All posts by Dave Lindsay
Below are all of Dave Lindsay's postings, with the most recent are at the bottom of the page.
Geoff: It would be helpful to know where you are so as to be able to gauge where you may be receiving from. What aerials do you have (pointing where)? Knowledge of your location and their directions would allow which transmitters they are facing to be deduced.
There are two main possibilities:
1. You are receiving RT from a Saorview transmitter in the Republic.
2. You are receiving RT from one of the three Freeview transmitters that broadcasts it.
The general rule is that Freeview HD receivers *will* receive either of the above. Freeview standard definition receivers will definately not receive 2 and quite a few won't show a picture for 1 (but may give sound).
If it turns out that you are in an area where both of the above are possibilities then you may be able to try the other.
Bring up the signal strength screen whilst on RT (if it will allow) and see what UHF/RF channel it is tuned to. This will tell us which transmitter it is coming from.
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Linda: Sky is principally a subscription service (it does offer its own "Freesat from Sky"), but for free-to-air satellite there is Freesat for which recorders are available.
Two feeds/cables are required from the dish. If there is only one then cable and twin or quad LNBs are available and their installation can be undertaken by competant DIYers. The LNB is the bit on the arm of the dish that the cable(s) connect to. A twin/2-port LNB allows two cables, a quad/4-port LNB allows four cables to be connected etc.
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Steve: There is no law about which way one's aerial should be pointing. You will not be thrown in the slammer at the base of the Holmhead transmitter for not using it!
The Holmhead transmitter is Freeview Lite meaning that it carries only PSB (Public Service Broadcaster) channels. The Commercial (COM) channels broadcast from main stations and larger relays and so are not available to everyone.
For information on aerials, and an online shop, see A.T.V (Aerials And Television) TV Aerial, DAB Aerial, FM Aerial.
Darvel uses all Group A channels. Wideband aerials are less sensitive on Group A channels, so you should use a Group A aerial:
A.T.V (Aerials And Television) TV Aerial, DAB Aerial, FM Aerial. digitalnationwide.html#D
For Holmhead at only 2W you really need line-of-sight with the radiating antennas to be able to receive it. These are part way from the top of the tower.
If you can see it then you may be able to use a DM Log (see ATV's site). If any greater gain is needed then a Group B aerial should be used.
The Holmhead transmitter broadcasts roughly between its 10 o'clock position and 4 o'clock position. See the radiation pattern on its page which is below the coverage map.
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Patrick: Most probably you need a Freeview HD receiver for Saorview.
The reason being that there are two types of picture format used for digital broadcasts: MPEG2 and the later MPEG4.
Freeview standard definition uses MPEG2 whereas Saorview uses MPEG4. Consequently Freeview standard definition receivers don't tend to have the capability to resolve MPEG4 pictures. Freeview HD uses MPEG4 and therefore will show Saorview.
To receive Saorview you will need a separate aerial pointing to Holywell Hill which is on a bearing of 244 degrees with your aerial horizontal (elements flat). If you received RT analogue and have an appropriate aerial, then this should work for Saorview. There is no harm in seeing if it will work with your current set. Holywell Hill broadcasts on UHF channel 30, so if it has manual tuning, try tuning to C30.
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Mark: The network was designed in an era when all transmitters carried the same number of channels. Thus it didn't make any difference to whether one received from a main station or a relay.
The decision was made to allow a two-tier network which now leaves some at a disadvantage as far as range of channels is concerned. It is this decision which has produced the outcome we have rather than poor design of the network in the first place.
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gerald kelly: No, Newcastle doesn't broadcast RT. You can align your aerial on a transmitter that does broadcast it "if" you can receive from such a transmitter.
Knowledge of your location, preferably in the form of postcode or nearby postcode (e.g. that of a shop) will allow an assessment of what may be possibilities at your location.
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gerald kelly: It's certainly not a given what you can receive because of the terrain between you and the various transmitters. It might be worth looking to see what those around you are using, although the nature of the terrain means that what can and can't be picked up may vary, potentially over short distances.
