Saorview Guide

Schorpio

What is Saorview?
Since 1962 television signals in Ireland have been broadcast from a series of masts throughout the country. These masts traditionally broadcast analogue signals. However, for a number of reasons these analogue signals are being replaced with digital signals. To help avoid confusion, the new service of transmitting these digital signals from existing masts has been given the name Saorview.

I've seen the ads, but my TV works fine - why should I care about Saorview?
Currently both digital and analogue signals are being broadcast side-by-side. However, on 24 October 2012 the analogue signals are due to be switched off after nearly 50 years in operation, leaving only the digital service. Any televisions still receiving analogue will cease to receive any transmissions on and after this date. It is important therefore that you consider whether you are still receiving analogue on any television in your household. It is also important to note that almost every single television can be converted to digital. You will not need to buy a new television, save for the most exceptional of circumstances.

I want to go digital. Is Saorview my only option?
No. Both Sky and UPC already offer digital TV services which will not be affected by the analogue switch off. In a small number of towns digital cable television may be provided by a local company instead of UPC. However, Sky and cable/MMDS are subscription services. Saorview is currently the only free option which provides the Irish public service television channels. Saorview also carries some extra Irish channels and services not available (as of yet) on Sky or UPC.

How do I tell whether or not I need Saorview?
That depends on your current TV setup.

Existing Sky/UPC/Other cable company customers:
If you currently have Sky, UPC , or another cable TV service running on all televisions in your house and are happy with the service, then the answer is no, you do not need Saorview. However, you may still want to receive Saorview in addition to your existing television service to obtain the extra channels offered on Saorview which are not (as yet) offered on any other platform.

If you have Sky, UPC , or other cable TV service in your household, but have other televisions which do not receive a Sky/UPC/other cable TV service, and you wish to continue using these televisions after the analogue switch off – then yes, these televisions will either need Saorview, or will need to be connected to your Sky, UPC, or other cable TV service. Sky or UPC may charge extra for additional points/set-top-boxes.

Note that the UPC analogue cable television service will not be switched off on 24th October, and currently there is no switch off date set. If you are a UPC analogue cable customer you do not need to go digital yet if you choose not to.

Non-Sky/UPC customers:
Yes, you will most likely need Saorview to continue receiving television transmissions.

How do I do I receive Saorview?
There are a number of things which need to be considered.

1. Coverage
If you are already receiving tv transmissions with an aerial, then it’s almost certain that you can receive Saorview. A coverage checker is available here. Saorview coverage will reach about 98% of the population.

If, according to the coverage checker, your area will not get Saorview coverage:
I would recommend talking to your neighbours. If any of them have tried installing Saorview you'll find out very quickly if it's possible or not. If none of your neighbours have tried installing Soarview, I'd recommend calling a local Soarview installer (find one here) and asking about coverage in your area. They should have a fair idea of the situation local to you. If it turns out that you will not get Saorview coverage, then satellite is probably your only option. See "Tell me about Saorsat" below.


2. Your Aerial
First, a bit of myth dispelling – there is no such thing as a DIGITAL AERIAL.

If you already have a rooftop/attic aerial:
There’s also a strong possibility that any current aerial you have is fine. As a good rule of thumb – If you currently receive analogue TV3 - then your aerial is most likely fine and is pointing in the right direction. You should not need to do anything with your aerial. If you currently receive analogue RTÉ One, RTÉ Two and TG4 but do not receive TV3 then your aerial is most likely fine but for some homes it may be pointing in the wrong direction. If you receive only analogue RTÉ One and RTÉ Two and do not receive TV3 and TG4 then you may need a new UHF aerial pointed at the best transmission site for your area.

Examples of suitable aerials:


If you do not have a rooftop/attic aerial:
Unless you have very strong Soarview signal in your area, you will most likely need a rooftop/attic UHF area for receiving Saorview. If you know that your TV has a digital tuner and want to perform test scan for Saorview, a €2 indoor aerial positioned near a window which roughly points in the direction of your local transmitter can give a good cost-effective indication of both your TV’s ability to received Saorview and the strength of Saorview signal in your area. [TV tuners and TV compatibility are covered in next section]. However, unless you have very strong signal in your area, this is not a long term solution. You can also ask your neighbours with aerials whether they have Saorview or not, and if not you can still ask them what their TV3 and TG4 reception is like and use the rule of thumb outlined in the paragraph above.

