Irish FTA DTT logo - "Saorview"

watty · 08-09-2010 04:19PM

Twiggy doesn't look as good in real life as in the Adverts for Olay and M&S either

Polish, clever lighting and "photoshop".

They probably did the same on the walker brochure picture too.

view_from_afar · 08-09-2010 04:33PM

Agreed but I would hazard a guess that what I saw was even a different enclosure!

The Cush · 08-09-2010 05:06PM

view_from_afar wrote: »

Apparently this box is also approved for the DVB-T serivce commencing soon in New Zealand.

DTT in New Zealand has been up and runing since early 2008 and their spec is similar to ours so the receivers should be the same, their neighbours Australia are also moving to a similar spec MPEG-4 and MHEG-5.

StudentDad · 27-07-2011 02:25AM

For me Saorview is an expensive waste of time and money. Had the Irish govt. simply adopted the UK FreeView with all those channels I would have been interested. The idea of forking out money on an aerial, set top box etc for a limited number of channels that I rarely watch is just madness.

SD

Cú Giobach · 27-07-2011 08:18AM

StudentDad wrote: »

For me Saorview is an expensive waste of time and money. Had the Irish govt. simply adopted the UK FreeView with all those channels I would have been interested. The idea of forking out money on an aerial, set top box etc for a limited number of channels that I rarely watch is just madness.

SD

Complaining about the introduction of digital tv is like moaning about the introduction of colour broadcasting, this kind of technological change is why we aren't listening to music on wax cylinders anymore, and analogue tv in Europe will soon be as obsolete as those cylinders.

The Cush · 27-07-2011 09:06AM

StudentDad wrote: »

Had the Irish govt. simply adopted the UK FreeView with all those channels I would have been interested. The idea of forking out money on an aerial, set top box etc for a limited number of channels that I rarely watch is just madness.

If you don't have an aerial at the moment and get your TV from another source the changeover to digital terrestrial broadcasting will not affect you. Satellite and cable subscribers will not see any change in the way they receive their TV.

Unfortunately we can't just retransmit the freeview service here over the aerial but most of its channels are available free thru terrestrial or satellite overspill in any case.

StudentDad · 27-07-2011 09:13AM

Cú Giobach wrote: »

Complaining about the introduction of digital tv is like moaning about the introduction of colour broadcasting, this kind of technological change is why we aren't listening to music on wax cylinders anymore, and analogue tv in Europe will soon be as obsolete as those cylinders.

I'm not complaining about the introduction of digital tv. I just think that what is being offered on saorview isn't worth the money. Availing of the service requires the purchase of a set-top box per television. For what? If I want to watch rte etc I can do that on sky. Simply put, given the choice between getting saorview or sky etc I'll take the latter.

Had the govt. come to a deal with the BBC and gotten those channels available on Freeview incorporated into Saorview then it would have made getting saorview a worthwhile investment. As it stands no thanks.

SD

Elmo · 27-07-2011 09:22AM

StudentDad wrote: »

I'm not complaining about the introduction of digital tv. I just think that what is being offered on saorview isn't worth the money. Availing of the service requires the purchase of a set-top box per television. For what? If I want to watch rte etc I can do that on sky. Simply put, given the choice between getting saorview or sky etc I'll take the latter.

Had the govt. come to a deal with the BBC and gotten those channels available on Freeview incorporated into Saorview then it would have made getting saorview a worthwhile investment. As it stands no thanks.

SD

1. Do you have sky or UPC or a pay TV provider?
2. Who pays to put BBC, ITV, Channel 4 on Saorview?

StudentDad · 27-07-2011 09:38AM

Elmo wrote: »

1. Do you have sky or UPC or a pay TV provider?
2. Who pays to put BBC, ITV, Channel 4 on Saorview?

Lets see we pay €160 pa for a tv licence. What does that get us? Ads and mainly imported programming that is available on other channels. Wow.

If BBC etc were part of saorview it would make getting the service worth the hassle. As it stands, no.

SD

Sam Russell · 27-07-2011 09:54AM

If you currently receive Irish TV from an aerial, you do not have to do anything for over a year. If you currently pay for TV, you do not have to do anything.

