Saorview?

Arrow in the Knee

Okey so I don't have Saorview yet and I have a few questions.

I have an oldish box telly not a flat screen so will a Saorview box work with it for me to get Saorview?

Also when I get Saorview will I still be able to watch the UK channels like BBC,ITV,Channel 4 after the digital Switch Over?

All comments appreciated!

The Cush

Arrow in the Knee wrote: »

I have an oldish box telly not a flat screen so will a Saorview box work with it for me to get Saorview?

Also when I get Saorview will I still be able to watch the UK channels like BBC,ITV,Channel 4 after the digital Switch Over?

All comments appreciated!

The Saorview box will work with your TV via the scart (it has one I assume).

If you receive the UK channels via an aerial now you should continue to receive them in digital after the analogue channels switch off on Oct 24th.

Peter Rhea

You'll only continue to receive the UK channels if you're getting them from a transmitter across the border or in Wales, not from the 'deflector' sites.

FREETV

Arrow in the Knee wrote: »

Okey so I don't have Saorview yet and I have a few questions.

I have an oldish box telly not a flat screen so will a Saorview box work with it for me to get Saorview?

Also when I get Saorview will I still be able to watch the UK channels like BBC,ITV,Channel 4 after the digital Switch Over?

All comments appreciated!

Hi, approximately what area of the country are you in please? We can then answer your questions more fully.

zg3409

Yes to help you need to explain where you live, if you are currently paying a monthly fee to anyone, and what channels you currently have.

Also do you have a dish or any receivers? Do you have a few TVs in your house? Is there a TV aerial on the roof?

yabadabado

Just wondering would a saorview box pick up the UK channels after the switchover.Currently getting them through an aerial.Live in Roscommon.

Arrow in the Knee

I live in Delvin, Westmeath.

No subscriptions. RTE One+Two,TG4,TV3,BBC One+Two,ITV and Channel 4 and can also get Channel 5 but its a bit blurry.

There's a TV aerial on the roof 'the arrow shaped ones'.

zg3409

If you currently get the UK channels from Northern Ireland via a rooftop aerial then after October 24th using a Saorview box you will probably get the UK Freeview channels.

After October 24th re-scan for channels. If the channels are unreliable a new professional aerial setup or worst case a dish for free channels will be needed.

If buying a box it would be best to buy a Freeview HD box from Northern Ireland (make sure it is HD) from the likes of Tesco etc. This will allow picking up of Saorview, Freeview AND Freeview HD channels. So you will get more channels than on a Saorview only box.

Pennyhalpenny

zg3409 wrote: »

If you currently get the UK channels from Northern Ireland via a rooftop aerial then after October 24th using a Saorview box you will probably get the UK Freeview channels.

After October 24th re-scan for channels. If the channels are unreliable a new professional aerial setup or worst case a dish for free channels will be needed.

If buying a box it would be best to buy a Freeview HD box from Northern Ireland (make sure it is HD) from the likes of Tesco etc. This will allow picking up of Saorview, Freeview AND Freeview HD channels. So you will get more channels than on a Saorview only box.

will any freeview box work for saorview once its a HD one?
I bought one in tesco craigavon last year (technika HD freeview) which works ok for saorview but i can't get any UK channels (yet..anyway). I live in the border area so i'm unsure whether to wait until switchover and see then or just buy another box as i need one more box anyway but the one i have is no longer available. thanks

Arrow in the Knee

So I have to get a Freeview HD box from Northern Ireland and not a standard Saorview box if I want more channels.

Peter Rhea

Arrow in the Knee wrote: »

I have an oldish box telly not a flat screen . . .

No point going out of your way to get a HD box for a non-HD tv. BBC HD is the only non-simulcast channel, but it's just programmes you'll see on the SD channels anyway.

The Cush

Arrow in the Knee wrote: »

So I have to get a Freeview HD box from Northern Ireland and not a standard Saorview box if I want more channels.

The extra HD Freeview channels from the transmitters in NI will be BBC1 HD, BBC HD (future BBC2 HD), UTV HD and CH 4 HD. They are/will be duplicates of the existing channels.

As, I assume, your existing CRT TV doesn't have an HDMI connector there will be no benefit in having a FreeviewHD STB and a Saorview STB will receive all the other channels. If in future you decide to upgrade your existing TV look out for one with a DVB-T2 (FreeviewHD tuner) which will display both RTÉ2 and the FreeviewHD channels in HD .

