Northern Ireland Saorview reception reports:

mackthefinger · 25-10-2012 7:02pm

Some great information on this thread.

Quick question: I have a Toshiba 22BV501B - Lots of channels, but
rte & tv3, tg4 have sound but no picture. I live in South Armagh.

Am I right in thinking my TV doesn't support MPEG 4, so if I go out
and buy a Saorview box I'll pick up all of these channels and be
able to watch champions league etc?

watty · 25-10-2012 7:14pm

In N.I, better to buy a "Freeview HD" box and add N.I. HD channels as well as Saorview

mackthefinger · 25-10-2012 7:18pm

watty wrote: »

In N.I, better to buy a "Freeview HD" box and add N.I. HD channels as well as Saorview

Cheers Watty. But would this mean that champions league games etc would be blocked?

watty · 25-10-2012 7:48pm

No, A "Freeview HD" TV or box* works on Saorview Transmissions if you can receive a "south of the border" transmitter. It's only RTE & TG4 on the N.I. "toy" transmitters that gets blocked

See http://www.saortv.info/ "TV via aerial" new page.

(*There was maybe one or two cheap Freeview HD boxes that didn't work)

acamdc88 · 25-10-2012 7:58pm

Paddy C wrote: »

Just checked there, Clermont is roaring in to Armagh! All TV's now set up and channels re-ordered to suit. Ahh... that's better!

hi there just out of curiosity, what equipment are u using that allows u to re-order ur channels? my saorview channels are in the 800s, not exactly a big issue but mildly inconvenient!

Benolam · 25-10-2012 8:52pm

Black Mountain carries the NIMM (RTE) mux. Divis does not. Divis is a high power TX (100kW), Black Mountain is low power, 1kW on NIMM. If you do a rescan on a Freeview STB it will pick up the strongest transmitter available and store the channels. Is it possible that people in the Belfast area doing a rescan to pick up NIMM are automatically scanning Divis and therefore not getting RTE?. Is it possible to force the STB to scan Black Mountain rather than Divis?

mrdtv2010 · 25-10-2012 9:22pm

Benolam wrote: »

Black Mountain carries the NIMM (RTE) mux. Divis does not. Divis is a high power TX (100kW), Black Mountain is low power, 1kW on NIMM. If you do a rescan on a Freeview STB it will pick up the strongest transmitter available and store the channels. Is it possible that people in the Belfast area doing a rescan to pick up NIMM are automatically scanning Divis and therefore not getting RTE?. Is it possible to force the STB to scan Black Mountain rather than Divis?

It does it automatically. See up thread and elsewhere: the decode threshold for NIMM is 15dB LOWER so it behaves like a 50kW DVB-T1 transmitter. Freeview HD boxes have no problem in getting it in the DPSA: its being received in Balbriggan and Campbeltown, Scotland.

NorthDown2 · 25-10-2012 10:01pm

I've been out tuning boxes tonight in a number of locations round Kells Co. Antrim (near Ballymena).

Lislunnan Road (aerial for Limavady) - RTE Clermont Carn placeholders received - severe breakup. I don't know how old the aerial was though. Break up on Limavady mux with Sky News broadcasting on it. On (Dion) tuner the CC signal stength according to the box itself varied between 0%-30%-40%-60%

Kells (not far from Kells Pharmacy) (aerial for Limavady) - lots of duplicates received from Divis of Limavady. No sign of Saorview though. Aerial in roof space. Sky News mux fine tonight but last night was breaking up - surely there must be some co-channel from another tx? Which one?

Tully Road (near junction with Larne road A36) (aerial for Divis) The NIMM tuned in but with severe breakup - unwatchable. This location is shown on the reception map as being able to receive the NIMM but sadly not. I suspect the map overinflates the expected signal North! The NIMM at this location (Tecnika HD box) showed 0% signal strength on the box's own meter- how anything came in is beyond me!!!

Myself. Tonight like Tully Road there is an occasional picture on the NIMM for a few seconds in Broughshane village. 15% signal strength is required for it to decode properly, 0% signal quality. Don't know whether last night was excpetional for atmospherics that the NIMM was wiped out, or whether tonight (clear night, moon is out) is exceptional to allow occasional glimpses.

