Simple TV system for an elderly relative

jumbone

I'm looking for advice for an elderly relative who was recently told by chorus that their analogue service will be shut off by the end of the summer.
I'm not sure how the person would manage with a decoder box and new remote or how they would fare with an epg system. I have found the following box and think it may be a solution to keep things as they are without teaching him how to work a new system (well providing RTE/TV3/TG4/3Ee/UTV/BBC/CH4 etc... and losing MTV,Cartoon Network, Sky news etc...)

http://www.satellitetv.ie/shop/index.php?controller=product&path=63&product_id=278

"This is the set top box you need to enable reception of the new RTE digital service which is now fully operational and covers all 26 counties ."

Have RTE launched their DVB? What aerial is required to view it and can this same aerial also pick up BBC, UTV and Channel 4 over the air? will it require a seperate decoder? The boxes spec mentions an RF modulator for running feeds to other TVs, could this allow it to be used via aerial in on any old TV without an epg?

If a seperate decoder/aerial for UK channels is required could i get an rf modulator and the mux the 2 analogu feeds into one coax to feed the current stup in the house (3 TVs runing off split chorus analogue signal)?

darth_maul

jumbone wrote: »

I'm looking for advice for an elderly relative who was recently told by chorus that their analogue service will be shut off by the end of the summer.
I'm not sure how the person would manage with a decoder box and new remote or how they would fare with an epg system. I have found the following box and think it may be a solution to keep things as they are without teaching him how to work a new system (well providing RTE/TV3/TG4/3Ee/UTV/BBC/CH4 etc... and losing MTV,Cartoon Network, Sky news etc...)



Have RTE launched their DVB? What aerial is required to view it and can this same aerial also pick up BBC, UTV and Channel 4 over the air? will it require a seperate decoder? The boxes spec mentions an RF modulator for running feeds to other TVs, could this allow it to be used via aerial in on any old TV without an epg?

If a seperate decoder/aerial for UK channels is required could i get an rf modulator and the mux the 2 analogu feeds into one coax to feed the current stup in the house (3 TVs runing off split chorus analogue signal)?

That box will only show RTE1, RTE2, TG4, and RTE news. No TV3 and despite what the misleading description says no HD (MPEG4 doesn't equal HD).

You would need a combo RTE and BBC etc box but I have found that the remotes to be cumbersome.

The best system for an elderly person is a SKY box with the basic package. one well designed remote for TV aswell.

edellc

NTL digital basic package is the best with SKY you need a satellite dish NTL they come over set up a little box no satellite dish leave it all on for 24 hours and happy days away you go and NTL digital basic is cheaper than their analogue mental i know couldnt believe it myself
remote control easy to use also

jumbone

darth_maul wrote: »

That box will only show RTE1, RTE2, TG4, and RTE news. No TV3 and despite what the misleading description says no HD (MPEG4 doesn't equal HD).

You would need a combo RTE and BBC etc box but I have found that the remotes to be cumbersome.

The best system for an elderly person is a SKY box with the basic package. one well designed remote for TV aswell.

I don't mind about there being no hd as the person in question hasnt got a had box. What format will tv3 be on? Is there a box that can support the format for tv3, rte's mpeg4 and the uk channels on mpeg2 that has an rf modulator out? What aerial feed would this box require?
The rf is important as i dfont think the relative would be able to use a system with any epg or menus and to my mind an rf modulator would solve this - am i right?

i.e. does the rf modulator output the channels vi coax on vhf/uhf? this is important as it means i can tune the channels to number 1,2,3, etc.. ON THE TV and the person doesnt have to interact with the decoder.

darth_maul

No an rf modulator doesn't work like that, basically it just another way to connect it to the TV, it will only display the channel the box is tuned to.

The only way to get what you want is a separate box for every channel permanently tuned to a designated channel on different Rf out frequencies. But would be very expensive and complicated way of doing it. if your moving to digital TV an epg and digital receiver will have to be used.

Your options are,
- Stick to just the 4 Irish terrestrial channels and get an aerial, these will be analogue and tuned in on the telly as before.
- Go for a sat/dtt combo box. This will give you all the Main Irish and UK channels on the one epg, but you will need to get a universal learning remote or have a separate remote for TV (on/off, volume etc)
- Go for Sky and a basic package. Main advantage is there remote is very elderly friendly and controls tv functions, but Irish and Uk channels are not in order and have 3 digit channel numbers.
- go with the NTL digital service, again remote is an issue as it won't control TV functions. but the channel order is slightly better than sky.

