So who's gone wild and bought unverified mpeg4 dvb-t recievers?

Newtown90

Ok I know i'm going to get the same sh*te from one or two usual posters on this forum about getting a verified walker saorview box but I like being different!

Have been looking through and getting prices from a few foreign companies that sell these receivers in bulk and to be honest there seems to a good few options out there if I did a little bit more investigating into the specs...

i know all about the picnic boxes being obsolete,etc...

And i'd like to know who's been different and bought from China? Or got a bargain from england for the freeview hd boxes? Maybe got a beauty from France or Spain...

Got a usb dvb-t tuner from China for a fiver and its working like a beauty when ever i need it!

desaparecidos

Glenviewjf wrote: »

Got a usb dvb-t tuner from China for a fiver and its working like a beauty when ever i need it!

A USB DVB-T tuner is in a different hardware class altogether to a set top box.

With a correct software (and hardware) 99% of USB tuners can exhibit mostly the same functionality as a certified box. (sound, video, mheg5)

Regarding the question of uncertified set top boxes, plenty of people have combo boxes (both basic and advanced linux based ones).

For me a good combo box is more useful than a certified SAORVIEW box. As long as Mheg5 is used only for digital text and EPG data is always transmitted in the standard DVB way, then the benefits of a certified box are few.

watty

I know for fact the MHEG5 isn't just for text.
So a "freeview HD" box is best value.

But we have XP pc with dual DVb-T USB stick and dual DVB-S2 PCI cards as a PVR, and a Compatible but not certified TV. LG xxLD450 series.

Also a Sky HD box with no sub and UK EPG as an almost Freesat HD box.

Trevord

watty wrote: »

a Compatible but not certified TV. LG xxLD450 series.

Also a Sky HD box with no sub and UK EPG as an almost Freesat HD box.

Watty - is it this one you are referring to ? Does it do MHEG5 ?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B003FMSIQ8/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_2?pf_rd_p=103612307&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B004HUFQBM&pf_rd_m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&pf_rd_r=0GGTKV4ZRBEWEYY3QS5X

Fingleberries

We have a Philips TV (Model 32PFL5405H/05) and it picks up all the Saorview TV and Radio channels - the only catch is that you have to set the country to UK to get MHEG5 and EPG functionality. Stations are in the 800's, but it's easy to sort them into a favourites list to the order you like.

homer911

I have an LG LF7700 series, but they have stopped making them now..

watty

Trevord wrote: »

Watty - is it this one you are referring to ? Does it do MHEG5 ?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B003FMSIQ8/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_2?pf_rd_p=103612307&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B004HUFQBM&pf_rd_m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&pf_rd_r=0GGTKV4ZRBEWEYY3QS5X

That's one of them. They do MHEG5 + EBU teletext according to Saorview rules if Ireland rather than UK selected. We have a 42LD450 from Currys. (€460 at the time). Argos and Power city has also sold them. The LG 42LD490 is not quite as compatible as it's "Freeview HD" only, no Ireland setting. Does also do MHEG5 of course.

MustangMick

Panasonic G10B (bought 2 years ago).....wish the clowns at Panasonic would get their act together and sort this once and for all.

Bought a £200 19" LG for the kitchen at the same time, it works perfectly with all the new channels....

Mick

jimmad

Would [url] http://cgi.ebay.com/Neoton-CONVERTER-Card-MPEG4-CAM-CI-MODULE-DVB-T-NP4-/110633694132?pt=UK_ConEle_SatCableFreeview_RL&hash=item19c24833b4#ht_1570wt_905 [/url] work on my Toshiba 42XV555 to receive Saorview?

wil

jimmad wrote: »

Would http://cgi.ebay.com/Neoton-CONVERTER-Card-MPEG4-CAM-CI-MODULE-DVB-T-NP4-/110633694132?pt=UK_ConEle_SatCableFreeview_RL&hash=item19c24833b4#ht_1570wt_905 work on my Toshiba 42XV555 to receive Saorview?

Well the generic type is on Wattys black list so probably not despite the claims made by the seller.

watty

jimmad wrote: »

Would [url] http://cgi.ebay.com/Neoton-CONVERTER-Card-MPEG4-CAM-CI-MODULE-DVB-T-NP4-/110633694132?pt=UK_ConEle_SatCableFreeview_RL&hash=item19c24833b4#ht_1570wt_905 [/url] work on my Toshiba 42XV555 to receive Saorview?

This is asked regularly. I have extensively tested these. AVOID. They DO NOT work. On some TVs you might get limited service (poor quality) before the heat damages the TV set.

