Can you help with info please.

MoonDancer

I'm looking at new TVs to buy.
This one says it has "Integrated Saorview digital tuner."

Does that mean I don't need a sky box or have to connect it to a dish to recieve the free to air channels?

http://www.argos.ie/static/Product/partNumber/5299160/c_1/1|category_root|Home+entertainment+and+sat+nav|14419512/c_2/3|cat_19780832|Televisions|14419667.htm#sohdr2

Thank for your help.

Johnboy1951

It means you can get the Irish Terrestrial Digital channels via an aerial.

Saorview has nothing at all to do with Satellite reception.

You would need a separate set top box designed to receive Satellite signals connected to a satellite dish, if you want the satellite TV programmes

winston_1

MoonDancer wrote: »

I'm looking at new TVs to buy.
This one says it has "Integrated Saorview digital tuner."

Does that mean I don't need a sky box or have to connect it to a dish to recieve the free to air channels?

http://www.argos.ie/static/Product/partNumber/5299160/c_1/1|category_root|Home+entertainment+and+sat+nav|14419512/c_2/3|cat_19780832|Televisions|14419667.htm#sohdr2

Thank for your help.

That set is mis described. It says it has DAB. It does not. Would you trust a company that continuously mis describes the products it sells?

watty

DTT tuners on boxes and TVs regularly are described as having DAB. AFAIK none have DAB, what they mean is that likely you get the extra radio stations on DAB (not on LW/MW/VHF) on DTT.

I bought a new DTT stick for €12 (DVB-T stick). Amazingly the advert is accurate-ish. It really does do DAB (on L band as well as Band III, though I have no signal on L Band) and really does do FM. (possibly about 30Mhz to 1900MHz, not just Band II). But I doubt any TV or Set box does this. Yet.

Saorview is nothing to do with Sky, (Sky & UPC DO NOT carry Saorview, they carry Irish channels), UK channels or Satellite. It's the name of the subscription free Digital Terrestrial Network that replaced the Analogue TV Network in Ireland. Rollout commenced in 2008 and was about 90% coverage by October 2010.

john brophy

I live in Greystones and wish to discontinue use of cable TV. What do I need to do to enable me to get RTE1, RTE2, TG4, TV3, BBC1, BBC2, and UTV? Is a roofspace aerial Ok? What else do I need?

winston_1

watty wrote: »

DTT tuners on boxes and TVs regularly are described as having DAB. AFAIK none have DAB, what they mean is that likely you get the extra radio stations on DAB (not on LW/MW/VHF) on DTT.

I know what they mean. Nevertheless they are mis described as far as your legal rights are concerned and retailers are responsible for what they sell. In the UK there are far more radio stations on DAB than there are on DTT and anyone buying a product claiming to have DAB would be rightly miffed to find his favourite station was not there.

There is in fact one Freeview box that does include band 3 DAB. There is no separate aerial socket, and though I have not played with one it apparently gives passible results on a TV aerial in a good signal area.

EDIT. It's the Goodmans GDB5.

watty

If it's Freeview and not Freeview HD, then a poor UK purchase and nearly useless here.

I don't condone sloppy Advertising, anyone reading my diatribes knows I am hard on it. I was only explaining why they have the stupid description (probably someone expert does descriptions and then a "copywriter"/Adverts bod chops and rewrites descriptions to fit the space). Stupid.

Souriau

MoonDancer wrote: »

I'm looking at new TVs to buy.
This one says it has "Integrated Saorview digital tuner."

Does that mean I don't need a sky box or have to connect it to a dish to recieve the free to air channels?

http://www.argos.ie/static/Product/partNumber/5299160/c_1/1|category_root|Home+entertainment+and+sat+nav|14419512/c_2/3|cat_19780832|Televisions|14419667.htm#sohdr2

Thank for your help.

I had a look on Saorview and there are no 24" Bush TV being approved for Saorview
just these Bush model list on this link
http://www.saorview.ie/product/bush/

Johnboy1951

watty wrote: »

DTT tuners on boxes and TVs regularly are described as having DAB. AFAIK none have DAB, what they mean is that likely you get the extra radio stations on DAB (not on LW/MW/VHF) on DTT.

I bought a new DTT stick for €12 (DVB-T stick). Amazingly the advert is accurate-ish. It really does do DAB (on L band as well as Band III, though I have no signal on L Band) and really does do FM. (possibly about 30Mhz to 1900MHz, not just Band II). But I doubt any TV or Set box does this. Yet.

<snip>

Any chance you could provide a link for this device ..... either on forum or by PM?

I am in the market for a second such USB dongle and this sounds like it would fit the bill - with some extras.

Thanks.

watty

Just search on eBay for DVB-T DAB FM USB

JonathonS

john brophy wrote: »

I live in Greystones and wish to discontinue use of cable TV. What do I need to do to enable me to get RTE1, RTE2, TG4, TV3, BBC1, BBC2, and UTV? Is a roofspace aerial Ok? What else do I need?

