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THIS POST was originally published 120 days ago – but given that the digital switchover will take place this week, we thought it may be useful to republish it for anyone who didn’t catch it back then.
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IN JUST THREE DAYS’ TIME, the analogue TV service – which has powered TV viewing in this country for over half a century – will be turned off for good.
Ireland, like the rest of the European Union, is moving to a digital-only TV system – and some parts of the UK have already turned off the analogue broadcast ahead of schedule.
The changeover means if you don’t already get your TV through some sort of digital medium, you’re going to have to act to make sure your screen doesn’t look like this after 10am on Wednesday morning.
That’s because, as you may have heard, Ireland’s adopting a platform called ‘Saorview’ – a digital-only replacement which is intended to replace the older system which is now considered inefficient and too cumbersome to maintain into the future.
It’s thought that there are still some 100,000 Irish households who receive TV through analogue signals and nothing else – so there are plenty of people in Ireland who need to get their skates on and put some other arrangements in place.
Given that there’s only a few days left to get your stuff together, we thought we’d try to explain what’s going on – and give you some advice on whether you need to act to make sure you don’t lose your TV services later this week.
Like we said, everywhere in Europe, all TV series will be broadcast in digital by the end of this year – all analogue services are being turned off.
By ‘analogue’ we mean the traditional format of TV pictures that you’ve been able to use to get your telly signals for the last few decades.
It might help to consider the analogue-versus-digital debate a bit like this: when they first came out, you were probably impressed with the idea of video tapes – allowing you to view a pre-prepared broadcast at the time of your choosing, without needing to abide by TV schedules, simply by sticking the tape into your VCR (or, God love you, your Betamax player).
But compare that to DVDs – which are smaller, more portable, and are capable of holding far more content at a far higher quality, with sharper pictures and clearer sound – and you’ll begin to get a sense of the comparisons between the two generations of TV signals.
Though there’s nothing wrong with the quality provided by the current standards of broadcasting, it’s simply inferior to the quality you can get through a digital one.
What’s more, digital broadcasts are much more efficient. They take up less space in the airwaves – you can fit many more channels, at a higher quality, into the spectrum. This means that you can fit many more TV stations into the same amount of space.
Cutting off the analogue broadcasts also mean the government can make money from the free space, by selling off licences to use it – allowing new mobile phone or wireless broadband services, which in turn can bring in more money for the State.
Incidentally, don’t be confused into thinking that you need to take out some sort of new subscription to get this service – all Saorview is is a replacement for the old analogue system.
Just like the old one, it’s free to access: you just need to have the right equipment. If you need a new box or TV, so be it – but there’s no fee to access the signal itself (other than the TV licence, of course).
If you don’t have a commercial TV package – with the likes of Sky or UPC Digital – and you get your TV through an aerial plugged directly into your TV, then you probably receive four TV channels: RTÉ One, RTÉ Two, TV3 and TG4.
If this is the case, then you’re off to a good start at least: you know that you live in an area that’s also covered by digital broadcasts as well as analogue ones. If your house can pick up the analogue signal for those channels, you should be able to pick up the digital signal too.
Upgrading to digital means you’ll get the same four channels as you currently get with your bunny ears, as well as four new ones.
Those other four are RTÉ’s dedicated News Now channel, the children’s RTÉ Jr channel, TV3′s sister channel 3e, and the time-delayed RTÉ One +1 service (which rebroadcasts all RTÉ One content, beginning with Six One, an hour later. Plenty of time for your Fair City fix, then).
There’s also a new, fancy-looking version of Aertel – which gets rid of the old school white-text-on-blue-boxes-on-black motif and replaces it with a slightly more web-style interface – while RTÉ Two also broadcasts in HD, which is handy for those big sporting occasions.
