New Box

Oneywu

Hello, I have been lurking around this forum and other websites for the last hour but I still can't really get my head around this freesat thing.

Basically I am getting rid of Sky. I want to get some sort of box which I can receive the Irish channels and the free English channels ( ITV, BBC ) and whichever of them are in HD. I also want to be able to record programmes as well. What do I need? Would the package on tv4free be okay? Thanks for your help.

NIMAN

I'm no expert but its difficult at present to get a box to do both the UK and Irish channels as they are in different formats (mpeg2 & mpeg4).

If you have a satellite dish then this link will show you the currently available boxes which will pick up UK channels and allow you to record.

http://www.freesat.co.uk/products/freesat-box-range

watty

The MPEG4 / MPEG2 is NOT the issue.

There is NO actual Freesat box that does Irish TV (Maybe though Saorsat).
Read all this site http://www.saortv.info/

You can either

• 2 boxes, one for "Freesat HD" on dish and a Saorview or "Freeview HD" box for Aerial. Only fully working solution known today.
• Wait till May and use a "Freesat HD" box that has Diseqc and add Irish Saorsat Ka Feed. Maybe best PVR solution for BBC Interactive and UK EPG.
• Use a Combo box that has MHEG5 http://www.techtir.ie/blog/watty/triax-for-saorview But it won't have Freesat EPG. May or May not work with BBC Interactive.
• Use a Generic FTA combo box (big loss of functionality)
• Use a Satellite only (sky or Freesat box) and TV that does Irish Digital
• Use Windows 7 PC with 2x satellite DVB-S2 cards and a single USB dual tuner stick for DTT. HDMI 1920x1080p50 output.

Choices are affected by recording needs

Oneywu

This package is advertised as able to get both Irish and UK channels http://www.tv4free.ie/channel_list.php
Is it some sort of scam then?
Thanks for the replies.

St Senan

Oneywu wrote: »

This package is advertised as able to get both Irish and UK channels http://www.tv4free.ie/channel_list.php
Is it some sort of scam then?
Thanks for the replies.

It's not a scam. It wont have either a Saorview or a Freesat logo on it. Its more like a Free to air satellite/Terrestrial combo box that's installed. The only drawback is that the Satellite part of this combo box wont have a 7 day guide, it won't automatically update itself and will need to be retuned every time a channel changes Frequency.

watty

It also won't have any Freesat or Saorview Interactive services. Very limited.

excollier

Strikes me that no manufacturer is going to produce and get approval for a combo doing Freesat and Saorview, so that it will be fully functional with both systems and epg set ups for seris link etc. Why would they?
Haven't Sky+ and Freesat+ and Freeview+ just made us all so lazy? Me included.
No one seems to want to key in a channel number, a start time and a stop time any more, it's so difficult, and all those heavy buttons to press!:(

Oneywu

So essentially there is no package which can get both free UK and Irish channels?

Sam Russell

Oneywu wrote: »

So essentially there is no package which can get both free UK and Irish channels?

Well yes there is, sort of. Get a Panasonic G20B tv. It will do Freesat HD, so will get all of Freesat. It also does Freeview HD, so will get all of Saorview. It can record to a USB device, but only one tuner so you cannot watch one and record another. BUT Panasonic have issues with Irish support. Beware.

watty

Oneywu wrote: »

So essentially there is no package which can get both free UK and Irish channels?

"Package" refers ONLY to pay TV.

Free channels are received by purchasing a receiver. A Dish and Receiver that can pickup Freesat can't receive any free Irish channels.

For now the Free Irish Channels are only via an Aerial. maybe after May 2011 on Satellite, but a different one to that used for UK Television.

Please take time to read www.saortv.info and www.techtir.ie/saortv

THEN ask here about anything you don't understand.

You can do free UK Tv and Irish TV with a cheap box and dish and Irish Digital Compatible TV for Aerial.

You can buy a MUCH more expensive TV that does Satellite and Aerial based TV.

You can buy a box that takes dish and aerial, but NONE of them are fully compatible.

You can buy a separate pair boxes for Satellite and Aerial and have full compatibility.

It's NOT about packages.

Oneywu

Sorry about the late reply and thanks for all the help, I understand it now...eventually I just got some cheap box that I bought from LIDL years ago and it works grand for the moment and for RTE I have aerial.

no signal

Oneywu wrote: »

Hello, I have been lurking around this forum and other websites for the last hour but I still can't really get my head around this freesat thing.

Basically I am getting rid of Sky. I want to get some sort of box which I can receive the Irish channels and the free English channels ( ITV, BBC ) and whichever of them are in HD. I also want to be able to record programmes as well. What do I need? Would the package on tv4free be okay? Thanks for your help.

dont get tv4free if anything goes wrong they wont come back 2 sort it out i am waiting 3 months now for them 2 come back after i lost signal 2 the irish channels.

Ronnie Raygun

no signal wrote: »

... i lost signal 2 the irish channels.

If you want any help here, maybe post a photo of whatever kind of dish/aerial setup they left you with & tell us where you are.

Otherwise, go away, to put it politely.

no signal

Ronnie Raygun wrote: »

If you want any help here, maybe post a photo of whatever kind of dish/aerial setup they left you with & tell us where you are.

Otherwise, go away, to put it politely.

MOD EDIT: Post deleted because of unsubstantiated allegation made.

icdg

No Signal you might think before throwing unsubstantiated allegations about. Do it again and you will be going away, because I will be banning you. For the moment I've deleted your post.

Ronnie Raygun you might be a bit more polite too.