Note to those living in Wexford/South East:
This area is prone to interference (overspill) from Wales. While this was fine for analogue, it can cause problems for digital. Your aerial may need to be adjusted so that it is pointing in the correct direction of your local transmitter. If you currently receive the UK digital system (Freeview) then changing the direction of aerial may cause you to lose this service. However, there is a change planned meaning the two services will not clash anymore. This change would not require any different equipment other than the normal Saorview equipment and should make both services available.


3. Your Television
Almost every single television can be converted to digital. There are essentially two types of TV when it comes to receiving Saorview – ones with digital tuners and ones without. Your television may already be capable of receiving Saorview. If you bought your TV from an Irish retailer in the last 6 months to 1 year, then it should have a digital, Saorview-compatible tuner built in. It is always worth searching your TV, your TV’s manual and online to check if your television has a digital tuner – especially if you bought it in the last few years.

If your television has a digital tuner:
Make sure that your TV’s region setting is set to Ireland. If Ireland is not an option, then set it to UK. Make sure that your aerial is plugged in. Your television may also have a cable tuner. In this instance make sure that your television is set to look for aerial/over-the-air channels and NOT cable channels. Then do a full digital scan. This can yield a number of outcomes.

• You may find no digital channels at all. If you bought your television in Ireland (or the UK) this would mean that you either have too weak or no Saorview coverage, there’s a break in the cable connecting your television or your aerial, or that you have a problem with the aerial itself.
  
  
• If you find digital channels, but when you try to watch them all you get is sound and no picture, then your TV is not compatible with the Irish digital system. This happens with TV’s which are UK-digital compatible only. Make sure your TV is set to Ireland. If it is (or Ireland isn’t an option) move on to the section on TV’s without digital tuners.
  
  
• If you find digital channels, but when you try to watch RTÉ Two all you get is sound and no picture, then your TV is not compatible with the Irish digital system. Make sure your TV is set to Ireland. If it is (or Ireland isn’t an option) move on to the section on TV’s without digital tuners.
  
  
• If you find digital channels, and they all display picture – then congratulations, you’ve successfully gone digital! You should now try to display teletext (Aertel). As part of Saorview, Aertel has completely upgraded. Whether or not your television shows the upgraded Aertel is a true test of whether your TV is 100% compatible. If you still see the old version of Aertel, then you should look for an option to turn on digital text. If it’s not there, it means your TV isn’t 100% compatible with the Saorview service (see note 1).

If your television does not have a digital tuner:
In this case you will need to buy an external box to decode the digital signals for your TV, commonly known as a set-top box (and known on this forum and pretty much everywhere as STB). There are many different types, but they all do the exact same thing. Saorview has its own certification process for STBs and any STB which has cleared this process should be labelled as Saorview approved with a label such as:

All major electrical retailers carry Saorview STBs and if unsure whether a box is approved or not – ask. It should also be written on the box. There are also a number of STBs which may work with Saorview but not be 100% compatible (see note 1), but only a Saorview approved STB comes with the guarantee of being fully compatible with any and all improvements/new features introduced into the Saorview network over the coming months and years.

If you buy a Saorview STB and you have a high-definition television, make sure to use the HDMI connection on the back of your STB and television. It is only by using this connection that you will get the full benefit of the high-definition services available on Saorview. If you have a standard-definition television (typically an “old-style” big TV) then uses the SCART connections on your STB and TV.

Okay, I've just decided to treat myself to a new tv. Anything I should know?
All new TV's sold by Irish retailers should be capable of receiving Saorview out of the box. If they can't then they're not fit for purpose - they can't receive television signals and are essentially just monitors. Even if you have Sky/UPC - with Saorview's potential for extra channels/services which aren't on other those other platforms I'd recommend buying a Saorview approved set. Most TV's sold by Irish retailers are fully Saorview apporved, but it's always worth checking and it doesn't hurt to ask!

Tell me about Saorsat.

If you are in an area with Saorview coverage, then this section is pretty much irrelevant to you. There will be no extra tv channels or features on Saorsat over Saorview. However, if you have no Saorview coverage in your area, then satellite is almost certainly your only option. If you want to continue receiving the Irish television stations, then you have 2 satellite options - Sky or Saorsat. Sky is a subscription based service, whereas Saorsat will be free forever after the initial installation cost. However, Saorsat hasn't officially launched yet and so details about the service are still subject to change.

