Interim Solution

Johnboy1951

I have a couple of CRT TVs presently, fed from a roof aerial, and no intention of replacing them for some time.
My analogue signal is not the best but the digital signal is solid.

I am considering the purchase of a STB - the cheapest I can find - to change from analogue to digital, for at least one of the TVs.

It would not be a long-term purchase, as in, it does not need to have much more than is presently available via analogue ....... but I guess it will need to be able to receive mpeg4 and downscale it via scart.

Given the above, and that it would not have to be future proof re MHEG5, what is available?

Thanks for the suggestions.

watty

You only think it doesn't need MHEG5. You can't know.

Certified is a Walker and a Triax.
UnCertified, but better than any "generic" non-MHEG5 box are all "Freeview HD" set-box, Cheaper.

There is no mad rush. Wait till June/July 2011 and save money.

The UK boxes that work on Irish DTT and do MHEG started at over £120 and now are less than £45 for esssentially the same thing, hardly more than a year ago.

ALL Saorview and "Freeview HD" boxes down scale to SCART. A condition of certification. Pity no BluRay players do for when DVD player dies and you not ready to replace TV (BD players from €99 and most DVD only players now are built down to a price and rubbish quality).

Sam Russell

I would not be in a rush. Already in the last week a rake of Sony and Samsung TVs have been added to the list of certified boxes. Before launch I would expect a lot of product coming onto the market, both certified and not certified.

It is only 6 to 8 weeks away.

Johnboy1951

watty wrote: »

You only think it doesn't need MHEG5. You can know.

I am guessing that should read "can't" ..... but if I only want the digital signal and am not worried about the finer points, does MHEG5 have an impact?

Certified is a Walker and a Triax.
UnCertified, but better than any "generic" non-MHEG5 box are all "Freeview HD" set-box, Cheaper.

Maybe it is me this morning in the aftermath of Paddy's Day, but I tried to find the two products on their respective sites a few minutes ago, and failed

There is no mad rush. Wait till June/July 2011 and save money.

Yes, I can see the benefit of waiting ...... but my analogue signal is rather rubbish, which is what is causing my consideration of an interim measure.

The UK boxes that work on Irish DTT and do MHEG started at over £120 and now are less than £45 for esssentially the same thing, hardly more than a year ago.

If that was in Euro I would probably bite .....

ALL Saorview and "Freeview HD" boxes down scale to SCART. A condition of certification. Pity no BluRay players do for when DVD player dies and you not ready to replace TV (BD players from €99 and most DVD only players now are built down to a price and rubbish quality).

Thanks for the confirmation about the downscaling of the "Freeview HD" boxes ..... I will keep watching prices I guess.

Thanks Watty.

regards.

Johnboy1951

Sam Russell wrote: »

I would not be in a rush. Already in the last week a rake of Sony and Samsung TVs have been added to the list of certified boxes. Before launch I would expect a lot of product coming onto the market, both certified and not certified.

It is only 6 to 8 weeks away.

Thanks ...... seems to be a matter of waiting another wee while .... I guess I can put up with my frustration for two more months .

watty

The sites of Distrubuters and Manufacturers are not usefull!

Check Power City, DID, Argos, Currys

Take anything a retailer says with a sack of salt.

While you might think MHEG-5 is just fancy Aertel the potential is there to use it for an interactive service with extra content, similar to what Sky Sports Active do (or did) with Champions League matches. So without MHEG-5 support you'd miss out on the extra content.

wil

Karsini wrote: »

While you might think MHEG-5 is just fancy Aertel the potential is there to use it for an interactive service with extra content, similar to what Sky Sports Active do (or did) with Champions League matches. So without MHEG-5 support you'd miss out on the extra content.

Watty wrote:

You only think it doesn't need MHEG5. You can't know.

I would like a definitive answer (if currently possible) to whether MHEG5 is actually required to receive the TV channels themselves.
Is the main fta service delivery wrapped in MHEG5 or is it just the interactive services.