If you wait a year, you will be able to upgrade your TVs for less than €40 per TV for those that will not be able to receive it anyway. Currently you can upgrade for less than €50 per TV. These are once off payments with no future subscriptions.

If you go for Sky, you will be paying approximately €50 per month for ever, together with a standard installation fee, whatever that happens to be at the time.

To get BBC ITV etc, you should get a Freesat receiver or a Free to Air sat receiver. Cost is from €100 up depending on how much you do yourself.

Of couse, you have to buy the TV as well, and get a TV licence also.

Elmo · 27-07-2011 09:55AM

StudentDad wrote: »

Lets see we pay €160 pa for a tv licence. What does that get us? Ads and mainly imported programming that is available on other channels. Wow.

If BBC etc were part of saorview it would make getting the service worth the hassle. As it stands, no.

SD

MMM lets see we pay €160 for what you consider ads and mainly imports and you want the government to spend even more money on mmmm lets see more ads and imports!

It isn't just about you, Saorview is mainly there for people in 4 TV land, 3 TV land and in some areas 2 TV land. So that they can receive better reception on channels that they currently have.

Also you could always stop paying your sky sub and get FTA channels and Saorview channels through a combibox/TV if you really want.

Cú Giobach · 27-07-2011 09:56AM

StudentDad wrote: »

I'm not complaining about the introduction of digital tv. I just think that what is being offered on saorview isn't worth the money. Availing of the service requires the purchase of a set-top box per television. For what? If I want to watch rte etc I can do that on sky. Simply put, given the choice between getting saorview or sky etc I'll take the latter.

Had the govt. come to a deal with the BBC and gotten those channels available on Freeview incorporated into Saorview then it would have made getting saorview a worthwhile investment. As it stands no thanks.

SD

Saorview is nothing more than terrestrial tv, ie having the option to just plug in an aerial and watch away (soon you will no more ask if your new tv is compatible with DDT DTT than you would ask if its display is in colour). Most countries have their own national broadcasters available over the air, so why shouldn't we?
Saorview is free, how is it not worth it? You still have to buy a telly no matter how you receive your signal so you can't count this as a charge.
Because so many people have non DTT telly's, a box will be necessary for many but this number will lessen as time goes on and analogue only tv sets disappear from use.

Thankfully the government/RTÉ doesn't work only according to your, or your demographic group's taste, but serves all the people of the island.

Sam Russell · 27-07-2011 10:02AM

Cú Giobach wrote: »

Thankfully the government/RTÉ doesn't work only according to your, or your demographic group's taste, but serves all the people of the island.

We wish!

Cú Giobach · 27-07-2011 10:05AM

Sam Russell wrote: »

We wish!

Fixed*

but serves should serve all the people of the island.

StudentDad · 27-07-2011 11:35AM

Cú Giobach wrote: »

Saorview is nothing more than terrestrial tv, ie having the option to just plug in an aerial and watch away (soon you will no more ask if your new tv is compatible with DDT DTT than you would ask if its display is in colour). Most countries have their own national broadcasters available over the air, so why shouldn't we?
Saorview is free, how is it not worth it? You still have to buy a telly no matter how you receive your signal so you can't count this as a charge.
Because so many people have non DTT telly's, a box will be necessary for many but this number will lessen as time goes on and analogue only tv sets disappear from use.

Thankfully the government/RTÉ doesn't work only according to your, or your demographic group's taste, but serves all the people of the island.

Very interesting but it makes a rather large assumption - namely that rte etc is worth the investment - frankly it isn't.

SD

Elmo · 27-07-2011 09:01PM

StudentDad wrote: »

Very interesting but it makes a rather large assumption - namely that rte etc is worth the investment - frankly it isn't.

SD

So really your issue is with RTÉ rather than Saorview, and it could even be with TV3 and TG4.

Not only have you trolled the interweb but you have taken the tread off topic, when you could have gone to much more recent threads on the Cable & Digital TV forums or even in the TV forum, I am surprised the mods didn't move your post to those other threads or move it to a new thread.

You also make an assumption that most people really think Sky is worth getting a subscription for, some of whom only take a sub out to get a better reception for FTA Irish Channels.

