Access to live TV on LG Smart TV

Pen Rua · 13-10-2020 9:24am #1

I just got a new LG Smart TV (43UN7300, 2020 version).

Is there anyway to access live TV without going down the Saorview route? I am in rented accomodation, so don't want to mess around with antennas getting installed etc.

Is there some app I can download, or someway to stream live TV via internet?

loughrey · 13-10-2020 9:52am

Pen Rua wrote: »

I just got a new LG Smart TV (43UN7300, 2020 version).

Is there anyway to access live TV without going down the Saorview route? I am in rented accomodation, so don't want to mess around with antennas getting installed etc.

Is there some app I can download, or someway to stream live TV via internet?

All you need need to buy is a cheap indoor ariel like this from Amazon and literally stick it to the back of the TV for good quality HD Saorview content. Get one depending on how far your are from the exchange. This one is 120 mile range but you can get ones with longer range. They're very inexpensive and a lot better than the indoor aerials of the old days. Best to have the TV at the window side of the room. There's no live TV apps, only on demand from RTE player.

https://smile.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07SHL7ZPT/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_fab_VOwHFbTQXKGP9

coylemj · 13-10-2020 11:30am

loughrey wrote: »

All you need need to buy is a cheap indoor ariel like this from Amazon and literally stick it to the back of the TV for good quality HD Saorview content. Get one depending on how far your are from the exchange. This one is 120 mile range but you can get ones with longer range.

It's complete rubbish for an indoor aerial to make a claim for reception range in miles, it's totally dependent on your elevation and the power of the transmitter. And if there are obstacles like hills in the way. You could be 5 miles from a powerful transmitter and get no signal.

loughrey · 13-10-2020 11:43am

coylemj wrote: »

It's complete rubbish for an indoor aerial to make a claim for reception range in miles, it's totally dependent on your elevation and the power of the transmitter. And if there are obstacles like hills in the way. You could be 5 miles from a powerful transmitter and get no signal.

I've found them very reliable and I'm a good 100 miles from the transmitter and have a lot of trees around me but always better to pay a little more for an aerial with the longest range just to be safe as they're very inexpensive, less than 20€ and so a great job. Great thing with Amazon is you can open it, test it, and return it for free if you're not happy with it. Best time to get it now is on Prime Day so you'll knock a few pounds off them. Ideal for anyone in his situation where outdoor aerials are not ideal

Elvis Hammond · 13-10-2020 9:48pm

loughrey wrote: »

I've found them very reliable and I'm a good 100 miles from the transmitter and have a lot of trees around me ...

You must be in a pretty exceptional location for one of those aerials to work given those conditions.

winston_1 · 15-10-2020 12:21am

loughrey wrote: »

All you need need to buy is a cheap indoor ariel like this from Amazon and literally stick it to the back of the TV for good quality HD Saorview content. Get one depending on how far your are from the exchange. This one is 120 mile range but you can get ones with longer range. They're very inexpensive and a lot better than the indoor aerials of the old days. Best to have the TV at the window side of the room. There's no live TV apps, only on demand from RTE player.

https://smile.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07SHL7ZPT/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_fab_VOwHFbTQXKGP9

120 mile range is a lie. That is a pretty grotty aerial as well. The best indoor aerials are ones that look like an aerial, not ones that look like a sheet of plastic. Also note boosters on indoor aerials are a waste money, time, and electricity. Boosters are designed to overcome the loss on a long run of coax which you don't have on an indoor aerial.

Modern indoor aerials are no better (or worse) than they have ever been as the laws of physics have not changed.

Johnboy1951 · 15-10-2020 9:24am

Originally Posted by loughrey
I've found them very reliable and I'm a good 100 miles from the transmitter and have a lot of trees around me ...

Does Ireland have locations that are 100 miles from a Saorview transmitter?