What’s more, you’ll be able to get RTÉ’s six digital-only radio stations – including Radio 1 Extra, 2XM (the slightly more indie version of 2FM), a radio version of RTÉ Jr, the RTÉ Pulse dance station, the golden oldies station RTÉ Gold, and RTÉ Choice which features radio content from around the world.
Again, this is a straightforward indication of how the use of digital TV frees up the airwaves for the use of even more stations. (It’s a similar story with radio, where the DAB digital broadcasts allow for more precise frequencies, and therefore a greater number of stations – but you needn’t worry about a radio switch-off any time soon.)
On top of the extra broadcasts, there’s also a feature that you might find useful: an on-screen electronic programme guide (or ‘EPG’) which shows you the listings on each channel for the next seven days. This allows you to set reminders about programmes you want to watch, and so on.
A video showing the final BBC Two broadcast in London earlier this year, when the analogue system – the world’s oldest colour TV transmission system – was turned off for the last time. (heymystuff/YouTube)
Well, first of all, ask yourself how you watch TV to begin with. If you get your TV through the likes of Sky or UPC, then you’ve nothing to worry about – those signals aren’t affected by this switchover, and therefore you don’t need to take any action.
If you get your TV through the traditional bunny-ears, or through an aerial on your roof or your garden, you should be aware that you probably won’t need to change your aerial. As long as you can get the four existing channels (and even if you’re in areas without TV3) your aerial is just fine.
The question really is: how old is your TV? If it was sold within the last few years, the chances are it probably has Integrated Digital Television (or iDTV) – a system which means your TV can make sense of both the analogue and digital broadcasting formats.
You might want to check the manuals, or look up the details for your make and model – but if your TV is fairly new, it should have iDTV, and your problems are solved (though you should make sure that when you turn on the TV, you’re looking at its digital channels and not its analogue ones).
If you don’t have iDTV – which is probable if your TV is on the older side – then you’ll need to buy a little machine which converts the new digital signals into the older ones which your TV can read. This is what is known as a set-top box.
Thankfully, these aren’t too expensive, and are coming down in price all the time. The safest way to pick a box is to visit the Saorview website and look at the boxes listed there.
There’s a really easy way to figure out whether you need to take action or not. If you turn on your TV and go to RTÉ One, you may see a small grey box in the corner of the screen with the words ‘October 24′.
If this is on your screen, you need to act now: this is a warning added to the analogue broadcast to let you know that it’s being turned off. The same warning doesn’t appear on digital screens.
Again, this is important: even if you have a TV with the built-in iDTV, your telly might have two modes – one for analogue, one for digital. Make sure you’re using the digital mode, because that’s the only one that’ll work come Wednesday.
Conveniently, some of those boxes will come with the ‘Saorview approved’ logo on them, meaning they’ve been tested by RTÉ and are proven to work with the Saorview digital broadcasts.
Of course, if you wanted to, you could also take this opportunity to upgrade your TV. Any TV you buy now will definitely have iDTV built in. (This is now the industry standard – nobody will sell you a TV if it’ll be defunct by Wednesday lunchtime!) Again, there’s a list of TVs which come with the Saorview sticker on them to guarantee that they work.
Either way, someone in your local electrical retailer will be nicely experienced in dealing with Saorview queries by now, and will be in the best position to help you.
We should mention at this point that neither RTÉ nor Saorview are sending people door-to-door, so if you get someone coming to your door offering to check your equipment, be very wary.
Communications minister Pat Rabbitte told the Dáil in May that Saorview has set up relationships with three trade bodies: the Irish Satellite and Aerial Association (ISAA), the National Guild of Master Craftsmen, and the Confederation of Aerial Industries (CAI).
Each of those is therefore allowed to include the Saorview logo alongside their own. If you do get someone visiting you, check if they’re accredited with one of those bodies – and if they’re not, steer clear.
Anyone from those bodies will be able to advise you on some of the Saorview boxes which work with other TV platforms – such as the Freeview platform in the UK. Because Freeview came along before Saorview did, the technology it uses is a more basic version (using MPEG-2 encoding) than Saorview (which uses MPEG-4).