StudentDad · 27-07-2011 09:45PM

No I don't have an axe to grind as regards rte. For me they're irrelevant. If the station vanished in the morning I wouldn't shed a tear.

What irritates me about Saorview is that the last govt. had a chance to bring in some decent programming to the country that didn't have to be an extra cost to the citizens of the Republic.

Instead of doing this and providing a wide television service a blinkered little service is being provided that people have to pay to get installed - granted it is a one off installation fee - but you do have to pay to get it.

So, if I was in the position where I was moving into a new house free of a television service - I would find the money for sky or upc rather than Saorview.

Nevermind the whole Saorview thing, with the increasing prevalence of broadband I imagine the likes of IPTV will start to make satelite and saorview irrelevant in the long term anyway.

SD

Elmo · 27-07-2011 11:07PM

StudentDad wrote: »

What irritates me about Saorview is that the last govt. had a chance to bring in some decent programming to the country that didn't have to be an extra cost to the citizens of the Republic.

Instead of doing this and providing a wide television service a blinkered little service is being provided that people have to pay to get installed - granted it is a one off installation fee - but you do have to pay to get it.

So, if I was in the position where I was moving into a new house free of a television service - I would find the money for sky or upc rather than Saorview.

You seem to think that it is okay for money to leave the country (â‚¬500million in subs and another â‚¬40m in advertising).

Its called choice if you want Saorview, FTA Satelltie, Sky or UPC then that is your prerogative. (or a mix)

IMO I would like to see more Irish Broadcast channel not just RTÃ‰, TV3 and TG4 and at the same time I would like to see more channels coming from RTÃ‰, TV3 and TG4.

Many people will find Saorview and the Internet just enough, perhaps future service will ad more to Saorview.

And your argument about the future of broadcast tv would still exist if uk, french or german channels were added.

Cú Giobach · 28-07-2011 08:28AM

StudentDad wrote: »

Very interesting but it makes a rather large assumption - namely that rte etc is worth the investment - frankly it isn't.
SD

That is nothing more than your opinion, based on your own tastes.
Are you suggesting RTÉ should just pander to your preferences?

No I don't have an axe to grind as regards rte. For me they're irrelevant. If the station vanished in the morning I wouldn't shed a tear.

Not really relevant to the population at large, as RTÉ is not just for you.

Instead of doing this and providing a wide television service a blinkered little service is being provided that people have to pay to get installed - granted it is a one off installation fee - but you do have to pay to get it.

Yes indeed, you have to buy a tv and an aerial, just as one has had to do since the introduction of tv broadcasting here in 1961. :rolleyes:
Do you think the government should now supply tv sets and aerials free to every household?

So, if I was in the position where I was moving into a new house free of a television service - I would find the money for sky or upc rather than Saorview.

If you want to pay a fortune for a large number of crap tv stations with an enormous amount of adverts that is your perogotive.
Not for me though, and many many others who don't want to pay a single penny for their telly (besides buying a tv in the first place).

Nevermind the whole Saorview thing, with the increasing prevalence of broadband I imagine the likes of IPTV will start to make satelite and saorview irrelevant in the long term anyway.

There will always be a demand for our national broadcaster to be available "over the air" for free.
I can't see an elderly person trying to get to grips with the internet just to watch Emmerdale, though from your posts it is quite obvious you aren't considering anyone but yourself regarding how tv is broadcast here.

StudentDad · 28-07-2011 08:55AM

Cú Giobach wrote: »

That is nothing more than your opinion, based on your own tastes.
Are you suggesting RTÉ should just pander to your preferences?

Not really relevant to the population at large, as RTÉ is not just for you.

Yes indeed, you have to buy a tv and an aerial, just as one has had to do since the introduction of tv broadcasting here in 1961. :rolleyes:
Do you think the government should now supply tv sets and aerials free to every household?

If you want to pay a fortune for a large number of crap tv stations with an enormous amount of adverts that is your perogotive.
Not for me though, and many many others who don't want to pay a single penny for their telly (besides buying a tv in the first place).

