It can be hard to find a quick and simple answer to this: What’s the cheapest way to get digital TV? We check out all the options including ‘freesat’ and the newest offering to hit Ireland,Saorview – a free digital terrestrial TV service launched in March by RTÉ.
Before deciding which option to go for you, need to ask what services you want to get and maybe, what services you can live without.
In some cases you will find that to get UK or international services in addition to Irish channels you may need two set-top boxes. You will not be able to get subscription services like Sky Sports on free satellite or free terrestrial TV services.
The Saorview box costs about €100 but there are “combi-boxes” available available that will pick up Saorview and the free satellite TV services. These cost just under €300.
Saorview is a completely new service launched by RTÉ and will be the only way to pick up Irish services via an aerial post 2012. We check out Saorview here, but for a more detailed get to the service click here for official Saorview website or read this quick guide article on RTE.ie
The options
1. You just want the Irish channels
Saorview
What is required: set-top box and ordinary aerial. No dish required.
This is a terrestrial service which carries all the existing Irish channels plus three new channels available through an ordinary aerial. No dish is required.
Saorview offers all your favourite Irish channels as well as some new services such as high definition programming on RTÉ Two, a new channel for kids, a rolling news service and a digital Teletext service.
Saorview was launched on a trial basis in October 2010 and it will be officially launched on a national basis at the end of May 2011 when 97 per cent of the Irish population will have coverage.
All that is required to receive Saorview is a small set top box that plugs into the back of your TV. The boxes, available at all electrical retailers, currently cost around €100 but are expected to drop in price to below €50.
Saorview services
TV
RTÉ One
RTÉ Two HD (in high definition)
TV3
TG4
3e – a second service offered by TV3 currently only available to cable TV subscribers
RTÉ News Now – a dedicated news channel
RTÉjr – a kids channel
RTÉ One +1 – this is RTÉ One time-shifted by one hour enabling you to, for example, watch the Six One news at 7pm or the 9pm news at 10pm etc.
Teletext
RTÉ Aertel Digital
Radio
RTÉ Radio 1
RTÉ 2fm
RTÉ lyric fm
RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta
RTÉ Choice
RTÉ 2XM
RTÉ Gold
RTÉjr – kids radio station
Radio 1 Extra
All households that currently rely on an aerial to receive their television services will eventually need to get a Saorview box to receive Irish TV services as the analogue transmitter network will be turned off at the end of 2012. This is part of a Europe-wide initiative to free the analogue airwaves up for more mobile broadband, broadcasting and other telecoms services.
There are currently an estimated 600,000 homes in Ireland that receive TV via an aerial on at least one TV in their household.
Some households may need a new aerial in addition to the set top box but the majority of homes will not.
2. You want UK and international channels
Free satellite TV
There are up to 250 channels broadcasting for free from the same cluster of satellites used by Sky TV.
This means any dish pointing in that direction will pick up these channels, free of charge.
The channels include BBC1, BBC2, BBC3, BBC4, BBC News 24 and its two children’s channels. Channel 4, E4, Film 4 and ITV and its kids channel are also free as are a huge range of other news and international channels.
To receive them, all you need is a regular satellite dish and a box, or decoder.
No Irish channels are available on satellite free of charge so if you opt for free satellite TV you will still need your aerial to pick up RTÉ, TV3 and TG4.
There are two options for decoders for free satellite TV in the Republic and three for people living in Northern Ireland.
Option 1
Freesat from Sky (Northern Ireland only)
What is required: Dish, set top box and viewing card from Sky
What you get: 240 UK and international channels including BBC and ITV etc. No Irish channels
If you are a Sky TV customer already and live in northern Ireland you can get a special viewing card for £25 which will enable you to pick up services free of charge.
This is a relatively new subscription-free service Sky launched in the UK to combat the fierce competition from Freeview, the terrestrial digital TV service that carries the BBC and ITV channels to ordinary aerials.
Sky will only send cards to a northern Ireland address – this service is not available to Republic of Ireland viewers.
Freesat from Sky gives you access to 240 channels for five years. It will work with the Sky Plus box which enables viewers to record, live pause and series link their favourite programmes.
For the full list of channels click here:
Option 2
Freesat
What is required: Set-top box and dish
What you get: 50-60 UK and international channels including BBC, ITV, Channel 4 etc. No Irish channels.
Freesat is a service operated by the BBC and ITV. No contract is required to pick up the channels and no monthly fee.
Expect to pay around €200 for the decoder or if you already have a dish installed around €150. You might get a box cheaper on eBay, but you will still need a professional to install your dish. (DIY is possible, but it can take hours tweaking the angle of the dish to get it aligned correctly for decent reception.)
Again, remember you will also need a terrestrial aerial to pick up the Irish channels as these are not available on Freesat.
The freesat box has a seven day programme guide.
50-60 TV channels including all the BBC channels
140 radio stations
An electronic programme guide
Option 3
Free-to-air satellite
What is required: Set-top box and dish
What you get: Over 200 channels including BBC, TV, Channel 4 etc.
This is a slightly cheaper option than freesat (you can get the decoder etc for less than €100) but unlike Freesat it doesn't have a programme guide.
This can be a disadvantage when it comes to planning your viewing but it means the channels aren't 'hard-coded' into the system, allowing you to tune your favourite channels in to your preferred station numbers. So you can have BBC1 as your number 1 channel, BBC2 as your number 2 and so on.
If you want to record programmes make sure you get a box that does that.
Set-top boxes
There is a variety of Freesat-compatible hardware to choose from.
Sites like digitatv.ie and satellitetv.ie give a good run-through all the options but it's also worth checking out the websites of TV manufacturers such as Sony whose entire Bravia range has been approved for Saorview, LG, Philips
A traditional set-top box for freesat will cost around €140, while Freesat+ digital recorders like the DMR-XS350 HD DVD Recorder will set you back about €600. These have the functionality of Sky Plus boxes - allowing you to record, rewind and pause live TV.
You can also consider an integrated TV set which will have an inbuilt box for free satellite TV.
Models like the LG 32LF7700 and Sony's Bravia KDL-40Z5800 have inbuilt Freesat or Freesat+.
If you are going to switch to Saorview, remember you will also be able to get an integrated TV set with built-in box for Irish free terrestrial TV.
Electronic manufacturers are also developing TVs with integrated boxes for Freesat and Saorview.
More information
Saorview: Frequently Asked Questions
RTE Transmission Network Limited (RTE NL)
Irish Satellite and Aerial Association
Connecting a TV set to Saorview
Official UK sites
