Saorview East Clare Advice

Pebbles82

Does anyone know of anyone who would be able to help with Saorview connection and how much we should expect to pay. at the moment we have an aerial from the 80/90's to get the poverty channels on. what do we need to do?
If we were to buy the box from Lidl or one of the electrical shops will it work?

MarkK

If you currently get TV3 then you just need to get a box, it will work. A box is about €60.
If you don't get TV3 it might still work, or you might need to get your aerial changed or adjusted.

You can find out which transmitter you need by typing in your address on this page.
http://www.saorview.ie/make-the-switch/coverage-map/

Pebbles82

Ok thanks. TV 3 not great, quality depends on the wind :P will have a look at the link. thanks

Clareman

Do you know if your TV has an MPEG-4 (or 5) decoder in it or not? If you post up the model number we can have a look to see if it's Saorview compliant or not. I would assume that you have an older TV that doens't have a tuner, you'll have to get 1 of these, check out the Bargain Alerts section here as well as ask in the Terristeral TV section also.

Depending on exactly where you are of course, but I'd be very surprised if you weren't able to get a saorview signal with any old aeriel (even a coat hanger ), you've got Woodcock Hill and Maghera very nearby so you shoudl be able to get a signal off either.

Obliq

Pebbles82 wrote: »

Does anyone know of anyone who would be able to help with Saorview connection and how much we should expect to pay. at the moment we have an aerial from the 80/90's to get the poverty channels on. what do we need to do?
If we were to buy the box from Lidl or one of the electrical shops will it work?

Did mine about 2 months ago. Had to put a new ariel on the roof but it was only an ordinary one (haven't had one up for years, was watching free to air - also installed that myself). Bought a new telly from Aldi with digital capability and it all works perfect, but the brother had been up on the roof with some class of signal finder and an ariel to check the signal and pronounced it grand, so I did the job myself.
Did ya get it sorted yet? Am in your area, so could contrive to find ya a reliable person to help out for small money if you're stuck?:)

Pebbles82

Thanks hoping to get it done this weekend so i'll kniw more. thanks for your help. was going to purchase a soarview box from tvtrade.ie seems like a good site with good prices

Obliq

Pebbles82 wrote: »

Thanks hoping to get it done this weekend so i'll kniw more. thanks for your help. was going to purchase a soarview box from tvtrade.ie seems like a good site with good prices

That's where I got my ariel and my sat box. They have very helpful online tutorials on youtube too. Hope you get sorted:-)

Pebbles82

Ya all sort thanks for your help

steveon

How did u get on Pebbles, where in Clare are you based?

BnB

I know pebbles is sorted, but this may be relevant to someone else.

I am based in East Clare. We could not get RTE on the old system without having to do a big Ariel on the roof job so I just got Sky instead. Last year we bought a TV for a 2nd room to use for DVDs Wii etc. Bought it Saorview approved in the thought that I'd probably get an aerial some day.

Anyway, last week I saw those indoor Amplifiers in Dunnes for €17 and I bought one to use for my Father in Laws house. Just for the craic, I tried it out on my own TV at home and low and behold, it worked first time - no problem. Just plugged it in, left it down beside the telly, re-tuned the telly, and everything worked.

I have it moved up to the attic now as the house is wired up to there, plugged in for the last 2 weeks and working away great. I am thinking now of chucking out Sky altogether and just running Saorview to the main TV too.

Clareman

The new system is brilliant to be honest, in my house I have 2 aerials, 1 old 1 in the attic and 1 on the chimney, I've them hooked up to combo satellite/Saorview boxes and they are picking up all the channels (TV and Radio), that's a gret idea BnB about plugging in an indoor aerial into the attic, I would never have thought of that and would have just had it next to the TV.

Lady Chatterton

BnB wrote: »

I know pebbles is sorted, but this may be relevant to someone else.

