Questions on Saorview

obi604

Hello,

All of these q's are probbaly buried somwhere in boards but cant find them

so first, ill start with a few comments which I think are correct, these may be a bit simplistic but here I go

> Saorview can be got by an aerial and a normal television. The aerial must be connected to one of these Saor view set top boxes and in turn connected to the TV. So more a less if your current TV only has a basic aerial, just plug this in to your new saor view set top box , do some setup and away you go.

> In order to avail of HD via above, you must have a HD TV

> If you do not have an external aerial and set top box, you can get saorview via a special TV with built in Saorview, so all you need is this TV, no aerial, no set top box

> you get 9 channels via both of the above ways

My q's are

1. Will the saorview set top box work via a satellite dish e.g. a sky dish.......or does it only work with an aerial ??

2. Does this new Saorview thing allow pause, rewind record etc. ??

3. If a person for example had cabled UPC to their house i.e no aerial or satellite. If this person wanted to have saorview, would they have to

a) Install an aerial and buy a set top box

OR

b) buy a new TV with the built in saorview


4. Would saorview work with these " rabbit ears " only on a normal basic televiision ?

5. Could sky/upc work along side saorview ? 2 set top boxes etc. ??

Sorry for all the stoopid q's

LIS

Ok saorview is recieved on an aerial for the most part.there is a service in the pipeline called saorsat.regardless of the tv being new or old you still need an aerial.rabbit ears would only work if you are in a good signal area.the saorview tv doesn't require a box.yes it will work alongside sky or upc.but is not on sky or upc.it will record via a usb at the rear of the box but you would need an external flash drive ,usb stick or hard drive.if you have sky or upc you wont lose rte when the switchover takes place.just if you must buy a saorview box make sure it is an approved one.you will find more info at saorview.ie . Hope this helps,regards john

The Cush

obi604 wrote: »

If you do not have an external aerial and set top box, you can get saorview via a special TV with built in Saorview, so all you need is this TV, no aerial, no set top box

> you get 9 channels via both of the above ways

My q's are

1. Will the saorview set top box work via a satellite dish e.g. a sky dish.......or does it only work with an aerial ??

2. Does this new Saorview thing allow pause, rewind record etc. ??

3. If a person for example had cabled UPC to their house i.e no aerial or satellite. If this person wanted to have saorview, would they have to

a) Install an aerial and buy a set top box

OR

b) buy a new TV with the built in saorview


4. Would saorview work with these " rabbit ears " only on a normal basic televiision ?

5. Could sky/upc work along side saorview ? 2 set top boxes etc. ??

Sorry for all the stoopid q's

To receive Saorview an aerial connected to a Saorview set top box (STB) or integrated digital tv (iDTV) will be required.

1. Aerial required for Saorview

2. No dedicated Saorview PVRs available yet.

3. Aerial always required for both STB and Saorview TV. Rabbit ears/internal aerial may work in strong signal areas.

4. Saorview reception requires an aerial and Saorview receiver (STB or iDTV)

5. Yes

Digifriendly

The Cush wrote: »

To receive Saorview an aerial connected to a Saorview set top box (STB) or integrated digital tv (iDTV) will be required.

1. Aerial required for Saorview

2. No dedicated Saorview PVRs available yet.

3. Aerial always required for both STB and Saorview TV. Rabbit ears/internal aerial may work in strong signal areas.

4. Saorview reception requires an aerial and Saorview receiver (STB or iDTV)

5. Yes

Have just been informed in another thread that Sony Freeview HD 500 PVR with twin tuner does Saorview. So whether that counts as 'dedicated Saorview PVR' I'm not sure. See - http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=75059463#post75059463

The Cush

Digifriendly wrote: »

Have just been informed in another thread that Sony Freeview HD 500 PVR with twin tuner does Saorview. So whether that counts as 'dedicated Saorview PVR' I'm not sure. See - http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=75059463#post75059463

It's not Saorview approved but as posted it works with the Saorview channels as it has a DVB-T2/MPEG-4 tuner/decoder. Sony lists it and the 1TB model on its Irish site - http://www.sony.ie/product/hd-digital-tv-recorders.

Mary Curtis, RTÉ's Director of DSO who was at the Saorview tent at the ploughing championships at the end of Sept said there would be an approved PVR on the shelves by Christmas, don't know which manufacturer. It may not be a DVB-T2 model and so not suitable for the future FreeviewHD channels in NI.

The Sony model you mention might be the best choice for Saorview/Freeview and FreeviewHD in 12 months.

icdg

Moved to terrestrial.

Brian P

....Another Saorview question (apologies if the answer is staring me in the face in the forum but I can't see it). On RTE 2 HD will the sound, when a modern film is shown, be broadcast in dolby digital i.e. will the blue light on my amp. light up?

Sam Russell

Brian P wrote: »

....Another Saorview question (apologies if the answer is staring me in the face in the forum but I can't see it). On RTE 2 HD will the sound, when a modern film is shown, be broadcast in dolby digital i.e. will the blue light on my amp. light up?

