Freeview HD with Freeview Play

suicra05

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Thinking of buying a new TV. It has a Freeview HD with Freeview Play option. Will this feature work here? What does this feature include?
Would this TV be able to receive Saorview?
 
Short answer, no (freeview) and probably (Saoview).
Freeview is the UK digital service that is received via an aerial. Saorview is the Irish equivalent. It is possible to receive the freeview signal if you live on the east cost of Ireland. Have a read of this
This should not be confused with FreeSat, which is a similar UK offering that is available via a satellite dish. This is available all over Ireland, once you have a comparable satellite box and dish.
However, the Saorview service is only offered (free) via the terrestrial service (as opposed to satelite), for which you need an aerial, and compatible box or tv.

Get a cup of coffee, google Freeview, Freesat, and Saorview and all will become clear.

(As I don't live on the East coast of Ireland, I don't know what the reception of Freeview is like, and wonder how good it would be, especially for HD)
 
I had access to Freeview a couple of years ago via an aerial and a Freeview box. I received the NI Freeview service which had fewer channels than the main UK offerings (I wasn't aware the service was as regionalised as that). Signals were patchy from time to time, depending on atmospherics, and when NI Freeview was moved to different channel frequencies in September 2019, I lost the service altogether - I would have needed to realign or replace my aerial.

The Freeview box wasn't HD, and it didn't pick up Irish TV channels (it did get Irish radio).

I now use a zGemma combi box which accepts inputs from my aerial and satellite dish, giving me Irish saorview and UK free to air channels.
 
Thinking of buying a new TV. It has a Freeview HD with Freeview Play option. Will this feature work here? What does this feature include?
Would this TV be able to receive Saorview?
I assume you have a TV already and receiving some form of channels? If so, then the new TV will also receive those channels in the same way (TV aerial for Saorview / Satellite dish for Free to Air).

As mentioned, Freeview is UK based, so chances are slim that you will receive those. What set up, in relation to channels, do you have at the moment with your existing TV?
 
Freeview Play is a catchup service, probably geo-restricted like the iPlayer.

Don't forget SaorSat, same service but via satellite.

It's needs a dedicated dish though as it's not on the same satellite array as Sky and Freesat, also only carries the RTE channels and TG4, not Virgin's channels.
 
It's needs a dedicated dish though as it's not on the same satellite array as Sky and Freesat, also only carries the RTE channels and TG4, not Virgin's channels.
Yeah forgot the Virgin channels weren't there.

Not sure what you mean by a 'dedicated' dish, however it does require a KA band LNB
 
Yeah forgot the Virgin channels weren't there.

Not sure what you mean by a 'dedicated' dish, however it does require a KA band LNB

I meant that half the houses in the country have an Astra-pointed dish that will pick up Freesat channels - that won't work for Saorsat.
Saorsat requires a different orientation and LNB so if you want Freesat and Saorsat you need 2 dishes (is my understanding, maybe you can get them both with 1 dish and 2 LNBs?)
 
Ah right, I misunderstood what you meant by 'dedicated'.
Just like any satellite reception the dish needed to be aligned with the particular satellite, in this case Eutelsat KA-SAT @ 9E.
 
It has a Freeview HD with Freeview Play

Freeview Play is an app that streams catch-up TV over an internet connection. It's region locked to UK addresses, it may be possible to get it working by jumping through a few hoops to hide your location.
 
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