I am of the impression that for the main fta channels it is required for little more than the interactive / extra content which I mostly actively choose to miss or prefer to remain oblivious to. I realise that ITCC more and more people are looking for ways to occupy free time but much like the DVD extras, I dont even have time to see the main event let alone view it from 3 different angles or listen to some inane comments from the cast/crew or the droning of a should stay behind the camera director.

Context is very important to answers on here but tends to be ignored for no good reason.
Like the OP my analogue service is appallingly bad yet I can get a very good digital signal from a tiny indoor aerial.
While the main living room is catered for there are bedroom and kitchen tvs to upgrade.
Price is a much more important factor when considering buying stbs than any amount of interactive services I can (and probably should) do without.
So if technically all FTA channels main services are likely to be receiveable on a non MHEG5 but otherwise capable receiver, please refrain from the personal opinion stated as fact on what someone else needs to be able to see.:)
This is ASO. People will miss what they currently have not what they are yet to have.
Saorview certification is all well and good but it currently not available for a realistic price.:(

FREETV

wil wrote: »

I would like a definitive answer (if currently possible) to whether MHEG5 is actually required to receive the TV channels themselves.
Is the main fta service delivery wrapped in MHEG5 or is it just the interactive services.

I am of the impression that for the main fta channels it is required for little more than the interactive / extra content which I mostly actively choose to miss or prefer to remain oblivious to. I realise that ITCC more and more people are looking for ways to occupy free time but much like the DVD extras, I dont even have time to see the main event let alone view it from 3 different angles or listen to some inane comments from the cast/crew or the droning of a should stay behind the camera director.

Context is very important to answers on here but tends to be ignored for no good reason.
Like the OP my analogue service is appallingly bad yet I can get a very good digital signal from a tiny indoor aerial.
While the main living room is catered for there are bedroom and kitchen tvs to upgrade.
Price is a much more important factor when considering buying stbs than any amount of interactive services I can (and probably should) do without.
So if technically all FTA channels main services are likely to be receiveable on a non MHEG5 but otherwise capable receiver, please refrain from the personal opinion stated as fact on what someone else needs to be able to see.:)
This is ASO. People will miss what they currently have not what they are yet to have.
Saorview certification is all well and good but it currently not available for a realistic price.:(

I agree that the prices for the first twelve months of the new batches of approved products coming in are far too high. We rarely get value for money here apart from fifty percent off sales for consumer items. The wholesalers are setting the prices too high and the retailers have to make a viable profit margin and thus the prices set by the first of those in the chain of distribution will remain high for several months of the craze in the market. They will be testing the market first in order to see how much Joe Bloggs will fork out for certified products methinks.

The Cush

wil wrote: »

I would like a definitive answer (if currently possible) to whether MHEG5 is actually required to receive the TV channels themselves.
Is the main fta service delivery wrapped in MHEG5 or is it just the interactive services.

No, MHEG-5 is not required to receive or watch the TV channels.

MHEG-5 is atm used for digital text and may be used in future for other interactive features but its absence will not affect your viewing of the TV channels.

My three year old Sony doesn't do MHEG-5 (in the Ireland setting) and hasn't hindered my viewing of the DTT channels since Mar '09.

Traditional "analogue" text will continue until at least Oct 2012 (or sometime thereafter) on the RTÉ 1, TV3 and TG4 digital channels. If you want teletext after that time an MHEG-5 capable receiver will be required. (Note: some non MHEG-5 TVs (in the Ireland setting) activate MHEG-5 if they are installed with UK as the country setting)

watty

However in the future there may be video/audio content that can only be accessed via MHEG5.
It's not required for the basic channels even though it's a mandatory feature. http://www.saortv.info/about/mheg5/

There are "Freeview HD" boxes (all do MHEG5) and TVs that are apparently compatible with MHEG5, both are available cheaper than a Certified set.

But Certification removes a risk factor for the ordinary consumer, it's not just about MHEG5.

