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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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It’s seems common theme this morning. Catherine Murphy td also believed her phones were tapped in concern to to siteserv, irbc.
Smart move considering the attempts by the British army/terrorists and loyalist terrorists to murder Gerry.
This is 100% done by the skum running our political parties. The well known men with the knowledge dirt that make our political filth dance to their tune.
The public enemy (ies) number 1 and we all know who they are. The rot at the core of this country. The filth that needs to be hacked out surgically.
Yes indeed a great little country to do corruption in.
Not really, we aren’t at the races at all re corruption.
Freebet, any proof, or even evidence?
Correct, we’re not at the races. As our elected politicians continue to fix them – and blame the EU, ECB, World Bank etc. for their ineptitude.
Gerry is right to be worried imagine if someone was earwigging while Gerry was chatting to his mi5 handler?
Oh don’t make me laugh. Not at the races when it comes to corruption. Of course we are not at the races , we sit on the fence and let it happen. Look at Moriarty . government and DPP sitting on it for years. Wouldn’t have anything to do with statue of limitations coming this year.
74 days till the statute of limitations runs out in relation to the Moriarty tribunal. Given the findings, the DPP should have moved before now, one way or the other.
Were Jammin – now a legal expert! Go back to your daily propaganda rubbish – you are doing great damage to your masters, SF/IRA.
75 Days before Statute of limitations Runs out on Moriarty Tribunal. (22/3/2016)
This is not propaganda rubbish Ger, it is true, it doesn`t need a legal expert to read and understand it.
Go back to your propaganda rubbish about FG/Liebour/RNU, There s a good chap
bus, I was referring to the expert advising the DPP – and I have never posted about the parties (?) you refer to. keep up, bus m8.
Catherine Murphy will be easy to recognise on the campaign trail, she’ll be the one in the tin foil hat choking on a SIM card.
Seamus government TDs will also be really easy to recognise in the campaign trail, they will be carrying the Irish independent and a picture of dob and have few envelopes under their jackets.
Beat me to it Paddy.
Michael Tsarion on Sinn Fein Part 1 of 4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LMVk_lC2DUk
There would be something seriously wrong with our national security infrastructure if someone with serious ties to terror organisations was not being monitored.
Right side, British intelligence still taps into all of Irelands fibre optic and phone networks, even though it undermines our sovereignty our government doesn’t seem to care and never raises this serious issue with their British counterparts.
Perhaps. But What about Catherine Murphy? No threat there. And then as Adams mentioned, the Garda stations? It goes across the bored also. FF also have a history of phone tapping.
Ask Kenny and DOB if Catherine is a threat
What have either of them to do with this story? Adams says he believes he is monitored and given his chequered past with regard to terror activities of course the state should monitor him, it is in the best interest of our national security.
Very true. I’d also assume the likes of Daly, Murphy, Wallace and Brenden Ogle for example are being closely monitored. Very sinister for a democracy.
Right side, who was analysing and using data harvested from the Garda phone taps.
Both of them are mentioned in the story.
“I’d also assume”…….
OK Mr Rightside leaving aside the dimension to Gerry Adams that you highlight, there is also the consideration that private communications between citizens and their elected representative being monitored by state security services (internal and external) and private actors. In the UK the Wilson Doctrine (has been undermined and Cameron has had to re-assure MP’s that their private correspondence are not being tapped). Don’t the Irish people have a fair expectation that any communication (critical or supplicatory) be protected.
Andrew, “I’d also assume ” you could be wrong.
What sovereignty, Phil? Might I remind you of Lisbon 1 and 2, and in particular, The Fiscal Compact Treaty. Following the passage of these referenda our ‘sovereignty’ is a mere myth.
Rashers, the EU don’t seem to interested that one of its members is spying on their neighbour a fellow member. Germany wasn’t to happy when they discovered the Americans spying on them.
…just to add, them referendum treaties which were held twice are null and void now as the promises made during their campaigns weren’t upheld.
What about Catherine Murphy td ? She is also mentioned in relation to phone tapping and siteserv and irbc.
Leaving aside the personalities involved It is worth asking wether this or precious Governments go along with the Wilson Doctrine that members of parliaments communication with their constituents are protected from tapping by state security services. To say anything other than this is a corruption of the democratic process. I should be able to communicate with my local TD without fear of being intercepted by other state actors. Not state private actors we just have to be vigilant…cough…Voldemort…Usb stick miraculously appearing on desk….cough
Welcome to 1984.
FG must be really rattled.
Why?
The govt are stumbling from one disaster to another but if the polls are to be believed, the people of the country havent woken up to the reality of just how bad this govt is. It will be interesting to see the next poll.
Err Journal where is my comment gone RE the HSE debacle and the floods? – there was no profanity, no slurs or anything to the best of my knowledge there were no rules broken by my post – would you care to elaborate as to why my comment was deleted?
here is the comment i posted ,(or to the best of my recollection)
Fg are rattled because they didn`t call an election in November, before the HSE debacle and the floods, I said at the time that the HSE would only get worse, and the Winter vomiting bug hasn`t reared it`s ugly head yet and it will with almost dreaded certainty, Showing Varadkar to be the useless politician that most of us know he is..