I am based in East Clare. We could not get RTE on the old system without having to do a big Ariel on the roof job so I just got Sky instead. Last year we bought a TV for a 2nd room to use for DVDs Wii etc. Bought it Saorview approved in the thought that I'd probably get an aerial some day.

Anyway, last week I saw those indoor Amplifiers in Dunnes for €17 and I bought one to use for my Father in Laws house. Just for the craic, I tried it out on my own TV at home and low and behold, it worked first time - no problem. Just plugged it in, left it down beside the telly, re-tuned the telly, and everything worked.

I have it moved up to the attic now as the house is wired up to there, plugged in for the last 2 weeks and working away great. I am thinking now of chucking out Sky altogether and just running Saorview to the main TV too.

B&B, I'm exactly the same! I'm in South East Clare, I've been using Sky for the last eight years as I couldn't get a decent signal using an aerial. I purchased a digital amplified indoor aerial in Tesco for about €35 and l tried it on the tv in my daughter's play room and it worked a treat, the picture is excellent. I couldn't believe it!!! I'm loving Saorview, it is so handy being able to record programmes on to a USB stick too!

Clareman

There are some very useful apps to help you manage your recordings by the way, Aiseesoft Total Media Convertor will allow you change the files to more Windows friendly as well make it smaller to store. AVS Video Convertor will allow you cut the ads from your recordings. I would suggest people use the Tech Forums here for some tips on how to make the most use of your recordings, there are some great posters and tips available.

steveon

MrsD007 wrote: »

B&B, I'm exactly the same! I'm in South East Clare, I've been using Sky for the last eight years as I couldn't get a decent signal using an aerial. I purchased a digital amplified indoor aerial in Tesco for about €35 and l tried it on the tv in my daughter's play room and it worked a treat, the picture is excellent. I couldn't believe it!!! I'm loving Saorview, it is so handy being able to record programmes on to a USB stick too!

Guys just so ye all know there is no such thing as a digital Aerial, they are all the same, Indoor aerials may work for some but will not work for all, any1 living close to a transmitter may work fine in the attic but this is not always the case.

Any1 that has a VHF aerial can now remove them as they are no longer required for Saorview Signals which are now UHF signals only. There are still some areas that cannot avail of any Saorview signals but a second service known as Saorsat is in operation but currently only carries RTE1, RTE2 HD, TG4, and Rte News 24, & Rte Junior it currently does not provide TV3 or 3e.

Lady Chatterton

steveon wrote: »

Guys just so ye all know there is no such thing as a digital Aerial

Steveon, I'm not very technical but the aerial says digital on the box so I'm confused??



http://www.ebay.ie/itm/One-All-SV9360-Digital-Amplified-Indoor-TV-Aerial-/390442090198#ht_2169wt_906

Clareman

Technically digital means that it'll take a digital signal, digital signals will look like boxes (think ramparts on a castle) whereas Analogue signals are more "wavey" (rounded peaks), in Ireland the main types of signal for TVs would be UHF (new) or VHF (old), both would be very "analogue" like in their appearance but UHF would be more digital, in essence by putting Digital on the box it's just a way to get people to think it's for the "new" way, a lot of people (myself included) get confused between UHF and VHF, in fact a lot of people would think VHF is newer cause V is after U in the alphabet.

By the way, if you ever want to have an argument with a geek that will never finish argue that there's no such thing as a digital modem.

steveon

MrsD007 wrote: »

Steveon, I'm not very technical but the aerial says digital on the box so I'm confused??



http://www.ebay.ie/itm/One-All-SV9360-Digital-Amplified-Indoor-TV-Aerial-/390442090198#ht_2169wt_906

Just another gimmick and a way for the manufacturer to charge more money....there is no such thing as a digital Aerial they all decode the UHF aerial, so a UHF aerial thats 10yrs old if in good condition would work perfectly fine

steveon

Clareman wrote: »

Technically digital means that it'll take a digital signal, digital signals will look like boxes (think ramparts on a castle) whereas Analogue signals are more "wavey" (rounded peaks), in Ireland the main types of signal for TVs would be UHF (new) or VHF (old), both would be very "analogue" like in their appearance but UHF would be more digital, in essence by putting Digital on the box it's just a way to get people to think it's for the "new" way, a lot of people (myself included) get confused between UHF and VHF, in fact a lot of people would think VHF is newer cause V is after U in the alphabet.