Millsy47 · 25-10-2012 10:15pm

FREETV wrote: »

Well people should avoid all Vestel made products as they have two software glitches, one is no information for the Saorview EPG and the second is that it won't recognise the new N.I. Minimux or tune them in, disgraceful for such an expensive Metronic Zapbox Freeview HD box when it was bought. Other people have the same problem with the Vestel manufactured Bush Freeview HD boxes also. :mad: Edit I just sent an email to Metronic about the two problems and requested a software update to fix the bugs. Here is a link to contact them for other Metronic T2 HD zapbox owners/users. http://www.metronic.com/index2.php?p=contact&lang=UK Click on you are a customer to send them an email. Let's put them under pressure to fix these major glitches. It is up to them to get Vestel to sort out any problems.

My Bush Freeview hd box (vestel clone) wont pick up the NImux. No problem for those like me who can pick up Saorview, but if your relying on NImux to get RTE then you'd be out of luck.
By the way just tried pluging an aerial into the back of my tv in the living room. Holding the aerial horizontally i can pick up Freeview turn the aerial vertically and i get Saorview. I think thats pretty good in Carrickfergus. The aerial is bog standard, less than a metre long with a grey end. I moved it up in to the loft it sits horizontally and if now does both Freeview and Saorview.

Mr. Rabbit · 25-10-2012 10:35pm

There are 2 aerials on my roof and- one pointing at Carmoney Hill and the other in the Belfast direction (the next door neighbour has 2 on his as well, about 1/3 of the houses in the area have 2 roof aerials)
As it is a rented house I don’t want to be shelling out a load of cash on aerial installers etc

Since I was getting very clear RTE/TV3 on the Grundig UHF/VHF TV I thought my aerial set-up would be ok (someone did mention that there may be some sort of signal booster built into the Grundig TV)
Someone I spoke with locally said that the very edge of Cave Hill might be blocking signal coming towards the top of the Glenville Rd from Clermont Carn but they weren’t sure
Any thoughts/advice are much ap
preciated

If the aerial pointing in the Belfast direction is horizontally polarised then you're receiving Divis, though I suspect it's probably vertically polarised and was receiving Clermont Cairn analogue.

I'm not that far from you and have a wideband aerial for Divis and a fairly large group CD for RTE. Like you, I had good analogue reception but nothing from Saorview until yesterday morning at just after 11 am. Excellent reception from Saorview now, and also the NI mux from both Carnmoney Hill and Black Mountain (even though I've no Carnmoney Hill aerial).

I've no idea what the problem is, other than the box you're using isn't compatable with Saorview. Some HD boxes are having problems either with the NI mux or Saorview.

Both of my Humax boxes are fine with Saorview and the NI mux.

Mr. Rabbit · 25-10-2012 10:44pm

NorthDown2 wrote: »

I've been out tuning boxes tonight in a number of locations round Kells Co. Antrim (near Ballymena).

Lislunnan Road (aerial for Limavady) - RTE Clermont Carn placeholders received - severe breakup. I don't know how old the aerial was though. Break up on Limavady mux with Sky News broadcasting on it. On (Dion) tuner the CC signal stength according to the box itself varied between 0%-30%-40%-60%

Kells (not far from Kells Pharmacy) (aerial for Limavady) - lots of duplicates received from Divis of Limavady. No sign of Saorview though. Aerial in roof space. Sky News mux fine tonight but last night was breaking up - surely there must be some co-channel from another tx? Which one?

Tully Road (near junction with Larne road A36) (aerial for Divis) The NIMM tuned in but with severe breakup - unwatchable. This location is shown on the reception map as being able to receive the NIMM but sadly not. I suspect the map overinflates the expected signal North! The NIMM at this location (Tecnika HD box) showed 0% signal strength on the box's own meter- how anything came in is beyond me!!!

Myself. Tonight like Tully Road there is an occasional picture on the NIMM for a few seconds in Broughshane village. 15% signal strength is required for it to decode properly, 0% signal quality. Don't know whether last night was excpetional for atmospherics that the NIMM was wiped out, or whether tonight (clear night, moon is out) is exceptional to allow occasional glimpses.

I reckon that in a lot of these cases, a decent aerial set up would solve the problems.

Is channel 39 within group A parameters, or would you be better with a wideband aerial ?

