game marked the first time an HDTV broadcast was transmitted from a digital terrestrial network in Ireland. And, from today, a selection of HDTV programming will be available on a trial using the digital terrestrial TV network in preparation for the eventual analogue to digital switchover.
The high-definition broadcast was launched by Minister of Comunications and Natural resources, Eamon Ryan. "This is a very exciting time for broadcasting in Ireland. We have to adapt and take part in the global broadcasting revolution which is coming with new digital transmission services," he said.
"A Digital Terrestrial Television service is capable of providing much greater quality, service and additional channels for Irish viewers in the long term. I would also encourage RTE, the BCI (Broadcasting Commission of Ireland) and ComReg to work together to roll out digital terrestrial services over the next 12 months so that the citizens of Ireland can start to benefit from the digital age."
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