Saorview and freeview - one system?

euser1984

Hi,
Do I need to get a dish for freeview and a converter box for saorview (an old tv)

Was hoping I might be able to get an all in one?

Thanks

Peter Rhea

Freeview is the brand name for the UK digital terrestrial system.

Freesat, as the name suggests is the 'dish' variant (in reality a EPG & some interactive add-ons for the generally available 'free to air' (FTA) satellite channels).

Do a search of the satellite & terrestrial forums for 'combo'.

Big Wex fan

Ya there are combos out there, satboxes.com or satworld.ie for purchase over web or over the counter & Irish based.

ProfessorWeeto

euser1984 wrote: »

Hi,
Do I need to get a dish for freeview and a converter box for saorview (an old tv)

Was hoping I might be able to get an all in one?

Thanks

I highly recommend http://www.tvtrade.ie/ if you want to buy everything you need online. But being honest, pretty much everything you need you could buy in shops (power city comes to mind)

Here are some useful tips when learing about free tv, op As it can be confusing to what is what, what you need etc.


(1) If you already have a sky dish on your roof (doesnt matter if its been laying up there for years without a sky subscription or not) you do not have to replace that dish with another dish as both sky and "free tv" are broadcast from the same satellite. In other words, you just got to change the satellite reciever/the box.

(2) Forget the term "Freeview" - That only applies to people living in the UK. (You'll understand as you read on)


(3) "free tv" here in Ireland is either 'Freesat' or 'Free to air' ... Whats the difference? just the box you use. Freesat are official boxes. Free to air are unofficial boxes. Thats it. Both recieve the same channels. Same frequencies.

(4) The difference between Freesat and Free To Air are, as i said above, the boxes. With Freesat you get a full 7 day epg guide, red button features & when new channels become available they automatically get tuned in for you. With 'Free to air' boxes the aforementioned doesnt come with them. So you'd have to check your tv guide to see whats on later. You wont be able to press red buton on certain programes (mainly BBC sport programes) and you'll have to add channels in yourself as they become available.

(5) A standard definition Freesat box will cost you around €60. A High Defintion Freesat box (to recieve certain channels in HD) will cost you about €120. Both can be bought from PowerCity. Dont have to be bought online. As for 'Free to Air' boxes both SD/HD boxes will of course be cheaper as they are unoffical.

(6) You stated you had an old tv. Just so you know HD boxes require a HDMI connection on your tv to get crystal clear picture. Which I am assuming your old tv doesnt have? ... you can still use SCART connections with these boxes. But it wont be crystal. Dont be put off this however, as perhaps down the line you might buy a new tv (which shall come with standard HDMI connections)

(7) Saorview.
There's a very good Soarview box in PowerCity for €60. HD box too. Of course to recieve this, as you know, you need an outdoor aerial. I used an aerial I bought from powercity. €40 euro and does the job grand.

(8) Combo Boxes for both Soarview and Free To Air.
As you may have guessed it, Freesat being the official boxes dont make combo boxes. So these combo boxes are something that can reciever the Soarview signal from your aerial and Free to Air from your satellite dish. So no red button, epg, auto channel tuner etc. Some may claim to have that ability but i've seen a few that claim it but really dont. Check tvtrade for examples: http://www.tvtrade.ie/satellite-receivers/combined-digital-receivers.html


So I hope the above helps you It basically comes down to what you want.

Peter Rhea

ProfessorWeeto wrote: »

(2) Forget the term "Freeview" - That only applies to people living in the UK.

Not true, in some parts of ROI (where I live for example), Freeview reception is possible, even with the low powered pre-switchover transmissions from NI.

The high powered post-DSO standard def. broadcasts, already receivable from Welsh transmitters use the same DVB-T 8K 64QAM as Saorview, so no less reliable than that system. Freeview HD is also available from switched over transmitters.

Satellite is generally less prone to interference though & universally receivable throughout Ireland.

rogue.goofball

Just backing up this last reply... anyone who used to get old Analogue UK TV channels can get the Digital Freeview one's now that the switchover is complete.
People who have reasonably new TV's with a digital tuner (mpeg4) or Saorview TV's. All you need to do is set a scan for the new channels! Lot's of people in my area (east coast / north Dublin) have been forking out €100's for extra boxes that they didn't need to, and were about to fork out more (due to dis-satisfaction with the combi systems they got installed) until I explained this to them (and for some of the less tech savvy even re-tuned their TV's for them).