Saorview North Meath

Eskarina Smith

Only just getting my head around Saorview. I'd appreciate some advice on how to set this up for my elderly parents.

They live in North Meath, on the Cavan border.
They currently have an aerial, receiving RTE1, RTE2, TV3, TG4, BBC1, BBC2, UTV, CH4.
They do not want any more, or less! channels.
They want no HD, no satellite dish, no SKY, no UPC, no fuss.
Their televisions do not receive free to air.
What do I need to buy to give them these 8 channels and no hassle?
Do I have to buy two of everything for the two televisions?
Would it be cheaper (or at least better value) to buy new televisions?
Thanks in advance.

MarkK

Buy a Saorview box for each TV, install it now and you will get BBC and Saorview on it provided you connect the box to the same aerial or aerials that are giving you RTE and BBC.

You will need to retune again on 24 October at which point you will pick up UTV and C4.

btw, Your parents are not getting BBC 2 any more, it shut down on analogue yesterday.

You should be able to rearrange the TV channels in the order you like, might be a good idea to double check in the shop that the box allows you to do this.

MarkK

BTW. check that both TVs have SCART sockets and get SCART leads if you need them.

If the TVs don't have SCART sockets it may be worth thinking about getting new TVs.

Eskarina Smith

That's fantastic Markk, thanks a million. I couldn't figure out from all the info if I needed to get a separate box for the UK channels.
Now that I know what I need, does anyone have an opinion on this box?

http://www.powercity.ie/?brands=WALKER&pages=1&par=10-23

At €62.95 with pause & record facility it seems very good value, is there a snag?

MarkK

Eskarina Smith wrote: »

At €62.95 with pause & record facility it seems very good value, is there a snag?

Grand as a box, but if you want to use the "record facility" there are a couple of things to bear in mind.
You need a USB memory stick to record programmes on.
You can only record the channel you are watching.

There is a guide to that box here:
http://www.tvtrade.ie/walker-wp12dtb-r-saorview-box-user-manual.html

Eskarina Smith

Thanks again, much appreciated.

zg3409

Make sure the channel numbering is the way you want it. I am not sure about that Walker box but some number the UK channels in the 800's and boxes from the North number the Irish channels in the 800's.

Make sure you can move the channel numbers around so you can make the numbers for each channel the same as the old setup.

That box needs a seperate hard drive (probably another 50) to record. While recording you cannot watch anything else.

zg3409

It seems as if moving channels is possible on this box:
http://www.tvtrade.ie/walker-wp12dtb-r-saorview-box-user-manual.html

The new TV option would give them only one remote instead of two. If the TVs are over 10 years old then it is probably better long term value to buy a new TV. Again make sure the channels can be sorted etc. A new TV would be easier to use than a TV and a set top box.

You would need one set top box or new TV per TV being replaced.

The Cush

zg3409 wrote: »

Make sure the channel numbering is the way you want it. I am not sure about that Walker box but some number the UK channels in the 800's and boxes from the North number the Irish channels in the 800's.

lawhec and others mentioned here previously that if you use Ireland as the install country the Irish channels are stored 1-8 with the UK channels following straight after, 9 upwards, with some rearranging required. They said the storing of channels in the 800s is part of the freeview D-Book spec with UK as the install country, the pictures posted by CRM Ireland yesterday seem to suggest that too .