Saorview charges in future?

ZuZuPuff

Hi I'm getting a new tv so was reading all about this new Saorview thing and got a bit curious. Currently people only receive four free channels right? (rte 1, 2, tv3 and TG4) After that you've got to pay for the pipe to get the other 14 or so channels, my numbers might be off, it's been a while since I've had pipe tv.

So when Saorview takes over, and analogue tv is switched off completely. Assumably Saorview will be replacing the current channels provided via pipe? And if this is the case, won't they be charging for it?

It seems like they'd have to, if the charges for those channels are necessary now they'd be just as necessary in the future...in which case it doesn't seem very freeviewy to me, which is what it's currently being ployed as. I got a bit excited about the prospect of all these free channels but that may have been premature of me.

Anyone got any ideas/info about this? Exactly what channels will be available and will there be a charge?

saorview is only replacing whats coming to you from an aerial.
It has a fewextra channels but nothing of note.
2 in fact rtenews loop and 3e
It has nothing to do with pipe tv.

Saor is free.
There are no plans for a pay element.

watty

you can get most of the worthwhile UK channels free via Dish. http://www.techtir.ie/saortv/freesat
More about Saorview http://www.saortv.info

Includes info about future channels etc. Today 3e (formerly PayTV only) and RTE News Now and some Digital Radio stations are new via aerial, free digital. Children's, Film and Oireachtas will be added.
RTE2 is in HD format already, though only "up-scalled" content. It will have some HD content soon.
In the next few years RTE1, TG4 and TV3 will also be HD on Saorview before that is available on PayTV.

Sam the Aerialman

Am i right in saying there was a pay tv multiplex as part of the old DTT plans. What is Arqiva/ OneVision's involvement with Irish DTT surely there is a commercial angle that would be to introduce a Pay Tv multiplex in the future.

Gipo3

When the second mux starts is it known what way channels will be split on each mux?

The Cush

Sam the Aerialman wrote: »

Am i right in saying there was a pay tv multiplex as part of the old DTT plans. What is Arqiva/ OneVision's involvement with Irish DTT surely there is a commercial angle that would be to introduce a Pay Tv multiplex in the future.

http://www.bci.ie/DTT/index.html
http://www.bai.ie/about_news_art013.html

http://www.bai.ie/licensing_digital.html (Update August 2010)

The Authority now considers that it will not be feasible to introduce commercial DTT as originally intended until after Analogue Switch Off (ASO) at the earliest. The position will be reviewed towards the end of 2011 and the Authority may seek expressions of interest in the provision of commercial DTT at that point. A competition could potentially be held during 2012 with a view to commercial DTT being operational in 2013.

watty

There are in theory I think post ASO: 2 x PSB and 4 x payTV Mux. Was to be 1 x PSB + 3 x payTV now before ASO.

PayTV is separate to Saorview. Saorview is brand name for the PSB muxes. Thus even if payTV ever happens (unlikely and if it does it will go bust), it's inherently not part of Saorview's Future.

As the separate payTV project has failed and can't possibly restart before ASO (if ever), one of current PayTV designated Mux has been given to PSB (Saorview) now, instead of 2013.

IMO a third mux (or even 3rd & 4th) should be given to Saorview and the last two Mux added to the "digital dividend". Insufficient thought was given to HD in original plans.

ZuZuPuff

Ok so I wasn't jumping the gun. Good stuff, thanks for the info!(although I admit I didn't understand half of it:P)

*curiosity quenched*

ZuZuPuff

watty wrote: »

you can get most of the worthwhile UK channels free via Dish. http://www.techtir.ie/saortv/freesat
More about Saorview http://www.saortv.info

Includes info about future channels etc. Today 3e (formerly PayTV only) and RTE News Now and some Digital Radio stations are new via aerial, free digital. Children's, Film and Oireachtas will be added.
RTE2 is in HD format already, though only "up-scalled" content. It will have some HD content soon.
In the next few years RTE1, TG4 and TV3 will also be HD on Saorview before that is available on PayTV.

