Switching to Saorview

Xcellor

I cancelled sky before xmas and have been suffering a bit with the lack of choice available on my skybox...

I live in Newtownforbes, Longford and am wanting to set up Saorview. I dont have any external antenna but if I check the coverage I'm about 9km from Cairn hill so would I need external antennae?

I did buy internal one cheapo from argos and plugged in and did a scan and found no channels at all.

I have the following TV
http://www.lg.com/uk/tvs/lg-50PK350-plasma-tv

Its not on the list of approved TV but from my googling seems to work with Saorview. Any advice?

Cheers.
X

swoofer

I am amending this post as it appears the view of others is that it will receive Saorview. I had an eye on this TV a while back but this review put me off

http://www.whathifi.com/lg/50pk350/review

this is a UK version but TV may be european wide.

A bit more digging and I got this

http://tv.b4by.net/lg__50pk350.html

and it states DVB T MPEG4

also if you say how old sky box is it may be possible to reboot it and get all the usual uk channels or buy a uk card and get all uk free channels.

with saorview its usually best to use an external aerial but its worth a try with that argos gizmo first. do you know anyone with a saorview box to borrow?

It has a signal meter as well.

good luck and let us know how you get on.

Sam Russell

Your TV should be fine for Saorview. Unfortunately, LG give no technical info about the receivers in it.

It is Freeview HD so will receive Saorview. You might able to receive Freeview where you are, so I would get a professional aerial installer in to get both Freeview and Saorview. A Freesat box might be a worthy replacement for the out of sub Sky box.

Thurston?

swoofer wrote: »

that tv wont pick up saorview, it may say freeview in spec but you need a spec that says Freeview HD.

No, there are Freeview TVs with the MPEG4 video decoding needed for Saorview. Freeview HD just guarantees its presence.

Sam Russell wrote: »

... Unfortunately, LG give no technical info about the receivers in it.

It is Freeview HD so will receive Saorview.

They give enough technical info. to work out that it is NOT a Freeview HD set. (DVB-T tuner, no mention of T2.) Don't see any mention of video decoding capability though.

Xcellor

Would something like this do the trick?

http://www.argos.ie/static/Product/partNumber/5323263/Trail/searchtext%3ESAORVIEW.htm

FRIENDO

Xcellor wrote: »

Would something like this do the trick?

http://www.argos.ie/static/Product/partNumber/5323263/Trail/searchtext%3ESAORVIEW.htm

The Triax box is a combo box, works with both the Saorview channels and Free-to-air satellite channels

You will get 7 day programe guide with the saorview channels
You will only get whats on now and next with the satellite channels.

If your tv can show the saorview channels then you may be better getting a Freesat box for the satellite channels.

http://www.powercity.ie/?par=10-24-BFSAT03

You will have 7 day epg on saorview tv.
And 7 day epg on satellite (Freesat), should be very easy to use.

It would also be advised to try and get the saorview channels for the tv first, you should possibly call a local installer.

Thurston?

He can probably see the Cairn Hill mast from there. Try the indoor aerial near a window facing that way. (Provided the window glass is transparent to radio waves.)

FRIENDO

Xcellor wrote: »

I cancelled sky before xmas and have been suffering a bit with the lack of choice available on my skybox...


X

What type of sky box do you have?

Was it a sky HD box, or an older (sd) box?

The (sd) sky box should be fine with the free satellite channels, if the box works with the free satellite channels, you only need to get the saorview signal sorted on the tv and possibly not purchase any new set top box.

Xcellor

FRIENDO wrote: »

What type of sky box do you have?

Was it a sky HD box, or an older (sd) box?

The (sd) sky box should be fine with the free satellite channels, if the box works with the free satellite channels, you only need to get the saorview signal sorted on the tv and possibly not purchase any new set top box.

I have the newer HD Sky box its a bit stupid majority of channels dont work hassle plus no stop record functionality anymore, you have to have a sub or it doesn't work.

