Sat4Free (remember them????) - Cheap STB

mjsmyth

Powercity are advertising the Sat4Free SD box for €79euro is you use the coupon available in their advert in todays newspapers..

I have the Bush freesat HD version and I have to say that the EPG is a nice and makes for a nice and simple receiver.

mj

VERYinterested

I bought one last week for my Father in law, only cost €71 in store too which was nice! I didn't have the coupon and it was listed as €79 on the display, but when I asked the guy to get me one he was surprised at the price too. I think that's the on-line price (€71) but when you allow for P&P it gets a bit steep, so if you want one, pop in. I was very impressed with the simplicity of the Grundig, it will be a breeze for pop in law to operate.

celticfc

Still a good few of them residing on tescos shelves, no sign of a price reduction there yet tho.

kuro_man

You can get the grundig SD for €71 if you pay online and collect in store.
EPG much nicer on Humax box but it works fine.

kuro_man

celticfc wrote: »

Still a good few of them residing on tescos shelves, no sign of a price reduction there yet tho.

Do tesco sell them without installation?

VERYinterested

Don't think so, anytime I've seen them in Tesco Nutgrove it's the full whack price including installation.

kuro_man

Thats why they have loads of stock, so!

Funny that in the UK that are complaining about the shortage of stock on SD boxes (and subsequent price increases) while there is over-supply of identical sat4free boxes here. Alba probably thought the Irish market would be more lucrative.

mjsmyth

It was a strange situation they were in... They never really advertised the product. Perhaps, due to some agro (legal or otherwise with freesat), they couldn't.

Its a pity, because the freesat product, as a basic, simple to use SD or HD system is excellent.

mj

GerardKeating

kuro_man wrote: »

Thats why they have loads of stock, so!

Funny that in the UK that are complaining about the shortage of stock on SD boxes (and subsequent price increases) while there is over-supply of identical sat4free boxes here. Alba probably thought the Irish market would be more lucrative.

Are they still post code locked to NI...

VERYinterested

Yes, but you can select any BBC or ITV option if you go backwards from Channel 101.

mjsmyth

Just to follow up on the previous poster, ITV London should be on channel 977 and you can access ITV HD (for the footie and limited amount of shows) through that channel.

mj

SteM

mjsmyth wrote: »

Just to follow up on the previous poster, ITV London should be on channel 977 and you can access ITV HD (for the footie and limited amount of shows) through that channel.

mj

Would someone mind confirming that to get the footie tonight in HD all I have to do is go to channel 977 and when the HD broadcast becomes available for the football press the red button?

I've just picked up a HD Grundig so I was just looking for confirmation.

Cheers.

byte

Yeah, in fact, it should be working now for the Champions League game (MU vs Porto).

Tony

Good deal, pity they are locked to NI though.

vince

on these sat4freeboxes dose it have the freesat epg how much is the sat 4 free + box self install i will get one one if sky news comes on it any chance of that

Onikage

AFAIK you can tune in other channels on them, just like an FTA box. Can't imagine you'd need an EPG for Sky News.

vince

handy so you get sky news on other channels

Tony

You can add sky news manually

vince wrote: »

on these sat4freeboxes dose it have the freesat epg how much is the sat 4 free + box self install i will get one one if sky news comes on it any chance of that

vince

can i plug a free sat box into my exsisting sky dish and lnb

Kristopherus

vince wrote: »

can i plug a free sat box into my exsisting sky dish and lnb

Yes

vince

is there a freesat + box whit hd and how much any where i can just get the box i can install myself. i d prefer the set up for london box

mjsmyth

I don't know of any Irish supplier, perhaps someone else knows of one, but you could try Maplin.

http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=227490

Trevord

Before you all dash off for a freesat box note that the "real" Alba freesat boxes are still acting up following a recent software upgrade.

The problem with occasional juddering picture continues and, for some weird reason, some non-freesat FTA channels cannot be saved when the TP is scanned. Music channels are particularly affected. Of the 10 or so FTA english language music channels on Astra/Eurobird you only get about 4 at the moment.

They opted out of rolling back when these problems were discovered which is also quite odd.

Software updates don't come out very often so they must have a student who is spending too much time in the pub doing the programming.

On the plus side they will reply to emails when you ask them what is going on - but it seems to be mainly lots of head scratching at the moment.

Martin_F

vince wrote: »

is there a freesat + box whit hd and how much any where i can just get the box i can install myself. i d prefer the set up for london box

www.richersounds.ie were selling them @ £289 inc delivery I think.

they also have a boards page under commercial interaction

mjsmyth

Trevord wrote: »

Before you all dash off for a freesat box note that the "real" Alba freesat boxes are still acting up following a recent software upgrade.

