Which TV / receiver in Border Area?

gingernut79 · 07-01-2011 4:31pm #1

Sorry if this has been answered already

I live in North Longford where it is possible to pick up UK terrestrial tv through a rooftop aerial. I'm thinking of getting a new TV / equipment to receive Saorview, should I also be looking at picking up the UK free to air stations or is that possible and if so what would I need?

holidaysong · 07-01-2011 11:44pm

A TV or a set top box you'll be buying will be either:

MPEG-2 DVB-T tuner = will give you only the UK channels. Avoid buying this. Often labelled as 'Freeview' in the stores.

MPEG-4 DVB-T tuner = this is the standard for 'Saorview'. On a TV/STB with this tuner you will get the Irish stations and the standard definition UK stations.

MPEG-4 DVB-T2 tuner = this will get you what the previous one does, but also when HD channels (BBC, ITV, Channel 4) are launched in NI in 2012 you will get these. Often branded 'Freeview HD' in stores.

Don't buy option 1. At least get option 2. Preferably get option 3 (as you'll then have the UK HD stations in a couple of years.

Make sure you google (or better still ask on this forum) any TV model to see what digital tuner is has before buying it. A lot of sales people in stores don't know what they're on about.

watty · 08-01-2011 9:42am

http://www.saortv.info/about/n-i-digital/

gingernut79 · 11-01-2011 2:32pm

Called the local aerial installer to price a roof aerial for RTE/saorview, no probs but when I asked if I would be able to receive the UK DTT station signals, I was told that I would need to be in a strong signal area. If all my neighbours have UK terrestrial currently (I think most have amplifiers) will I be able to get UK DTT after uk DSO? Or did the person I was talking to just not have a clue? Just trying to decide which STB will suit me best, I'm about 6km south of Cairn Hill transmitter, I'd say Brougher Mountain would be the nearest NI transmitter.

Sponge Bob · 11-01-2011 2:55pm

I would wait till they turn up the DTT power on Brougher in 2 years before I did anything expensive in a weak DTT Brougher area ...but one with strong analogue for now, meanwhile use Freesat.

OldRio · 11-01-2011 4:09pm

We are in South Leitrim and recieve Freeview from NI.
The signal is fine most of the time but is dependant on propagation.
BBC4 is a strong signal but the likes of Film4 not so.
You are a good deal further south and If I were you I would wait until the power is increased from NI.

gingernut79 · 11-01-2011 9:01pm

cheers oldrio, i saw a post earlier which shows that Cairn hill is blocking the Brougher mountain signal round here, so we must be on Divis, so it looks like I'll be waiting a few years for UK Freeview Channels. Should I be looking for Freeview+ HD or Saorview box to complement my non-subscription Sky box (i.e. FTA), I would hope to replace the Sky Box with Freesat HD in order to pick up the UK HD channels but will still need STB for Irish DTT. Or is it likely that a combination of the two would ever be available?

Which TV / receiver in Border Area?

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