Best Option for Terrestrial Digital?

super_freddie

Hi,

I haven't really kept up-to-date with the latest news on digital transmission of the 4 Irish terrestrial channels but have become aware in recent days of the advent of Saorview etc ... so I'd probably be best described as a technically literate novice .

I want to get the 4 Irish channels (if there's a current problem with TV3, I'm not too worried about that, so the other 3 would be fine) via digital. A nice to have would also be the free UK ones (BBC, C4 etc).

All I have is a rabbits ears aerial and can't easily get my favourite landlord to install a rooftop / wallfixed aerial. Also, I don't want a solution that I have to watch on the laptop - I want to watch it on a TV. The TV I have is not an LCD, it's a newish CRT. The area I'm in gives poorish analogue reception with the rabbit's ears.

Given all of those constraints, what are my options for getting the Irish (and hopefully UK but may be too optimistic there) digital channels either via rabbits ears or some other kind of indoor reception mechanism? I'm not near the border so won't get any Freeview overspill from Northern Ireland (that may not even be relevant information).

Thanks in advance for the ideas,
super_freddie.

The Cush

First off TV3 is now on DTT/Saorview.

Where do you live? What is your nearest transmitter? Do you currently receive analogue TV3 with your aerial?

DTT/Saorview is not available from all transmitters yet, just 24 of 51 are live at the moment.

If your TV is not an MPEG-4 digital TV you will require a STB or upgraded TV.

A freesat receiver and satellite dish is your best option for free BBC/UTV/Channel 4 etc.

watty

A CRT set with MPEG4 built in? Not impossible but I never heard of it.

You need either a FreeviewHD (not Freeview) box or a Saorview Box (only one certfied more before full launch in Spring 2011).

If your landloard won't do an outdoor aerial, he'll hardly allow a dish?

Some "better" indoor aerials http://www.techtir.ie/radio-tv/uhf-aerials
All about free Terrestrial and Satellite TV http://www.techtir.ie/saortv

There is no rush as full service isn't until Spring 2011 and Analogue Switch Off is October 2012.

Currently a full spec PVR is a bit pricy (Humax Freeview+ HD recommended ) Probably cheaper some places.

Note a Plain Freeview won't work. Has to be HD version.

It doesn't matter that the TV isn't HD, even when RTE2 switches to HD only.

Unless you are able to pickup NI or Welsh TV via a Roof aerial the ONLY solution (ever probably) for BBC, ITV, C4, Five etc and more is a Dish and Freesat box. Either solid 60cm or 80cm depending on location.

super_freddie

Just to answer "The Cush"...

I live in North Cork, in terms of transmitters, I plugged my location into

http://www.mpeg4ireland.com/aerial-setup

and it shows up the following transmitter distances...

Collins Barracks - 28km.
Mitchelstown - 30km.

I can get decent enough TV3.

So if I want to get the 4 Irish channels on digital (am prepared to give up on the UK) - how do I know if I can access these i.e. if I can pick up a signal from one of the 'lucky' 24 of 51 transmitters (I,ve googled without any success)? If I am indeed in this fortunate category, I presume it's just a case of buy a Saorview set-top box?

By the way - when you say

"You need either a FreeviewHD (not Freeview) box or a Saorview Box (only one certfied more before full launch in Spring 2011)." - am I correct in my understanding that the FreeviewHD TV will only allow me to receive UK channels? In other words, I am assuming that upgrading my TV to FreeviewHD will not allow me to pick up Irish digital channels when combined with only rabbits' ears?

Thanks,
super_freddie.

watty

List of transmitters http://www.techtir.ie/tv-radio/Irish-DTT-Sites
I think http://www.mpeg4ireland.com/aerial-setup is listing active transmitters.
Bob Harris here is the guy to ask.

For Irish Digital Terrestrial aka Saorview
"FreeviewHD" (box or TV) works
"Freeview" (even if HD Ready or FullHD) does not work
see http://www.techtir.ie/saortv/saorview

The Cush

super_freddie wrote: »

I can get decent enough TV3.