Peter Rhea

Arrow in the Knee wrote: »

I live in Delvin, Westmeath.

No subscriptions. RTE One+Two,TG4,TV3,BBC One+Two,ITV and Channel 4 and can also get Channel 5 but its a bit blurry..

Have you tried the reception test on BBC, UTV & C4 teletext page 284? (The analogue output of the Divis transmitter in Belfast seems to be weaker this past couple of weeks, if that's where you receive from, the test at this time might not represent what was intended originally.)

zg3409

Pennyhalpenny wrote: »

will any freeview box work for saorview once its a HD one?

Yes in general. Rescan after Oct 24th

joolsveer

Will an aerial aligned for Saorview be able to receive the NI channels without realignment?

Ronnie Raygun

That would depend on where you are in relation to each transmitter & on the kind of aerial involved.

zg3409

joolsveer wrote: »

Will an aerial aligned for Saorview be able to receive the NI channels without realignment?

Start a new thread with where you are and what analogue and digital channels you currently receive and I will try and help.

Arrow in the Knee

Can you get a freeview box that is connected to all TV's from the same freeview box?

Also can I get the Red Button from a freeview box?

T17cH

Pop your address into this http://www.saorview.ie/make-the-switch/coverage-map/ it will give the location of your closest mast. your "arrow shaped" aerial should be pointed this direction for saorview. The uk freeview you get through a dish any sky dish will also do.You can use a splitter on the output which is on the box to view on multiple tvs from one box but all tvs have to watch the one feed meaning you cant watch different channels at one time.The red button is possible i dont know if any of the channels use it BBC used it during the olympics so it can work.

Capt'n Midnight

Peter Rhea wrote: »

No point going out of your way to get a HD box for a non-HD tv. BBC HD is the only non-simulcast channel, but it's just programmes you'll see on the SD channels anyway.

RTE2 is only transmitted in HD south of the border.

Peter Rhea

Arrow in the Knee wrote: »

Can you get a freeview box that is connected to all TV's from the same freeview box?

Also can I get the Red Button from a freeview box?

To connect to all tvs via RF, like a Sky box, you'll need a box with an RF modulator (v. rare), or a separate modulator. How many tvs are you talking?

A Freeview box will have red button ability.

Capt'n Midnight wrote: »

RTE2 is only transmitted in HD south of the border.

My post was in relation to Freeview HD & the DVB-T2 tuner needed, nothing to do with MPEG4 HD video decoding.

swoofer

freeview uk is via an aerial, Freesat is free UK tv via satellite dish. And remember rf modulators are now cheap at amazon uk and small.

Arrow in the Knee

4 TV's.

lawhec

Bear in mind that if you plan to use one Saorview set-top-box converter to serve four TV's, you will only be able to watch the channel that the box is selected to watch i.e. with just one box serving four TVs you can't watch RTÉ1 on one TV and TV3 on another.

As Peter Rhea says, do the teletext test on page 284 from BBC1, BBC2, UTV and Channel 4 - this should give you a good idea of seeing if your aerial is in good enough condition to receive northern Freeview services from the 10th.

Arrow in the Knee

Peter Rhea wrote: »

Have you tried the reception test on BBC, UTV & C4 teletext page 284? (The analogue output of the Divis transmitter in Belfast seems to be weaker this past couple of weeks, if that's where you receive from, the test at this time might not represent what was intended originally.)

Teletext doesn't really work for me on ITV and Channel 4. It works okey on BBC 1.

There is a fair bit of 'noise/blurryness' while watching the UK channels on the TV's at home but the Irish channels are nice and clear.

What's the reason for this?

Peter Rhea

You're more than likely getting your Irish channels from Cairn Hill in Longford. This transmitter is a lot closer to you than Divis or Brougher Mtn. & more powerful too.

No teletext isn't a good sign, although the analogue transmissions from Divis seem to have been down in power for a couple of months now anyway.

Fingleberries

Peter Rhea wrote: »

... the analogue transmissions from Divis seem to have been down in power for a couple of months now anyway.

That's somewhat of a relief, because my Analogue UK channels have really been sub par for the last few months (perfect before that) and I was thinking I'd have to go the FreeSat route. Will see what happens on Wednesday next week.

supersean1999

hi, iv connected up my saorview box, the problem is i want to be able to watch sky on the same tv, can i split the lead coming out of the wall and send one to the tv connected to the sky mouse and the other to the saorview box, thanks

zg3409

supersean1999 wrote: »

hi, iv connected up my saorview box, the problem is i want to be able to watch sky on the same tv, can i split the lead coming out of the wall and send one to the tv connected to the sky mouse and the other to the saorview box, thanks

I do not reallty understand your question.