Gerry Wicklow · 15-10-2020 11:50am

Didn't know we had a space station

loyatemu · 15-10-2020 11:56am

you could certainly try an indoor aerial, I'm about 5K from the local transmitter and getting clear Saorview with a €10 aerial from Tesco.

alternatively aertv.ie or ibox.ie offer TV via the internet for a subscription, but whether you can get them to work on that TV I don't know (Eir and Vodafone also have their own TV services if you get your broadband from them).

cml387 · 15-10-2020 12:03pm

The missing information here is where is the OP located?
I'm assuming Dublin. If he has a clear view of Three Rock from his apartment he might be ok with an indoor aerial.

coylemj · 15-10-2020 3:56pm

loughrey wrote: »

I've found them very reliable and I'm a good 100 miles from the transmitter and have a lot of trees around me......

You live on Achill Island but can pick up Cairn Hill in Co. Longford with an indoor aerial? Or you live in Balbriggan but can pick up Truskmore in Co. Sligo? Those are examples of distances of 100 miles from a transmitter.

There's nobody in Ireland who is 100 miles from a transmitter which can be picked up with an indoor aeral.

Tell us roughly where you live and which transmitter you think you're picking up.

dulpit · 15-10-2020 4:01pm

I have an indoor aerial. I live about 5.5 km from transmitter, with pretty good line of sight (we're on northside of Cork City, but facing south across towards Spur Hill. Indoor aerial works okay. Not great, works most of the time. But people standing in particular areas will cause it to glitch. And we get better reception on 1 MUX (the one with RTÉ 1 on it) than the other. Short term solution - works grand.

winston_1 · 15-10-2020 9:43pm

dulpit wrote: »

Not great, works most of the time. But people standing in particular areas will cause it to glitch. And we get better reception on 1 MUX (the one with RTÉ 1 on it) than the other. Short term solution - works grand.

I don't call it working grand if it only works most of the time and people in certain areas cause it to glitch.

NewClareman · 19-10-2020 4:45pm

winston_1 wrote: »

That is a pretty grotty aerial as well. The best indoor aerials are ones that look like an aerial, not ones that look like a sheet of plastic.

Printed aerials can be just, or even more, effective as ones that "look like an aerial". It is impossible to judge the effectiveness of a given commercial product without a technical specification, or testing in a proper test bed.

winston_1 wrote: »

Modern indoor aerials are no better (or worse) than they have ever been as the laws of physics have not changed.

While the laws of physics have not changed the approach to antenna design most certainly has. We are long past simple aluminium dipoles with directors/reflectors. Modern techniques allow smaller more performant designs, just look at mobile phones. It is many years since I studied communications engineering, or even worked in that field. However, I'm pretty sure that the 'go to' text is still the Antenna Engineering Handbook, if you want to look in to this, more.

winston_1 wrote: »

Also note boosters on indoor aerials are a waste money, time, and electricity. Boosters are designed to overcome the loss on a long run of coax which you don't have on an indoor aerial.

Agreed.

winston_1 · 19-10-2020 10:56pm

NewClareman wrote: »

Printed aerials can be just, or even more, effective as ones that "look like an aerial". It is impossible to judge the effectiveness of a given commercial product without a technical specification, or testing in a proper test bed.

While the laws of physics have not changed the approach to antenna design most certainly has. We are long past simple aluminium dipoles with directors/reflectors. Modern techniques allow smaller more performant designs, just look at mobile phones. It is many years since I studied communications engineering, or even worked in that field. However, I'm pretty sure that the 'go to' text is still the Antenna Engineering Handbook, if you want to look in to this, more.

Agreed.

I very much doubt if those sheets of plastic sold by Amazon are printed aerials. If they were there would be some form of indication on them which end to point at the transmitter.

All the reputable outside aerials sold still use aluminium dipoles with reflectors and directors. Even log periodics are effectively that.

Mobile phones have inbuilt omni directional aerials and are a special case working in a high field strength. Omni directional aerials are poor for TV reception as gain is required in most places.

NewClareman · 20-10-2020 12:16am

winston_1 wrote: »

I very much doubt if those sheets of plastic sold by Amazon are printed aerials. If they were there would be some form of indication on them which end to point at the transmitter.

You are free to doubt all you want, but you simply don't know!

winston_1 wrote: »

IAll the reputable outside aerials sold still use aluminium dipoles with reflectors and directors. Even log periodics are effectively that.

If you're referring to TV aerials generally available in the Irish market, I'm sure you're correct.

Access to live TV on LG Smart TV

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