The Manufacturer agrees that they can't be made to work properly for Scandinavia, Ireland and especially the UK.

Like the Sky/ Sagem Picnic box (which will never work here) they are for a kind of service that was cancelled and now will never exist. They are more expensive than a Picnic and poorer quality.

The longer explanation as why the Neotion or any other “CAM” solution can’t work

The PCMCIA (CI slot for a CAM on a TV or set-box) is for PayTV decoder which has a viewing card slot.
Usually an MPEG2 TV can’t see the MPEG4 channels if they are “flagged” properly, thus there is nothing for the converter that mimics a “CAM” to convert. If it’s an HD broadcast the MPEG2 bitrate is too high, so HD won’t ever work. Some Saorview channels will only be transmitted in HD.
The “Converter CAM” has to have an MPEG4 decoder and MPEG2 encoder so even if it did work, it reduces quality, adds delay and may run hot enough to damage the TV or set-box.

via black list

Sam Russell

If anyone is interested, I have imported a STB from China and it works very well. I got a few in and have them on Adverts.ie.

http://www.adverts.ie/523973

Kensington

A word of warning before buying equipment that is not certified: Do not assume analogue teletext will continue beyond 2012. If you want the full Aertel service beyond 2012, make sure you buy a device with MHEG capability. Sam, you mention those devices only do "Aertel teletext" - come 2012, they may well not do Aertel at all.

MHEG doesn't just do fancy teletext either, as watty points out.

breaux

Sam Russell wrote: »

If anyone is interested, I have imported a STB from China and it works very well. I got a few in and have them on Adverts.ie.

http://www.adverts.ie/523973

This one sounds ineresting sam....not bothered about teletext of any kind.....ideally replace my sagem picnic box in the bedroom. How much postage to Galway.?

Sam Russell

breaux wrote: »

This one sounds ineresting sam....not bothered about teletext of any kind.....ideally replace my sagem picnic box in the bedroom. How much postage to Galway.?

Postage is €6 because they are over 500 gram. Without the HDMI cable, the postage would be €3.80 with a discount for the HDMI cable. Are you in Galway city?

STB

watty wrote: »

This is asked regularly. I have extensively tested these. AVOID. They DO NOT work. On some TVs you might get limited service (poor quality) before the heat damages the TV set.

The Manufacturer agrees that they can't be made to work properly for Scandinavia, Ireland and especially the UK.

Like the Sky/ Sagem Picnic box (which will never work here) they are for a kind of service that was cancelled and now will never exist. They are more expensive than a Picnic and poorer quality.


via black list

I was a big fan of these when they first came on the market many years ago. But outside of the reasons Watty has explained you must also remember that they will not enable the scan function either in a Dbook MPEG2 TV. What I mean by this is that Irish DTT broadcsts a flag to say it is broadcsting in MPEG4. Most MPEG2 Dbook spec TVs will ignore the service in a scan, so you get no channels returned. The CAM besides not doing HD cant fool the MPEG2 IDTV into seeing the services in a scan anyway. So would be a waste of money nowadays.

Look if you want cheap get a French TNT HD box. It doesnt do MHEG5 but it will display the stations perfectly. There are countless threads on them.

The price of the Saorview certified boxes should not be tolerated. For an extra €20 you can get one of the new Ferguson Ariva 200 Combo HD Satellite & DTT boxes from Poland.

Sam Russell

Kensington wrote: »

A word of warning before buying equipment that is not certified: Do not assume analogue teletext will continue beyond 2012. If you want the full Aertel service beyond 2012, make sure you buy a device with MHEG capability. Sam, you mention those devices only do "Aertel teletext" - come 2012, they may well not do Aertel at all.

MHEG doesn't just do fancy teletext either, as watty points out.

I accept the absence of MHEG 5 could be a disadvantage, but the absence of €50 in the price could be an advantage. For many people, the ease of getting a dud MPEG2 TV to work with Saorview is the most important thing, which is what I use it for. My Sony 40 inch TV was rendered 'dud' on the 1st Aug 2008. Now I have a great HD picture on RTE 2, and very good on the other channels.

This unit works with HDMI and gives a first rate picture. It has a fast processor, faster than the LG one on my main TV. (The sound leads the LG noticeably - I can not see both pictures). It is low power (8W) and has a PVR function. and HE AAC sound. It only lacks the MHEG 5.

I got one in, and was so impressed with it, I bought a few for friends and am selling the few left over. I do not intend getting any more, so when they are gone, they are gone.