Can you answer these questions

1) Is your Saorview box working 100% Can you see RTE news now 3E etc?

2) Do you have a TV aerial and a dish?

3) Are you paying Sky a subscription

4) Is your TV quite new and does it have a HDMI connector or wide black Scart connectors?

5) How is your Sky box connected to the TV (Is it using a pink HDMI lead?) or a wide fat scart lead?

supersean1999

yes pay for sky and also bbc and tv3 off off aerial. sky box is in attic where it is connected with bbc aerial and connected to all the tvs, basically the aerial goes through the sky box, then at the back of each tv the standard lead plugs into the tv, now iv connected new saorview box its working fine , but the only way i can watch sky on that tv is by switching leads, i wish i could split the outlet at the wall to send signal straigh to tv and also the box

zg3409

What is the exact make of your Saorview box. On the back does it have aerial in and aerial out?

From the wall the cable should go to the magic eye, then out of the magic eye to the aerial in on the Saorview box and then from the aerial out of the Saorview box to the TV.

The Saorview box will also needed to be connected to the TV by SCART or HDMI.

When all is connected you will have Sky as say channel 1 on the TV.
To watch Saorview you would need to select AV or HDMI on the TV using the old TV remote (not the sky remote) and then change channel using the Saorview box remote.

Be careful with the wiring as power is sent down the cable to the Sky eye. Do not connect the lead straight to the Saorview box without first going through the eye.

supersean1999

zg3409 wrote: »

What is the exact make of your Saorview box. On the back does it have aerial in and aerial out?

From the wall the cable should go to the magic eye, then out of the magic eye to the aerial in on the Saorview box and then from the aerial out of the Saorview box to the TV.

The Saorview box will also needed to be connected to the TV by SCART or HDMI.

When all is connected you will have Sky as say channel 1 on the TV.
To watch Saorview you would need to select AV or HDMI on the TV using the old TV remote (not the sky remote) and then change channel using the Saorview box remote.

Be careful with the wiring as power is sent down the cable to the Sky eye. Do not connect the lead straight to the Saorview box without first going through the eye.

ok ill check it all out later and get back thank you sorry its a walker , wp 12dtb-r, i looked at the back, there is an in and out but the lead only fits in the out, tbh it looks more setup for scart or hdmi so dont think its right for me

John Dough

Most annoying ads atm about Saorview is that it's FREE does no one have to buy a licence!!

watty

The licence isn't for watching Saorview, but simply to have a TV.

zg3409

supersean1999 wrote: »

ok i looked at the back, there is an in and out but the lead only fits in the out, tbh it looks more setup for scart or hdmi so dont think its right for me

The lead from the Sky eye should connect to the IN. You then need ANOTHER lead to go from the out to the TV.

This is the type of lead that would normally go from a video to the TV. It is available from every TV shop. This has a male connector on one end and a female on the other end.

This is the way it is meant to work.

So again

Wall

---

Sky Eye ---- Saorview box in Saorview box out

---

TV

And a HDMI or Scart lead to the TV. (HDMI preferably)

supersean1999

zg3409 wrote: »

The lead from the Sky eye should connect to the IN. You then need ANOTHER lead to go from the out to the TV.

This is the type of lead that would normally go from a video to the TV. It is available from every TV shop. This has a male connector on one end and a female on the other end.

This is the way it is meant to work.

So again

Wall

---

Sky Eye ---- Saorview box in Saorview box out

---

TV

And a HDMI or Scart lead to the TV. (HDMI preferably)

cheers got ya sir haha thanks for the help

Drumpot

Hi,

I currently have sky installed and was thinking about getting a saorview approved tv.

I dont have an aerial on my roof (only the sky dish), is it a waste of money to get a Saorview tv if you dont have an aerial on your roof or a saorview box?

Tony Soprano.

Drumpot wrote: »

Hi,

I currently have sky installed and was thinking about getting a saorview approved tv.

I dont have an aerial on my roof (only the sky dish), is it a waste of money to get a Saorview tv if you dont have an aerial on your roof or a saorview box?

You don't need a saorview box if you're buying a Saorview tv. You will need a aerial to get saorview.

If you're planning on getting rid of Sky, you could buy a Free to air box, or a freesat box (more features than FTA).