So if I want to get the 4 Irish channels on digital (am prepared to give up on the UK) - how do I know if I can access these i.e. if I can pick up a signal from one of the 'lucky' 24 of 51 transmitters (I,ve googled without any success)? If I am indeed in this fortunate category, I presume it's just a case of buy a Saorview set-top box?

By the way - when you say

"You need either a FreeviewHD (not Freeview) box or a Saorview Box (only one certfied more before full launch in Spring 2011)." - am I correct in my understanding that the FreeviewHD TV will only allow me to receive UK channels? In other words, I am assuming that upgrading my TV to FreeviewHD will not allow me to pick up Irish digital channels when combined with only rabbits' ears?

Thanks,
super_freddie.

If you get analogue TV3 you will have no problem receiving DTT/Saorview as all the transmitters broadcasting TV3 are DTT upgraded. There is no official list of upgraded sites yet only what members have posted here and elsewhere.

You can only receive the UK channels on a terrestrial receiver (freeview, freeview-HD, saorview) if you live in a UK terrestrial overspill area e.g. border counties (NI overspill reception) or the east coast (Wales overspill reception) otherwise you will require a satellite dish.

A saorview or freeview-HD receiver will allow you to receive the Irish DTT channels only at your location .

super_freddie

Thanks guys.

So... to be one hundred percent certain:

If I have a "FreeviewHD TV", this has a built-in Freeview HD Receiver and will allow me to receive the 4 Irish DTT channels without the need for a Saorview set-top box as long as I can receive TV3 analogue through my existing (indoor) aerial.

Just wanted to be clear on this as am thinking that upgrading my TV may be a better investment than buying the box (not expecting an answer to that, just thinking out loud )

Cheers,
super_freddie.

Sponge Bob

Your understanding is correct Freddie.

fat-tony

Just be careful with terminology here. A HD or HD-ready TV with a Freeview tuner may not work. The Lidl TV I posted about earlier is a full HD TV, but it only has an MPEG-2 capable decoder. The TV must be capable of receiving Freeview HD transmissions (you should be looking to ensure that the TV has DVB-T2 tuner /MPEG-4 decoder if it's a UK TV model designed to receive the new Freeview HD transmissions).

watty

watty wrote: »

For Irish Digital Terrestrial aka Saorview
"FreeviewHD" (box or TV) works
"Freeview" (even if HD Ready or FullHD) does not work
see http://www.techtir.ie/saortv/saorview

We said that

So now with HD started in UK, it's dishonest in UK also to label plain "freeview" TVs as "HD Ready" or "Full HD" as they can never tune that, only SD. That has been known since early 2009, though tests only started I think Nov 2009. They are only HD (1920 x1080) or WXGA (1366 x768) computer / console / BD player monitors.

The Cush

fat-tony wrote: »

Just be careful with terminology here. A HD or HD-ready TV with a Freeview tuner may not work. The Lidl TV I posted about earlier is a full HD TV, but it only has an MPEG-2 capable decoder. The TV must be capable of receiving Freeview HD transmissions (you should be looking to ensure that the TV has DVB-T2 tuner /MPEG-4 decoder if it's a UK TV model designed to receive the new Freeview HD transmissions).

We were specific freeview-HD certified receivers are DVB-T2/MPEG-4.

fat-tony

Ok we all know what the intention is, but to some casual viewer of the thread, it could be a case of - Irish smoked salmon versus Smoked Irish salmon

yop

watty wrote: »

A CRT set with MPEG4 built in? Not impossible but I never heard of it.

You need either a FreeviewHD (not Freeview) box or a Saorview Box (only one certfied more before full launch in Spring 2011).

If your landloard won't do an outdoor aerial, he'll hardly allow a dish?

Some "better" indoor aerials http://www.techtir.ie/radio-tv/uhf-aerials
All about free Terrestrial and Satellite TV http://www.techtir.ie/saortv

There is no rush as full service isn't until Spring 2011 and Analogue Switch Off is October 2012.

Currently a full spec PVR is a bit pricy (Humax Freeview+ HD recommended ) Probably cheaper some places.