The problem with occasional juddering picture continues and, for some weird reason, some non-freesat FTA channels cannot be saved when the TP is scanned. Music channels are particularly affected. Of the 10 or so FTA english language music channels on Astra/Eurobird you only get about 4 at the moment.

As far as I am aware, the juddering picture issue seems to be purely related to the SD version of the box and not the HD version. I have had no issues on my Bush HD.

With regards to the missing channels, yeap, that sure is an annoyance, but current thinking is that they have been assigned positions on the freesat epg and because of this, the latest software will not let you save the channels. It happened with a previous channel whose name I forget, but it soon appeared on freesat. Hopefully the music channels will appear soon...

mj

Martin_F

Trevord wrote: »

Before you all dash off for a freesat box note that the "real" Alba freesat boxes are still acting up following a recent software upgrade.

Yes - my Bush SD in the kitchen is still affected by the judder - for the last month or so.

PGL

guys do these free sat boxes need a satellite dish or can you connect them into a standard analogue NTL socket?

Tony

sat is an abbreviation for satellite so sat boxes always need dishes

PGL wrote: »

guys do these free sat boxes need a satellite dish or can you connect them into a standard analogue NTL socket?

Trevord

mjsmyth wrote: »

With regards to the missing channels, yeap, that sure is an annoyance, but current thinking is that they have been assigned positions on the freesat epg and because of this, the latest software will not let you save the channels. It happened with a previous channel whose name I forget, but it soon appeared on freesat. Hopefully the music channels will appear soon...

mj

Yes this seems plausible. I remember that there were problems in getting FIVE to appear in the EPG if it had already been saved by the user in the Non Freeset FTA menu. I needed to reset the box for fix that.

Hopefully, some of the issues with the software are there for a reason rather than being coding problems.

Finne1993

Perhaps slightly off topic here but i'm after reading this thread and another one about the price of a freesat installation and an aerial installation with eirss.ie which for some strange reason is closed :cool: and i've come to the conclusion that there are still companies and people out there who want to rip people off, I thought we would all be a lot wiser how we would spend our money, i mean eirss.ie selling a freesat installation (Or Sat4Free) for €249 and trying to tell you thats a good deal, its laughable, the box, dish and bit of cabling would only cost them about €90, thats €159 pure profit for 90 minutes work, I know an independent installer in the north east who can supply and install for €190, if he can make a profit at that price surely a far bigger outfit like eirss.ie can also. The €149 for an aerial for RTE is also laughable, Aerial - €10, Masthead Amp - €16, Power Supply - €10, bit of cable - €3. so there is another €110 profit for half an hours work, I know it can be done for €80 in total. So there is €130 paid over the odds for what is a relatively simple job.
Sorry if i've gone off the topic on this thread and for having my little rant but it pi*ses me off to see people still getting ripped off in these recessionary times and I just want people to know its still happening.

watty

Finne1993, you are off topic. While you are entitled to your opinion, your analysis is simplistic.

You leave out travel time, Public liability Insurance, depreciation of tools, transport costs etc.

There are lots of rip offs. But your example is poor. I don't do satellite /aerial installing as I can't make a profit at it.


Sorry about the warning, a mistake. I'll get it reversed.

vsat

I agree with Watty 110%, you pay for many years experience and test equipment and knowledge.
Anybody can buy a aerial, amp, cable, but can they get it to work correctly ?:):)

Regards,

Tony

I'd also wonder if these guys are paying insurance tax and VAT and will they turn up again if a problem occurs.

vsat wrote: »

I agree with Watty 110%, you pay for many years experience and test equipment and knowledge.
Anybody can buy a aerial, amp, cable, but can they get it to work correctly ?:):)

Regards,

TheDriver

Finne1993 wrote: »

Perhaps slightly off topic here but i'm after reading this thread and another one about the price of a freesat installation and an aerial installation with eirss.ie which for some strange reason is closed :cool: and i've come to the conclusion that there are still companies and people out there who want to rip people off, I thought we would all be a lot wiser how we would spend our money, i mean eirss.ie selling a freesat installation (Or Sat4Free) for €249 and trying to tell you thats a good deal, its laughable, the box, dish and bit of cabling would only cost them about €90, thats €159 pure profit for 90 minutes work, I know an independent installer in the north east who can supply and install for €190, if he can make a profit at that price surely a far bigger outfit like eirss.ie can also. The €149 for an aerial for RTE is also laughable, Aerial - €10, Masthead Amp - €16, Power Supply - €10, bit of cable - €3. so there is another €110 profit for half an hours work, I know it can be done for €80 in total. So there is €130 paid over the odds for what is a relatively simple job.
Sorry if i've gone off the topic on this thread and for having my little rant but it pi*ses me off to see people still getting ripped off in these recessionary times and I just want people to know its still happening.

