Question about Digital TV Uk coverage map

borderfox11

Hi, just doing some research on digital tv, seeing what the options are..

I found this site http://www.digitaluk.co.uk/when_do_i_switch - i live in east monaghan close enough to the border, i was thinking that freeview coverage might cross over like the analog signal does, but according to the map on the link it says "switchover starts in 2012"

Is this correct, from a couple of posts here it seems some people may be getting freeview from the north already???

Thanks

Freeview is being broadcast from Brougher and Divis but at a significantly lower power than analogue until 2012.

Peter Rhea

borderfox11 wrote: »

Is this correct, from a couple of posts here it seems some people may be getting freeview from the north already???

Yes, a lot of people are & have been for years. If you have good analogue from a main transmitter (preferably Divis) you should do too.
Power will get good increase when analogue is switched off in 2012.

watty

New page http://www.saortv.info/channels/uk-televison/
Existing pages
http://www.saortv.info/about/n-i-digital/
Articles by lawhec that posts regular here
http://www.techtir.ie/blog/lawhec/saorview-in-ni
http://www.techtir.ie/blog/lawhec/is-rte-on-freeview-wishful-thinking
http://www.techtir.ie/tv-radio/receiving-freeview-in-Ireland

borderfox11

thats great, thanks everyone, hopefully i can pick up freeview

borderfox11

sorry guys just a further question

my sister has a tv she bought up north while she was living there for a while... i get that it wont pick up any irish digital channels down here but i dont think it picks up any from the north either?

Does that mean freeview is out of range? There is sound on the telly when in digital mode but thats probably just the irish digital channels??

I must have another play around with it
thanks again

watty

If it has sound and no pictures then it's only an MPEG2 set, no MPEG4. Unless there is large aerial specially installed and you are in Border areas or East/S.E. coast you can't receive Freeviewfrom IOM, NI or Wales.

Sponge Bob

Don't forget that NI Relays will not have as many HD channels as NI Transmitters ( ie Divis Brougher and Limavady) after NI goes digital.

borderfox11

Just an update, i re-scanned my sisters digital tv....it is picking up some digital stations

BBC4
Cbeebies
BBC Parliament
BBC 2 Digital? (not sure about this but darts were on - says 301 in the info)

So Im thinking the signal isnt strong enough for other channels? There are a few tvs in the house so maybe a stronger booster is required and possibly a re-alignment of the aerial?

Is there some sort of meter than you can plug the output of the aerial into to check for maximum signal whilst aligning?

thanks

Peter Henderson

You may need to change the aerial for a wideband one (likely it's group A).

Even if the TV isn't MPeg 4, it's still not completely useless. A Freeview HD box will receive Saorview. They're widely available in the major retail outlets (such as Currys and Argos) in NI, even though Freeview HD doesn't start here until November 2012

I would suspect you're probably receiving a weak signal from either Divis or Brougher (check to see which direction the aerial is pointing !).

borderfox11

Not too worried about that tv working or not....just trying to see if freeview can be picked up, my fear is that i buy a Freeview HD box and it doesnt pick up NI channels for another year

I think we have a wideband aerial already, is this one?

Also im fairly sure its pointing towards Brougher Mountain, as its pointing kinda opposite to the RTE aerial (pointed towards Louth i think)

thanks

watty

Those are not really wideband. More Group B/C with not too poor Group D

Looks like a bacofoil Argos/B&Q I'd hate to rate it's survival in ice/wind.

Peter Rhea

borderfox11 wrote: »

. . . I think we have a wideband aerial already, is this one?

I'm assuming you only used the pic. for illustrative purposes.
The one on your chimney might look like that but may be a Triax Unix 52 group A or similar, which are quite popular for NI reception in Co. Monaghan.
An A group aerial will receive all the Freeview channels from Brougher if the signal is strong enough.

Peter Henderson

borderfox11 wrote: »

Not too worried about that tv working or not....just trying to see if freeview can be picked up, my fear is that i buy a Freeview HD box and it doesnt pick up NI channels for another year

I think we have a wideband aerial already, is this one?

Also im fairly sure its pointing towards Brougher Mountain, as its pointing kinda opposite to the RTE aerial (pointed towards Louth i think)

thanks

Unless it was put up specifically for Freeview, then I would assume it's probably not wide band. It's impossible to tell just by looking so you'ld need anaerial installer to check for you.

You may get better reception after DSO as both Divis and Brougher will increase power.

borderfox11

yeah sorry, just grabbed that pic off Google for illustration purposes..

Gonna maybe get a guy out just to check out the whole setup, might be the best idea, although i have a feeling the signal from Brougher has weakened in the last year, i thought the picture used to be better.........

thanks all

sesswhat

Sponge Bob wrote: »

Don't forget that NI Relays will not have as many HD channels as NI Transmitters ( ie Divis Brougher and Limavady) after NI goes digital.

AKAIK the relays will carry the HD channels but will be missing the non-PSB SD channels.

cartman51773

borderfox11 wrote: »

Just an update, i re-scanned my sisters digital tv....it is picking up some digital stations

BBC4
Cbeebies
BBC Parliament
BBC 2 Digital? (not sure about this but darts were on - says 301 in the info)

So Im thinking the signal isnt strong enough for other channels? There are a few tvs in the house so maybe a stronger booster is required and possibly a re-alignment of the aerial?

Is there some sort of meter than you can plug the output of the aerial into to check for maximum signal whilst aligning?

thanks

i get teh exact same list of channels on my sony bravia. i pick up sky sports 1 and 2 but of course cannot see them. hopefully when analogue switches off i will get some more channels.

watty

watty wrote: »

If it has sound and no pictures then it's only an MPEG2 set, no MPEG4. Unless there is large aerial specially installed and you are in Border areas or East/S.E. coast you can't receive Freeviewfrom IOM, NI or Wales.

preslie is massively stong tonight - seeing all the freeview channels near arklow on a rabbit ears couple miles south of arklow and a fe miles west of the irish sea and irish dtt is gone due to co-channel interferrence...they really need to sort this out mount leinster on ch 45 isnt working at all over the long term of the last year....glad to have access to frieview tho but not for long i bet - both signals usually cancel each other out once there is any sign of good weather