What is The Digital Switchover?

Television signals can be received via an aerial, satellite, cable or broadband connection. Switchover will affect any TV that receives its signal from an aerial.

Why is it happening?

Current terrestrial television is an analogue service, the quality of picture and sound you receive is not as good as it could be. Digital TV uses less broadcast space which means that after switchover, there will be more room for new services such as High Definition Television: HDTV

The digital service Saorview will enable you to receive better picture and sound quality.RTE Two HD has already been launched. It also enables you to receive more channels so now the Saorview service is capable of bringing you the TV channels:

RTÉ One, RTÉ Two HD, TV3, TG4, RTÉ News Now, 3e, RTÉjr, RTÉ One+1

And the radio stations: RTÉ Radio 1, RTÉ 2fm, RTÉ lyric fm, RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta, RTÉ Choice, RTÉ Pulse, RTÉ 2XM, RTÉ Gold, RTÉjr, Radio 1 Extra

What is Saorview?

Saorview is ‘freeview’ in Irish. It is the new FREE digital terrestrial television service. To receive Saorview you need an aerial and either a Saorview approved TV or a Saorview approved set-top box. With this you will receive your favourite Irish channels and now even more in digital quality

Why Choose Saorview?

Saorview approved boxes and televisions have gone through stringent testing and are future proofed.

With Saorview you get:

Your favourite Irish TV channels

AND

Crystal clear pictures
Better quality sound
A 7-day on-screen TV guide
RTÉ Aertel – Digital Teletext
10 RTÉ Radio services

All for FREE – no subscriptions, no monthly fees.

Glossary

MPEG4 & MHEG5:	Simply put, these are the tuners used in audio visual products that can pick up the Irish digital signal
EPG:	This refers to the Electronic Program Guide which shows you the scheduled TV shows that are coming up in the next 7 days through the Saorview service
UHF Aerial:	UHF stands for Ultra High Frequency. SAORVIEW is broadcast throughout Ireland on the UHF frequency band only. Therefore you will need the appropriate UHF aerial for the transmitter that best serves your area. For the majority of viewers, a standard roof mounted, wide-band UHF aerial, will be sufficient.
PVR:	PVR stands for Personal Video Recording. This is where you can record your favourite TV shows through a USB enabled device such as USB memory stick