On the question of certification, not only does a manufacturer have to have the programmes, the MHEG 5, and the audio right, he also must have the correct algorithm for displaying the signal quality and strength, with a BER calculation thrown in - the spec goes on for ever. These units do appear to have everything, except MHEG 5. They even do VHF!

desaparecidos

Kensington wrote: »

A word of warning before buying equipment that is not certified: Do not assume analogue teletext will continue beyond 2012. If you want the full Aertel service beyond 2012, make sure you buy a device with MHEG capability. Sam, you mention those devices only do "Aertel teletext" - come 2012, they may well not do Aertel at all.

MHEG doesn't just do fancy teletext either, as watty points out.

Unless MHEG5 somehow prevents audio and video from rendering (which it obviously will not) then it's pretty surplus to requirements for the majority

Most people couldn't care less about teletext in its current form or its future MHEG5 form either.

There's a possibility that EPG will be tied solely into MHEG5, which would be a mild inconvenience, but that's all. There's always the RTE Guide or internet to find out what's on.

On that point, RTE should be keeping the standards as open as possible and always provide the "DVB EPG" so all receivers will get a 7 day guide. It's our service we pay for, so peddling an MHEG5 only EPG so they can make cut on overpriced "certified" ****e should be avoided.

As for other uses of MHEG5, like interactive services and the like, we have a small population and no money. I wouldn't expect to see any investment in "interactive services" and time soon. If they do every get anything off the ground it's likely to be ****e anyway.

Willby

Sam Russell wrote: »

If anyone is interested, I have imported a STB from China and it works very well. I got a few in and have them on Adverts.ie.

http://www.adverts.ie/523973

Sam,
Please see your pm's as I would like to purchase one of these units
Willby

glineli

Sam Russell wrote: »

If anyone is interested, I have imported a STB from China and it works very well. I got a few in and have them on Adverts.ie.

http://www.adverts.ie/523973

Hi Sam

I am interested in one of these, would need postage to Clare.

Can you pm me and we can arrange paypal. All going well with it i might be back for more

thanks

Sam Russell

glineli wrote: »

Hi Sam

I am interested in one of these, would need postage to Clare.

Can you pm me and we can arrange paypal. All going well with it i might be back for more

thanks

PM sent

Sam Russell

Willby wrote: »

Sam,
Please see your pm's as I would like to purchase one of these units
Willby

PM sent

Trevord

Sam,

Please see my PM about ordering one of these units from you.

sesswhat

No offence Sam, but is all the pm'ing here in the spirit of adverts.ie, where others should be able to see what offers are being made and what are being accepted?

Sam Russell

sesswhat wrote: »

No offence Sam, but is all the pm'ing here in the spirit of adverts.ie, where others should be able to see what offers are being made and what are being accepted?

Well, that is a point. The basic situation is that the offers are made as per the advert.ie entry. I agree that it may not look like that, but that is the way it is.

If it is wrong, then I appologise, and anyone else who is interested to go through the adverts.ie entry. I have only a few anyway.

sesswhat

No problem Sam. Some good photos on this site if it is the same device.

From the same site:

Files recorded on an external data storage device are recognized by PCs as *. ts files. To play them back, the user should employ VideoLan Player (VLC) - free application that can be downloaded from the software developer site.

As a matter of interest, how does it handle its own recordings: playback, pause, timeshifting etc.?

Sam Russell

sesswhat wrote: »

No problem Sam. Some good photos on this site if it is the same device.

From the same site:



As a matter of interest, how does it handle its own recordings: playback, pause, timeshifting etc.?

Those are good photos.

Does appear to be the same device. It does not have the same firmware though. The one I have is set up to default to Ireland, with a few small changes that suit here. The one I have has a 13 amp plug, and comes with an HDMI cable and an aerial pass through cable, and an English laguage manual.

Price would be simmilar as well. Polish prices from the web-site are €41.36 for the unit, plus €6.33 for the HDMI, plus an antenna cable, and two AAA batteries. Say €50 plus postage from Poland for 1 kg. Not sure if that includes VAT.

I have not tried the recording in anger, but I have tested it. The files are stored in a subdirectory of the disk, with a name of the channel name, date and time. They are listed alphabetically, but unfortunately, the date is written backwards ( not YYYMMDD but DDMMYYYY). They have a very sensitive receiver and a quick processor. It would be possible to put MHEG 5 on there but it would cost a lot of engineering time, as we are the only ones to want it. (The UK need T2, which this does not do.)

Time shift works well, but is a bit clunky in my opinion, but then I am fussy. It has to be started, and I think it is intrusive. Playback is fine, no problems. I have not tried playing the recordings back on the PC, but I assume it can be done.