HappyHarry

wil wrote: »

I would like a definitive answer (if currently possible) to whether MHEG5 is actually required to receive the TV channels themselves.
Is the main fta service delivery wrapped in MHEG5 or is it just the interactive services.

I am of the impression that for the main fta channels it is required for little more than the interactive / extra content which I mostly actively choose to miss or prefer to remain oblivious to. I realise that ITCC more and more people are looking for ways to occupy free time but much like the DVD extras, I dont even have time to see the main event let alone view it from 3 different angles or listen to some inane comments from the cast/crew or the droning of a should stay behind the camera director.

Context is very important to answers on here but tends to be ignored for no good reason.
Like the OP my analogue service is appallingly bad yet I can get a very good digital signal from a tiny indoor aerial.
While the main living room is catered for there are bedroom and kitchen tvs to upgrade.
Price is a much more important factor when considering buying stbs than any amount of interactive services I can (and probably should) do without.
So if technically all FTA channels main services are likely to be receiveable on a non MHEG5 but otherwise capable receiver, please refrain from the personal opinion stated as fact on what someone else needs to be able to see.:)
This is ASO. People will miss what they currently have not what they are yet to have.
Saorview certification is all well and good but it currently not available for a realistic price.:(

The best advice for people that want to be sensible with their money has already been given several time. The main point are:

1) WAIT! There is no rush, nothing is being turned off for 18 months or so. You don't need to buy anything to continue with what you've had up until now.
2) Even if you want "just" a better quality signal, WAIT a couple of months to see what options are available then. You've lived with your current signal for however long, surely you can live with it another couple of months.
3) FreeView HD boxes are available for £45, and some will work very well with Irish service. Consider them as an option, bearing in mind warranty implications if purchasing from UK.
4) Don't spend your hard earned cash on a box that is missing features whether you now think you need them or not. If you never use them, it's no loss to have them. If you decide that you need them in 2-3 years time, you'll be forking out for a new box. No-one is saying you must pay top dollar to get one of the early certified boxes.

In my opinion it would be foolish to knowingly buy a box now that doesn't support MHEG5 to try and save a few euro. No sure if you are aware, but there are no license fees associated with MHEG5, the additional cost should be quite minimal, for comparable boxes.

wil

The Cush wrote: »

No, MHEG-5 is not required to receive or watch the TV channels.

Watty wrote:

However in the future there may be video/audio content that can only be accessed via MHEG5.
It's not required for the basic channels even though it's a mandatory feature. http://www.saortv.info/about/mheg5/

Thanks lads - clarity at last.

Watty as it is mandatory is there any indication in the spec, implied or explicit that only extra features are to be delivered via MHEG5 and not the basic FTA tv service.
I can understand that pay services can do what they wish but there should be some common sense attitude that the basic FTA service should be delivered with as little interference as possible.

Obviously there are likely pressures from marketing and revenue streams (even BBC can buckle) hopefully there will be certain limitations.

HappyHarry wrote:

The best advice for people that want to be sensible with their money has already been given several time. The main point are:

1) WAIT! There is no rush, nothing is being turned off for 18 months or so. You don't need to buy anything to continue with what you've had up until now.
2) Even if you want "just" a better quality signal, WAIT a couple of months to see what options are available then. You've lived with your current signal for however long, surely you can live with it another couple of months.
3) FreeView HD boxes are available for £45, and some will work very well with Irish service. Consider them as an option, bearing in mind warranty implications if purchasing from UK.
4) Don't spend your hard earned cash on a box that is missing features whether you now think you need them or not. If you never use them, it's no loss to have them. If you decide that you need them in 2-3 years time, you'll be forking out for a new box. No-one is saying you must pay top dollar to get one of the early certified boxes.

In my opinion it would be foolish to knowingly buy a box now that doesn't support MHEG5 to try and save a few euro. No sure if you are aware, but there are no license fees associated with MHEG5, the additional cost should be quite minimal, for comparable boxes.