By the way, if you ever want to have an argument with a geek that will never finish argue that there's no such thing as a digital modem.

VHF= Very High frequencies

UHF = Ultra High Freqencies....

Vhf was originally used as it would travel easier through valleys etc and used widely in Ireland whereas in England they always used UHF and hence why Tv's bough in the UK wouldnt work in most of ireland.

Upc Analog is also mostly broadcast in the VHF range and is prone to intereference in the low down bands however it also uses UHF in some parts of Ireland... that were ex NTL transmission units..

Jim Martin

steveon wrote: »

VHF= Very High frequencies

UHF = Ultra High Freqencies....

Vhf was originally used as it would travel easier through valleys etc and used widely in Ireland whereas in England they always used UHF and hence why Tv's bough in the UK wouldnt work in most of ireland.

Upc Analog is also mostly broadcast in the VHF range and is prone to intereference in the low down bands however it also uses UHF in some parts of Ireland... that were ex NTL transmission units..

As I understand it - UHF was not always used in England. VHF on 405 lines was used for TV in the UK until 1964 when the BBC started up BBC2 on 625 lines in B&W, prior to the full colour service coming on stream in 1968 on BBC1, BBC2 & ITV, & needed the extra 220 lines for satisfactory picture quality). A new aerial (usually horizontally polarised) was then required (the VHF ones being vertically polarised). I'm sorry, but I can't remember when the VHF 405 lines system was phased out in the UK!

Pebbles82

We got a UHF aerial in ODwyer's in Tulla. Previously had a home made DIY job that funily enough was not up to standards I was going to travel to Limerick to buy one in one of the big electrical stores but said Id chance my arm with O'Dwyers, they beat the price,€18.50, closer to home and opened til 9pm and had plenty available so it was win win for us. Shop local and support the little guys is my advice as they were cheaper then the mega store in Limerick which was a big surprise. Well done to them!
I pro saorview and think its a great service but did anyone see RTE news regarding the people in the Kerry mountains...one poor lady would have to fork out €2500 to get it in to her place and the whole town had to switch to Saorsat at a cost of €500 per household....something wrong there.

steveon

Pebbles82 wrote: »

We got a UHF aerial in ODwyer's in Tulla. Previously had a home made DIY job that funily enough was not up to standards I was going to travel to Limerick to buy one in one of the big electrical stores but said Id chance my arm with O'Dwyers, they beat the price,€18.50, closer to home and opened til 9pm and had plenty available so it was win win for us. Shop local and support the little guys is my advice as they were cheaper then the mega store in Limerick which was a big surprise. Well done to them!
I pro saorview and think its a great service but did anyone see RTE news regarding the people in the Kerry mountains...one poor lady would have to fork out €2500 to get it in to her place and the whole town had to switch to Saorsat at a cost of €500 per household....something wrong there.

Them prices for people in Kerry out outrageous and some1 is definetly taking the P" with those kind of prices, RTE's attitude to people who cannot get Saorview is outrageous claiming how brilliant their Saorsat services is which they have done off their own backs without being asked. They should be forced to broadcast it on the Sky satellite with an FTV encryption service the same way as the BBC and ITV channels did for yrs.

It is totally obsurd to think you can receive BBC and ITV for a relateively cheap once off fee and be expected to lash out hundreds to receive RTE1,2, TG4 and rte news....no tv3 or 3e on Saorsat....a complete disgrace and waste of taxpayers money....and ruining scenic places by putting up a second sat dish