Saorview & Freesat Warning For Buyers

The Rigger

Anyone thinking of getting in the free to air channels saorview/freesat please ensure you only buy official freesat and saorview approved products.
Their is endless people selling receivers and combi boxes which are NOT official freesat receivers.

The only official freesat receivers will have the FREESAT LOGO on the box.
The same applies to OFFICIAL SAORVIEW products.

Installers are going round this country selling combi boxes as official freesat/saorview when their not, So please look for the LOGO.


Im sick to death with installers selling CHEAP combo/combi receivers at knock down prices to the public and NOT informing them that the receivers will have to be periodiclly retuned when frequencies change.
These installers will charge you more money to come out and retune the boxes and you will end up paying more in the end.

You have been warned !!!!!

Sponge Bob

Is there any 'approved ' combi ...other than the Samsung combi tvs

The Rigger

There is the triax 114 but only saorview approved not freesat, there is also the walker one but again only saorview approved.

The way to go is a saorview approved tv/set top box and official freesat receiver.

There will never be an approved saorview/freesat receiver made for Ireland.
Please correct me if my information is out of date

Pat X

I was wondering what The Rigger was doing posting in this forum, but I see the original has changed his name ...

PogMoThoin

The Rigger wrote: »

The way to go is a saorview approved tv/set top box and official freesat receiver.

That requires 2 remotes, lots of people find this an issue

NIMAN

Are official Freesat boxes not meant to be sold in Ireland? Its a UK service and as such difficuly to find in shops. But I would thorou0ghly agree, as the owner of a Humax. You get decent EPG, decent quality and auto tuning. Handy for the less well versed in electronics.

I know a few people who bought the FTA boxes you see in Lidl and B&Q, and to be hoinest they look a bit basic, to put it mildly. Worth spending a little extra for that official Saorview or Freesat logo.

MarkK

PogMoThoin wrote: »

That requires 2 remotes, lots of people find this an issue

If you have a Saorview TV and a Freesat box, you can control both with one remote.
You still have two separate EPGs of course, so not a perfect solution.

stevek93

The Rigger wrote: »

There will never be an approved saorview/freesat receiver made for Ireland.
Please correct me if my information is out of date

Yep a approved freesat box is only available in the UK, correct me if im wrong.

snaps

The Rigger wrote: »

Anyone thinking of getting in the free to air channels saorview/freesat please ensure you only buy official freesat and saorview approved products.
Their is endless people selling receivers and combi boxes which are NOT official freesat receivers.

The only official freesat receivers will have the FREESAT LOGO on the box.
The same applies to OFFICIAL SAORVIEW products.

Installers are going round this country selling combi boxes as official freesat/saorview when their not, So please look for the LOGO.


Im sick to death with installers selling CHEAP combo/combi receivers at knock down prices to the public and NOT informing them that the receivers will have to be periodiclly retuned when frequencies change.
These installers will charge you more money to come out and retune the boxes and you will end up paying more in the end.

You have been warned !!!!!

There are a lot of professional Installers out there installing combi boxes for customers, who are not over charging and will re tune the channels for free for at least a period of time. Also a lot of Installers not over charging.

I will agree with you that there are a lot of people out there who will install a combo box on the cheap and thats it, you wont see him again. I know people that are currently going around this area just fitting 20€ FTA SD receivers (Not combos) for UK channels only for €150. Of course when someone who has lost their UK channels via a deflector and they hear down the pub that theres this guy doing it for 150€ compared to say 250€ for a combo installed, which do you think they go for?

I actually got a call from someone a few weeks back who was desperate for me to come around and take a look at this box that was fitted and they had lost all their channels.....I don't normally go out to people after ive quoted them and then they have gone to someone else who was cheaper to have a FTA/Combo installed, but i was curious. They had a lidl or Aldi silvercrest (I think) camping 12v DVB S receiver fitted for 170€!!!!

steveon

A shop here in Limerick sells an aerial, dish and combo box for €150.(Does not include install) which he imports directly from china....almost impossible to compete with but people will not listen to me..and simply see that I am just trying to rip them off when I recommend a Triax or Walker combo.

paultf

MarkK wrote: »

If you have a Saorview TV and a Freesat box, you can control both with one remote.
You still have two separate EPGs of course, so not a perfect solution.

Is that using a universal remote?

Does it depend on which make of Saorview TV or Freesat box you use?

MarkK

I know that some of the Freesat box remotes can be configured to control your TV too. not sure if all of them do.