So I read that most people in Ireland couldn't get UK free to air, it's just random parts of Ireland, I'm in Skerries North Dublin, I thought I wouldn't be able to get those channels. I actually have a satellite dish from a previous tenant, just sitting there, not connected...

Johnmb

ZuZuPuff wrote: »

So I read that most people in Ireland couldn't get UK free to air, it's just random parts of Ireland, I'm in Skerries North Dublin, I thought I wouldn't be able to get those channels. I actually have a satellite dish from a previous tenant, just sitting there, not connected...

I think that should be the other way round, most people in Ireland can get UK FTA. In fact, I think all parts of Ireland are well within the footprint, unless you are unlucky enough to live in the shadow of a very large building to your southeast blocking the line of sight to the satellite.

watty

Add a "Freesat HD" setbox to get over 40 decent TV and many radio out of over 250 FTA channels.

Free. legally.

6TV and 10 Radio via aerial. (all the Irish TV)

watty

Johnmb wrote: »

I think that should be the other way round, most people in Ireland can get UK FTA. In fact, I think all parts of Ireland are well within the footprint, unless you are unlucky enough to live in the shadow of a very large building to your southeast blocking the line of sight to the satellite.

Most People in Ireland can't get FTA UK via Freeview, via Aerial. Freesat FTA needs a dish and satellite receiver, yes, of course most people can get that.

Freeview = Aerial = Few people
Freesat = Dish = nearly everyone
Both are FTA UK TV.

By end of 2011
Saorview = Aerial = 95%+ of people in Ireland, more 45% in N.I. (about 92% & 30% today)
Saorsat = Dish = nearly everyone in whole Island of Ireland. Maybe available end of May 2011
Both are FTA Irish TV

Johnmb

watty wrote: »

Most People in Ireland can't get FTA UK via Freeview, via Aerial. Freesat FTA needs a dish and satellite receiver, yes, of course most people can get that.

Freeview = Aerial = Few people
Freesat = Dish = nearly everyone
Both are FTA UK TV.

Given the poster mentioned having a satellite dish from the previous tenant, I assumed the FTA being mentioned was satellite, not aerial Freeview.

ZuZuPuff

Ok guys, thanks for the replys. Yeah I did mention a satellite, I've been doing all sorts of random research about various ways of viewing tv channels all day. I think I got confused between tvs with built in digital tuners when I mentioned that most of Ireland could not get the Uk channels. I did mention the satellite because I have one, but hell, figuring out how to hook it up, that's another thing! So I'll probably just go for whatever is easier! haha, four free channels, here I come!

Thanks again for the replys!

ZuZuPuff

Ok sorry, totally dimly rereading this now. And I see that you say you can get 40 channels with a freesat hd box, the tv I'm considering getting has a built in digital tuner and claims to have over 40 channels and radio channels, however from reading various sources online(I can't remember where now) I got the impression this would not work in Ireland, only in the UK. So I'm wondering will a built in tuner not work as well as a freesat box?(accompanied by a regular aerial that is) As that seems to the purpose of them, or are they just to enable the viewing of the saorsat channels...hrm.

I guess now my question is morphing, I felt clearer on this earlier. I read on this link:http://www.currys.ie/Product/LG-32LD450-32andquot-Full-HD-LCD-TV/300667/339.0 that the tv "comes with a built-in digital tuner, so you can enjoy a wide range of digital Freeview TV channels and radio stations." BUT that seems kind of vague so I researched into it, which is where I found people saying that this isn't the case and you wouldn't receive more than the four Irish channels with such a tv, without a satellite dish that is. Then I got off track with the whole Saorview thing. And then I stumbled back to this....SORRY! I find this all a bit confusing, I just want to know, I get the tv, I plug it in, what happens? Lovely marvelous free tv channels? Or monotoned haze?