Thanks for itemising your opinion however in the context of my question I will just have to beg to differ in that it does not objectively answer the questions put.:(

1 -Just like the OP my analogue service is appallingly poor so WAIT and DONT SEE is unwelcome advice. If it wasnt for the FTA chinese channels I'd hardly know there was a recession going on.;)

2 - Thanks for the assurances but all the same no. I am quite happy to enjoy post digital recession Irish DTT viewing in glorious technicolour right now:)

3 - You keep posting links to the cheapest IrDTT capable stbs and I'll worry about the warranty. I can always make up the difference in saving by taking out OTT warranty from UK store:rolleyes:

4 - The hard earned cash is reserved for important things like food and clothing but I prefer not to be too easily parted no matter with what ease it was "earned":pac: If I say I dont need it, I dont need it. Ask me again.
I've listened to enough PeeseeDixCur to be immune to sales pitch.

Foolish and over-specified boxes would be an apt combination to describe the (royal) state we (royal) are in.:eek: Thank goodness for free MHEG5.:cool:

STB

wil wrote: »

Thank goodness for free MHEG5.:cool:

Its open source for writing purposes. The interpretative software engine (as used in tv's) is not unless it is absorbed in house by the manufacturer. LG have their own MHEG5 engine for example.

There are other software engine manufacturers that sell their MHEG5 engine to major manufacturers, the costs of which are actually easily absorbed in the unit prices. Most manufacturers produce a European TV that turns on and off various features depending on what that countries requirements are. Well at least LG, Sony and Samsung do when set to Ireland.

Others have to catch up.

lucernarian

wil wrote: »

I would like a definitive answer (if currently possible) to whether MHEG5 is actually required to receive the TV channels themselves.
Is the main fta service delivery wrapped in MHEG5 or is it just the interactive services.

I am of the impression that for the main fta channels it is required for little more than the interactive / extra content which I mostly actively choose to miss or prefer to remain oblivious to. I realise that ITCC more and more people are looking for ways to occupy free time but much like the DVD extras, I dont even have time to see the main event let alone view it from 3 different angles or listen to some inane comments from the cast/crew or the droning of a should stay behind the camera director.

Context is very important to answers on here but tends to be ignored for no good reason.
Like the OP my analogue service is appallingly bad yet I can get a very good digital signal from a tiny indoor aerial.
While the main living room is catered for there are bedroom and kitchen tvs to upgrade.
Price is a much more important factor when considering buying stbs than any amount of interactive services I can (and probably should) do without.
So if technically all FTA channels main services are likely to be receiveable on a non MHEG5 but otherwise capable receiver, please refrain from the personal opinion stated as fact on what someone else needs to be able to see.:)
This is ASO. People will miss what they currently have not what they are yet to have.
Saorview certification is all well and good but it currently not available for a realistic price.:(

I have to agree. HappyHarry, you mention that people should wait for prices to drop and that they've lived with a bad signal for however wrong but that ignores two crucial points: You don't know how long someone has put up with a terrible analogue signal, they may have just e.g. moved in and found the analogue signal to be horrible. Secondly, the extent to which DTT can be received compared to analogue is considerable in Dublin at least, from what I've seen. There have even been times when a TV couldn't even manage a picture lock (aka it just showed a blue screen) for analogue RTE1 from Three Rock while they could get a (somewhat weak but stable) DTT signal. It's quite plausible for analogue reception to be poor while DTT is generally fine.

If someone wants to watch DTT on a complete shoestring, buying a DVB-T USB device is probably the way to go. With the right software, they can display Saorview no problem and USB sticks can be got for less than €20. USB devices have their own issues and often need decent CPU power but it's an option.

HappyHarry

To_be_confirmed wrote: »

You don't know how long someone has put up with a terrible analogue signal, they may have just e.g. moved in and found the analogue signal to be horrible.

Fair point, but the OP's situation doesn't sound like that. We could speculate on potential individual scenarios all day, I was talking in a general sense for situations similar to the OP.