Failing that a Universal remote will work,

Something like this, €20 from Argos http://www.argos.ie/static/Product/partNumber/9289389/Trail/searchtext%3EONE+FOR+ALL+REMOTE.htm

St Senan

The Rigger wrote: »

Anyone thinking of getting in the free to air channels saorview/freesat please ensure you only buy official freesat and saorview approved products.
Their is endless people selling receivers and combi boxes which are NOT official freesat receivers.

The only official freesat receivers will have the FREESAT LOGO on the box.
The same applies to OFFICIAL SAORVIEW products.

Installers are going round this country selling combi boxes as official freesat/saorview when their not, So please look for the LOGO.


Im sick to death with installers selling CHEAP combo/combi receivers at knock down prices to the public and NOT informing them that the receivers will have to be periodiclly retuned when frequencies change.
These installers will charge you more money to come out and retune the boxes and you will end up paying more in the end.

You have been warned !!!!!

Its happening all over the country. guys flogging Arivas and Xoros and cheap black tip aerials installed on upside down sky brackets as saorview approved combi boxes and aerial for up to €100 cheaper than approved Triax and Walker combi installed with the proper lashing kits.
Its all down to no regulation in the business. RTE are preaching about saorview approved equipment. They maintain that approved retailers sell saorview approved equipment on shelves and in adds separate from unapproved receivers YEAH

Attached is a add that was in the New Ross standard 2 weeks ago there was a 4 page spread on saorview. As you will see the registered retailer is selling a Phillex skyline Free to air satellite receiver as saorview approved.

With less than 3 months to go it seems to be a free for all in the aerial rigging business and I can see the business getting worse rather than better as the poor unsuspecting public will be stung and these Gold Rushers will be gone once the ASO is complete. After Christmas we will all see who are the real true retail shops on the saorview websites and who are the Gold Rushers who have some how gotten Approval. ???

Skull Murphy

I would think the "Saorview approved" claim for the Skyline box is just a mistake, otherwise why not just claim approval for the "mpeg4 digital box" as well?

St Senan

It could well be a mistake or it could be that the retailer just wants to sell as much as he can in the build up to the ASO.
Part of the saorview approval process is that retailers dont stock approved and unapproved equipment beside each other on shelves and in advertisements. It seems RTE/Saorview want to distance themselves from unapproved equipment.

uck51js9zml2yt

I got an ariva 250 today. I know its not saorview approved ..before someone points it out to me:)

I plugged it in,connected everything up,turned it on and got all my channels on 1 list.

€103 as opposed to €179 for a triax 114

watty

Yes, but you are comparing Plums and Peaches. They don't have the same features and your comment is totally irrelevant to the topic.

Sam Russell

The Humax Freesat remote acts as a universal and will control a TV as well as the Humax. Unfortunately, it cannot also control a Humax FreeviewHD box as the remotes are the same (more or less). Unfortunate.

emaherx

Sam Russell wrote: »

The Humax Freesat remote acts as a universal and will control a TV as well as the Humax. Unfortunately, it cannot also control a Humax FreeviewHD box as the remotes are the same (more or less). Unfortunate.

I belive there is a way to reconfigure the remotes/ receivers so they dont interfeer. Then just use a universal remote to control both

The Rigger

watty wrote: »

Yes, but you are comparing Plums and Peaches. They don't have the same features and your comment is totally irrelevant to the topic.

Thanks,
The main reason for the post was to point out to buyers the propper way to go about having a saorview/freesat installation done when they come onto the forum looking for advice.

Kristopherus

The Rigger wrote: »

Thanks,
The main reason for the post was to point out to buyers the propper way to go about having a saorview/freesat installation done when they come onto the forum looking for advice.

Did you not read these forums at all before you posted? This issue has been discussed to death in several threads over the past 18 months already:(

The Rigger

Kristopherus wrote: »

Did you not read these forums at all before you posted? This issue has been discussed to death in several threads over the past 18 months already:(

Yes have read it very well, and it has gone off topic just like your post.
The reason for this as iv said before that the switch off is comming and it needs to be at the forefront what equipment is required (official) not cheap combi non approved boxes which are being pimped.

dodzy

The Rigger wrote: »

Yes have read it very well, and it has gone off topic just like your post.
The reason for this as iv said before that the switch off is comming and it needs to be at the forefront what equipment is required (official) not cheap combi non approved boxes which are being pimped.

A vast amount of people are quite competent of the odd re-tune required on a "cheap combi non-approved box".

I've had the Ariva since it was released. Cheap and effective. Never an issue. 7 day EPG and MHEG5 is not the be all and end all for me, and plenty of others I would imagine.

Your initial post basically brands anything bar FREESAT & SAORVIEW as useless.

