SAORVIEW IN TIMOLEAGUE, COUNTY CORK

SAORVIEW IN TIMOLEAGUE, COUNTY CORK
SAORVIEW coverage is provided to the greater Timoleague area from RTÉNL’s Mullaghanish
transmission site. In order to deliver SAORVIEW to the low lying and signal sheltered areas of
Timoleague work will commence shortly on the local RTÉNL analogue transposer.
SAORVIEW will go live from this local Transposer between the 24 th of September
and 1 st October.
In order to facilitate the switch on of SAORVIEW the RTÉ One Analogue television service
will cease operating on the same day as SAORVIEW goes live, between the 24 th Sept. and
1 st Oct.
RTÉ Two and TG4 analogue television services will remain on air until the 24 th of October.
After 50 years of Irish television (New Year's Eve, 1961) for the first time in the history of the state
virtually every home and property in the state has the Irish Public Service Broadcast television and
radio services available, Free-To-Air, at their rooftop. SAORVIEW & SAORSAT.
RTÉNL has spent in the order of seventy million euro on this major technology and infrastructure
change to facilitate EU and government requirements. This network upgrade involved significant new
challenges and technical constraints: no use of VHF spectrum , reduced availability of UHF spectrum
(proportion of traditional UHF broadcast spectrum given over to other wireless services, mobile
phone, wireless broadband, etc, the Digital Dividend), and keeping analogue services on air while the
digital network was built. RTÉNL took a number of steps to overcome these constraints, including
increasing the height of the transmission masts on a number of transmission sites, improving the
transmission antenna systems, increasing the transmission power at many locations, adding new
transmission sites in new locations, using a robust type of digital signal , and for the 1% to 2% of
homes that can’t be reached by the digital terrestrial transmission network, SAORVIEW, RTÉNL put
in place a Free-To-Air satellite solution, SAORSAT.
With SAORVIEW and SAORSAT virtually every home in Ireland has more Free-To-Air television
channels available at their rooftop than they ever had before.
As the whole of the country is now covered with Free-To-Air digital Irish television a substantial
number of homes that previously had no access to the Irish television services on a Free-To-Air basis
now have the option of migrating to a Free-To-Air platform.
For the vast majority of homes, that use the traditional terrestrial transmission network, migrating from
analogue to digital will be as simple as installing a SAORVIEW approved Set-Top-Box, or if changing
the TV installing a SAORVIEW approved iDTV.
Unfortunately, as the digital terrestrial transmission network necessarily has a different configuration
to its analogue predecessor there are one-off homes and small clusters of homes across the country
where migrating to SAORVIEW is a little bit more complicated. The steps for the Timoleague area are
outlined on the following page.
While SAORVIEW and SAORSAT bring many benefits, such as full national coverage, additional
television services, high quality pictures/video (including high definition), clear sound, electronic
programme guide, digital aertel and radio services, RTÉNL appreciates that, unfortunately, there is
both an inconvenience and one off cost for every home or property using traditional analogue
terrestrial reception that wants to, or has to, migrate to SAORVIEW or SAORSAT.
Free-To-Air Irish Analogue Terrestrial Television has been available for some 50 years. Hopefully it
will be another 50 years before homes, broadcasters, and the transmission network have to undergo
such a significant technology shift, inconvenience, and cost again.
August 2012 Rev 2.1 Page 1 of 2

TIMOLEAGUE SAORVIEW COVERAGE
SAORVIEW coverage will be provided in Timoleague in two steps.
Step 1 – SAORVIEW Coverage (Area shown in Green) is provided from the Mullaghanish
transmission site (to the North West). This service is currently live and available to homes
wishing to migrate to SAORVIEW.
Green area currently
SAORVIEW COVERED
Step 2 – SAORVIEW Coverage is provided from a local Transposer (Area shown in Red).
SAORVIEW will go live from this local Transposer between the 24 th of September and
1 st of October.
In order to facilitate the switch on of SAORVIEW the RTÉ One Analogue television service
will cease operating on the same day as SAORVIEW goes live, between the 24 th Sept.
and 1 st Oct.
RTÉ Two and TG4 analogue television services will remain on air until the 24 th of October.
Red area SAORVIEW
COVERED by 1 st Oct.
For further, up to date, information please check www.saorview.ie
Please note that SAORVIEW coverage from Mullaghanish and the local Transposer overlap. It is possible to
receive Mullaghanish in parts of the area shown in red and it is possible to receive the local Transposer in parts
of the area shown in green. If you need any assistance with your installation please contact a competent local
aerial installer.
August 2012 Rev 2.1 Page 2 of 2