Aldi Saorview Set Top Box

Peter Rhea

Sam Russell wrote: »

An external modulator and the extra cabling would cost more than the required extra boxes and give you a lesser result.

Cost more? Where do you buy your cable? It would only require one run from modulator to distribution amp.
Although when you factor in the cost of magic eyes & probably a different amp to handle them, it does all start to add up.

Agree with the lesser result part though, but it wouldn't be so much of a factor if the tvs involved are old non-HD sets (and if you can avoid rows over who watches what).

Sam Russell

Peter Rhea wrote: »

Cost more? Where do you buy your cable? It would only require one run from modulator to distribution amp.
Although when you factor in the cost of magic eyes & probably a different amp to handle them, it does all start to add up.

Agree with the lesser result part though, but it wouldn't be so much of a factor if the tvs involved are old non-HD sets (and if you can avoid rows over who watches what).

I think cable runs need to be installed properly, but if you DIY, and you only have SD TVs, and you all watch the same channel then perhaps it is worth doing. But it is a lesser solution by a long way. The reason people do it for Sky is because there is a monthly sub. Saorview if FREE.

Peter Rhea

Sam Russell wrote: »

Saorview if FREE.

The boxes aren't. If you did have a house full of old CRTs, a distribution system already in place & nobody to fight with over the remote, it might be worth thinking about, particularly if your analogue reception wasn't great.

The long term solution would of course be new tvs, not a pile of boxes.

Sam Russell

Peter Rhea wrote: »

The long term solution would of course be new tvs, not a pile of boxes.

I agree. I think boxes are only for wide screen CRTs over 28 inches and for flat panel TVs with MPEG 2 DTT decoders or analogue only tuners. Anything else is not worth it.

A new small screen TV is available for a lot less than €300, say €200 plus. Why would anyone pay out €80 to €100 for a box to upgrade it?

BostonB

Because 3x80 is a lot less than 3x300.

Peter Rhea

Well, if you're buying a box to 'upgrade' an old tv that can't even use it to its full potential, make sure it at least has recording capabilities so it will still be of use when you replace the tv with a Saorview compatible set.

Sam Russell

Peter Rhea wrote: »

Well, if you're buying a box to 'upgrade' an old tv that can't even use it to its full potential, make sure it at least has recording capabilities so it will still be of use when you replace the tv with a Saorview compatible set.

That is a good point. If the box is a PVR, then it will be of use if the TV is replaced. The Aldi box is not a PVR according to the posts on it.

By the way, my box is a PVR and is only €50, so may change your arithmetic.

http://www.adverts.ie/540407

Teddy455

STB is now officially saorview certified.

http://www.saorview.ie/products-retailers/saorview-approved-product-listings/

Also some Norde Mende products too.

haymur

Machinehead wrote: »

This is a snapshot from a PDF document which mentions the Vestel STB T8010 which seems to be dressed up as the Finlux SAO639. Link to the relevant document from 2009.

http://www.dvb.org/news_events/dvbscene_magazine/DVB-SCENE31.pdf

was talking to guy in Harvey Norman it is a Vestel very like the Walker but he thinks there is no PVR feature and will sell in same ballpark price range €79.99 ???

PressTheButton

Machinehead wrote: »

just spoke to a guy in Harvey Normans, he says that they will be receiving a Saorview STB in 2-3 weeks retailing for around €50.

haymur wrote: »

was talking to guy in Harvey Norman it is a Vestel very like the Walker but he thinks there is no PVR feature and will sell in same ballpark price range €79.99 ???

Solution: Buy from Machinehead's man! Harvey Norman encourage haggling!

jamescc

add another fifty odd euro and you can get a combo box that can do both dosent mention if it does mpeg5

Teddy455

jamescc wrote: »

add another fifty odd euro and you can get a combo box that can do both dosent mention if it does mpeg5

"Digital Teletext.
With SAORVIEW in addition to pictures and sound
you can view digital teletext.
Press the TELETEXT button.
If the station is transmitting teletext the digital text will
appear on the screen.
Use the Coloured buttons, cursor buttons and Ok
button, to operate the function.
The operating method may differ depending on the
contents of the Teletext information.
To return to normal TV press the Teletext button
again.
Normally all programmes will contain Teletext.
However there are some dedicated Teletext
channels. Please see your TV guide for information."




As it is saorview certified it has to have MHEG5. does it?

The Cush

Teddy455 wrote: »

As it is saorview certified it has to have MHEG5. does it?

Yes, mandatory requirement.

Trevord

Akura/Aldi box sold like hot cakes this morning.

kierank01

The box is a little quirky.

I can confirm that it does have a record function.

I have not been able to get a live pause function working yet, but while there is a recording ongoing, and you press the pause button, it displays a message that it cannot start a live pause, because a recording is ongoing.

It seems to be very sensitive to cable quality.
I have a nova-t usb tuner, and this picks up the channels no problem (I have 2 aerial connections in different rooms).
This box will not pick up anything in one of the rooms, the cable there is very old though.

kierank01

Also the time keeps resetting itself to GMT+0.

There is an auto, and a manual setting.

I know that there have been some DST issues on panasonic tv's.
I would have thought a saorview box would be ok.

more testing required.

dinneenp

Trevord wrote: »

Akura/Aldi box sold like hot cakes this morning.

That phrase really should be updated to 'selling like IPhones/IPads'....I can't even find anywhere that sell hot cakes anymore.