To_be_confirmed wrote: »

Secondly, the extent to which DTT can be received compared to analogue is considerable in Dublin at least, from what I've seen. There have even been times when a TV couldn't even manage a picture lock (aka it just showed a blue screen) for analogue RTE1 from Three Rock while they could get a (somewhat weak but stable) DTT signal. It's quite plausible for analogue reception to be poor while DTT is generally fine.

If your reception is so bad, I think you'd be better served to invest in an appropriate aerial (set-top, attic or external as required\possible if renting) before any other hardware. The OP says his signal is "not the best" but doesn't say that he can't get a signal at all.

To_be_confirmed wrote: »

If someone wants to watch DTT on a complete shoestring, buying a DVB-T USB device is probably the way to go. With the right software, they can display Saorview no problem and USB sticks can be got for less than €20. USB devices have their own issues and often need decent CPU power but it's an option.

If they have a reasonable laptop/pc, and are inclined to get it set-up that may indeed be the cheapest in the short term, or may be dead money for a device that will be unused IF they eventually end up buying a STB.

HappyHarry

wil wrote: »

Foolish and over-specified boxes

Which boxes are those?

Is £45 (plus shipping) too much to pay to fix your very poor reception? Is a new aerial an option?

Out of curiosity, how much of a saving over that price do you expect to make by buying an under-specified (perhaps foolish) box?

Johnboy1951

Let me just say this much ...... watching a TV using a bad analogue signal is extremely annoying when I know I have a good digital signal.
If it cost a a bit to get a STB now, that is not fully compatible, then that is worth it to me. I never look at teletext and never used to options even when I had Sky.

If I have to get a new box in a couple of years then I am prepared to do it. In the meantime I can at least enjoy watching digital quality TV rather than the crappy analogue that I have presently.

In fact in a couple of years I may use SaorSat and not SaorView ...... I will decide when the time comes. If that is the decision then a different STB will be required anyway.

Reconsidering the matter I will seek out the cheapest STB I can find that will give me the Irish channels and I will not worry about it being obsolete in two or three years time.

If anyone wishes to link to such a cheap STB I would be grateful.

regards.

lucernarian

@HappyHarry, your last post didn't change the substance of the argument. You gave an opinion, nothing more, that it would be foolish for someone to rush out and buy a box now when they could wait however many months for the price of a box to fall. That statement is not true in all situations and I will add another to the list: Irrelevant as some people may regard the TV3 and 3e channels, there are those who cannot view it if they do not pay for it and would yet like to. If their relay now offers Saorview, this offers an avenue to watch these channels with no ongoing costs for the first time.

Furthermore, I have seen saorview working in apartments and houses and the likes where the analogue signal was so dire that nothing short of an outdoor yagi aerial would have resulted in a decent EBU grade 4 or 5 type picture. In the case of an apartment, that option usually isn't even available to people. A Saorview box will be useful indefinitely while improving reception already adequate for Saorview but not for analogue will only work as a solution until analogue is switched off. That may still be the better course of option if: the cost, time and effort of having aerial improvements or an aerial outside is not as significant as the price reductions that will take place in a desirable Saorview box between now and ASO. I personally doubt such an occurrence but that's not my call to make.

As for using a USB device, there is no "may indeed" about it, a USB DVB-T tuner will be the cheapest way for a wide variety of people to receive Saorview currently and will never be significantly beaten on price alone by STBs. It seems difficult to me to make DVB-T receivers for much cheaper than €15. I suspect almost all laptops made in the last 2 years are inherently able to meet the demands of the video decoding etc. but Watty has looked into this a lot more than I have, I believe.

Now it may be very well be "dead money" but firstly, that's up for people themselves to decide and they can make up their own minds on what utility they can get from such a purchase. Secondly, I can't see why a DVB-T tuner would necessarily not be used on some computer or other when a STB first enters the house. Many people own or have owned analogue tuners for computers even if they had PAL TVs in their home.

lucernarian

@Johnboy1951

I think watty's suggestion of the £45 freeview HD boxes will be the cheapest show in town if you are in the market for one right now. I don't exactly know where they're got but I remember something about Tescos up North.