No one has to get it done, its a luxury item and with so much info on the internet, any handy DIYer would be able to it themselves

Finne1993

My point is simply about how much a man was charged for a dish, sat4free box, aerial, amp and a power supply (don't even know if the last 2 were needed) Materials for this job would have cost €150 at the very most, more than likely a few quid less, i know because i have bought them for that price myself and i'm sure a large company purchasing in bulk can buy it for less. I got the price for materials and labour wrong in my first post, the man was actually charged €434!!! thats almost €300 profit for 3-4 hours work. I completely understand insurance, travel and tools have to come into consideration but €600 a day!! now come on folks, its a disgrace. I know tradesmen (plumbers, electricians, carpenters etc) who have to pay for vans, insurance and theirs tools also and they can barely get €200 a day for their work and all their expenses have to come out of that, their jobs require quite a lot more expertise and training than an aerial and satellite installer.
O and the installer whose price i quoted in my last post is no cowboy Tony, he's fully registered and insured and issues VAT receipts for every job he does.
I didnt post my comments to annoy anyone or to fall out with any others posters, i think "Boards" is fantastic and a minefield of infomation and most people are so willing to offer their help and thoughts to others problems.
I just cannot justify anyone earning €3000 (minus obvious costs and tax) a week for installing satellite dishes!! I also have to agree with TheDriver, any good DIYer could do it, it really is'nt that difficult, i can understand any installers being a bit annoyed at my stance but i stand by it, i just think people should be made aware of how much they are being ripped off, price around, you'll always get someone who's cheaper.

watty

@ Finne1993

Your analysis of €3000 is rubbish.

If you think there is so much margin trying doing it. You will go bust.

If you continue harping on about it while missing true rip offs, you get a ban for trolling.

Lots of people are either no interest or no skill at DIY. There are many pitfalls. The cheapest gear may be junk.

Kristopherus

Well whatever about the €3000, there's no doubt thw €434 is a ripoff for a generally standard installation. High time installers of that ilk coppd themselves on. Every other trade has to pull their horns in, so why not them?

byte

PLEASE get back to the topic of Sat4Free hardware!

Finne1993

watty wrote: »

@ Finne1993

Your analysis of €3000 is rubbish.

If you think there is so much margin trying doing it. You will go bust.

If you continue harping on about it while missing true rip offs, you get a ban for trolling.

Lots of people are either no interest or no skill at DIY. There are many pitfalls. The cheapest gear may be junk.

Trolling!!?? I did'nt post to get a response, I could'nt care less if noone responded, you are the very one who said I was entitled to my opinions and to threaten me with a ban for giving my opinion is heavy handed to say the least, I checked the forum rules again in case i missed something and I did'nt break any of them. Its hard to understand why you're getting so wound up over this. I stated a few simple facts and in my opinion anyone who tries to say that €300 for 3-4 hours of this kind of work is'nt a rip off is blinded some way, I believe the majority of Joe Public will agree with me on that one and if some don't thats fine with me because we are all entitled to our opinions. For god sake most of the threads on this forum are made up of different peoples opinions, its disappointing that I'm getting shot down for simply giving mine.

@Byte
Apologies for my part in the changing of the topic, I wanted to post in the relevant forum:
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055531146
but strangely someone closed it, i can't see for what reason, and I did'nt think my opinion was worth starting a new thread (did'nt expect any replies) and i read this thread and i thought what the hell, its not that much off the topic and posted my thoughts and subsequently get reprimanded??

I'll not post anymore on the matter, I never set out to offend or annoy anybody, I love this forum, I think its brilliant, I'd hate to get banned so lets get fully back on topic then...

Still plenty of Sat4free boxes available in Power City, i was enquiring today, excellent price at €71 considering it was €299 for the equipment and installation in the beginning. I notice its a long time since any of the Argos stores in the north have had any Freesat SD boxes in stock so Power City is the way forward for now anyway. HD ones can be got handy enough in Argos for £94.99stg which is a super price. Sat4free/Freesat is definitely the way forward, hopefully it'll make Sky/Setanta cop on to themselves and lower their entry level prices.

snaps

Yes the HD freesat boxes are not bad at all, Ive exchanged a few of my standard FTA receivers around my house now with some of the cheap goodmans freesat HD receivers. I brought some in the UK last week for under 90£! I have 2 computer monitors that had HDMI input and these boxes work fine with them (Sound a bit tinny through the monitors speakers).

The HD boxes are much better value i feel than SD ones now. Also since the price rise of SD boxes theres not money in them now.

All my local shops (Tesco) dont seem to sell these sat4free boxes, but ill have a look around in Castlebar today.