RTE reception - do we have a problem?

mct1

We live on Forth Mountain, Wexford. Our RTE1 analogue reception has been poor for over a year - it happened suddenly for no reason, not die to aerial moving as far as we can tell. RTE2, Channel 3, TNG and Freeview reception all fine.

Just wondering is this a general problem in the area or is it just us? Most of our neighbours have satellite so we can't compare with them. And is buying a Saorview TV (which we'll do soon anyway) likely to solve the problem? If not, maybe we should consider going satellite instead?

Would appreciate any advice, thanks.

watty

At this stage only Digital Reception is important. Only 3 months of Analogue left.

mct1

Thanks, Watty, I realise that. I'd read something here earlier about signal problems in Wexford, and was wondering if that meant we could expect poor Saorview reception too. Maybe we'll just have to try it and see?

Peter Rhea

There's a Saorview transmitter on Forth Mountain (no analogue).

Check your precise location on the coverage map & see what it recommends. You'll probably be alright sticking with Mt. Leinster, but don't make any judgement on Saorview reception from there until after switchover when Saorview will move to one of the vacated analogue channels.

STB

Bad reception in Wexford was due to people with high gain aerials pointing to Wales and away from Mount Leinster getting infrequent Saorview and infrequent Freeview from Wales. That will change in October when Mt Leinster moves down to Ch 23 from Ch 45 on DVB-T.

That doesn't effect you anyhow as Forth Mountain Saorview is on Ch 52.

Since you are up there it will probably work with an indoor aerial!

Yes you should just buy a Saorview box unless you have a TV currently with a MPEG4 digital tuner (post the model if its an IDTV). There are also combo boxes that do both Saorview and FTA Satellite.

mct1

That's useful info, thanks.Still curious as to why our RTE1 reception is bad, but reassured now by the Saorview transmitter virtually in our back yard. (There are so many up there, you wouldn't notice a few extra.)

We need a new TV anyway - ours is out of the ark - but we have a nice DVD recorder with Freeview we'll keep. Might it be best to wait until the changeover before buying so we don't have to reprogramme everything?

STB

Analogue = Snowy picture. Digital = Clear.

Are you picking up the Welsh stuff of your Freeview/DVD recorder ?

Anyhow you can get a Saorview box down in Argos beside Pettits for €60 (it has a scart socket).

http://www.argos.ie/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10152&catalogId=13352&langId=111&productId=242002

That will pick up the Freeview Stations as well if you are receiving the Welsh stations.

Saorview is on now, you do not have to wait (Forth Saorview is on nearly 2 years)

mct1

@STB, yes we get BBC Wales, ITV Wales etc on Freeview. It's good to know Saorview will pick up Freeview too. I'm just hoping we can manage to record both on our DVD recorder since that's how we mostly watch. I'm thinking it's best to buy a Saorview box and TV separately rather than a Saorview TV in this case. I'm assuming the two (box & TV) would interfere with each other but maybe that's not the case.

STB

mct1 wrote: »

@STB, yes we get BBC Wales, ITV Wales etc on Freeview. It's good to know Saorview will pick up Freeview too. I'm just hoping we can manage to record both on our DVD recorder since that's how we mostly watch. I'm thinking it's best to buy a Saorview box and TV separately rather than a Saorview TV in this case. I'm assuming the two (box & TV) would interfere with each other but maybe that's not the case.

The Freeview/DVD player will not (most likely) pick up or display the Saorview Stations as the UK use different technology to us in the past (MPEG2) in anything just labelled Freeview.

Any of their "Freeview HD" branded boxes will pick up Standard definition Freeview, HD Freeview and Saorview. The Freeview only will not, it will only pick up Freeview Standard definition stations.

The Saorview box will pick up the standard definition stations from the UK and the Saorview Irish stations including RTE2HD. However the UK use a different platform called DVB-T2 for their HD stations which the Saorview box cant decode.

So if you want a box that does all (Freeview stations, Freeview HD and Saorview HD stations) then you will need a "Freeview HD" box.


ALL Channels, one channel list and record facilities

To confuse matters even further for you their is a "Freeview+ HD" box that has a built in hard drive and allows you to record to it and watch all other stations at the same time.

Like > Humax HDR-FOX T2. You wont need the DVD recorder at all then, one box, one remote. And to answer you question they dont affect each other.

mct1

It does confuse matters further but I'd rather know now than later, so thanks STB. I think it's important to have all the facts before we go shopping on the basis that sales people will generally try to sell you anything (I know that's their job). I see Amazon have the Humax for £229 free delivery. Trouble is on top of buying a new TV (badly needed), that's quite an expense for us.

I just wonder if we couldn't connect a cheap Saorview box to our (perfectly good) DVD recorder via scart lead, and record both Sview and Fview.