I've a feeling Broughshane may be in something of a hole for Divis/Black Mountain reception, although you may find C.C. OK now with the power increase.

lldave · 26-10-2012 11:23am

dbcool wrote: »

saorview is fine here at Fortwilliam North belfast! i could get analogue rte and tv3 before the switch over

Hi, I am on the cavehill and had perfect analogue rte, tv3 etc prior to the SO.
I have a freeview box also but cannot get any ROI channels now at all.
Can you tell me what freeview or tv make / type is picking up the saorview and roi channels for you now?

watty · 26-10-2012 11:44am

See www.saortv.info

Freeview won't work at all. In N.I. you need a Freeview HD box or TV. It will get the full Saorview services and the new NI HD. Even on an old TV.

Make sure the box has a SCART and HDMI and you keep receipt (for at least 2 years). One Technics? and one older Tesco model doesn't work with Saorview.

lldave · 26-10-2012 12:05pm

thanks Watty - its a metronic freeview box I have, bought back in 2007. I will up grade to a HD box and take it from there.

FREETV · 26-10-2012 12:09pm

watty wrote: »

See www.saortv.info

Freeview won't work at all. In N.I. you need a Freeview HD box or TV. It will get the full Saorview services and the new NI HD. Even on an old TV.

Make sure the box has a SCART and HDMI and you keep receipt (for at least 2 years). One Technics? and one older Tesco model doesn't work with Saorview.

Technisat HDFV is the model that doesn't work properly for Saorview.

Millsy47 · 26-10-2012 1:03pm

FREETV wrote: »

Technisat HDFV is the model that doesn't work properly for Saorview.

Technika STBHDH2010 will only allow you to choose either Freeview or Saorview but not both. Vestel box will not pick up NImux. My Humax Hd fox T2 has no problems except when it comes to recording to an external hard drive. If you have set it to record a Saorview channel and are watching a Freeview channel at the time it will not record, and vice versa.
Maybe someone could start a new thread showing which boxes are best for the north and which boxes are best for the south. I think the ultimate test would be a freeview hd pvr that could record a Freeview and Saorview program at the same time.

Thank you.

Mr. Rabbit · 26-10-2012 3:17pm

My Humax Hd fox T2 has no problems except when it comes to recording to an external hard drive. If you have set it to record a Saorview channel and are watching a Freeview channel at the time it will not record, and vice versa

.

I think that maybe because it only has a single tuner.

The HDR fox T2 has no such problems.

The Sony SVRHDT1000B.CEK 1TB has no problems Receiving both Saorview and Freeview, but cannot display programme info or the correct time.

I notice the time has corrected itself but it now dfoesn't display any EPG info. on Saorview.

The Humax boxes are the best for both Saorview and Freeview, in my opinion.

byrnefm · 26-10-2012 7:11pm

Hmm... I've been eyeing the YouView boxes by Humax but suspect that only Channel 4's catch up service will work (due to geoblocking).

I suspect the Humax HD T2 box might be a better buy, though...

bigVee · 26-10-2012 7:39pm

Saorview from Clermont Carn is excellent here on high ground 5 miles south of Larne with 18 element roof mounted aerial and mast head pre amp (Signal 96%; Quality 100%). NIMM from Black Mountain also an excellent signal. Analogue reception was dreadful here on RTE1 & 2 due to severe co-channel interference from the Whitehead relay, which is not a problem on DTT.

According to the coverage map we are outside the service area for Saorview. I am surprised and very pleased with reception to date.

mrdtv2010 · 26-10-2012 10:34pm

bigVee wrote: »

Saorview from Clermont Carn is excellent here on high ground 5 miles south of Larne with 18 element roof mounted aerial and mast head pre amp (Signal 96%; Quality 100%). NIMM from Black Mountain also an excellent signal. Analogue reception was dreadful here on RTE1 & 2 due to severe co-channel interference from the Whitehead relay, which is not a problem on DTT.

According to the coverage map we are outside the service area for Saorview. I am surprised and very pleased with reception to date.

Result! The best DVB-T2 boxes/TVs and antennas give very good results. the DVB systems can cope with CCI better. Which type of T2 box or TV are you using?

NIMM quality and signal strength numbers?

The more the merrier...

Mando1 · 27-10-2012 1:38am

Hello,

I'm living off the Ravenhill Rd in Belfast and have a Freeview HD TV. I'm receiving the NIMM channels ok but not receiving the RTE channels on Saorview. I'd like to get RTE2 and TV3 from Saorview as i know the Champions League football will be blocked on the RTE2 from NIMM. Originally i thought i wasn't getting Saorview because of where I'm living (there is no reception on my street according to the Saorview coverage map) but now i'm hearing that Saorview coverage appears to be good in Belfast and Jordanstown areas.

