Aerial to receive Freeview and Saorview?

Kumsheen

We currently have a rooftop aerial and pick up analogue tv in the form of the Irish Channels, and the standard UK ones. Reception can vary from good to poor depending on the weather etc. Located in North County Dublin close to the coast.

I've been reading a few posts here which have me believing i might be able to recieve Saorview with the current aerial, without having to get a dish.
I get the impression i just need a compatible TV and set top box.

My question is, would i be also able to access UK freeview with the set-up above? Or do i really need to get a dish?
Thanks

John mac

Black Briar should know ,

but i think a freeview HD box might do you .

Sam Russell

Kumsheen wrote: »

We currently have a rooftop aerial and pick up analogue tv in the form of the Irish Channels, and the standard UK ones. Reception can vary from good to poor depending on the weather etc. Located in North County Dublin close to the coast.

I've been reading a few posts here which have me believing i might be able to recieve Saorview with the current aerial, without having to get a dish.
I get the impression i just need a compatible TV and set top box.

My question is, would i be also able to access UK freeview with the set-up above? Or do i really need to get a dish?
Thanks

If you have an aerial capable of receiving Freeview, it is likely Saorview will come in on the back of it. If you get a STB that will get Saorview, Freeview will also be received on it. I]But not Freeview HD, unless it is a FreeviewHD box, but that will ahve its own problems.[/I

Where do you expect to get Analogue UK/Freeview from?

lucernarian

You won't get Freeview as it stands. This may change in November next year but it's hard to say as the final plans for Digital Switchover in NI haven't been released yet.

The Kilkeel relay is fairly low-powered and even in Drogheda which is less than 30km away from the site, the reception can vary widely with weather conditions. It may never be consistently received during periods of good weather as far south as Skerries or even Balbriggan.

It will be hard to say how well Freeview from the main Divis site near Belfast will be received in north Co. Dublin. When the switchover starts next year, we'll all have a better idea!

I will add that receiving Freeview from Arfon in Wales can't be ruled out but I haven't heard of anyone trying it for reception north of Dublin City. It would require a pretty decent Group B aerial anyway.

To_be_confirmed

To_be_confirmed wrote: »

You won't get Freeview as it stands. This may change in November next year but it's hard to say as the final plans for Digital Switchover in NI haven't been released yet.

The Kilkeel relay is fairly low-powered and even in Drogheda which is less than 30km away from the site, the reception can vary widely with weather conditions. It may never be consistently received during periods of good weather as far south as Skerries or even Balbriggan.

It will be hard to say how well Freeview from the main Divis site near Belfast will be received in north Co. Dublin. When the switchover starts next year, we'll all have a better idea!

I will add that receiving Freeview from Arfon in Wales can't be ruled out but I haven't heard of anyone trying it for reception north of Dublin City. It would require a pretty decent Group B aerial anyway.

pretty much +1 there.
At full dso in NI,what power will kilkeel be at? it should give good coverage where theres fair analogue,thats been the experience with welsh reception in wicklow and wexford.
Where Divis works will be interesting.
My advice is to have both freeview and freesat.
An aerial pointed to kilkeel will probably pick up saorview from clermont or three rock if it's a good aerial.
Having freeview and saorview is a great multiroom option with satelite as a back up.
I continue to be amazed at how stable arfon and presely are in the arklow area.
Lashing rain this evening for instance and 70% strength/100% quality and on itv1 hd it so clear,you could count the bristles on beards...

lucernarian

The Reference Offer from Arqiva mentioned 400W for Kilkeel but this was a few years ago now and much may have changed. The Digital UK postcode checker suggests that Kilkeel will change frequencies to the 43-46-50 group instead of 39-42-45-49 which is current Kilkeel analogue. Kilkeel analogue works at 500W max ERP and it looks like it broadcasts to the south at the full power and from a somewhat high altitude of about 220 metres. The tower looks to be another 25 metres.

STB

To_be_confirmed wrote: »

The Reference Offer from Arqiva mentioned 400W for Kilkeel but this was a few years ago now and much may have changed. The Digital UK postcode checker suggests that Kilkeel will change frequencies to the 43-46-50 group instead of 39-42-45-49 which is current Kilkeel analogue. Kilkeel analogue works at 500W max ERP and it looks like it broadcasts to the south at the full power and from a somewhat high altitude of about 220 metres. The tower looks to be another 25 metres.

News.

I thought their plan was switch off the analogue and switch on the digital but only using Ch 42 and 49 for Freeview.

lucernarian

If one was to be pedantic they are only using two Freeview multiplexes with the third being Freeview HD but in any case, three UHF channels will be carrying NI TV services from the end of 2012 onwards. This is often known as Freeview lite on the internet and will offer a similar but not identical service to Arfon in Wales.

The Arqiva document and the Digital UK website are contradictory on what channels will be used but my own hope is that 43-46-50 are used to avoid the problems back home with Mt. Leinster DTT coming in the back of a grid aerial and wiping out Kilkeel's BBC2.

STB

To_be_confirmed wrote: »

If one was to be pedantic they are only using two Freeview multiplexes with the third being Freeview HD but in any case, three UHF channels will be carrying NI TV services from the end of 2012 onwards. This is often known as Freeview lite on the internet and will offer a similar but not identical service to Arfon in Wales.

Em. Like I said 42 (PSB1 MUX) and 45(PSB2 MUX) are the only confirmed channels for Freeview at Kilkeel in NI as far as I know.

Has a frequency been allocated for the HD Mux ? Certainly it would be Ch 39 or above.

Where did you get channels 43-46-50 come from ?

Infact those channels are allocated as fill in transmitters on the Isle of Man to compliment the main Douglas site. You would need some mast to pick those up in Kilkeel! Ho ho.

lucernarian

I have stated where I got them from, though it was actually an NGW reference offer, not Arqiva who own them now anyway. You'll have to google "NGW reference offer Divis"

It also appears that the Digital UK postcode checker has been updated: http://www.digitaluk.co.uk/postcodechecker/main/trade/BT344AA/NA/0/NA

The frequencies now reflect the Arqiva/NGW document and I think RRC-06 but I'm not sure on the latter.

It is also suggesting Ch. 39 will be used when I thought there was going to be a reuse of that spectrum to aid in the freeing of Ch 61 and 62. Kilkeel has been given ch 49 too, which is used in the reference offer I mentioned. Ch 39 and 40 were to be moved to channels near the bottom of Group C and then group B transmitters would have Ch. 39 and 40 allocated to them in replacement.