Xcellor

Thurston? wrote: »

He can probably see the Cairn Hill mast from there. Try the indoor aerial near a window facing that way. (Provided the window glass is transparent to radio waves.)

I can't see the hill from where I am but I wouldn't have thought line of site was necessary. I didn't pick up anything with the aerial I tried though. May buy a more expensive one and see if any joy. I used to be able to get RTE from the same mast with a coat hanger

Thurston?

Xcellor wrote: »

... I didn't pick up anything with the aerial I tried though. May buy a more expensive one and see if any joy.

Post here says your TV works with Saorview.

I wouldn't bother with a more expensive indoor aerial. Can you post a link to the one you have, or as similar to it as possible?

swoofer

If that tv picks up saorview then I would deduce the argos aerial is useless.

tramoreman77

hope you dont mind me asking anyone here on your thread but my elderly parents have had upc for 20 years plus and just dont want the hassle anymore ,is there a suitable soarview box that very reliable and easy to use ,plus will that have to get an aerial from somewhere or can they use the upc aerial ,id appriecaiate any advice thanks

swoofer

????

Thurston?

swoofer wrote: »

Ok Thurston you are obiviously here with your own agenda.

read this

UK Freeview = DVBT+Mpeg2
Irish Saorview = DVBT+Mpeg4 ....that is HD over dvb-t as well so the ferguson should work fine
UK Freeview HD= DVBT2+Mpeg4

Mpeg4 backward capable with mpeg2
T2 backward capable with T

Therefore a T2 "Freeview HD" branded unit has all the bits needed to work anywhere in UK and Ireland

You will find there are UK/Ireland/Europe-wide spec. TVs that meet the requirements for both Saorview & Freeview, but not Freeview HD.

Don't bother with the lecture.

I'll delete the 'insulting' post, since you deleted your misinformation.

Thurston?

tramoreman77 wrote: »

... will that have to get an aerial from somewhere or can they use the upc aerial

You'll need to get the right kind of aerial. The UPC MMDS aerial is no use for Saorview.

Xcellor

Thurston? wrote: »

Post here says your TV works with Saorview.

I wouldn't bother with a more expensive indoor aerial. Can you post a link to the one you have, or as similar to it as possible?

This one

http://www.argos.ie/static/Product/partNumber/1066452/Trail/searchtext%3EAERIAL.htm

Thurston?

If the innards are something like this one, it might actually be some use.

The instructions with it should tell you how to adjust it for horizontally polarised signals (like Cairn Hill transmits). If it has a log-periodic or Yagi type arrangement inside, it would be a matter of folding it down to horizontal, with the 'pointy' end towards the transmitter.

The manual tuning menu of your TV will probably show a signal quality display if you enter the channel nos. or frequencies you're looking for, which could aid in aerial placement. Don't forget you can extend the aerial cable, if need be. Cairn Hill uses UHF channels 44 (658 mHz) & 47 (682 mHz).

Start with the aerial's amplifier gain at a low or minimum setting.

Xcellor

Thurston? wrote: »

If the innards are something like this one, it might actually be some use.

The instructions with it should tell you how to adjust it for horizontally polarised signals (like Cairn Hill transmits). If it has a log-periodic or Yagi type arrangement inside, it would be a matter of folding it down to horizontal, with the 'pointy' end towards the transmitter.

The manual tuning menu of your TV will probably show a signal quality display if you enter the channel nos. or frequencies you're looking for, which could aid in aerial placement. Don't forget you can extend the aerial cable, if need be. Cairn Hill uses UHF channels 44 (658 mHz) & 47 (682 mHz).

Start with the aerial's amplifier gain at a low or minimum setting.

Ah. I miss the coat hanger days.

I may take a trip to argos and buy the one that you posted. Worst case it doesnt work Ill return it like the other one. I didnt want the expense of having to pay someone to install an external one

Thurston?

The coat hanger would probably still work, though I wouldn't recommend jamming random pieces of wire into your aerial socket.