"The switchover is coming ! Beware cheap non approved combis !"

Absolutely boll*x.

snaps

Some of the non approved combi boxes have nothing wrong with them. If the install is done well and the customer is aware of what they are buying, Personally i cant see what the problem is?

Schorpio

Nobody is saying there is anything wrong with non-approved combi boxes. The problem is people who are in zero ways technically inclined paying over the odds, thinking they are getting approved equipment. This could potentially be very bad for Saorview if MPEG5 becomes an essential feature, or when rescanning is necessary to get additional channels.

However, if you know and understand fully what you're buying, then by all means fire away. There are plenty of extremely satisfied Ariva users on this forum.

Johnboy1951

snaps wrote: »

Some of the non approved combi boxes have nothing wrong with them. If the install is done well and the customer is aware of what they are buying, Personally i cant see what the problem is?

That is the main problem ...... customers who are not technically competent and have no interest in technical matters can easily be led astray by being sold devices that receive Irish DTT but are not Saorview approved and thus may fail to perform in some expected manner. Those customers are not in a position to determine if the non-approved boxes are suitable for their use or not.

The ONLY way to ensure such persons are not duped is to advise them to purchase/accept Saorview Approved devices.

The majority reading boards are, I suspect, competent to decide for themselves whether they take a chance or not, on future incompatibility of non-approved boxes.

KELTICKNIGHTT

The Rigger wrote: »

Yes have read it very well, and it has gone off topic just like your post.
The reason for this as iv said before that the switch off is comming and it needs to be at the forefront what equipment is required (official) not cheap combi non approved boxes which are being pimped.

THEN dont rob people by charging foolish prices for a system for saorview and freesat , money is tight with people , i know prices of saorview and freesat and the big labour load by installers, so if you want people too get so called official product, then get the install price more reasonable
very simple
theres plenty of people and installers would like to see a saorview/freesat combo thats does it all and thats offical but irish market too small , after using a triax , wouldnt buy one again, the support is useless and walker im told is just as bad

most people are tec savvy

JRH

So do the approved combo boxes rescan automatically ? how does that work ..

I think if the whole Mheg5 and 5day EPG was an major issue you would see
people flocking to this forum complaining about their non approved install ...

but you dont ... :rolleyes:

Ariva + 10euro aerial ... all channels ...HD ... job done .

Cesium Clock

KELTICKNIGHTT wrote: »

THEN dont rob people by charging foolish prices for a system for saorview and freesat , money is tight with people , i know prices of saorview and freesat and the big labour load by installers, so if you want people too get so called official product, then get the install price more reasonable
very simple

And you base this foolish price on what, ?

KELTICKNIGHTT

Cesium Clock wrote: »

And you base this foolish price on what, ?

i know installers , so please dont ,
the labour mark up is unreal , for the amount of time spent and the stock to install

hence most people who know the price of saorview and freesat, will look else where
are you telling me there not installers over pricing ??

zg3409

JRH wrote: »

So do the approved combo boxes rescan automatically ? how does that work ..

I think if the whole Mheg5 and 5day EPG was an major issue you would see
people flocking to this forum complaining about their non approved install ...

but you dont ... :rolleyes:

Ariva + 10euro aerial ... all channels ...HD ... job done .

I think the advice given is to use an approved Saorview TV or box and a second FreeSAT approved box. No tuning ever(unless Saorview add channels). FreeSAT boxes are very good value.

We get people flocking every time channels move or are added. At least 3 times a year. Last time was last week for the BBC Olympic channels. What percentage of combo owners have those channels? For those with FreeSAT approved equipment the answer is 100%

Combos also can have problems on Saorview with not showing RTE+1 channels etc, no old school aertel etc. One of the benefits of Saorview is all units meet minimum spec.

Cesium Clock

KELTICKNIGHTT wrote: »

i know installers , so please dont ,
the labour mark up is unreal , for the amount of time spent and the stock to install

hence most people who know the price of saorview and freesat, will look else where
are you telling me there not installers over pricing ??

Please don't post such claims without facts figures and a breakdown of costs,

KELTICKNIGHTT

Cesium Clock wrote: »

Please don't post such claims without facts figures and a breakdown of costs,

so you would like me to get installers i know of on this site, dont be foolish
its well known , only installers and retailers who supply would say otherwise,
do you have a connection ?
are you saying theres NOT installers out there over charging ?
simple yes or no
i wont even ask for a breakdown or figures ??

Cesium Clock

KELTICKNIGHTT wrote: »

so you would like me to get installers i know of on this site, dont be foolish
its well known , only installers and retailers who supply would say otherwise,
do you have a connection ?
are you saying theres NOT installers out there over charging ?
simple yes or no
i wont even ask for a breakdown or figures ??