Saorsat will essentially be the same as Saorview, except that you will receive it using a satellite instead of an aerial. This will mean 100% population coverage. It is intended to cater for the roughly 2% of the population who will not get Saorview coverage. If you want to get Saorsat, your best bet is to wait until the service launches (sometime this year - more than likely before the analogue switch off on the 24 October). Below I've tried to answer any frequently asked questions in relation to Saorsat.

I can't get Soarview - can I definitely get Saorsat?
Saorsat will have 100% population coverage when it launches, so the answer is almost definitely. You could still have a situation where the signal is being physically blocked by something - but it's unlikely.

Why is Saorsat not mentioned in any of the ads?
Unlike Soarview - Saorsat hasn't officially launched yet. Saorsat tests are still ongoing. That, and the fact that it's only intended to cater for 2% of the population anyway, means that it porbably won't be featured in any ads for a while. Although we have no official launch date for Saorsat - it should be before the analogue switch off.

You mentioned that Saorsat tests are ongoing. Is it possible for me to watch Saorsat today?
Probably not, no. While it is technically possible, the channels are likely to come and go randomly, or be switched off altogether. Plus the equipment is not yet widely available.

I have a satellite dish already. Can I use this to pick up Saorsat?
Again the answer is probably not, no. Saorsat will use a completely different system to Sky, Freesat, or any satellite system you may already have for receiving the UK channels (BBC, ITV etc.). I'm not going to get into the technical details of the different systems, but if you're interested check out Saortv's page about Saorsat or the Saorsat thread. The vast majority of people hoping to get Saorsat will need new equipment.

'New equipment'? Will it be expensive?
Hopefully not. We don't really know yet though as no official equipment has been announced. There may be a grant for those who need Saorsat as they have no Saorview coverage. (Though I can't stress the word 'may' enough!!)

I live in the UK/Norther Ireland - can I get Saorsat?
If you live in mainland UK, then almost definitely no. Saorsat is designed to beam only to Ireland. As for NI, we don't really know yet. There will some overspill - but those in the northern areas will probably not be able to receive Saorsat. Saorview themselves say that 65% of NI will be covered by terrestrial (tv via aerial) overspill. There is also a possibility that some Irish channels will be carried on Freeview in NI.





Note 1:
If a TV or STB is capable of receiving Saorview TV channels, but is not 100% Saorview compatible then in the future the Saorview service could potentially change to include features that you might not be able to avail of (aside from the updated Aertel, there are no such publically announced features in the pipeline). It also means that new channels/channel changes may not happen automatically on your TV or STB, however rescanning should solve this. At this present time I would not advise anyone to buy a non-certified STB or TV unless they know what they are doing and understand what the difference is. Nobody should be sold an uncertified box thinking it's certified. Freesat and Saorview combo boxes can be extremely useful and there are a number of cheaper, non Saorview approved STBs. However, the customer should always be informed that the product is not Saorview approved. If in any doubt, before buying check the list of appoved products here.

Note 2:
If someone calls to your door claiming to be a Saorview rep - close the door. Don't even listen to them. Saorview do not have door-to-door reps. Similarly, if someone tries to sell you a Saorview digital aerial - walk away. Never be pressurised by door-to-door salesmen. The only person who knows what you need is YOU. If you need to find reliable Saorview (or satellite) installers I'd recommend finding one approved by the ISAA here or asking opinions here on boards.


For more information see the official Saorview site and http://www.saortv.info.

Schorpio

^ There are a lot of Saorview related questions on this forum so I thought I'd throw this kind of "how to get Saorview" guide together for people not entirely familiar with these sort of things! I hope it's of use to people!

I'm not expert (at all!) so any mistakes or corrections that need to be made - please point them out!

watty

try www.saorview.ie

and www.saortv.info

One of the oldest http://www.mpeg4ireland.com/

Unless this thread is locked and stickied it will quickly be useless.

A quick google puts these in the top results. Along with www.techtir.ie where the original DTT article now has over 35,000 unique IP visits. (same IP several times only counted once)

timesnap

watty wrote: »

try www.saorview.ie

and www.saortv.info

Unless this thread is locked and stickied it will quickly be useless.

Oh for goodness sake watty isn't the OP just trying to reduce all the info down to a quicker read?
you were a brilliant mod and your knowledge has helped so many to get their heads around new and old technology,but in your modding days you were seldom snappy at people and never rude.

cheers.

Schorpio

Whoops, yeah meant to put those in! Done, thanks.

I figured that this forum is going to get more and more non-regulars looking for saorview answers as we get closer to the ASO, so I thought I'd write a little guide that hopefully answers most basic questions.

timesnap

Schorpio wrote: »

Whoops, yeah meant to put those in! Done, thanks.