There are two transmitters that may provide you with RT at your location:
1. Clermont Carn in Co. Louth. This is a Saorview transmitter and therefore carries all its channels:
What is Saorview? | SAORVIEW
It is on a bearing of 230 degrees and aerials are vertical. Looking at photos on Streetview (dated March 2011) I can see a few aerials on this transmitter. The hills in that direction are also clear to see from your Close so it's not going to be easy!
2. Black Mountain, which is adjacent to the Divis (full-Freeview transmitter). This is broadcasts the "NI Mux" which carries TG4, RT One and RT Two only. It may be possible to receive from Divis as well, which may gave you the full complement of Freeview channels, the Newcastle relay carrying only Public Service (PSB) channels.
For many people, including yourself, Black Mountain and Divis are on close enough bearings that a single aerial will receive from both.
For lots of information on aerials and an online shop, see A.T.V (Aerials And Television) TV Aerial, DAB Aerial, FM Aerial.
It is possible to combine the feeds from two aerials using a diplexer, if the channels used by each transmitter allow: A.T.V (Aerials And Television) TV Aerial, DAB Aerial, FM Aerial. onlinesplittersandamps.html#TVTVdiplexers
The permutations that may be possible are:
1. Receive from Divis and Clermont Carn. The latter uses C52 so it might be best to avoid the diplexer that "splits" at C51 as it will reduce, to a degree, the signal on C52. The diplexer that splits at C38 will provide you with all channels from Divis and Clermont Carn (providing that the aerials can receive the signals). The C38 diplexer will of course mean that the NI Mux from Black Mountain on C39 will be unavailable, but that might not be such as issue if you can receive Saorview from Clermont Carn.
2. Receive from Clermont Carn and Newcastle. Because the former uses 52 (and prospectively 57 in the future) and the latter uses 50, 55 and 59 you will not be able to combine the feeds from both aerials and will therefore have to use separate receivers.
3. Receive from Divis/Black Mountain only with a single aerial. This may give you all Freeview channels and the NI Mux. The Commercial (COM) channels (those that don't transmit from Newcastle) are on lower power from Divis than its PSBs. This permutation will also only give you three of the RoI's channels: RT One, RT Two and TG4.
Due to not being in a good signal area for any of the transmitters (except probably Newcastle), you would be best advised to stick with Group aerials:
- Clermont Carn is Group C/D.
- Divis is all Group A for Freeview channels, although the NI Mux from Black Mountain is on C39 which is just above Group A. However, aerials don't stop dead outside of group and the sensitivity of the Group A curves on ATV's site suggests that the gain on C39 may be a tad greater than the low 20s:
A.T.V (Aerials And Television) TV Aerial, DAB Aerial, FM Aerial. gaincurves.html#Agroups
For this reason, a Group A aerial may be best for Divis and NI Mux on C39.
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gerald kelly: I should add that a Freeview HD TV/box will probably be required.
There are two types of signal: DVB-T (used by Freeview standard definition and Saorview) and DVB-T2 (used by Freeview HD and the NI Mux). Carried on those signals there are two picture formats that are used: MPEG2 and the later MPEG4.
To receive the NI Mux, a Freeview HD receiver will definately be required as it uses a DVB-T2 signal. The NI Mux pictures are standard definition only.
Saorview uses MPEG4 whereas Freeview standard definition uses MPEG2. Consequently many Freeview standard definition receivers don't have the capability to resolve MPEG4 pictures. In which case you may get sound but not picture.
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Andrew McFarlane: In answer to your question:
1. for standard definition: because your receiver has tuned to a transmitter which broadcasts ITV Central.
2. for HD: because there are only a few ITV1HD regions and so transmitters in quite a few regions carry ITV1HD of another region.
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Sunday 28 October 2012 12:20AM
Linda: It can be used to play DVDs and videos. To record from Freeview it will need a separate set-top box receiver, but this will mean that setting it to record would require the set-top box to be turned on and set to the correct channel as well as the video/DVD being set to come on at the correct time. Previously it was possible to set on the recorder's timer screen what channel to record. With the set-top box option it will just be a case of setting it to record the scart input that the set-top box is connected to. The channel is selected on the set-top box. It is easier to get a Freeview recorder, if you think that your mother will be able to operate it. One with a hard drive will mean no tapes and better quality pictures.