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Irish TV & Radio

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Saorsat
Last updated:October 5, 2011
Saorsat is not currently testing on Eutelsat KA-Sat at 9.0° East See: www.techtir.ie/blogs/watty/rte-kasat-tests
Saorsat (Irish for Freesat) is the proposed name for the free-to-air satellite service in the Republic of Ireland. The service is expected to launch in the second quarter of 2011.
The Board of RTÉ approved a unique satellite based approach developed by RTÉNL from early 2010, that will for the first time enable the Irish PSB channels to be made available free-to-air and unencrypted as a means of covering the last 2% of the population who will be unable to receive the Saorview (Freeview) terrestrial service.
Broadcasting the channels unencrypted from the Astra 2 satellite at 28° East was not considered an option due to its large footprint covering the UK, France, Holland and many other countries and programming is purchased that allows Irish channels to broadcast to 4.5 million people and not to approx 100 million people within the Astra footprint.

Of course, RTÉ could have gone for a free-to-view (ftv) option from Astra 1N, either using Videocrypt (used by Sky), or another encryption system.
They could also have used both, allowing current Sky viewers to continue watching on their current equipment.
RTÉ submitted a revised DTT plan including the FTA satellite option to the Dept of Communications in mid June 2010 for approval. RTÉ publicly announced at an Oireachtas Joint Committee on Communications discussion in mid July 2010 that a free-to-air satellite service, called Saorsat, would be offered to complement the terrestrial DTT service.
PLEASE HELP: if you have any information, corrections or updates about Saorsat or testing on KA-Sat, please mail the Astra 2D website.
 
Eutelsat KA-Sat 9° East
Saorsat is going to use KA-Sat at 9° East and not Astra 2D at 28.2° East, which most Irish channels currently use. This will mean that viewers will probably need two systems, one for Saorsat and one for Sky or the UK's Freesat.
KA-SAT is a narrow-band satellite operating in the Ka band as opposed to the normal DTH Ku band (which Sky and Freesat use), with a spot beam being dedicated exclusively to Ireland which will also provide coverage throughout Northern Ireland.
It is claimed that the spot beam with frequency reuse means reception in Britain and continental Europe is not possible. However even the tightest spotbeams have overspill. It is almost certain that some reception will be possible in the UK using larger dishes. RTÉ states that the chosen satellite option will cost approximately €1.5 million per year.
RTÉ said the combined offering was designed to be the most cost-effective solution for viewers and broadcasters; to offer for the first time 100% coverage of free-to-air public service television services in the Republic of Ireland; and to provide full national back-up coverage on satellite in the event of an emergency or catastrophic failure of the DTT system.
Approval for the revised National DTT plan and the new Saorsat satellite service was announced by the Minister for Communications at the end of July 2010.
 
Reception of Saorsat

Every one in Ireland will be able to receive the Saorsat service, including Northern Ireland. It will use a tight spotbeam focused on Ireland. Coverage should be better than terrestrial version Saorview and is expected to have the same content and channels. There have even been reports that Saorsat has been received in the Isle of Man, South West England and parts of Wales.A 80cm dish is required in Ireland along with and a KA-Band LNB. You will also need a DVB-S2 HD Satellite Receiver.
 
KA-SAT Irish Spotbeam - This is not an official map
 
Frequencies
Transponder ? 20.185 Left Circular (RTENL) DVB-S2/MPEG4 (NOT ON AIR AT PRESENT)
SR: 25000 - FEC: 1/2 QPSK
Channel
Encryption
SID
VPID
Audio
RTÉ One Tests
Clear
1101
1101
1201 E
RTÉ Two HD Tests
Clear
1102
1102
1202 E
Test Card (RTNL)
Clear
1103
1103
1203 E
Test Card (RTNL)
Clear
1104
1104
1204 E
RTÉ News Now Tests
Clear
1105
1105
1205 E
Clear
1226
N/A
1226 E
Clear
1227
N/A
1227 E
Clear
1228
N/A
1228 E
Clear
1229
N/A
1229 Ir
RTÉ Radio 1 Extra
Clear
1230
N/A
1230 E
RTÉ Pulse
Clear
1231
N/A
1231 E
RTÉ 2XM
Clear
1232
N/A
1232 E
RTÉ Choice
Clear
1233
N/A
1233 E
RTÉ Gold
Clear
1234
N/A
1234 E
RTÉ Chill
Clear
1235
N/A
1235 E
RTÉ Junior
Clear
1236
N/A
1236 E
 
Proposed Channels from launch
The service will have the same channels as the Saorview DTT service, however the eventual lineup may be different.
Website: www.saorsat.ie (NOT IN USE AT PRESENT)
EPG
 Channel Genre Information
101
RTÉ One
Entertainment
24 hours
102
RTÉ Two (Upscaled to HD)
Entertainment
24 hours
103
TV3 ireland
Entertainment
24 hours
104
TG4
Gaelic
24 hours
105
RTÉ News Now
Entertainment
24 hours
106
3e
Entertainment
24 hours
 
RTÉ Radio 1
Music
Radio station
 
RTÉ 1 Xtra
Mixed (opt out)
Radio station
 
RTÉ 2FM
Music
Radio station
 
RTÉ Lyric FM
Classical Music
Radio station
 
RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta
Gaelic
Radio station
 
RTÉ Pulse
Music
Radio station
 
RTÉ 2XM
Music
Radio station
 
RTÉ Choice
Speach
Radio station
 
RTÉ Gold
Oldies
Radio station
 
RTÉ Junior/RTÉ Chill
Kids/Chill
Radio station
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