The number of households opting for digital terestrial television (DTT) service Saorview has increased by 41,000 over the last four months, taking the total number of Irish homes with Saorview to 653,000.
According to the latest household data from Nielsen, this brings the proportion of all TV homes in Ireland that have Saorview – either on its own or combined with other services – to 41%.
The service was launched in 2011 on a trial basis to the general public, ahead of the shutdown of the analogue broadcast network in 2012. It has 98% geographical coverage and transmits using the MPEG4 standard, which is capable of carrying standard and high definition signals.
RTE’s collection of digital radio channels is also available over DTT.
“Irish TV consumers are becoming increasingly aware of the benefits of Saorview,” said Jim Higgins, Saorview business development manager. “The most watched television shows in Ireland are available to watch for free on Saorview and the feedback from retailers and consumers alike has been encouraging. We want to ensure that even more Irish households do not need to pay a monthly subscription to watch the best of Irish TV.”