This means that some (though not all) of the Saorview boxes will also be able to receive Freeview broadcasts too. So, if you live in an area that also has Freeview coverage (i.e. the easterly or northern parts of the Republic, which are close enough to the UK to pick up British broadcasts), you should be able to find a box that will accept both.
There are no official means by which you can get your UPC and Sky facilities through the same box as Saorview – but as we mentioned above you won’t need to worry, because if you’re already with Sky or UPC then you already have all the channels, and your services won’t be disrupted.
Given the surface of Ireland it’s simply impossible to guarantee 100 per cent coverage using the traditional broadcast means – in fact, even the current system doesn’t provide 100 per cent coverage, as broadcasts need a line of sight to be able to reach an aerial. This means if you live in a mountainous spot, or one in a valley, you won’t be able to get traditional broadcasts to begin with.
Saorview will cover 98 per cent of the population, but the remainder of homes will be covered by Saorsat. This service is pretty much identical to Saorview, with the only exception being the signals are delivered by satellite instead of a traditional mast.
There’s no advantage to using Saorsat over Saorview, so you’re best off trying to get Saorview first, but if you can’t (and you’ll probably know already, as you won’t be able to get TV through the traditional means) then any approved Saorview retailer will also have some Saorsat equipment you can consider.
More details on that can be found here.
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Says it all! Really. Why have so many if they can’t be bothered.
What ever about the opposition ,not being there at least the government should show up,to at least listen to each other waffling on and pretending they give a damn.
Seriously Paul stop. They’re all as bad as each other.
We’ll have a few less in March but still too many!
Why so many is right.
155 TDs in a country of 4.6 million.
Scotland – 59 MPs in a country of 5.2 million.
Yorkshire – 51 MPs in a county of 5.3 million.
Trebles all round!
Government Chief Whip Paul Kehoe struggled to get sufficient numbers into the chamber to start, and TDs and Ministers having breakfast in the Leinster House canteen were called in to make up the numbers.
Under the standing orders or rules of the House, there must be a minimum of 20 TDs in the Dáil chamber before the business of the day can commence.
And the obligation is on the Government side to ensure the 20 TDs are present.
And they want us to put them back in there for another 5 year doss…? They’re putting two fingers up to their employers and the don’t give a s**t what we think..
in fairness, they are in the process of applying for new jobs
Littleone, that’s passing the buck. Surely the opposition have questions to ask the minister. Littleone I notice from previous comments that you have double standards.
What is your agenda? Are you running for election?
You do realise that apart from the majority of people that comment on the journal most Irish people are hard working decent people that can see through the looney lefts tripe.
Tom , you best get on to the Irish times for passing the buck. I read it there. http://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/oireachtas/d%C3%A1il-starts-late-because-not-enough-tds-in-the-chamber-1.2512116 tom I noticed from your comments yesterday , your a bit crazy. As I said yesterday there are a lot of crazies on the internet especially ones like your self with fake Facebook accounts.
Littleone, double standards again? I like your Twitter account.
Oh at least I use my real name.
Is littleone your real name? or is a nickname? If it’s a nickname I do wonder what it could be referring to?
Tom, you seem to be a disturbed individual.
Is it not better for them to actually be working than sitting in a chamber arguing the toss..listening to each other waffle
Too busy out looking for brown envelops
They where in the Dail, just not the chamber. It would have been helpful to understand why if the journal had give us details of the agenda item to be discussed. It was probably some procedural nonsense by one of the minority groups.
And they’ll get paid for this ? Nothing changes .
And they died to put those seats under their Arses, nothing changes..
