Media ignorance on Saorview

Solair

My grand aunt bought a Saorview box and plugged it into her "aerial socket"which turned out to be a UPC cable point!!

It's being incredibly badly explained.

Simply saying, if you watch television via an aerial on your roof, in your attic or rabbits ears on top of your tv set, you will need to purchase this small, but cheap, box which will mean better quality pictures, better sound, more channels etc etc

if your tv is already Saorview compatible, you won't need to do anything.

RTE, TV3 and TG4 signals, broadcast from our transmitters will only be broadcast digitally from (date). You can continue to enjoy an improved range of digital tv channels through your existing aerial, if you have a compatible tv or this. Little box and your existing telly!

Maybe they should also show a video of your standard technophobe granny plugging a Saorview box into her aerial cable and tv and settling down to FairCity in digital quality!

The Cush

The Cush wrote: »

Small change to the "Going Digital" website, now referring to the "old aerial TV network is switching off in 9 months". Can't see why they don't say the analogue TV network is switching off, it would avoid confusion with aerials .

Another tweak after the above post yesterday, reference to aerial removed. All that's required now is to add the word analogue - "Ireland's old analogue TV network is switching off in 9 months - be ready"

MarkK

The Cush wrote: »

All that's required now is to add the word analogue - "Ireland's old analogue TV network is switching off in 9 months - be ready"

Analogue cable is not being switched off though, so there would still be confusion.

I think it's a pretty impossible task to put together one sentence which everyone would understand, as many people do not know whether they have analogue or digital or if they use an aerial or not.

evilivor

Campaign aims to inform viewers of digital TV switch

By Seán McCárthaigh

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

COMMUNITY groups have launched an awareness programme to ensure thousands of TV viewers don’t lose access to their favourite programmes as a result of the scheduled switchover to digital TV in October.

Irish Rural Link and The Wheel have come together for the initiative, which follows on from a recent survey indicating that almost 250,000 people were still unaware that analogue TV signals will be switched off on October 24.

From that date, anyone who currently obtains their TV reception from analogue signals will face blank screens unless they switch over to digital TV.

Séamus Boland of Irish Rural Link said that many of the target group, including those living in isolated areas and older people, may not have familiarised themselves with the information necessary to ensure they can access digital TV when the switchover takes place.

The community outreach digital switchover programme — which will involve organisations that include the St Vincent de Paul, Age Action Ireland, the GAA Social Initiative, the Irish Farmers’ Association and the Disability Federation of Ireland — will be provided with funding by the Department of Communications.

Deirdre Garvey, chief executive of The Wheel, said the initiative would see community and voluntary groups in every part of the country reaching out to people who otherwise would not make the switch to digital TV.

TV viewers who currently receive their TV signal from a rooftop aerial will need to either subscribe to a pay-TV service such as UPC or Sky, or the new free digital service Saorview, which provides access to all the main Irish channels including RTÉ, TV3 and TG4.

However, anyone wishing to access Saorview will need a Saorview-approved digital TV or a set-top box which costs about €50. Any TV with a scart or HDMI socket should be capable of picking up Saorview.

Read more: http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/campaign-aims-to-inform-viewers-of-digital-tv-switch-179699.html#ixzz1j90d15pu

Sponge Bob

evilivor wrote: »

Any TV with a scart or HDMI socket should be capable of picking up Saorview.

Read more: http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/campaign-aims-to-inform-viewers-of-digital-tv-switch-179699.html#ixzz1j90d15pu

Wrong, lots of HD 'Ready' 720p jobbies have bog standard freeview tuners.

ardmacha

Wrong, lots of HD 'Ready' 720p jobbies have bog standard freeview tuners.

That's not the point here.

Perhaps the text should have said
Any TV with a scart or HDMI socket should be capable of being connected to a Saorview box to pick up Saorview.

As to aerials I don't know what the don't say something like the transmission system is being changed, analogous to the end of the MW radio transmitters.

watty

Not the same as end of MW at all.
1) Still lots of MW, just not RTE
2) RTE is still on AM (LW)
3) Digital is on the SAME band as TG4 & TV3, and also in lots of places RTE1 & RTE2.

It's just different modulation on the SAME band.

It's more akin to Analogue satellite to Digital Satellite in Germany, Dish didn't need moved.

Or Analogue to Digital MMDS and Cable changes (new box).

Here the Digital Sky was from different location to Analogue Sky, so the dish needed moved or replaced if too rusted to move. Some of the later LNBs on Sky & German Analogue satellite work still today for Digital Satellite.

Solair

MarkK wrote: »

Analogue cable is not being switched off though, so there would still be confusion.

I think it's a pretty impossible task to put together one sentence which everyone would understand, as many people do not know whether they have analogue or digital or if they use an aerial or not.

I'd say UPC would be delighted though if they get a large number of customers deciding to switch to UPC digital cable as a result

They won't keep analogue running forever either, but there's no scheduled switch off date.

I think they need to point out that if you are receiving your TV from a cable, mmds or satellite tv service, you don't need to do anything. This only impacts upon TVs receiving signals straight off air.

I think what's causing most confusion is that many people think their analogue cable is 'the aerial'. Particularly, older customers in urban areas.

Hotblack Desiato

In today's Irish Times:

Corrections & Clarifications wrote:

An item in the edition of January 5th suggested wrongly that television roof aerials will no longer be necessary with the introduction of Saorview.

Result

The Cush

The Cush wrote: »

Small change to the "Going Digital" website, now referring to the "old aerial TV network is switching off in 9 months". Can't see why they don't say the analogue TV network is switching off, it would avoid confusion with aerials .

The Cush wrote: »

Another tweak after the above post yesterday, reference to aerial removed. All that's required now is to add the word analogue - "Ireland's old analogue TV network is switching off in 9 months - be ready"

Some tweaking done recently on the Going Digital website, I think they got it right this time - Ireland’s old analogue TV network is switching off on Wednesday, 24th October 2012. This gives you 6 months - be ready!