You'd be surprised how quick they pick up a new system when they what to find countdown or the late late

I'd probably be leaning towards the Digital NTL, as you will still have the old analogue service to fall back to if he gets stuck, So if you got it now he would still have both until it gets switched off, so time to get used to it. (i.e he wouldn't be sitting with no TV until you come around.

winston_1

darth_maul wrote: »

That box will only show RTE1, RTE2, TG4, and RTE news. No TV3 and despite what the misleading description says no HD (MPEG4 doesn't equal HD).

Also no MHEG. As far as I know there is no official box available to the Irish DTT spec yet. i.e. MPEG4 with MHEG and the channels put on their correct LCN's.

FREETV

darth_maul wrote: »

That box will only show RTE1, RTE2, TG4, and RTE news. No TV3 and despite what the misleading description says no HD (MPEG4 doesn't equal HD).

You would need a combo RTE and BBC etc box but I have found that the remotes to be cumbersome.

The best system for an elderly person is a SKY box with the basic package. one well designed remote for TV aswell.

The poster darth maul is correct to advise you jumbone on the simplicity of the basic Sky package. Don't go for Chorus/NTL aka UPC, their service is in my opinion far inferior to Sky for the money and they still have a very poor channel selection. Most of the channels worth watching are already free to air and with UPC one has to even pay for those. There is much more choice and variety by using satellite. I will be giving cable the boot in a month or so as I have two fta sat receivers and dishes and will use both an amplified set top aerial and an attic aerial with a masthead amp for Saorview Irish channels. There's no need for Sky either this day and age unless one is a Sports fanatic so they could go the Freesat road, pay once for a box and dish and put up an aerial or two for Irish stations, Freeview from the North or Wales depending on their location. Huge savings and no more bills to worry about. Anyone with basic competence in diy and common sense can install both these themselves thereby saving up to two hundred euros in labour costs. The info/signal meter reading inbuilt in digital receivers along with a cheap compass and a portable old tv inside and out for both FTA sat and DTT boxes are sufficient for proper alignment and maximising of signals.

lucernarian

For what it's worth, any elderly person I know living by themselves (and not able to pick up Northern Irish channels) is using sky and with no complaints. The sky remote works with the telly too so there's no need for different remotes usually.

Having seen an ntl digital box yesterday,the hd one,I doubt your elderly relative will have any problem with it.

lucernarian

Deleted User wrote: »

Having seen an ntl digital box yesterday,the hd one,I doubt your elderly relative will have any problem with it.

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055614763
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055771013
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055930086

Taken from the first page of the Cable forum.

Once a sky dish is properly installed, sky rarely gives any trouble with its boxes or software (well assuming they've no more power supply issues:P)

I meant problem using it...
Not problems with the machine breaking down.

You can have many technical problems with the sky hd boxes too which is what they are default supplying these days.

Antenna

jumbone wrote: »

I'm looking for advice for an elderly relative who was recently told by chorus that their analogue service will be shut off by the end of the summer.

What part of the country is this happening?

darth_maul wrote: »

- Stick to just the 4 Irish terrestrial channels and get an aerial, these will be analogue and tuned in on the telly as before.

I think the OP is talking about analogue MMDS (not analogue cable ) ?

If they had analog MMDS, they would already have needed a terrestrial aerial as well anyway, if they wanted RTE1/2 and TG4 which were never carried by analogue MMDS (only TV3 was - of the 4 national channels).

jumbone

Hi, this is happening in Newbridge, Co. Kildare

They did have analogue cable and I was suggesting going for analogue terrestrial until thats switched off in 2012 and then when digital when decoders are cheaper/better. From what I can see, the NI switchoff is 2012 as well. Is it possible to receive UK channels analogue over the air in Newbridge?

Can this be done using the same aerial as RTE etc?

Does this aerial(s) need to be a large chimney/attic mounted aerial or would a cheap powered UHF/VHF aerial with an amp do the job?

If two aerials are required can the outputs be multiplexed to a single coax cable and used to feed the 2/3 TVs currently used on analogue chorus (i.e. the wall sockets fed from wherever the cable comes into the house)?

Are the required aerial(s) the same kind needed for over the air DVB when we go digital?

Will the ROI and NI switch overs be going ahead in 2012 or will they be held up further?