I have no problem with this, What happens in the chamber is just theater. I would rather they were in their offices doing some work than sitting around for no good reason listening to each other waffle. Dail debates are another waste of time, everyone of them knows how they are going to vote before they go in and then wast days grandstanding for the cameras
Imagine trying to run a business and regularly the majority of your staff don’t show up. How on earth design anyone expect this country to progress
John B, that’s not a proper comparison.
95% of TD’s work is outside the chamber of the Dail.
Committees, constituency work, etc.
A better comparison would be employees not turning up for the monthly department meeting.
Something I haven’t turned up to in about 2 years, but my employer wouldn’t say I haven’t been turning up for work.
Danny, not quite, it would be like the board of your company not showing up for the board meeting, especially when the primary function of the board is to make decisions how to run the company, AT THE BOARD MEETING.
Except because of the strong whip system, precisely zero decisions get made in the actual Dáil chamber. The best way to influence decisions is committee work, letter writing, meeting with people etc.
But Danny you are showing up where your company expects you to be surely?
Correct. Most of work done is not in the actual chamber. People have no idea what goes on in the Dail and as part of our government, opposition and the work TDs do
Agree Danny. Most of their work is done outside that room!
More concerned with their election campaigns than the running of the country. Useless shower.
complete wasters the lot of them
“begin the business of the day by reading aloud the procedural prayer.”
Ugh
My response exactly. Sums it up in one sentence. I despair of this country I really do
Exactly
“Oh lord, protect this trough and the snouts that are in it, amen.”
@LesBehan. Les, seldom has a comment been so apposite. If that isn’t the text of the actual prayer, it should be. Utter disgrace. The promised reform consists of two or three fewer little piggies instead of a halving of their number, as a bare minimum.
Total lack of respect to the Dail and the people that voted for them.
They need longer holidays sure, obviously….
Technological universities bill meant to go through this week.
Not that they care. Points go up, local colleges got rid of.
They are all outside my door!!
They’d drive you mad.
They have just wiped their feet on the Irish People!! Why can we not get the government desolved now!? Has the president No power to protect us from , what I call Treason.!
Bit dramatic
“Government Chief Whip Paul Kehoe struggled to get sufficient numbers into the chamber to start, and TDs and Ministers having breakfast in the Leinster House canteen were called in to make up the numbers.”
http://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/oireachtas/d%C3%A1il-starts-late-because-not-enough-tds-in-the-chamber-1.2512116
The obligation is on the Government side to ensure the 20 TDs are present.
N they’ll still get paid their handsome pensions when they hang up their taxpayers paid suits after the election what a joke
They are like kids in primary school in the week before the summer holidays. A total joke.
If the Dail is in session and they are not in their seat they should have to state where they where and why theirs eat is empty. This information should be of public record.
If they are asking us to re-elect them we should at least be able to see how they actually spend their time and our money.
But Minister of State Ann Phelan can pass legislation on her own?
must of being first orders in the dail bar
They’ve probably all got urgent funerals to attend.
I will remind the deputy..
I will remind the deputy..
I will remind the deputy..
I will remind the deputy..
I will remind the deputy..
That he may not under any circumstances stand while the dail is moving..
Show that much courtesy..
Their ONLY ‘Order of Business’ is getting re-elected to the ‘Trough” so they can live the high life at our expense for the next five years.
#Disgrace #Embarrasing
If they can’t be bothered to show up to their job they should not be paid SIMPLES
There job isn’t to sit for eight hours watching stuff that they’re not involved in that could easily be monitored on the TV in their office as while doing actual work.
The Frau Furher must have given ‘em the day off. Heil Merkel!!!
Maybe they should be paid by the hour and not salary based! See how many hours they really do… or even better per minute billing..
This way of running a country,where a huge bunch of people sit around talking absolute crap,costing an absolute fortune,should be consigned to the past.A dozen people with the use of the internet would be able to do the job of running Ireland.
Lazy overpaid shower of good for nothings.
Gotta be payed extortionate amounts of money though.. My God Ireland, wake up..
they’re all over i John Dellaney’s office getting their free Euro 16 tickets #anngelamerkelthinkswe’reatwork.