Would this just be down to the ariel I am using? I'm living in rented accommodation so just using a portable ariel in the living room instead of a rooftop ariel. If i were to get a better quality of portable ariel would this be likely to help?

Any advice would be appreciated.

bigVee · 27-10-2012 8:08am

mrdtv2010 wrote: »

Result! The best DVB-T2 boxes/TVs and antennas give very good results. the DVB systems can cope with CCI better. Which type of T2 box or TV are you using?

NIMM quality and signal strength numbers?

The more the merrier...

TV is LG 50" Plasma Model50PK590 - ZA.

NIMM quality and signal both 100%. Aerial for Divis/Black Mountain is in roofspace. 12 element wide band plus mast head pre amp. Pre amp probably no longer required with DSO power levels.

formerly scottish paddy · 27-10-2012 8:36am

Mando1 wrote: »

Hello,

I'm living off the Ravenhill Rd in Belfast and have a Freeview HD TV. I'm receiving the NIMM channels ok but not receiving the RTE channels on Saorview. I'd like to get RTE2 and TV3 from Saorview as i know the Champions League football will be blocked on the RTE2 from NIMM. Originally i thought i wasn't getting Saorview because of where I'm living (there is no reception on my street according to the Saorview coverage map) but now i'm hearing that Saorview coverage appears to be good in Belfast and Jordanstown areas.

Would this just be down to the ariel I am using? I'm living in rented accommodation so just using a portable ariel in the living room instead of a rooftop ariel. If i were to get a better quality of portable ariel would this be likely to help?

Any advice would be appreciated.

Yes you will need a rooftop aerial, an indoor aerial is just not going to work in Belfast I'm afraid. Where you are should be ok for Saorview though as I have seen quite a number of "RTE aerials" along the Ravenhill road. Have any of your neighbours got an "RTE aerial"? (they are the ones that have the prongs or elements sitting upright rather than flat or horizontal also probably on a taller pole).
Good luck.

Richard · 27-10-2012 9:14am

My Humax Hd fox T2 has no problems except when it comes to recording to an external hard drive. If you have set it to record a Saorview channel and are watching a Freeview channel at the time it will not record, and vice versa

Mr. Rabbit wrote: »

.

I think that maybe because it only has a single tuner.

That's true, and the earlier poster will also not be able to watch a programme on, say BBC 1 and record on ITV2 as they are on different multiplexes.

Millsy47 · 27-10-2012 11:07am

Just to clarify, when i set a Freevew program to record in the EPG, and i'm watching a Freeview program at the time it is meant to record. If it is on the same mux it wil just record, it is on a different mux a notice wil come up on the screen asking me if a want to continue recording or cancel the recording.
If a set a Saorview program to record in the EPG, and I am watching a Saorview program at the time it wil just record without any notification because its on the same mux.
Now if I set a Saorview program to record in th EPG, and i'm watching a Freeview programme when it is due to record then nothing happens, it doesn't record, and vice versa.
I hope this helps.

NorthDown2 · 27-10-2012 9:43pm

Mr. Rabbit wrote: »

I reckon that in a lot of these cases, a decent aerial set up would solve the problems.

Is channel 39 within group A parameters, or would you be better with a wideband aerial ?

I've a feeling Broughshane may be in something of a hole for Divis/Black Mountain reception, although you may find C.C. OK now with the power increase.

We use Divis here in the village, no problem receiving the Divis muxes, we had good Black Mountain Channel 5 analogue so quite disappointing results on the NIMM. However Thursday night brought 10 second or so of sounds and vision before problems for a few seconds then self correct. Friday night the odd second or two could be seen, Saturday morning (clear conditons weather wise) absolutely perfect - the signal strength went up from 0%-15% and was stable at 16%-17% so there must be a very fine line here between getting it and not. 0% quality.

