SAORVIEW free-to-air digital television launched in Ireland

Ireland’s new free-to-air digital television service SAORVIEW was launched today by the Minister for Communications Energy and Natural Resources.

SAORVIEW is now available to 97% of Irish households and carries eight Irish channels: RTÉ One, RTÉ Two HD, TV3, TG4, RTÉ News Now, 3e, RTÉjr and RTÉ One + 1. SAORVIEW will also carry a new enhanced digital RTÉ Aertel information service and all of RTÉ’s radio services.

“SAORVIEW will secure the future of Irish free-to-air television in the digital age”, said Minister Rabbitte.

“We are delighted to be able to offer such a high quality service free to Irish viewers”, said Mary Curtis, Director of Digital Switchover, RTÉ. “After the initial purchase of a set top box or a new integrated digital television (iDTV) there is no subscription and no ongoing cost.”

The new service will replace the old analogue television service – the signal received through an aerial – which will be switched off throughout Europe by the end of 2012. Of the 1.6 million TV households in Ireland almost 600,000 (37%) receive some television services through an aerial (either for their primary television or other televisions). Just over 335,000 (21%) Irish TV households currently depend entirely on the analogue service. These homes will lose their Irish television services at the end of 2012 unless they switch to another form of TV reception.

“My aim is to ensure that there is a free television service available to all Irish viewers after analogue switch off in 2012. When combined with other pay or free platforms SAORVIEW will offer a wide choice of TV channels to viewers, and the choice of channels available on SAORVIEW will grow further in 2012. A precise date in 2012 for analogue switch off will be announced later this summer”, said Minister Rabbitte.

SAORVIEW offers a number of new enhanced services. It introduces free High Definition (HD) television broadcasting to Irish television for the first time. This weekend RTÉ Two HD will broadcast the Magners League Final between Munster and Leinster and the Munster Hurling Championship quarter final between Cork and Tipperary in HD.

“Even with normal standard definition (SD) pictures and sound, viewers will notice a marked improvement with SAORVIEW”, said Mary Curtis. “HD television will transform viewers’ experience of sporting events, a point which will be clear to those watching RTÉ Two in HD this weekend. HD provides exceptionally clear, sharp pictures with vivid colours and up to five times more detail than SD.”

As well as attracting those who must find a new means of receiving television signals by the end of 2012, SAORVIEW is expected to appeal to other television viewers seeking non-subscription digital television for either second rooms and/or second homes.

During 2010, the channels planned for SAORVIEW broadcast all of the 100 most watched TV programmes in Ireland. Combined, the existing TV channels planned for SAORVIEW captured an average daily share (Individuals 4+ All Day) of close to 50% (48.73) during 2010.

Retailers and television installers are offering consumers a range of options by which they can receive SAORVIEW. SAORVIEW can be combined with other free or Pay TV services (be they terrestrial, cable or satellite) to receive a broader range of channels and services.

RTE is investing €70 million in the infrastructure needed to allow Ireland make the transition from analogue to digital television. Ireland moving to digital will free up spectrum for use by other important communications services such as broadband, mobile TV or other communications services. The Government has estimated that the Irish economy will benefit by up to €500 million over the next decade as a result of the switch to digital television.