Will an aerial be enough to view these 40 tv channels? Or will I need a satellite? This is turning into a bit of a rampaging thread, sorry!

Johnmb

ZuZuPuff wrote: »

Ok sorry, totally dimly rereading this now. And I see that you say you can get 40 channels with a freesat hd box, the tv I'm considering getting has a built in digital tuner and claims to have over 40 channels and radio channels, however from reading various sources online(I can't remember where now) I got the impression this would not work in Ireland, only in the UK. So I'm wondering will a built in tuner not work as well as a freesat box?(accompanied by a regular aerial that is) As that seems to the purpose of them, or are they just to enable the viewing of the saorsat channels...hrm.

I guess now my question is morphing, I felt clearer on this earlier. I read on this link:http://www.currys.ie/Product/LG-32LD450-32andquot-Full-HD-LCD-TV/300667/339.0 that the tv "comes with a built-in digital tuner, so you can enjoy a wide range of digital Freeview TV channels and radio stations." BUT that seems kind of vague so I researched into it, which is where I found people saying that this isn't the case and you wouldn't receive more than the four Irish channels with such a tv, without a satellite dish that is. Then I got off track with the whole Saorview thing. And then I stumbled back to this....SORRY! I find this all a bit confusing, I just want to know, I get the tv, I plug it in, what happens? Lovely marvelous free tv channels? Or monotoned haze?

Will an aerial be enough to view these 40 tv channels? Or will I need a satellite? This is turning into a bit of a rampaging thread, sorry!

No. As Watty said above, aerial = 6 channels currently, as UK Freeview cannot be received in most of Ireland. Curry's are selling a UK Freeview TV, and not making it clear that it is no good in Ireland. It won't even get the Irish Saorview channels as the Freeview specs aren't correct for Saorview, you'd need to have Freeview HD to be able to pick up the Irish Saorview channels. If you need to get this stuff now, then go for a Freeview HD TV. Be careful with the wording though, a Full HD TV, or HD Ready TV, with Freeview won't work, it has to have Freeview HD. And that will get you the (currently) 6 Irish channels. Then get a Freesat HD box to go with your dish, and that will get you all the UK FTA channels as well.

STB

Johnmb wrote: »

No. As Watty said above, aerial = 6 channels currently, as UK Freeview cannot be received in most of Ireland. Curry's are selling a UK Freeview TV, and not making it clear that it is no good in Ireland. It won't even get the Irish Saorview channels as the Freeview specs aren't correct for Saorview, you'd need to have Freeview HD to be able to pick up the Irish Saorview channels. If you need to get this stuff now, then go for a Freeview HD TV. Be careful with the wording though, a Full HD TV, or HD Ready TV, with Freeview won't work, it has to have Freeview HD. And that will get you the (currently) 6 Irish channels. Then get a Freesat HD box to go with your dish, and that will get you all the UK FTA channels as well.

As it happens this model WILL work for Irish DTT (aka Saorview) from knowing the spec of the model. Even though the UK Freeview standard is MPEG2, this model has MPEG4 L4.

But it is laziness on Curry's part not editing details taken from their UK website i.e. all the references to Freeview which are only available within the UK.

To the OP, this is fine. Check Powercity to see if that model is any cheaper. They also have stuff clearly marked as working with Saorview.

Johnmb

STB wrote: »

As it happens this model WILL work for Irish DTT (aka Saorview) from knowing the spec of the model. Even though the UK Freeview standard is MPEG2, this model has MPEG4 L4.

Ah, I'm not familiar with the model and was going by Curry's description of it being only Freeview compatible and not mentioning Freeview HD. Still, better to err on the side of caution with these things to save a lot of hassle later on.

ZuZuPuff

I was managing to get more and more confused! Fairly certain I've got it now, bought the tv yesterday. I'd read it would work with Saorview on this website so I bought it before even reading these comments. Thanks for clearing everything up!


Me