Saorview Boxes - Prices

mk6705

Very excited about the prospect of watching GAA matches in HD. So I'm wondering what would people recommend. I'd want preferably a quite small box, because space is kinda limited with a Sky box, DVD recorder and Video recorder (I guess I could convert any remaining tapes to DVD and take it away.). So what kinda price range would each of the following be in?

- A regular HD capable DTT box?
- A HD DTT box with a hard disk recorder (Which will record HD)
- A combined HD DTT/Satellite box which has a hard disk recorder (I think I'd need a second LNB for that - it'd be for freeview channels eg. BBC HD on Astra 28.2 and Eurobird 28.5)

Thanks all.

Dj

If you have a Sky box why do need a Saorview one aswell?

mk6705

Dj wrote: »

If you have a Sky box why do need a Saorview one aswell?

RTE2 HD. As said above, GAA in HD. That's not carried on Sky. Additionally, it's an SD Sky box, not HD.

Dj

Adro947 wrote: »

RTE2 HD. As said above, GAA in HD. That's not carried on Sky. Additionally, it's an SD Sky box, not HD.

Sorry i get ye now. Aldi have one this week but it doesn't record i'm thinking of holding out for a decent combined box, might wait until a few people here buy them and get some feedback.

Aldi link
http://www.aldi.ie/ie/html/offers/special_buys3_16976.htm

Trevord

- A regular HD capable DTT box?

Answer: €50 to €100

- A HD DTT box with a hard disk recorder (Which will record HD) ?

Answer: A USB one for €100 and somewhere in the region of €200 I think for one with an internal hard disk

- A combined HD DTT/Satellite box which has a hard disk recorder (I think I'd need a second LNB for that - it'd be for freeview channels eg. BBC HD on Astra 28.2 and Eurobird 28.5) ?

Answer: Only option for your circumstances is a DTT/FTA sat box. This gives you the channels that freesat broadcasts but not the freesat 7 day EPG which I think you'll find is a major drawback for recording). Think these are in the territory of €250+

In short there is no off the shelf free to air straight competitor box that does everything that a SKY+ box can do.

For the hobbyist it is possible to come very close to SKY+ functionality with a HTPC (a pc which picks up all the free channels you'd like) but that will be bulky (and relatively expensive unless you have an unused fairly high spec PC lying around) and not an option if space is an issue for you.

Overall, if you want HD gaa now and if you have sky and intend to continue to subscribe well into the future a simple DTT box for as little as €50 that can record to USB might do you until such time that SKY starts to broadcast RTE in HD.

(of course the question no one has yet asked is whether SKY could/would be allowed to carry RTE HD but exclude RTE HD from its basic package)

Tony

Should this not be in the terrestrial forum ? I'm sure you would get more posts there

ei9go

Most boxes and TV's sold in the UK marked "Freeview HD" will work fine here.

There are quite a few hard drive recorders from the major manufacturers now available.

Tesco's own brand Tecknica Freeview HD box works perfectly here. A bargain at £30

IrishHomer

ei9go wrote: »

Most boxes and TV's sold in the UK marked "Freeview HD" will work fine here.

There are quite a few hard drive recorders from the major manufacturers now available.

Tesco's own brand Tecknica Freeview HD box works perfectly here. A bargain at £30

I think your completely wrong here.

UK Freeview is MPEG2, Isish Saorview is MPEG4, lots of Irish got stung buying UK spec tv's with built in UK Freeview and then only realising after its too late it does not work here unless it's MPEG4.

Do a search on Boards you will find hundreds of threads on this.

IrishHomer

Another thing if OP has a tv with a built in MPEG tuner then you can pick up RTE2 HD with an ordinary aerial plugged into it.

Tony

He is actually right as long as its HD freeview it will work.

IrishHomer wrote: »

I think your completely wrong here.

.

marathont

Tony wrote: »

He is actually right as long as its HD freeview it will work.

Everything might not work perfectly though.

For example my Freeview HD samsung tv works fine, but I have to set it to uk region to enable digital text, and when I do that The time on the epg is an hour behind. Really annoying.

I would recommend getting a box/tv with a saorview sticker, or else get someone to confirm that everything works.

Tony

Yes but you are talking about a tv here, what the previous poster said was a HD freeview box would work ok which it does.

marathont wrote: »

Everything might not work perfectly though.

For example my Freeview HD samsung tv works fine, but I have to set it to uk region to enable digital text, and when I do that The time on the epg is an hour behind. Really annoying.

I would recommend getting a box/tv with a saorview sticker, or else get someone to confirm that everything works.

ei9go

Irish Homer is the one who is completely wrong.

I have a Tesco Tecknika Freeview HD box and it works perfectly with Saorview including MHEG5 text.

I repeat, a bargain for £30.

watty

There are three different makes/models inside the "Tesco Tecknika Freeview HD box" We think at least one has problems.

Jpmarn

Peats in Dublin are charging €110 for a Triax Saorview box.

Zardoz

Jpmarn wrote: »

Peats in Dublin are charging €110 for a Triax Saorview box.

You'd nearly have a new tv for that price .
Seriously 110 euro for a basic dvb-t box is farcical.

Randyleprechaun

http://www.adverts.ie/tv/mpeg4-hd-terrestrial-receiver/628199

Sam Russell

Maybe check out my box on adverts.ie - it has received excellent feedback from everyone who has bought one.

STB

But wait whats this...

Bargain Alert: New Ferguson HD DTT/Sat Combo Box - €63 before postage

This box does all the Free HD British Stations (BBCs ITVs 4s Sky News etc) and the Irish Stations in one channel list for not much more.

I am not selling anything, sorry to be the odd one out

rebeve

ei9go wrote: »

Irish Homer is the one who is completely wrong.

I have a Tesco Tecknika Freeview HD box and it works perfectly with Saorview including MHEG5 text.

I repeat, a bargain for £30.

What model number is that ,it would do me nicely

tinofapples

ei9go wrote: »

Irish Homer is the one who is completely wrong.

I have a Tesco Tecknika Freeview HD box and it works perfectly with Saorview including MHEG5 text.

I repeat, a bargain for £30.

How do you mean it works perfectly with Saorview ? It's not transmittng the Irish digital channel (MPEG4) and the UK digital channels is it ? Can you give us the model number so we can have a scout ? If it does all that it's a steal.