There's no such thing as a 'digital' aerial: whatever got a good signal for analogue from Cairn Hill, will still work as well for Saorview.

Xcellor

Thurston? wrote: »

The coat hanger would probably still work, though I wouldn't recommend jamming random pieces of wire into your aerial socket.

There's no such thing as a 'digital' aerial: whatever got a good signal for analogue from Cairn Hill, will still work as well for Saorview.

I did try the coat hanger it didnt work.

With digital TV is it all or nothing? I mean I havent even been able to get a fuzzy signal...

The Ayatolla

Xcellor wrote: »

I did try the coat hanger it didnt work.

With digital TV is it all or nothing? I mean I havent even been able to get a fuzzy signal...

You won't get a fuzzy picture. Digital is either on or off.

Thurston?

Xcellor wrote: »

With digital TV is it all or nothing? I mean I havent even been able to get a fuzzy signal...

Yeah, the signal quality can deteriorate, but the forward error correction (FEC) that's included as part of the broadcast data stream will maintain perfect onscreen results, down to the point where it can no longer cope. Then a bit of picture & sound breakup around the failure point, then nothing.

Can work at signal levels that would have produced poor analogue pictures, but quality is the important measure.

swoofer

It wasn't insulting but shows your agenda. I made an honest error in a rush. I got my mpeg2 and mpeg4s in a tiz and I know saorview was MPEG 2 originally and switched to MPEG4 that caught out a lot of people. The review from UK said SD only so I assumed TV was dvb t mpeg2.

At least the OP should realise now that indoor aerial may not be sufficient.

the idea on here is to help people but you have a knack of using quotes to hammer other peoples postings, good luck to you.

Thurston?

swoofer wrote: »

I know saorview was MPEG 2 originally and switched to MPEG4

Saorview was never MPEG2: those were test transmissions from a limited no. of transmitters, ended about 6 & a half years ago iirc, probably before the Saorview name had even been thought of.

In fact, a brief search of this forum would suggest those MPEG2 transmissions were actually BT's trial?

swoofer wrote: »

The review from UK said SD only so I assumed TV was dvb t mpeg2.

From a Freeview perspective, a DVB-T MPEG4 TV is SD-only.

swoofer wrote: »

the idea on here is to help people but you have a knack of using quotes to hammer other peoples postings, good luck to you.

Wrong information is no help to anyone. Why should it go unremarked upon?

bbability

I've just plugged my roof top aerial back in to hook up Saorview. I have it running through the aerial in on my sky box which feeds all my rooms. I can see a test card with Baile Atha Cliath on it and recieve a poor feed of RTE R Na G and RTE Lyric but no picture and nothing else. My aerial is set up to point at Claremont Cairn so is my aerial off line or do I need a booster?

Thurston?

bbability wrote: »

I've just plugged my roof top aerial back in to hook up Saorview. I have it running through the aerial in on my sky box which feeds all my rooms. I can see a test card with Baile Atha Cliath on it and recieve a poor feed of RTE R Na G and RTE Lyric but no picture and nothing else.

If you can see a test card, you should have at least some of the actual TV services there somewhere. (Lot of 'test' services for some reason.) By 'poor feed', I take it the audio is breaking up all the time?

Do you know which channel your Sky box RF outputs use?

bbability

Just a quick update. I plugged my two channel amp into the aerial feed to the skybox and it worked straight away. So I need a bit of juice to feed the aerial.

Thurston?

Is the 'two channel amp' a power supply for a masthead amplifier?

bbability

Thurston? wrote: »

Is the 'two channel amp' a power supply for a masthead amplifier?

It's a tv sat amp that gets it's power from RF2 on sky box.. It gets rid of the snow in two rooms I run sky to and from Sky Box

Thurston?

bbability wrote: »

It's a tv sat amp that gets it's power from RF2 on sky box.. It gets rid of the snow in two rooms I run sky to and from Sky Box

That would be the distribution amplifier mentioned here.

How did you plug it into the aerial feed to the Sky box if it's powered from RF2? Separate PSU?