Hopefully they’ve all found something more useful to do with their morning than sit listening to their peers shouting at each other.
Yep, Stuffing their faces with a subsidised breakfast courtesy of the taxpayer – how many here in the comments section, get to go to work, free parking, and are fed breakfast before they start??
then a few subsidised pints at the end of your 3 hour working day?
Most people in large city offices have access to canteen breakfasts and parking if they want it, but whatever.
I honestly don’t know why you’re getting downvoted Neal! Are we supposed to begrudge them parking spots?
If you have no input into the matter at hand then why bother turn up when you could spend time on other important matters. Christ knows they have plenty more work they could be doing!
(and not just canvassing, that remark has been made plenty already)
Isn’t it time the constitution was re written to reflect our country where we are now?..with a halving of the numbers of TDs,senators,term limits to do away with career politicians..wages and pensions revisited..power to recall etc..take the best of the systems used worldwide and use them in an Irish context..
Kieran, these are the kind of measures any reasonable person would want. I’m sick of the legions of “what’s in it for me” merchants prating on about their desire for “public service” and the HUGE opportunities they turn down in order to serve this country. The reality is, it’s a very nice little earner indeed – they are allowed to double job – and make valuable contacts to enhance their ‘non-political’ activities and profits. We could do with a dose of honesty every now and then. For instance, ask yourself how two School Teachers – in the ordinary course – could become immensely wealthy, were it not for their “sacrifices” for us the ungrateful public?
Strip the useless good for nothing vermin off all pay give the money hungry the social welfare €188.30
And if they need anything ask for it let them ask them people of Ireland can they have wat they want
They need to know who’s in control them or us
Obviously all preoccupied with the forthcoming election.
Says it all. They just dont give a F__K
Sure it was raining
Procedural prayer? I actually had to look this up to believe it, can we not get things done without channelling the mystical sky wizard first?
wonder how many signed in to collect daily expenses
I’ve a feeling i’m going to get red thumbed to all hell but if they don’t have input into the item being discussed and are only going to sit there to make up the numbers, then surely their time would be better spent elsewhere?
You won’t get very far peddling your reasonable explanations around here.
Because in order for the Dáil to sit, they need a minimum of 20 TD’s in the chamber……it’s actually the Governments responsibility to see that their members are there to make the Dáil ‘function’.
“GSOC phone monitoring controversy.”
Means nothing to them
Ridiculous, so how did the one go ahead a few weeks ago when just one was there reading out to herself, I think it was change in laws,does this make it illegal as there was no one there,even at the beginning.
In other news at least when they retire they will all get pensions in excess of 100k a year, so they have that going for them, which is nice.
Most are at home doing up CV’s and looking at indeed for new jobs…
Procedural Prayer? FFS they spend little enough time in the Dail without wasting it on silly superstitions.
Which god do they pray to? Flying Spaghetti Monster I suppose?
This is not news. There is often a call for Quorum in the Dáil. When a member is sitting in the chamber, they cannot do their actual job of looking after the needs of their constituents and so most of them spend as little time as possible in the Chamber. You cannot use your phone, you cannot send emails, you cannot try chase up peoples medical card applications, or Visa requests, or passport problems, or any of the other myriad of issues that people bring to their TDs attention.
So I am glad that the chamber is never full, if it was it would mean that there is nothing being done.
And both sides of the house are the same on this by the way, government and opposition.
They should be forced to go in all the time, unless they are sick or have legitimate reasons. Like the rest of us. They have such a handy number. I wonder how many turn up without fail. They get long holidays as it is. MAkes no fcuking sense.
May they be smitten by their poxy god!
Who were the 8 that actually turned up?
If they handed out the brown envelopes in the Dail attendance would be much higher
Hmmm…..so only eight were present ? That’s EIGHT more than we need.
have your say