It hides behind the TV and has tranformed a Lidl dud TV to a perfect picture, and transformed a Sony 40 inch dud MPEG 2 TV to a perfect picture as well. It works on both from what I call a simple aerial with no problems.

Because of the way it works, the TV remote is not needed, so everything is controlled from its own remote. It has Audio desc, subtitles, HE-AAC audio, etc.

A great piece of kit.

Sam Russell

By the way, you add VAT @ 23% to that figure above. So 41.36 becomes €50.87 before you add the extras. They also need €500 + VAT minimum order.

dowtchaboy

Interestingly that site dipol has now set up in Ireland -

4. How to purchase products from DIPOL in a traditional way?
The Customer placing order at our e-Store is dealt with by Internet Store Warehouse at the DIPOL.ie - branch in Cavan, Ireland.
Customers can also purchase products in our branches. The orders may be placed in person, via e-mail or by phone.
The addresses of the branches and appropriate contacts can be found on the CONTACT link.

www.dipol.ie

DIPOL Ireland

Anthony Tully Components Ltd. Glenconnor, Ballyhaise, Co.Cavan

Hours (except public holidays): Mon - Fri 930- 1800

Service for Internet Customer 00353 49 4338100
Fax 00353 49 4338555
GPS location:
Headquarters
Location
Cavan
N 54.047
E -7.31

Their price is higher, as Sam says - it's €68.56 including postage.

Sam - I've sent you a pm - I'll take one of yours! Once something better with MHEG5 and dual tuners etc. comes along in 6 months or a year I can always recycle your one to digitally enable the old set in the spare room.

Sam Russell

dowtchaboy wrote: »

Interestingly that site dipol has now set up in Ireland -



www.dipol.ie



Their price is higher, as Sam says - it's €68.56 including postage.

Sam - I've sent you a pm - I'll take one of yours! Once something better with MHEG5 and dual tuners etc. comes along in 6 months or a year I can always recycle your one to digitally enable the old set in the spare room.

They are the same hardware, I beleive, but not the same firmware or manual. They do not come with batteries (I think) or cables nor a 13amp plug on the PSU.

I do not know anything about them, but I have done some searching since there were pointed out. But it is good kit, I have been testing one since Christmas.

Currently, I am trying to get the MHEG software added to it, but I think that is a longer time project. We are too small a market, and the move is now to go to a T2 receiver for the UK market, but I live in hope. We will see if it can be done.

fat-tony

I bought one of the units from Sam. It's a small, discreet unit, which could be hidden behind a TV, connected directly to a SCART socket. There is an aerial loop-through and a short RF lead is provided. A HDMI lead is also provided and a neat PSU (like a phone charger) plugs directly into a 13 amp socket with 5v supplied to the unit. An IR receiver on a fly-lead plugs into the unit and allows you to hide the unit behind the TV, while receiving signals from the small remote. There is a USB socket for connection of a thumb drive or external powered disk drive. I found excellent picture and sound quality via HDMI on Saorview, especially RTE Two. Sound is down-mixed to stereo on HDMI, even if the source is DD 5.1.
When you first plug it in, it scans VHF and UHF for multiplexes. It found my local relay multiplex (CH52) without any problems and stored seven TV and ten radio channels, numbering them from 1 etc. TV and radio channels are stored separately, needing a press on the remote control to switch between them. The INFO button displays the current and next programme details. The EPG button shows all programme details for the current channel for the next week in a list format. You can view EPG details for the other channels by selecting right arrow on the remote, but this causes the unit to change channel - the only serious niggle I had with the device.
Connection of a USB thumb drive or external drive allows you to play various multimedia - jpegs,video files, MP3 and AAC sound files. The real benefit, though, is that you can use the drive as a basic PVR. I was able to perform timeshift recording, manual recording and booking recording from the EPG. You can watch another channel on the multiplex while performing a manual or EPG recording. I have two USB thumb drives (each 4GB). One did not work well with the unit, causing it to lock up while recording. The other worked flawlessly. As one hour of recording on RTE Two (HD) takes up about 4GB, you really need high capacity thumb drives or ideally an external drive. I used an old 120GB drive (powered) in an external caddy and this worked very well. There was no audio / video lag on any channel, even while recording.
The teletext function is basic (no MHEG), works quite well, but the type font is ugly in my view.
The PVR file-naming is based on MMDDYY dates which is a bit unusual for this locale, but a firmware update would sort out that issue if the developers are willing.
Overall - good value basic unit for €50, but if you need MHEG or potential for Dolby Digital 5.1 connection to an AV amp, you need to go for a full feature STB.