WHY WAS THIS POST REMOVED HUGH??
Seamus bit like SF last year 1 debacle after another… hypocrites blasted the church and rightly so but covered up the abuse going on inside their own ranks!
Sorry i also had that with patients jammed together in close proximity the Winter bug will run rampant.
According to the article Gerry recounts the attorney general and/or the Taoiseach as being afraid that their phones being tapped, which raises the question of who and under what authority does the alleged tapping occur?
Everything is monitored. Once you’ve been flagged by authorities, every interaction you have ever made with your mobile or any internet device is likely to be analyzed and any future interaction could be monitored in real time. That goes for everyone on here as well as TDs trying to speak truth to power.
Id say its fairly obvious that gerrys phone is tapped as it has been in the past. But who is tapping phones in this state?
The man headed up Sinn Fein and the IRA for over 30 years so yeah doubtful he’s going to slip up on the phone
Breaking news: Live long has world exclusive!! Can you post the link please?
Why?
What exclusive? He might as well post a link to Adams’ wikipedia page!
The hill 16 mug on ya
To be fair to Gerry, he’s had to assume that he’s being bugged for all his adult life, why change now!
Poor Gerry. A life long victim, but perhaps he should have listened to his parents when they told him to be careful of the company he keeps.
Just because chooses to use a burner is a far cry from proving their phone is being tapped.
A serious accusation requires serious proof.
I would imagine Enda and Co do this too. It would only make sense. Their positions would make them targets for phone tapping. The News of the World illegal phone tapping of public figures is a classic example. And I would put money down in a bet was only the tip of the iceberg of what goes on with public figures and interference with their personal communications
Tap, protect its citizens???? Yeah, like rural communities are protected from roaming thugs by moving all the gardai to Dublin to protect the Dail, ministers and meter installers, protect homeless citizens by letting them die on the streets, protect kids by removing medical cards, sick citizens being protected by being left on trollies in hospital corridors, citizens in trouble with mortgages being protected by the state legislating so the banks can evict people faster. Yeah Tap, you FG shills are vomit inducing.
This is in reply to that well know FG shill Tap Solny.
I’m sure an ‘independent’ investigation by a former special criminal court judge with a permanent garda close protection detail that is more concerned with leak plugging then investigating the possibility of misuse of phone tapping equipment will show that the state, police and powerful tax exiles are totally innocent…
No sh@t ,we would never have guessed, …There is no one tapping Murphys phone ffs
Oh, right. Well, er, I guess that’s that then. Cheers, Patrick!
Social Democrats TD Catherine Murphy resorted to using “throwaway” mobile phones at the height of the Siteserv/IBRC saga after independent security experts warned that her and her colleagues’ phones may have been illegally tapped.
Ms Murphy made the revelations as she hit out at the ongoing delays to the State’s investigation into a series of controversial transactions by IBRC, saying if the problems are not overcome, “you can never, ever have another inquiry of this type”.
Ms Murphy said at the height of the Siteserv-IBRC controversy in April that she and her colleagues became concerned their phones and other equipment were under surveillance.
Ms Murphy said that, after taking “prudent” advice “on a range of different things, including our phones” from a number of independent IT and security experts, whom she declined to name, it was decided to resort to drastic measures. https://www.google.ie/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/siteserv-saga-saw-catherine-murphy-warned-of-tapping-375122.html&ved=0ahUKEwjA3u2dlprKAhVBYQ8KHcFIAL0QFggoMAM&usg=AFQjCNEDucXZNN5hw-xOjv1_5mSMwOQq2Q
Surely if she spoke to an independent security/it expert they would have directed her towards encrypting her messages/calls/email(very easily done) rather than resorting to a burner phone. Currently all carriers require some form of I.D and proof of address to get a new number, if they were being tapped surely they would have the ability to do a check on new numbers for her or her team?
Sounds like she spoke to someone who lives in a faraday cage to stop the signals reading their thoughts…
Phone networks don’t require you to provide them with a name and address.
Desperate times for a very scared and desperate government.
How a Sinn Fein ‘phonetap’ conversation generally goes: “Ya you know our friend who lives over on the east side? Ya, what about him? You won’t have to worry about him anymore boss; we took the jam outta of his doughnut. “
It is the duty of the state to protect its citizens from different types of threats and the use of phone tapping could be very useful.
You should speak to law enforcement and tell them how useful phone tapping could be Tap.
Probably his mobile, phone, email, post and anything else as well???
It is coming up to the elections anyway…
Hopefully our police are doing their jobs.
Can you imagine if he buys a new mobile regularly and then gives it to charity after a while, they be wondering what is he doing lol. I say phone as the sim card can be used to spy on you as can the IMEI number as well as the cell tower I believe? It was shown recently how a mobile that you thought was off could be used to spy on people, all cloak and dagger stuff…
Sure all our phones are being tapped & monitored. Gerry shiuld be well used to it by now.
Yawn, who cares???
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