Advice on a combo box please

6ix

Hi everyone,

A bit of a novice but I've been doing a bit of reading on here which has helped (thanks everyone!).

I'll be moving abroad soon and I'd like to leave my parents house set up for Saorview before I leave. At present they're just picking up the Irish channels with a standard analogue aerial and a few UK channels via a UK Sky Digibox that has the free channels on it (Freesat is the term I presume). They're happy enough with this current setup.

To continue with this scenario under Saorview, I understand the best option for them might be a Combo STB which will allow them to 'plug in' and tune both the Saorview aerial and the Satellite dish in one box, making them accessible under the one EPG. Is this correct?

They're going to get a HD TV (about time!!) so I'd like a HD enabled box, and I'd like to give them recording functionality too (can be external or built in HDD)..... so could anyone recommend a suitable box that would fit this purpose? It doesn't have to be the cheapest, I'd just like to know that it will work when I'm away.

Or perhaps if anyone could direct me to where I could find out more about the pros and cons of various Combo STB models, that would be useful either.

Finally, would all this be easy enough to install - i.e. a matter of switching the cables out of the back of the TV/Freesat box and into the new combo box? Seems too simple!

Thanks a lot in advance!

John mac

any combo will need to have satellite channels retuned periodically.

i got my parents an mvision 200 a couple of years ago , they find it easy enough to use. (both over 70)

the Ferguson seems a good one (once the lip sync issues have been sorted)

watty

There are NO fully compatible combo boxes.
It's two boxes, but a fully compatible solution is a "Freesat HD" box or PVR (better than Sky if no sub) and a Saorview approved box or TV.

A combo only has the convenience of being one box. In most other respects it's inferior, especially the cheapest ones.

6ix

Thanks for the replies.

watty wrote: »

There are NO fully compatible combo boxes.
It's two boxes, but a fully compatible solution is a "Freesat HD" box or PVR (better than Sky if no sub) and a Saorview approved box or TV.

A combo only has the convenience of being one box. In most other respects it's inferior, especially the cheapest ones.

Ok, so seeing as they're getting a new TV anyway, perhaps a better plan would be to get a Saorview approved TV with inbuilt MPEG4 tuner, and also get a Freesat HD box. That would give them all the channels they currently have, with HD equivalents where available. However, wouldn't that mean they'd be jumping between EPG interfaces (one for Saorview, one for Freesat)? It sounds a bit messy for my technophobe parents!

Also, they want to have a recorder.The PVR functionality would be most useful on the Saorview channels for them, as that's what they mainly watch, so how best could I approach that? I know I could get the Freesat HD PVR 'box', but that probably couldn't record the channels that are coming in via Saorview?

watty

A "Freeview HD" PVR will record Saorview, A "Freesat HD" PVR only records Satellite channels.

The difficulty of dealing with two EPGs is overstated. Five channels on one and 45 on the other. I know various people in 80s with Terrestrial Analogue + Sky /Freesat, Terrestrial Analogue + FTA Sky box + Virgin cable, Freeview + Sky

We had a One remote does everything, people preferred the separate remotes for Saorview native on TV (no analogue channels stored makes it simpler), Sky for SkyHD, the separate remote for BD/DVD/HomeCinema.

I do have a Single Remote Combo PVR with MHEG, 2x Sat tuners (on four satellites), 2 x DTT tuners. But it's still not quite as easy as Saorview built in on TV + SkyHD box (BBC Interactive, no subscription).

Maybe end of the year will see some progress on PVRs for Saorview, or Saorsat or Combos.

ASO is end Oct 2012.

PressTheButton

If they're getting a new TV and (like me) are not too pushed about recording programmes, this set-up might work for you: Freesat HD iDTV + Saorview certified STB with recording via USB. These non-dedicated PVRs via USB have their own drawbacks - plenty of threads on here on that subject. RTÉ Player - RTÉ's catch-up web TV service might also fill their requirements for viewing missed Saorview programmes.

Yes, this solution would mean jumping between EPG interfaces & require usage of two remote controls.

6ix

Thanks. You're probably right about overstating the problems with two EPGs. I'm sure it would be fine. They currently switch between their analogue channels and the Skybox (Freesat) channels so they'd work it out. I know the switchoff is quite a bit away, but I won't be back before it happens so I'd like to leave it set up before I go.

I'm thinking the best thing to do might be to get two boxes (one Saorview, one freesat) both with PVR functionality and then they're covered.