Nor will you back your claims by giving a breakdown of figures.

Your post before claimed all installers were overcharging for freesat with foolish prices,

There's plenty of installers out there overcharging and false selling cheap arivas as saorview and freesat

Looking thru the main websites of installers who supply and install official freesat and saorview I fail to see ' foolish prices'

KELTICKNIGHTT

Cesium Clock wrote: »

Nor will you back your claims by giving a breakdown of figures.

Your post before claimed all installers were overcharging for freesat with foolish prices,

There's plenty of installers out there overcharging and false selling cheap arivas as saorview and freesat

Looking thru the main websites of installers who supply and install official freesat and saorview I fail to see ' foolish prices'

where in my post it say i said all installers ??
are you installer or retailer or suppler ?

there is also installers selling and installing saorview with freesat installs at foolish prices, yes or not ??

Cesium Clock

KELTICKNIGHTT wrote: »

there is also installers selling and installing saorview with freesat installs at foolish prices, yes or not ??

Without any facts or figures from your good self, your opinion of foolish prices is just your opinion,

I cannot be expected to answer a question that is just based upon your opinion of what a foolish price is,

KELTICKNIGHTT

Cesium Clock wrote: »

Without any facts or figures from your good self, your opinion of foolish prices is just your opinion,

I cannot be expected to answer a question that is just based upon your opinion of what a foolish price is,

again
are you installer, suppler or retailer of saorview or non saorview ?
its opinion of many people except people connected in the business the prices for installs of saorview is well over priced,
and the rest is pretty much what i expected you to say

Cesium Clock

KELTICKNIGHTT wrote: »

again
are you installer, suppler or retailer of saorview or non saorview ?
its opinion of many people except people connected in the business the prices for installs of saorview is well over priced,
and the rest is pretty much what i expected you to say

I'm sorry that I don't regard your opinion as highly as you do, without facts and figures to back up your opinion, your opinion remains your opinion and not mine,

Wether I'm connected with the trade or not is not relevant,

You stated your opinion on this forum and have refused to back it up.

KELTICKNIGHTT

Cesium Clock wrote: »

I'm sorry that I don't regard your opinion as highly as you do, without facts and figures to back up your opinion, your opinion remains your opinion and not mine,

Wether I'm connected with the trade or not is not relevant,

You stated your opinion on this forum and have refused to back it up.

common sense which you dont seem too see that i cant give details of these installers,
its common sense to people who looked for saorview and got quotes which which where said to be too high a price for labour and then went off did themselves
i know 2 installers who i consider very good and good with there prices , i know others who are not
i also by googling see the difference in prices from retailers and suppliers
and knowing people in the trade

if you contacted to the trade is very relevant , you would in interest in people buying or installing saorview and and would show bios , but you know this already
reading through your posts , would suggest there maybe a connection

STB

The Rigger wrote: »

Im sick to death with installers selling CHEAP combo/combi receivers at knock down prices to the public and NOT informing them that the receivers will have to be periodiclly retuned when frequencies change.

These installers will charge you more money to come out and retune the boxes and you will end up paying more in the end.

You have been warned !!!!!

Saorview boxes ALSO require manual tuning in the event of a frequency change.

There is a trend of recent posts putting down certain unapproved combo boxes as something, cheap nasty and inferior. This is not an approach disgruntled installers should take. There are plenty of real pitfalls to using fly by night merchants that can be pointed out rather than going after the perfectly workable hardware they might use.

How did people survive prior to proprietary Sky boxes with no real human interaction involved ? They read the manual. It is not as if the menus on most combo boxes are an indecipherable conundrum.

zg3409 wrote: »

I think the advice given is to use an approved Saorview TV or box and a second FreeSAT approved box. No tuning ever(unless Saorview add channels).

Manual tuning IS required (even with approved equipment) if they change the frequency, which has happened at Three Rock and will happen at Mt Leinster in October.

And just to point out if new services where to be added to a Mux then the TV should prompt you to add them if that facility is turned on. "New services available". This wont work if the services are on another Mux frequency however.

Extinction

KELTICKNIGHTT wrote: »

so you would like me to get installers i know of on this site, dont be foolish
its well known , only installers and retailers who supply would say otherwise,
do you have a connection ?
are you saying theres NOT installers out there over charging ?
simple yes or no
i wont even ask for a breakdown or figures ??