You will get the Irish stations on Saorview using an aerial. Contact your local aerial/satellite installer to ascertain if you can get the UK channels using an aerial. I expect not, in which case you will need a combi box, which will give you Saorview via aerial and FTA UK channels by satellite. The box will need to be connected to an aerial and a satellite dish. If you were thinking of getting a new TV you could consider one of the Samsung/Walker/Panasonic/LG/Toshiba models that have Saorview and satellite tuners in the TV - no need for a box and only one remote.

watty

Combi boxes are awful for UK TV compared to a Freesat HD box or Freesat HD PVR.

It's a lesser issue programming a universal remote once (from €10) or using two remotes.

john brophy

JonathonS wrote: »

You will get the Irish stations on Saorview using an aerial. Contact your local aerial/satellite installer to ascertain if you can get the UK channels using an aerial. I expect not, in which case you will need a combi box, which will give you Saorview via aerial and FTA UK channels by satellite. The box will need to be connected to an aerial and a satellite dish. If you were thinking of getting a new TV you could consider one of the Samsung/Walker/Panasonic/LG/Toshiba models that have Saorview and satellite tuners in the TV - no need for a box and only one remote.

thanks for your help.Jonathon

Johnboy1951

watty wrote: »

Just search on eBay for DVB-T DAB FM USB

Any I found seem not to be supported in Linux

Have you tried your device in Linux?

areyawell

winston_1 wrote: »

That set is mis described. It says it has DAB. It does not. Would you trust a company that continuously mis describes the products it sells?

DAB?

winston_1

areyawell wrote: »

DAB?

So what is your question?

DAB =digital audio broadcasting

The Argos link in the first post says this TV has DAB under digital features.

IT DOES NOT. That TV is mis described and under the Sale of Goods Act can be rejected.

Someone should buy 10 of them then reject all of them without the packaging which is not required.

MoonDancer

winston_1 wrote: »

So what is your question?

DAB =digital audio broadcasting

The Argos link in the first post says this TV has DAB under digital features.

IT DOES NOT. That TV is mis described and under the Sale of Goods Act can be rejected.

Someone should buy 10 of them then reject all of them without the packaging which is not required.

Thanks for all your advise and recommendations so far.
I'm just wondering, how do you know it doesn't have DAB?

Can you connect a TV directly to the satellite dish without a sky box etc to receive the free to air channels?
Thanks again.

winston_1

As far as I know no TV's have DAB. Certainly Bush ones at Argos don't. Argos have lying about their Bush TV's for ages, time trading standards did something about it.

You can physically connect a TV direct to a sat dish but it won't work. You need to connect your TV to an aerial for free to air channels. You could use a Sky box but you are better off with a Freesat box.

watty

Johnboy1951 wrote: »

Any I found seem not to be supported in Linux

Have you tried your device in Linux?

I have not tried it on Linux. I think only supported directly for TV on Linux.

But it does have Linux support, even to use it as an "SDR" for about 25 MHz to 1900 MHz

There are ARM Linux drivers too. The Raspberry Pi isn't powerful enough to do TV or SDR, but you can install the drivers and the stick and then stream the SDR raw capture or TV MHEG TS data over Ethernet and then run the SDR software or Linux TV Software on another computer. This allows Cat5e cable from Pi at the aerial (important for 500MHz to 1900MHz as cable losses are high and cable very expensive as you go up in frequency)

wil

JonathonS wrote: »

If you were thinking of getting a new TV you could consider one of the Samsung/Walker/Panasonic/LG/Toshiba models that have Saorview and satellite tuners in the TV - no need for a box and only one remote.

I suggest if possible to get a demonstration of the freesat capabilities of any of these TVs before purchase. However most of the mainstream retailers haven't or can't test this so know little or nothing about it. If it became a condition of sale they might pop down to LidAldi to pick up a portable sat system (queue the low moans):rolleyes: and demo the freesat for you.
I say this because some of the high end TVs have a very poor implementation of freesat with Saorview,
eg input switching required, cant mix epgs, recording capabilities restricted.
You will be hard pushed to find a retailer who will tell you anything other than yes to all your requirements but still not be able to confirm or demonstrate.:(

Johnboy1951

watty wrote: »

I have not tried it on Linux. I think only supported directly for TV on Linux.

But it does have Linux support, even to use it as an "SDR" for about 25 MHz to 1900 MHz

There are ARM Linux drivers too. The Raspberry Pi isn't powerful enough to do TV or SDR, but you can install the drivers and the stick and then stream the SDR raw capture or TV MHEG TS data over Ethernet and then run the SDR software or Linux TV Software on another computer. This allows Cat5e cable from Pi at the aerial (important for 500MHz to 1900MHz as cable losses are high and cable very expensive as you go up in frequency)

Thanks for the info.

Unfortunately I am north of Limerick and don't seem to be in the DAB coverage area

Nevertheless as it does appear to have Linux support I will go for this ..... give me something to play with if I travel into a coverage area for DAB and maybe set up something for the FM at home.

You don't happen to know what the device ID is?

Thanks.