Was in Bangor, near Bangor West train station NIMM received yet box showed 0% signal strength and 0% quality. Called in to a friend off Rathmore Road (an area of town that had good analogue RTE reception) and Saorview from CC was being received - the box's meter showing around 30% and quality was close to 100%. They were also receiving the NIMM. A house three doors up was the same to him

Mr. Rabbit · 27-10-2012 11:35pm

NorthDown2 wrote: »

We use Divis here in the village, no problem receiving the Divis muxes, we had good Black Mountain Channel 5 analogue so quite disappointing results on the NIMM. However Thursday night brought 10 second or so of sounds and vision before problems for a few seconds then self correct. Friday night the odd second or two could be seen, Saturday morning (clear conditons weather wise) absolutely perfect - the signal strength went up from 0%-15% and was stable at 16%-17% so there must be a very fine line here between getting it and not. 0% quality.

Was in Bangor, near Bangor West train station NIMM received yet box showed 0% signal strength and 0% quality. Called in to a friend off Rathmore Road (an area of town that had good analogue RTE reception) and Saorview from CC was being received - the box's meter showing around 30% and quality was close to 100%. They were also receiving the NIMM. A house three doors up was the same to him

I'd still think about changing your aerial to a wideband model as channel 39 is probably nearer group B than A. I'd also have a go at Clermont Cairn as reports are being received well into Co. Antrim.

I think the Digital UK reception reports for the NI mux are somewhat over inflated as they predict good reception from Black Mountain at my location, yet signal strength is quite low. Signal strength vairies from box to box by the way, so the readings really are quite arbitrary. Only between 20-30 for Black Mountain on the Humax, though no break up. Carnmoney Hill off the C.C. aerial is actually quite a bit stronger.

Saorview's postcode checker is the other way around and placed me just outside their coverage area. In practice, it's even better than the high powered Muxes from Divis, which was quite a surpise.

Peter Rhea · 28-10-2012 1:11am

I tried a few Broughshane postcodes in the checker & they either come up with poor reception for NImux, or don't list it at all.

Here's 1 of the poor ones: http://www.digitaluk.co.uk/postcodechecker/main/trade/bt424jy/NA/0/NA

Richard · 28-10-2012 9:44am

Millsy47 wrote: »

Just to clarify, when i set a Freevew program to record in the EPG, and i'm watching a Freeview program at the time it is meant to record. If it is on the same mux it wil just record, it is on a different mux a notice wil come up on the screen asking me if a want to continue recording or cancel the recording.
If a set a Saorview program to record in the EPG, and I am watching a Saorview program at the time it wil just record without any notification because its on the same mux.
Now if I set a Saorview program to record in th EPG, and i'm watching a Freeview programme when it is due to record then nothing happens, it doesn't record, and vice versa.
I hope this helps.

Oh I see - I misunderstood the earlier post.

I read somewhere that the two specifications handle time differently. Try it again now as the clocks have changed (so WET = GMT) and serif that works.

If not, try scheduling a recording manually. Also if there is a setting which disables automatic time updates, use that.

NorthDown2 · 28-10-2012 12:02pm

Peter Rhea wrote: »

I tried a few Broughshane postcodes in the checker & they either come up with poor reception for NImux, or don't list it at all.

Here's 1 of the poor ones: http://www.digitaluk.co.uk/postcodechecker/main/trade/bt424jy/NA/0/NA

I don't disagree Peter, but the same thing occurred for Freeview pre-DSO - the village was in a 'blackspot'. Despite that, I could get all the Freview mux (except ch48 - out of range). I'd typed quite a few postcodes and house numbers in to the postcode checker pre-DSO to see where the predictor thought reception would end and the M2 bypass was the key point. The NIMM signal (like Freeview pre-DSO) is shown as 100% inside the M2, and goes down to 0% as soon as you set foot the wrong side of the M2.

However, I am in the midst of moving house - the 'new' house is 0.5 miles closer to Ballymena, still within the village, and it has clear views to the hills south of the village. I have asked an aerial contractor to come to the new house asap - I think we're going to try for Saorview as a number of people in the village had RTE analogue, and at least 3 houses in the new street have RTE aerials (where my current street has none - only lots of aerials pointing towards Buckna relay!) So there's no point fixing things where I am. The 'new' house sadly only has an aerial in the roofspace and the previous owners complained of 'poor' reception so I wouldn't hold much hope of anything from it. Despite a report of Moville from outside the village I have large trees west and north of the new house, the clear line of sight is southwards so am hopeful of this, especially with proliferation of RTE aerials in the neighbourhood.

Northern Ireland Saorview reception reports:

Comments