There will always be a demand for our national broadcaster to be available "over the air" for free.
I can't see an elderly person trying to get to grips with the internet just to watch Emmerdale, though from your posts it is quite obvious you aren't considering anyone but yourself regarding how tv is broadcast here.

You are welcome to your narrow view. If you think rte is worth the millions we the tax-payer give it every year for sub-standard broadcasting, good luck to you.

If rte had to compete in the marketplace without govt. and taxpayer support it wouldn't last two minutes.

So, if I'm given the choice between international channels and what passes for domestic television, I'll take the international channels thanks.

SD

Cú Giobach · 28-07-2011 09:42AM

StudentDad wrote: »

You are welcome to your narrow view. If you think rte is worth the millions we the tax-payer give it every year for sub-standard broadcasting, good luck to you.

And what exactly is this "narrow view" of mine?
Not having the same taste as you?

If rte had to compete in the marketplace without govt. and taxpayer support it wouldn't last two minutes.

If all TV was left up to the market, we would end up with nothing more than ITV, TV3 and SKY1 type crap, the choice of quality programming would lessen dramatically.

So, if I'm given the choice between international channels and what passes for domestic television, I'll take the international channels thanks.

I think you will find RTÉ, TV3 and TG4 are domestic television.

You seem to be making out it is a choice between either one or the other, it is not.
If people don't want to pay for their telly the option of Freeview/Freesat and Saorview/Saorsat will give all the main Irish and UK channels with no subscriptions.
The choice and technical quality of free to air telly here has dramatically increased and you are complaining about it, Wow! :rolleyes:

You really don't get it, all you are doing here is moaning about the change from analogue to digital broadcasting, did you also moan when you had to buy a CD player or change your analogue VHS for digital DVD's, or is this the first time you have come across this kind of technological change? If so, I must let you know that there will be more.

StudentDad · 28-07-2011 10:14AM

Cú Giobach wrote: »

I think you will find RTÉ, TV3 and TG4 are domestic television.

Unfortunately you are correct those channels are what we are saddled with. It doesn't remove the fact that they are not worth the money.

Consequently, saorview as envisaged is not worth the money.

SD

Cú Giobach · 28-07-2011 10:36AM

StudentDad wrote: »

Unfortunately you are correct those channels are what we are saddled with. It doesn't remove the fact that they are not worth the money.

Could you please explain why your particular viewing preferences have any relevance to having domestic television available free to the general population of Ireland?

Consequently, saorview as envisaged is not worth the money.

Saorview is nothing more than part of the change from analogue to digital that began with the introduction of CD's many years ago, how is an increase in quality and content that is available free, "not worth it"?

P.S. Why don't you open an "Irish telly is crap" thread, instead of spouting your personal viewing preferences that have absolutely nothing to do with the ongoing techological changes that are going on?

Elmo · 28-07-2011 10:37AM

StudentDad wrote: »

Unfortunately you are correct those channels are what we are saddled with. It doesn't remove the fact that they are not worth the money.

Consequently, saorview as envisaged is not worth the money.

SD

So should we just get rid of Irish Broadcasting? Again where are the mods are they all on holidays, nothing to do with your opinions SD but at this stage ICDG is usually pouncing on me!???! (I think he doesn't like me, sorry ICDG).

You basically just want BBC 1, 2, ITV, C4 and perhaps their extra channels. And sure why not throw on sky 1. There are a few issue you have yet to consider.

1. Who pays for the broadcast of these channels?
2. What benefits do they bring to Ireland? (Not just in terms of so called talent but also in terms of money).
3. Do they want to be on Saorview?
4. Why should a national DTT service carry foreign TV?
5. Who decides which foreign TV? (French, German, Icelandic (or just English)?
6. How much does it cost?
7. What are you comparing Irish TV to?

1.2 million * 160
21.3 million * 164

StudentDad · 28-07-2011 01:11PM

Cú Giobach wrote: »

Could you please explain why your particular viewing preferences have any relevance to having domestic television available free to the general population of Ireland?

Saorview is nothing more than part of the change from analogue to digital that began with the introduction of CD's many years ago, how is an increase in quality and content that is available free, "not worth it"?

P.S. Why don't you open an "Irish telly is crap" thread, instead of spouting your personal viewing preferences that have absolutely nothing to do with the ongoing techological changes that are going on?