It is in the spec but whether RTE do broadcast it or not will be up to them. No sign of series link and that is also in the spec. I would have though they could have broadcast at least one radio channel in Dolby, just to show they can, just as RTE 2 HD was coded as HD even though it was SD all most of the time.

starlight09

will one aerial work two saorview set top boxes in a very good signal area

Ronnie Raygun

One aerial will work as many boxes as you like, provided you keep the signal strength & quality at acceptable levels by using the correct splitters and/or amplifiers.

Two boxes off a strong signal should be no problem with a passive split.

Sam Russell

starlight09 wrote: »

will one aerial work two saorview set top boxes in a very good signal area

The aerial arangement for Saorview is the same as for analogue TV, and not like the arangement for satellite. That is if you have enough signal, you can split the signal, if not, then you can boost the signal and then spilt it. Saorview is broadcast on UHF (although it could use VHF) so if you get TV3 from an aerial (which is UHF), you will get Saorview. If you get TG4 from an aerial, you will probably get Saorview (as most, but not all TG4 sites are going digital). Some relays will not be going digital. (Only 51 sites of the 144 analogue sites are going digital). However, digital carries further.

watty

We have an ordinary 8 way TV distribution amp. Quality is over 90% on all TV points.

OisinMc97

Hello all im new to this and i dont know how to even post, This was the first thing i found so i wrote this.

I'm buying a new tv from argos in the republic , But i want to get freeview along with saor view! I am just wondering is it possible ? Will I have to buy the tv in the north?

I live in leitrim and only 25-30 mins from the boarder! All help would be great , Thank you very much!!!!!

MarkK

A Saorview TV will work for Freeview but may not pick up the HD channels on Freeview.

If you post the model number of the TV you are thinking of buying you may get a more exact answer.

zg3409

OisinMc97 wrote: »

Hello all im new to this and i dont know how to even post, This was the first thing i found so i wrote this.

I'm buying a new tv from argos in the republic , But i want to get freeview along with saor view! I am just wondering is it possible ? Will I have to buy the tv in the north?

I live in leitrim and only 25-30 mins from the boarder! All help would be great , Thank you very much!!!!!

The best thing is to buy a "FreeVIEW HD" NOT a Freeview TV. You will need to buy it in Northern Ireland.

Ideally buy a TV that is Freeview HD and Saorview approved. Either way you may have problems with TV guides etc as both standards are slightly different.

You probably won't get the UK Freeview channels well until November this year, so re-scan in November to get every channel.

MarkK

zg3409 wrote: »

The best thing is to buy a "FreeVIEW HD" NOT a Freeview TV. You will need to buy it in Northern Ireland.

It's not necessary to buy in Northern Ireland.
For example the Samsung UE32EH5000 (which does Freeview HD and Saorview) is sold by Argos in the Republic.

Ronnie Raygun

OisinMc97 wrote: »

I'm buying a new tv from argos in the republic , But i want to get freeview along with saor view! I am just wondering is it possible ?

You realise Freeview is a terrestrial service, not satellite?

Are UK analogue terrestrial channels currently receivable in your area?

Paddysniper

Hello.
Say a house has a number of old tvs, will the house need a set top box per tv or can a set too box handle a number of tvs?

Gerry Wicklow

1 box per TV

blue66

Hi, I'm also a newbie here...living in Galway.

I need to get a new TV anyway and would ideally like one that will pick up saorview without the need for a separate saorview box.

It seems that I need a Mpeg4 compatable set (and not necessarily just a Saorview "approved" one). In Ireland they seem to be comparatively expensive and somewhat limited in choice but Amazon UK has several freeview cheapies...but how do I know if they are Mpeg4 and thus will work with Saorview??

I already have an indoor digital "booster" aerial that gets the 4 Irish terrestrial analogue channels.

'Be most grateful for any advice or redirection to the appropriate board(s).

Thanks

Peter Rhea

Aren't some of those 'cheapies' on the Saorview approved list? Are there any you're particularly interested in?

blue66

@ Peter Rhea...Thanks for the prompt response,

The saorview list seems to be rather limited. The cheapie I was interested in (Digihome LED22913FHD 22-inch Widescreen Full HD LED TV with Freeview) is not on the list but does that mean it does not have Mpeg 4?

Thanks

blue66

Just found this hidden in the small print..."The media player supports a wide range of file types for video playback including MPEG1, MPEG2, MPEG3, MPEG4, XviD (up to version 1.1.2)."... so I'm guessing that it will be grand???

zg3409

blue66 wrote: »

Just found this hidden in the small print..."The media player supports a wide range of file types for video playback including MPEG1, MPEG2, MPEG3, MPEG4, XviD (up to version 1.1.2)."... so I'm guessing that it will be grand???

If you are saying your TV has these specs so it should pick up Saorview that is not necessarily true. Playback is for playing files from stored media. The tuner part of the TV may not be able to decode MPEG4 TV.