Booms

You could try here. . .
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056006224

Sam Russell

kierank01 wrote: »

Also the time keeps resetting itself to GMT+0.

There is an auto, and a manual setting.

I know that there have been some DST issues on panasonic tv's.
I would have thought a saorview box would be ok.

more testing required.

I think the DST problems are associated more with Freeview HD boxes and iDTVs more than Panasonics. Panasonic TVs have a problem of being cludged so that they do not work here when they should.

Saorview boxes MUST be OK or what's the point of certification. This sounds very serious for the whole Saorview certification exercise if a box has obvious faults.

kierank01

Sam Russell wrote: »

I think the DST problems are associated more with Freeview HD boxes and iDTVs more than Panasonics. Panasonic TVs have a problem of being cludged so that they do not work here when they should.

Saorview boxes MUST be OK or what's the point of certification. This sounds very serious for the whole Saorview certification exercise if a box has obvious faults.

Agreed.

After more testing, if you leave it at manual, it seems to stay at gmt+1

If you set it to manual, and set it to gmt+1, and set it back to auto, it stays at gmt+1, but if you reboot, it goes back to gmt+0

Sam Russell

kierank01 wrote: »

Agreed.

After more testing, if you leave it at manual, it seems to stay at gmt+1

If you set it to manual, and set it to gmt+1, and set it back to auto, it stays at gmt+1, but if you reboot, it goes back to gmt+0

That is not right. Auto should do it automatically, and not require intervention.

darth_maul

The whole Idea of a Saorview certified box is the user shouldn't have to worry or change any of these settings, maybe an update will be available. BTW is saorview capable for OTA updates (is there any room left on the mux)

kierank01

According to posts in this thread, the WP12DTB Walker box also needs to be manually set to gmt+1, and has issues with live pause.

watty

darth_maul wrote: »

The whole Idea of a Saorview certified box is the user shouldn't have to worry or change any of these settings, maybe an update will be available. BTW is saorview capable for OTA updates (is there any room left on the mux)

Agreed.

It's stat-muxing, so all the channels can be reduced slightly to allow a slow background download.

OTA upgrades is defined in Saorview and uses Nordig 2.2 spec I think.

kierank01

watty wrote: »

Agreed.

It's stat-muxing, so all the channels can be reduced slightly to allow a slow background download.

OTA upgrades is defined in Saorview and uses Nordig 2.2 spec I think.

The aldi box manual says that ota upgrades will take place at 3am, and that a recording cannot take place at the same time.
The manual says that if you want to make a recording at that time, to switch off the auto update, and after the recording has finished, to switch it back on.

seems a little strange to me.

watty

Because it might be a different multiplex to the "recording" and it's not a real PVR. It can't rub its tummy and pat head at same time.

It may only be able to demultiplex one channel at a time too.

Galway

I bought two of these Aldi boxes. One is working perfectly, but the on the other the picture occassionally freezes and there are 'pops' and 'clicks' on the sound. I have tried the boxes at 3 different locations and off 5 diff. txs (Maghera, Truskmore, Cairn Hill, Castlebar and Tonabrucky.

If I take it back to Aldi, I will probably only get a refund. I phoned the helpdesk in the UK today and they said they would get back to me. I am still waiting. Maybe they would offer a replacement box?

Trevord

Galway wrote: »

I bought two of these Aldi boxes. One is working perfectly, but the on the other the picture occassionally freezes and there are 'pops' and 'clicks' on the sound. I have tried the boxes at 3 different locations and off 5 diff. txs (Maghera, Truskmore, Cairn Hill, Castlebar and Tonabrucky.

If I take it back to Aldi, I will probably only get a refund. I phoned the helpdesk in the UK today and they said they would get back to me. I am still waiting. Maybe they would offer a replacement box?

These were a very good seller for Aldi. If you are not happy I'd be inclined to take the refund. (expect that they will get them again)

It can be only a matter of time before the other supermarkets have Saorview boxes for sale. I suspect that the market for Saorview boxes is bigger than some technology experts in the media think. Second and third tvs in many homes have no UPC or Sky and will need Saorview.

Not a big fan of AKURA brand to be honest. My AKURA dvd player which didn't get a whole lot of use went bonkers and then died a few weeks after the warranty expired.

Galway

Trevord wrote: »

These were a very good seller for Aldi. If you are not happy I'd be inclined to take the refund. (expect that they will get them again)

It can be only a matter of time before the other supermarkets have Saorview boxes for sale. I suspect that the market for Saorview boxes is bigger than some technology experts in the media think. Second and third tvs in many homes have no UPC or Sky and will need Saorview.

Not a big fan of AKURA brand to be honest. My AKURA dvd player which didn't get a whole lot of use went bonkers and then died a few weeks after the warranty expired.

I phoned Aldi -there are none left in Aldi in the whole country. Anyway one works and on the other the pictures freeze and the sound 'pops' and 'clicks'. No more on sale for a year they said too. Will get money back so. I wonder has anyone else had the same problem?

Digital Satellite TV

the akura would appear to be a 'knock-off' of the walker alright, same issues, hopefully fixed with software update in future. The menu is terrible though imo. Looks like something a first year student would knock up. Pic and sound grand though. What do ya want for a cheap saorview box, hardly gonna be perfect:-) Too many folk put stock in the cheapest being the one to get, sometimes, the few extra quid is better spent. Buyer's remorse and all that......