The right combo box for the in-laws - (as i messed up already!)...

Access

HI all,

Just is a quick question, but need to explain the backround...

My father in law was looking to get a combo box recently
His current setup is two aerials on the roof - one old and one new for saorview which are connected through and old sky box just for the free sat channels and the RF output of the old sky box is distributed throughout the rest of the house via a 4 way coax distribution amp which supplys the rest of the tvs in the house. (the tv in the sittingroom is a walker saorview and receives saorview crystal clear)

He told me he had seen a walker combo box in sound store at €143. I told him go ahead and get it and i would swap over his old sky box for the walker combo.

Arrived down last week, and went to do just that except i noticed that on the box it shows RF output but in the manual this is RF Pass through only so i have no way of distributing the output of the combo to the distribution amp for the rest of the house!

Also, the walker combo has no combined tv/sat EPG! - you have to flick between the sat EPG and the Saorviw EPG which is not as user friendly as i thought it would be. This may seem like a minor quibble, but my in laws are in their seventies and it would just be easier to have a combo box with a combined single EPG of tv and sat channels.

We since returned the awful walker combo to sound store and i now feel like i messed up on recommending/not researching the walker combo to my father in law!

Could someone here recommend a combo box that has a combined tv/sat epg and possibly an RF output so i could distribute the RF sginal to the rest of the house (this isnt a total necessity though as i could always add an RF modulator. I would also like to have the option of using magic eyes in each of the rooms to change the box - (i presume the triax trilink would be the only way of doing this http://www.tvtrade.ie/triax-trilink-kit.html) - the distribution amp already has voltage pass through for the magic eyes so i am okay there)

Im thinking the Ariva 250 box... i know it doesnt have rf output, but would this be the best at the moment or can someone suggest a better alternative for the required setup. Thanks.

Taltos

I have the older Ariva - got it from Tony on satellite.ie
Have found it fine - not sure about the RF output.

Box is easy to use.
Have heard the newer one is more responsive, faster to power up etc. Two of my work colleagues just got them into their homes.
Only thing - you may need an amplifier for the Saorview depending on where you are, also the EPG only works for saorview, on the freeview stations it only shows what is on now and next - nothing more...

For freeview you will need a satellite dish - many come with multiple LNPs so if needed you can use multiple boxes.
I use mine with a TV sender - works reasonably OK - sometimes a bit slow to start and if anyone walks between the receivers the reception is blown.

One thing I love about the ariva is the Favourite setup - you can create personalised favourites - very easy to switch between.... Also if you have a HDD you can record live TV or set up a recording schedule. One word of caution on this, I initially had mine recording the last 30 minutes constantly, after leaving my box on for a few days and nights I just ended up burning out the HDD - so take care on the settings you choose.

If I was going for another combo for a reasonable price I would definitely go for the Ariva 250

Hope this helps.

Access

Taltos wrote: »

Only thing - you may need an amplifier for the Saorview depending on where you are, also the EPG only works for saorview, on the freeview stations it only shows what is on now and next - nothing more...

For freeview you will need a satellite dish - many come with multiple LNPs so if needed you can use multiple boxes.

Thanks for that... there is an aerial amp on the incoming coax from the aerials, so happy days there and the dish is there too. I knew about the saorview having a 7 day epg and the sat stations only having now and next, thats fine by me. I take it that the soarview and sat epg is a combined epg on the ariva 250 though? - Just like skys epg but in whatever order you set?

Taltos

Yup - no need to switch between the two - they are all just on one listing...

You can use the favourites to separate though... Just make sure you select all channels the first time you switch it on, but I think it is there by default.
Initial setup can be a little fiddly - getting all the stations, doing a scan, organising favourites - but once done you don't need to touch unless a channel moves, rare enough but it can happen.

Johnboy1951

I want to mention one thing about the listings on the older Ariva I have (120) ....... it is possible to have only DTT channels or only the SAT channels or a combined list. (As I have only one SAT tuned I am unsure if this facilitates selection of each individual SAT)

I only realised this after SWMBO pressed a button on the remote and lost the SAT channels

PG Up and PG Down does the switching between lists.

Peter Rhea

Access wrote: »

Could someone here recommend a combo box that has a combined tv/sat epg and possibly an RF output so i could distribute the RF sginal to the rest of the house (this isnt a total necessity though as i could always add an RF modulator. I would also like to have the option of using magic eyes in each of the rooms to change the box - (i presume the triax trilink would be the only way of doing this http://www.tvtrade.ie/triax-trilink-kit.html) ...

Im thinking the Ariva 250 box... .

The Ariva isn't Saorview approved, if that matters to you (no digital text or interactive 'red button' features).

If you're thinking about using a Triax Tri-Link modulator, the Triax TSC114 combo is worth considering, as it uses a wired connection to the Tri-Link for the magic eye remote signal. This receiver is Saorview approved, unfortunately with the considerable price premium that approval seems to entail.

zg3409

As already said any satellite box can have the RF2 output type system by conecting it to a "triax tri link" The tri link connects to any receiver with a scart connector and enables viewing like the Sky eye. You would also need multiple remote controls for whatever box you choose.

Approved Saorview boxes give 7 day guide on Saorview, most combo receivers (including Saorview approved receivers) do not give 7 day guide on Sat

So along with finding a combo that does the correct channel numbering you want, you also need to consider Saorview approval, and the lack of 7 day guide on Satellite or not.

Another factor if supplying a box to elderly relatives is that a few times a year satellite channels "move" and need to be retuned. Some boxes can have the channels "fixed" using a USB stick and a channel list downloaded from other users on boards. Others you need to look up settings and spend some time in front of the box scanning and sorting channels. Depending on the box this can take ages. Some boxes are more supported by users of boards, others less so.