Saorview boxes in recording blunder
Viewers can only record channel they are watching
WITH just weeks to go until the rollout of the Saorview service, it has emerged that thousands of viewers will not be able to record one programme while watching another.
The old analogue service will be turned off on October 24. Householders will have to install a Saorviewapproved set-top box or purchase a new digital TV.
But customers who have bought Saorview set top boxes have been disappointed by the discovery that they won’t be able to record their favourite shows while watching TV.
VIEWERS have been bombarded with adverts trumpeting the benefits of digital TV and giving reasons to switch over before the deadline.
But it seems there was one major aspect of the changeover that was not flagged up.
It has emerged that customers who require a set-top box to get Saorview, the new free digital TV service, will only be able to record the programme they are watching.
The old analogue service will be turned off on October 24, so households that are dependent on aerial service will either need to install a Saorview-approved set top box to receive digital signals or purchase a digital-friendly TV.
After that, it is completely free to receive the digital signal, and Saorview is encouraging people to switch as soon as possible.
There are currently 250,000 households that rely on aerials to receive TV signals, with a further 250,000 relying on the aerial for second and third televisions in their home.
However, it has emerged that the current range of set-top boxes does not have the technology to allow customers to record a programme on one channel while they are watching another.
The issue was raised by a Co. Meath customer who purchased a combi-box that gives him access to a range of international stations in addition to Irish channels.
In a letter to the Irish Times yesterday, Vincent MacCarthy wrote: ‘Up to now I have been able to watch one programme while recording another on my DVD recorder.
‘Under the new system this will no longer be possible.
‘ My new Saorview combi- box, which cost €200, allows me to record only the programme on-screen.’
Yesterday a spokesman for Saorview confirmed that at present there are no set-top boxes on the market that enable viewers to record on one station while watching another. However, with the digital switch just two months away, she said newer models that enable viewers to watch and record different channels will become available before the October 24 deadline.
She said: ‘Some set-top boxes currently on the market allow recording to an external memory device such as a USB key or external drive. Using an external device does not facilitate viewing a different channel to that being recorded.
‘Some of the newer set-top boxes expected to come to the market in the coming month will have a fully integrated PVR (recorder) which will allow viewers to watch and record from two different channels.’
Saorview added the situation will change as manufacturers react to marketplace demand, although restrictions remain on recording.
Last night Fianna Fáil communications spokesman Michael Moynihan called on Communications Minister Pat Rabbitte to address concerns about the switchover and its implementation.
Mr Moynihan said: ‘I have been hearing of a number of issues associated with the Saorview digital boxes. The problems will especially affect elderly people, which is very concerning.
‘I am calling for a rethink of the strategy here. If there is no facility f or recording one channel and watching another at the moment, you can be sure boxes will soon be updated to include this function.
‘I am fearful that by Christmas the boxes may already be out of date. Elderly people, for example, may not be able to afford this and we need joined-up thinking here.’
Set-top boxes currently cost from €60 to €100, unless it is a combi-box that gives householders access to the free-to-air satellite services as well as the Saorview channels.
To receive the digital signal, they can also take out a subscription with a private digital provider, such as Sky, UPC or Chorus. The digital switchover will not affect Sky or UPC customers.
Elderly people and those living in rural areas are most likely to be affected by the change.
Concerns have already been raised that thousands of people have yet to make the changeover as the deadline looms, with many citizens struggling with the technology.
A community outreach switchover programme, aimed primarily at the elderly, isolated and disadvantaged, has people visiting homes to help with the change to digital TV.
The initiative – co- ordinated by voluntary organisations The Wheel and Irish Rural Link – has ‘digital champions’ from groups including Age Action, Irish Farmers’ Association, St Vincent de Paul and the Disability Federation of Ireland, visiting households. Gay Byrne has featured in a high-profile campaign to raise awareness of the switch.
RTÉ will switch off the old analogue signals on October 24.
The channels available on Saorview are RTÉ One, RTÉ Two HD, TV3, TG4, RTÉ News Now, 3e, RTÉjr, RTÉ One+1, RTÉ Aertel Digital and ten RTÉ Radio stations.
A spokesman for Saorview said: ‘About 30,000 Saorview-approved boxes have been sold via retail over the past 15 months. We estimate that similar numbers of Saorview-approved boxes have been sold via other channels such as installers.’
According to the most recent TAM survey less than one in five analogue terrestrial homes had a VCR attached to their main TV set.
Boxes with integrated recorders are expected to go on sale next month but as they involve more sophisticated technology they will be more expensive than decoder boxes.