:)I figured that this forum is going to get more and more non-regulars looking for saorview answers as we get closer to the ASO, so I thought I'd write a little guide that hopefully answers most basic questions.

well now you have and added to watty's extra link to google,both your posts would be of use to those who want to know the basics and those who want to dig deeper,so may'be a sticky would be a good idea so long as a mod can add further good links at your requests.

i am sure you are correct that Saoirview questions will go ape as ASO happens.

The Cush

Good job Schorpio. Just to add my tuppenceworth.

Schorpio wrote: »

1. Coverage
If you are already receiving tv transmissions with an aerial, then it’s almost certain that you can receive Saorview. A coverage checker is available here.

Some areas currently receiving an analogue signal from one of the approx 170 analogue transmitter sites will not be able to receive the Saorview signal from one of 51 DTT sites e.g. Carlingford Co Louth and Saorview:Brian's example. Saorsat or Sky maybe their only option.

Schorpio wrote: »

Examples of suitable aerials:

You could also add a pic of the common standard contract and grid aerials - http://www.tvtrade.ie/tv-and-radio-aerials/uhf-aerials.html

liamtech

Excellent Guide - perhaps it can be stickied! and left at the top of this page? for what its worth well done! could you perhaps mention FTA satellite for UK stations - The only reason i suggest this is that mainstream media tend to IGNORE FTA 28.2 and FTA stations in general.. Many Saorview users and potential users believe that if they want UK TV (which many do) their only recourse is SKY or UPC. They dont realize that many of the stations are available free of charge.

I think if more customers new of the wealth of FTA stations available they may opt for Saorview AND Freesat/FTA28.2 with no monthly Bills- obviously if a PROPER saorview Combi comes out more people will get the idea, but your guide is gonna be of MAJOR use to regular users, and many really haven't a clue about Freesat/FTA28.2 - With mainstream media choosing to ignore the channel line-up the user's cant be blamed for this - One radio program which was posted a while actually made a point of saying that all you get on satellite is foreign language stuff... absolute rubbish as we all know....

Regardless WELL DONE... you obviously put a lot of time into it.. Fair Play to you..

Schorpio

That's to everyone for their input - it's much appreciated!

I've added a bit about Saorsat and I'll try update the aerial photo later! I was thinking about adding in a bit about Freesat, but my primary aim is to give everyone (especially those who are just looking to get a service and who probably don't care about the technical details) a clear picture of their options and what they need to do - while not confusing the hell out of them (something personally I think the public awareness campaign has been relatively poor at so far). Given the multitude of Freesat options (Freesat branded boxes, FTA receivers, Saorview and FTA combos, Saorsat and Freesat dishes) that could be tricky....

icdg

I've stickied the thread and made a few small changes(because cable does not equal UPC if you live in Dungarvan or Longford), its a great post and well done Schorpio. Anybody that wants to contribute content I'll put it in.

I'd disagree with the notion that a cable customer should invest in Saorview (for three channels composed of simulcasts and repeats, one of which is available on the internet) but that is my personal view. The reality is that for a lot of UPC customers with 2nd and 3rd sets the replacement for analogue terrestrial will in fact be analogue cable rather than Saorview.

Schorpio

icdg wrote: »

I'd disagree with the notion that a cable customer should invest in Saorview (for three channels composed of simulcasts and repeats, one of which is available on the internet) but that is my personal view. The reality is that for a lot of UPC customers with 2nd and 3rd sets the replacement for analogue terrestrial will in fact be analogue cable rather than Saorview.

....and another thing I meant to put in but it slipped my mind! Thanks!

Yeah, I agree with you, if someone is already getting analogue cable then the extra expense of Saorview probably isn't worth it.

watty

Analogue cable will close too, maybe not this year though.

Digifriendly

Anyone know why on my SonyBravia idtV (not MPEG compliant for Saorview - only sound/no video) I get the full Saorview epg but with my Sony HDT 500 PVR (which is MPEG compliant and so has picture) I only get a truncated Saorview epg?

philahern

watty wrote: »

Analogue cable will close too, maybe not this year though.

Yeah UPC seem to be indicating that they are in no hurry to switch off their analogue service.

http://support.upc.ie/app/answers/detail/a_id/320

icdg

Split threads.

Rather than allowing this thread to drift off into a whole load of general Saorview topics, I think we'll close it and if people want info to be added to it they can do it by PM.