The best way is to check with a known good Saorview signal or post exact model number and link to manual here.

blue66

@ zg3409...thanks for that, I suspected as much!

'Excuse my ignorance but where do I find the exact model number?

Thanks

zg3409

blue66 wrote: »

It seems that I need a Mpeg4 compatable set (and not necessarily just a Saorview "approved" one). In Ireland they seem to be comparatively expensive and somewhat limited in choice but Amazon UK has several freeview cheapies...but how do I know if they are Mpeg4 and thus will work with Saorview??

It makes no sense buying a non Saorview approved TV. Non approved TVs may work for now but in the future any slight changes Saorview may make may stop your set from working.

Buying a non approved set is buying already obsolete technology.

Non approved sets may not give a 7 day guide. They may not have the new teletext. They may not number channels correctly. They may show the wrong time.

The reason "Freeview" sets are cheap is that they are obsolete. Even those in the UK should not buy them as they are not compatable with Freeview HD services. There is a reason they are cheap.

Some people to save money have found the model number of Saorview approved TVs. The same TV may be listed on Amazon etc as being a freeview TV. If you get the exact same model number then it should work perfectly for TV if you set the country to Ireland during setup.

Very cheap TVs normally have a cheap screen meaning picture quality is not the best, such as black not being very black etc.

zg3409

[QUOTE=blue66;81158381where do I find the exact model number?
[/QUOTE]

The model number should be on a sticker at the back of the TV.

Peter Rhea

blue66 wrote: »

The saorview list seems to be rather limited. The cheapie I was interested in (Digihome LED22913FHD 22-inch Widescreen Full HD LED TV with Freeview) is not on the list but does that mean it does not have Mpeg 4?

The Digihome list on the Saorview site is incomplete. If you click on the link to the Curry's site, you will find more, apparently approved sets, with minor differences in model nos. from those on Amazon.

I can't find a manual for the LED22913, but the manual for the Saorview approved 22914, here, provides very limited spec. info.

blue66

@zg3409...I take your comments on board... Many thanks

Capt'n Midnight

blue66 wrote: »

Just found this hidden in the small print..."The media player supports a wide range of file types for video playback including MPEG1, MPEG2, MPEG3, MPEG4, XviD (up to version 1.1.2)."... so I'm guessing that it will be grand???

NO NO NO

Playback is not the same as reception !!!!

It's exactly the same as saying your computer / DVD player can play MPEG4 files. It has nothing to do with what it can pick up off the aerial.

Peter Rhea

A tv sold in the UK as 'Freeview' isn't necessarily obsolete wrt the present Saorview spec. It may have the video decoding capability necessary for Saorview or Freeview HD, but not the correct demodulator for Freeview HD, so while being 'obsolete' by UK standards, might well work fine for Saorview.

From Jan. 2013, all newly approved Saorview kit will need the same DVB-T2 demodulator as Freeview HD, but T2 broadcasts in ROI could be a long way away.

blue66

@ Peter Rhea, Thanks for that...Yes I think the whole "Saorview approved" list is rather incomplete?

I noticed the difference between the 3 and the 4 too...strange ?

I suppose what really baffles me is that can there really be all that much difference between TV sets made for Eire and the UK (and indeed Europe)?
And what irks me is the price hike over here

Surely someone must have sussed the way around this one out by now ?

blue66

@ Capt'n Midnight, I kinda sussed that, hence the triple ??? But hey thanks for the admonishing triple NO, NO, NO...chill out dude

Peter Rhea

blue66 wrote: »

. . . I think the whole "Saorview approved" list is rather incomplete?

Surely someone must have sussed the way around this one out by now ?

The list has plenty of stuff on it at this stage. It can be hard to find detailed information for the cheaper makes, so you're basically taking a chance there.

I honestly can't see why the likes of Digihome would bother making (or sourcing) separate models for UK & Ireland.

Capt'n Midnight

blue66 wrote: »

@ Capt'n Midnight, I kinda sussed that, hence the triple ??? But hey thanks for the admonishing triple NO, NO, NO...chill out dude

Just might save someone making a mistake they'd kick themselves over later.

blue66

I asked Auntie Amazon and she said..."I understand that you'd like to know if the Digihome LED22913FHD 22-inch Widescreen Full HD LED TV with Freeview is compatible with Saorview.

I checked for you and found out that this TV would require a SAORVIEW Approved Set-Top-Box."

Shame as that TV has an additional 10% off at the mo'... so back to square one!

blue66

I suppose what really galls me is that the same TV (albeit without Mpeg4) that I can buy on Amazon for €133 (Inc' delivery) is €200 at Currys and the smaller (19 inch) one is €104 (Inc' delivery) on Amazon and €170 at Currys.

So much for the Saorview slogan "Your favorite Irish TV for free" ...

I'd still be grateful if anyone knows how/where to get a fairly priced Saorview TV in the Rip off Republic, thanks