It's something I've been rather interested in finding out as many people have asked me this over the past year. The interests of these internet forums are often skewed to the Dreambox end of the scale rather than the Tesco Value STB end.

Johnboy1951

To_be_confirmed wrote: »

@Johnboy1951

I think watty's suggestion of the £45 freeview HD boxes will be the cheapest show in town if you are in the market for one right now. I don't exactly know where they're got but I remember something about Tescos up North.

It's something I've been rather interested in finding out as many people have asked me this over the past year. The interests of these internet forums are often skewed to the Dreambox end of the scale rather than the Tesco Value STB end.

That would suit I think ...... the best I came across is this one
http://cgi.ebay.ie/Alba-STB300HD-Freeview-HD-Digital-Set-Top-Box-HDMI-/110654038196?pt=UK_ConEle_SatCableFreeview_RL&hash=item19c37ea0b4#ht_865wt_901

which is used but guaranteed working.
Seems to work out about €80 delivered if my info is correct.

So the other would be considerably cheaper ...... if I can find it.

Of course there may be a few similar used models for sale by boards users who have upgraded to certified units ...... PM me if so

regards.

wil

HappyHarry wrote: »

Which boxes are those?

Is £45 (plus shipping) too much to pay to fix your very poor reception? Is a new aerial an option?

Out of curiosity, how much of a saving over that price do you expect to make by buying an under-specified (perhaps foolish) box?

Dear oh dear oh dear.
Foolish and underspecced is the thought that enters my mind when I realise my posts need to be cleverer and overstated.
However I was referring to the nonsensical property bandwaggoning that I argued unsucessfully against for years on the grounds of common sense. Its an aspect of economics they stopped teaching in recent years.

Some on here probably realise that one or two of my (now less than frequent) posts are prone to the odd analogy perhaps to illustrate a point, to lighten an argument or on occasion for my own selfish amusement.;)
Probably inspired by a stubborn frustration with frustrating stubborness and an unhealthy dose of less than pleasant reality.
Its also an instinctive reaction to bull. :eek:

Also I would never presume to know how another might spend their money. The alternatives might not be along the lines expected in your wildest dreams.:(

:)Harry, the enthusiastic effort to spend my money is perplexing but we both know that in this post Cribs world even the most basic family shack is blessed with more than one TV. The impending ASO implies considerable expense (remember your times tables) to maintain the current free service at a time when frugality is desireable.

3 sub 50 boxes would be substantially more desireable than any of the one nonrecording Saorview with guaranteed MHEG5 boxes currently available. An instant saving of 150, and recording is the only interactivity I really desire.

I dont see any of the current stbs (except perhaps PVR combos) as long term, as TVs will eventually be replaced, but then again, looks up:rolleyes:
the title of this thread is .............. Interim Solution

jonnygee

Here is my take on it all,
If your analogue pictures are bad and you only need one box then buy a saorview approved box from a local supplier, every thing will work including mheg 5, programme info and the channels will not be in the 800,s.
Yes i know they are overpriced at the minute but you can spend the next few months torturing yourself about that and you will eventually cave in and buy it anyway and i dont think that the price will fall quickly enough in any case to justify waiting.
If you need more than one box then buy one saorview as above and one or two of the cheapies for another room.
Actually i stated on another thread that i wouldnt pay 100 euro for a walker box but having already owned a freeview hd box that wasnt fully compatible and eventually had to be returned because of software bugs i am now rethinking that statement and i probably will buy one "soon". like maybe today.

jonnygee

Here is my take on it all,
If your analogue pictures are bad and you only need one box then buy a saorview approved box from a local supplier, every thing will work including mheg 5, programme info and the channels will not be in the 800,s.
Yes i know they are overpriced at the minute but you can spend the next few months torturing yourself about that and you will eventually cave in and buy it anyway and i dont think that the price will fall quickly enough in any case to justify waiting.
If you need more than one box then buy one saorview as above and one or two of the cheapies for another room.
Actually i stated on another thread that i wouldnt pay 100 euro for a walker box but having already owned a freeview hd box that wasnt fully compatible and eventually had to be returned because of software bugs i am now rethinking that statement and i probably will buy one "soon". like maybe today.