Note a Plain Freeview won't work. Has to be HD version.

It doesn't matter that the TV isn't HD, even when RTE2 switches to HD only.

Unless you are able to pickup NI or Welsh TV via a Roof aerial the ONLY solution (ever probably) for BBC, ITV, C4, Five etc and more is a Dish and Freesat box. Either solid 60cm or 80cm depending on location.

http://www.humaxdirect.co.uk/product.asp?ProdRef=10090&cat=stb
Watty would you buy that box there for use with SaorView? It would be handy for recording, I have have freeview Sky dish and box, would anyone if I can use that also in the Humax above?

Thanks

The Cush

yop wrote: »

http://www.humaxdirect.co.uk/product.asp?ProdRef=10090&cat=stb
Watty would you buy that box there for use with SaorView? It would be handy for recording, I have have freeview Sky dish and box, would anyone if I can use that also in the Humax above?

Thanks

As it's a freeview-HD receiver it should work with Saorview, it has only one tuner so if you are recording a channel you can only watch that channel.

This will not work with a dish, only an aerial, it's a terrestrial receiver not a satellite receiver.

super_freddie

Hi,

I've been looking at my options on this in the last couple of weeks and I'm thinking of going 32" with Freeview HD receiver built in so don't need any set-top box for Saorview.

Was thinking of going with this one:

http://www.elara.ie/products/detailsfull.asp?productcode=ECE1971348

but I noticed at

http://bit.ly/dfYeUS

that there is no mention of an RF input connection under the connections section and therefore that (I assume) I will not be able to use simple rabbits' ears with a co-ax cable with this TV. Is this correct or am I missing out on something? Also (if I am correct) - will most TVs with a similar spec have a similar issue?

Thanks,
super_freddie.

All tv's with tuners will have an aerial socket.

The Cush

super_freddie wrote: »

that there is no mention of an RF input connection under the connections section and therefore that (I assume) I will not be able to use simple rabbits' ears with a co-ax cable with this TV. Is this correct or am I missing out on something? Also (if I am correct) - will most TVs with a similar spec have a similar issue?

Thanks,
super_freddie.

All TVs have RF inputs (even if not mentioned), it's the only way to connect an aerial.

watty

TV Tuner 1x analogue, 1x digital

also
Digital TV Tuner
Digital TV Tuner DVB-C, DVB-T, DVB-T2
Digital TV Service FREEVIEW HD
MPEG Profiles and Levels MPEG4 AVC/H.264 HP@L4

Thusly has RF in.

Other thoughts
Unless your room is very very small, 32" is only an SD size TV really..

Sponge Bob

While Elara seem to stock mainly Mpeg4 TVs one has to grind through a load of spec sheets to make sure. It would be nice if they ensured that they ONLY sell mpeg 4 TVs and stated as much. It would make them one of the earlier suppliers that obeyed that principle and then we could recommend them wholeheartedly. They also have a 37" model of that telly for another €100.

Furthermore they sell Sharp and Toshibas which are much certainly rarer in Ireland nowadays than they used to be, I am not up to scratch on them at all.

Let's hope they only stock 100% mpeg4 and mheg5 compliant TVs soon, eh!

super_freddie

Hi,

Been holding off on this to try to get a decent price and just came across this:

http://www.lidl.ie/ie/home.nsf/pages/c.o.20101202.p.32inch_FullHD_LCD_TV_with_MPEG4_Tuner

It seems to tick all the boxes, any thoughts?

One strange statement in the blurb is:

"Digital aerial required."

I don't think this statement really means anything? From my understanding, my old reliable rabbits ears will pick this up fine, correct?

Thanks,
John Kelly.

Sponge Bob

Looks like it should work. If you now have TV3 and TG4 on the rabbits ears then your aerial is fine...even if the picture is a tad grungy on analogue the wonders of digital error correction will deal with that.

If you only have RTE1 and 2 the rabbits ears will not work with a Digital set.

Sam Russell

Currys have the LG 32D450 for €379 which looks like a top telly for that price. Currys only give one year waranty while Lidl give a no quibble three year one.