Saorview isn't free, we pay €160 a year for a licence to watch these national channels. Why are they not free across the board? If I get myself a freesat dish they are encrypted! I shouldn't have to subscribe to a dedicated, closed service to watch them.

Saorview is little more than a racket. If the govt. truly wanted the country to be able to watch the national channels they'd just broadast them for anyone to pick up using any set-top-box.

This is lunacy of the highest order and an expense I'll not be bothering with.

SD

Elmo · 28-07-2011 01:40PM

StudentDad wrote: »

Saorview isn't free, we pay €160 a year for a licence to watch these national channels. Why are they not free across the board? If I get myself a freesat dish they are encrypted! I shouldn't have to subscribe to a dedicated, closed service to watch them.

The Licence fee generally covers content and certain services that would not be otherwise provided by commercial players. As Independent services surely TV3 and TG4 should pay the high costs to go FTA on Satellite, lets see either of them do it.

Saorview is little more than a racket. If the govt. truly wanted the country to be able to watch the national channels they'd just broadast them for anyone to pick up using any set-top-box.

Digital across the world could be considered a racket, as I said on boards.ie many years ago, the numbers of channels that are provided on DTT could just be limited to the 4 national channels as it is purely a replacement for a system that by in large has had its day.

Indeed in Sweden many people whom only had FTA analogue terrestrial TV felt that Boxer was forced on them, as the Swedish state own the companies involved in Boxer.

Saorview and Saorsat should provide people with the ability to watch the national channels through a STB, and also through certain compatible TVs, where a STB is not needed.

This is lunacy of the highest order and an expense I'll not be bothering with.

Yes that is all fine but your suggestion would just take money out of Ireland and cost twice as much with little or no benefit to the Irish Television Sector or Economy.

While limited Saorview provides a new choice of how to receive digital TV.

1. Via FTA mean by either just going for Saorview or additionally with FTA Satellite
2. Via pay means with UPC and Sky
3. A mix of FTA and pay television

the UK FreeSat and FreeView service are not free for the same reasons you point out.

Cú Giobach · 28-07-2011 01:43PM

StudentDad wrote: »

Saorview isn't free, we pay €160 a year for a licence to watch these national channels. Why are they not free across the board? If I get myself a freesat dish they are encrypted! I shouldn't have to subscribe to a dedicated, closed service to watch them.

So you don't actually know what saorview or saorsat is.

There is no encryption and any receiver capable of picking up the signal will do, you don't subscribe to anything.
Edit: The current RTÉ signal being broadcast by SKY is nothing to do with Saorsat (which isn't up and running yet) and is encrypted by SKY for their own financial benefit.
Saorsat is the Irish equivalent of Freesat and will be receivable free by anyone with the right equipment.

Saorview is little more than a racket. If the govt. truly wanted the country to be able to watch the national channels they'd just broadast them for anyone to pick up using any set-top-box.

They do.

This is lunacy of the highest order and an expense I'll not be bothering with.

From this post I will take it you are trolling so time to say adieu.

28-07-2011 05:48PM

StudentDad wrote: »

For me Saorview is an expensive waste of time and money. Had the Irish govt. simply adopted the UK FreeView with all those channels I would have been interested. The idea of forking out money on an aerial, set top box etc for a limited number of channels that I rarely watch is just madness.

SD

But we're not in the UK. You can't have your cake and eat it, i.e. be independent from the UK and expect to receive their television terrestrially.

StudentDad · 28-07-2011 06:29PM

Karsini wrote: »

But we're not in the UK. You can't have your cake and eat it, i.e. be independent from the UK and expect to receive their television terrestrially.

I'm sorry what? I have no clue where you are coming with that one. What political independence from the UK has to do with tv channels is beyond me.

SD

28-07-2011 06:45PM

StudentDad wrote: »

I'm sorry what? I have no clue where you are coming with that one. What political independence from the UK has to do with tv channels is beyond me.

SD

Because you're essentially suggesting we drop domestic Irish broadcasting and carry Freeview, a UK terrestrial service.

Irish FTA DTT logo - "Saorview"

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