wil

jonnygee wrote: »

Here is my take on it all,
If your analogue pictures are bad and you only need one box then buy a saorview approved box from a local supplier, every thing will work including mheg 5, programme info and the channels will not be in the 800,s.
Yes i know they are overpriced at the minute but you can spend the next few months torturing yourself about that and you will eventually cave in and buy it anyway and i dont think that the price will fall quickly enough in any case to justify waiting.
If you need more than one box then buy one saorview as above and one or two of the cheapies for another room.
Actually i stated on another thread that i wouldnt pay 100 euro for a walker box but having already owned a freeview hd box that wasnt fully compatible and eventually had to be returned because of software bugs i am now rethinking that statement and i probably will buy one "soon". like maybe today.

I'd say you'd be equally disappointed with a Walker - no recording and it will be binned as soon as you find something better or just replace your TV.
If you are hoping to replace a TV soon I'd put that wasted 100 towards it.

I think the issue with your Freeview HD box is the issue with the box (ie bugs not the compatiblity.)

For me, mheg5 is an interim waste of my time and money - look at all the issues it has raised so far. not getting any extras on a kitchen or bedroom tv is not an issue - blank screen is. the cheapest smallest bolt on IrDTT capable stb is all I am hoping for.

If RTENL were being actually clever they could have stated a minimum spec just to get like for like - common sense /fail

watty

RTE HAVE stated a reasonable minimum spec.

A Walker box is 1/4 to 1/5th price of a really good compatible HDTV.

Sam Russell

watty wrote: »

RTE HAVE stated a reasonable minimum spec.

A Walker box is 1/4 to 1/5th price of a really good compatible HDTV.

No RTE NL have produced a spec that Boxer wanted. If it was now, they would go with Freeview HD, particularly if they were at the table of the specifers.

They went with Nordig because Boxer are big in Nordig, not because RTE NL were big in Nordig.

I do not know why they went with MHEG 5.

They are following the 'because of insurance' line. They cannot say 't will do' with any spec other than the approved one. That is the only way to go for them.

However, the absence of MHEG 5, say, could be a deal-breaker for some but not for others, but no-one in RTE NL are going to arbitrate on that.

It is unlikely that the absence of MHEG 5 will prevent anyone receiving pictures or sound. The absence of HE AAC decoding could be disastrous if RTE were to only go with that decoding, but they may not go with it. But to be honest, we do not know of the detail of the future plans for DTT, if they have any.

glineli

That walker box in powercity is now 89 euro. Getting closer to some of the cheaper freeview HD boxes thankfully

jonnygee

wil wrote: »

I'd say you'd be equally disappointed with a Walker - no recording and it will be binned as soon as you find something better or just replace your TV.
If you are hoping to replace a TV soon I'd put that wasted 100 towards it.

I think the issue with your Freeview HD box is the issue with the box (ie bugs not the compatiblity.)

For me, mheg5 is an interim waste of my time and money - look at all the issues it has raised so far. not getting any extras on a kitchen or bedroom tv is not an issue - blank screen is. the cheapest smallest bolt on IrDTT capable stb is all I am hoping for.

If RTENL were being actually clever they could have stated a minimum spec just to get like for like - common sense /fail

Of course i can record off it .
No I wont be binning it, I will move it to another room. 7 tv,s here.

The issue with the freeview hd box was incompatibility AND bugs for which a software update was issued but of course I cant update it from here. No engineering channel.
Has anyone got a freeview hd box that is fully compatible as a matter of interest.
Anyway , i bought it this morning, 89 euro, cheapest t8300 clone i could see was going to cost me 67 euro from ebay. I am happy enough.

watty

jonnygee wrote: »

O
The issue with the freeview hd box was incompatibility AND bugs for which a software update was issued but of course I cant update it from here. No engineering channel.
Has anyone got a freeview hd box that is fully compatible as a matter of interest.