What exactly is the labour mark up that you are refering to and how much of a mark up do you think there is on stock? Have you asked the installers you know about the trade prices to installers? If you have then you already are aware that there is still an extremely small percentage difference between trade and retail prices. What figure do you feel is excessive for installation for Saorview?

Cesium Clock

KELTICKNIGHTT wrote: »

common sense which you dont seem too see that i cant give details of these installers,
its common sense to people who looked for saorview and got quotes which which where said to be too high a price for labour and then went off did themselves
i know 2 installers who i consider very good and good with there prices , i know others who are not
i also by googling see the difference in prices from retailers and suppliers
and knowing people in the trade

if you contacted to the trade is very relevant , you would in interest in people buying or installing saorview and and would show bios , but you know this already
reading through your posts , would suggest there maybe a connection

No names mate just a breakdown of the foolish price,

And could you make your posts a bit more readable , your third paragraph has me baffled

Ronnie Raygun

KELTICKNIGHTT wrote: »

... if you contacted to the trade is very relevant , you would in interest in people buying or installing saorview and and would show bios

You want their life stories? (I know you meant "bias" btw.)

St Senan

I am in the trade and in it a long time. There is infact €100 in the difference in what I buy at trade price including vat and delivery and that is for good quality wide band Aerial a 60cm dish a Tsc114 and the relevant lashing kit cradle and 8ft mast. And for €100 less I know a guy who has just €€€ in his eyes (Because of the Famous word Saorview) can buy a unapproved receiver a cheap black tip aerial a sky dish and a extra sky wall bracket for the cheap black tip. Now this guy can either charge the same as me for a Combi install or he can undercut me from €80 up to €100 either way this guy is making a killing. And before people start jumping up and down its happening every day of the week as i pointed a while ago here http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=76852596.

dodzy

Navarre wrote: »

I am in the trade and in it a long time. There is infact €100 in the difference in what I buy at trade price including vat and delivery and that is for good quality wide band Aerial a 60cm dish a Tsc114 and the relevant lashing kit cradle and 8ft mast. And for €100 less I know a guy who has just €€€ in his eyes (Because of the Famous word Saorview) can buy a unapproved receiver a cheap black tip aerial a sky dish and a extra sky wall bracket for the cheap black tip. Now this guy can either charge the same as me for a Combi install or he can undercut me from €80 up to €100 either way this guy is making a killing. And before people start jumping up and down its happening every day of the week as i pointed a while ago here http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=76852596.

What's the big deal with the tsc114 apart from the logo?

What constitutes a "good quality wide band" as opposed to a "cheap black tip" aerial in fairness?

A "relevant lashing kit and pole" as opposed to an"extra sky wall bracket" ?

Come on now Navarre, you are painting this up to something it is clearly not.

Extinction

The TSC114 is guaranteed to work with future services

A good quality wideband is shielded, a cheap aerial isn't

Cesium Clock

dodzy wrote: »

What's the big deal with the tsc114 apart from the logo?

What constitutes a "good quality wide band" as opposed to a "cheap black tip" aerial in fairness?

A "relevant lashing kit and pole" as opposed to an"extra sky wall bracket" ?

Come on now Navarre, you are painting this up to something it is clearly not.

Quite a lot

A cheap black tip is for indoor use and a sky dish bracket is designed for a sky dish

A lashing kit installed correctly will last for years and involves no drilling or damage

An approved box is guaranteed to work with the transmission system it was designed for,



So it is something

dodzy

Cesium Clock wrote: »

A cheap black tip is for indoor use and a sky dish bracket is designed for a sky dish
Ive a cheap black tip, chimney mounted, for a year. No issue. And a sky dish bracket is more than capable of holding other things, apart from a sky dish.

A lashing kit installed correctly will last for years and involves no drilling or damage
And if your customer has no chimney?
An approved box is guaranteed to work with the transmission system it was designed for
Non approved units work fine with current transmission systems, and I'd say they will continue to work fine with said systems

Can I ask what you would charge (approximately) for a typical install including a dish, aerial and 2"approved" boxes , just out of interest?

Cesium Clock

dodzy wrote: »

Can I ask what you would charge (approximately) for a typical install including a dish, aerial and 2"approved" boxes , just out of interest?

No commercial interactions are allowed here, apparently

Sponge Bob

I'm not a mod and would not advise anyone to quote a price here.

Having said that only the pros can give an idea of the scale of cowboying going on out there right now, I (not in the trade) have run 2 cowboys from my small local area in Galway and in the last week alone.

dodzy

Extinction wrote: »

The TSC114 is guaranteed to work with future services

the TSC 114 is almost double the price of an Ariva 250. Ridiculously overpriced for the infamously sh1tty 537 successor.