Most of them have a web site you can download from and some local method of updating (sometimes a serial port connection using the SCART socket!).

The two issues with non-buggy "Freesat HD" are:
Channels are in 800s. Some allow favourites or renumbering. Not a major issue.
Usually no EBU teletext if MHEG5 text is detected on the same Mux. Since currently RTE has got MHEG5 text and TG4 + TV3 use EBU teletext, you can't access TG4 and TV3 text. But the EBU teletext is probably ending 2012/2013 anyway. So this issue will vanish maybe in less than 2 years.

If the EPG doesn't work, that's a bug.

jonnygee

I did search for a way to update it but with no sucess, now that i think about it that box didnt even use the engineering channel to update. It had a "trove" button that accessed "channel zero" which is an interactive channel and the update was sent on that channel overnight. Technika hdis2010 model.

wil

watty wrote: »

RTE HAVE stated a reasonable minimum spec.

A Walker box is 1/4 to 1/5th price of a really good compatible HDTV.

A Walker dtt tuner is 1/3 price of your current TV, half price of a 26", over 2/3 price of a 16" or 1/30th the dearest tv on Powercity. At 100 with introductory overpriced discount its still not good value compared to higher specced bigger brand imports of similar.

Minimum spec I expect to see on a TV is TV. Any more is extra. Or a PC.
If a phone cant make phonecalls, its not the mp3, android, megapixels that bother me.
Reasonable min spec is it should receive the current free TV service regardless of the extras promised.

jonnygee wrote:

Of course i can record off it .
No I wont be binning it, I will move it to another room. 7 tv,s here.

good luck with usb recording, let us know if you get it to do so.
7 TVs - maybe I know you?
You might keep Walker going if you get stbs for each of those

Actually kudos to you, for all the talk of Saorview certified stbs you could be the first poster to actually buy one.:cool:
Time to start your own thread.:)

jonnygee

Hdmi to Plasma tv.
Scart RGB to HDD Recorder.
Why do you seem to think that Iwont be able to record off it.? I already have.
I did not mention usb recording anywhere. You did.
And the best of luck to you with whatever box you eventually get around to buying.:)

HappyHarry

To_be_confirmed wrote: »

@HappyHarry, your last post didn't change the substance of the argument. You gave an opinion, nothing more, that it would be foolish for someone to rush out and buy a box now when they could wait however many months for the price of a box to fall.

Correct, I'm not changing anything, and it is just an opinion, not arguing though. Perhaps it wasn't clear, but if someone doesn't want to wait I was suggesting buying a compatible box for ~ £45 is a better idea that paying almost the same for a box that is missing MHEG5, but some seem hell bent on having a box without MHEG5. Sure while you're at it, if you don't watch RTE2 buy a non-HD box, that'll save you more than avoiding MHEG5.

To_be_confirmed wrote: »

As for using a USB device, there is no "may indeed" about it, a USB DVB-T tuner will be the cheapest way for a wide variety of people to receive Saorview currently and will never be significantly beaten on price alone by STBs. It seems difficult to me to make DVB-T receivers for much cheaper than €15. I suspect almost all laptops made in the last 2 years are inherently able to meet the demands of the video decoding etc. but Watty has looked into this a lot more than I have, I believe.

Well you are assuming that the person has a suitable laptop, and wants to use it for watching TV. It's not a suitable solution for many people. But this is turning into a pedantic argument and irrelevant point scoring really. The OP was asking about watching TV on his CRT telly - not a laptop.

To_be_confirmed wrote: »

Now it may be very well be "dead money" but firstly, that's up for people themselves to decide and they can make up their own minds on what utility they can get from such a purchase.

Of course it is up to people to decide for themselves. This is an open discussion forum where many people try to help the people that ask questions as best they can by giving them advise / opinions. Sometimes one wonders why with the reaction of some people. I don't think the people making up their mind need you to tell them they can make it up on their own. No one is forcing anyone to buy or not to buy anything.