Freeview/Saorview 10.2"TV/Monitor,any good?

reboot

Maplin have a TV/Monitor on sale for £100,(Was £150) No.N95NG
It will receive Freeview and Saorview channels.
I found the previous model very useful as a cheap and rough guide when looking for channels.It had a useful menu which allows me to scan channels and has a bar graph sig,/quality indication.
Sounds like this model may be of more use as it copes with Saorview and Freeview.
It must be T2 and Mpeg4,but not HD?
Offer available until 20th/12.

The Cush

reboot wrote: »

It will receive Freeview and Saorview channels.

Have you seen it working with the Saorview channels?

reboot

No,they just arrived in the Belfast shop and they had not read their own paperwork.It does have"Receives Irish Saorview on the box and the website.They seemed surprised when I pointed it out,but didn't enter into a discussion on the subject.
There is a note on the web page about a firmware change available?

watty

If it doesn't receive HD in Ireland, then it's just an AV monitor.

RTE 2 is HD only format and TV3 + TG4 likely next year (2013). Unlike UK, no simulcast. Any "tuner" for non-HD screen must down sample.

Has it ANY certification other than DVB-T?

reboot

watty wrote: »

If it doesn't receive HD in Ireland, then it's just an AV monitor.

RTE 2 is HD only format and TV3 + TG4 likely next year (2013). Unlike UK, no simulcast. Any "tuner" for non-HD screen must down sample.

Has it ANY certification other than DVB-T?

Tried to ask the manager,he said it was T2 and mpeg4,but didn't offer to open the box to look at the paperwork.The spec on the web does not address what I would have thought was an import issue.
I suspect this TV/Monitor,it is also a receiver,may have had a previous incarnation,and has re-appeared due to the RTE interest.
Next time I am up I shall ask them to tune it into Saorview in Belfast.

watty

The NIMM isn't Saorview, or has Maplin got a big aerial for Clermont Cairn? Unless they have moved, they are pretty low near end of M1, not far from Stockmans Lane?

winston_1

The spec is here.

http://www.maplin.co.uk/10.2in-widescreen-digital-tv-with-usb-port-653250

It does mention Saorview but makes no mention of HD so may not get RTE 2. Certainly no DVB-T2. Also no MHEG so not Saorview approved or Freeview tick.

The update file is a rar file 1.7MB. Don't know what it does though. All questions to ask Maplin technical online before proceeding with caution.

reboot

winston_1 wrote: »

The spec is here.

http://www.maplin.co.uk/10.2in-widescreen-digital-tv-with-usb-port-653250

It does mention Saorview but makes no mention of HD so may not get RTE 2. Certainly no DVB-T2. Also no MHEG so not Saorview approved or Freeview tick.

The update file is a rar file 1.7MB. Don't know what it does though. All questions to ask Maplin technical online before proceeding with caution.

Thanks for that,seems it may not do what it says on the tin,pity because it could be a useful piece of kit ,be it of a domestic nature.
I agree on the caution,I have a wind turbine from them ,rated at 50watts,for a 12volt system,never seen more that 200ma from it.!
Watty as usual is to the point and my thanks to him for clearing up the Saorview point.I don't think they will let me borrow it to try in the Mournes.

watty

Playback MPEG4 (AVI) compressed video

Any bets that it only receives DVB-T and MPEG2?

A generic SD MPEG2 DVB-T TV, no MHEG5, only able to get basic stuff on Freeview and Radio on Saorview?

They have been consistently misleading, inaccurate and plain wrong on selling AV gear in Maplin for years now.

They claimed a previous portable was good for Irish DVB-T because they had a set-box driving it (which was generic box, no MHEG5, not Certified, yet more expensive than ANY certified box).

winston_1

reboot wrote: »

I don't think they will let me borrow it to try in the Mournes.

Maplin have a 28 day money back guarantee so you can certainly get one to try.
And if it doesn't do as described you have considerably longer under your staturatry rights.

reboot

winston_1 wrote: »

Maplin have a 28 day money back guarantee so you can certainly get one to try.
And if it doesn't do as described you have considerably longer under your staturatry rights.

Thanks for that.Good point.
I have used the previous Nikkai 8.4"Receiver/monitor for the last three and a half years and found it very useful when IOM fired up and off we went looking for T and T2,and RTE tests.
Now to dam them with faint praise?
The 8" works on 12v,has video in and out,remote control,EPG ,sig strength and quality and shows this even on T2 channels.
I never needed to look at the picture much,but guess it would do at a pinch in a kitchen.
Was hoping the 10" would do all of this and more (Saorview),and with £50 off ,maybe I will have a punt,and return it as you say if not happy.

reboot

winston_1 wrote: »

Maplin have a 28 day money back guarantee so you can certainly get one to try.
And if it doesn't do as described you have considerably longer under your staturatry rights.

Sorry to bang on about this monitor thing,but without getting into professional gear ,are there any alternatives to portable TV/monitors of this type at this price,if one is involved in looking for DNB signals?
Maplin MEOS 13.3" HD TV/monitor,Mpeg4,(No mention of T2.)

£170. No.N99NF
I sent a question off to them,so far no reply.

Capt'n Midnight

may be way off topic

you can get saorview with a cheap USB tuner on a netbook

BUT they will struggle with HD

The question is whether it's possible to get a meaningful signal strength / signal quality display - otherwise not much use for alignment

reboot

Capt'n Midnight wrote: »

may be way off topic

you can get saorview with a cheap USB tuner on a netbook

BUT they will struggle with HD

The question is whether it's possible to get a meaningful signal strength / signal quality display - otherwise not much use for alignment

Thanks for that.As mentioned before,I got great use out of the 8"TV/Monitor,even though it was only T and not T2 the sig/quality bargraph still gave a useful graph.Used it for over a year for IOM and Kippure TXs into S.Down.
This HD version has a ton more features including DVD,and is 25watts from 12/24v.

The Cush

reboot wrote: »

Maplin have a TV/Monitor on sale for £100,(Was £150) No.N95NG
It will receive Freeview and Saorview channels.

Picked one up in Maplins, Limerick on Sunday for €120.

My quick observations on the product
- Works with the Saorview channels
- No Ireland install option, used England, also tested with France, Sweden, Portugal.
- On the shared RTÉjr/RTÉ1+1 stream it will only store the active channel and ignore the other
- RTÉ News Now/3e stored in their old LCNs
- No MHEG-5 for digital text
- Regular teletext is available on TV3/TG4
- Subtitles are available
- Stores duplicate channels if found
- Channel info banner displays wrong date, epg date OK
- Signal quality bar graph, no signal strength indication

winston_1

Does it get RTE 2 [HD]?

The Cush

winston_1 wrote: »

Does it get RTE 2 [HD]?

Yes.

reboot

The Cush wrote: »

Picked one up in Maplins, Limerick on Sunday for €120.

My quick observations on the product
- Works with the Saorview channels
- No Ireland install option, used England, also tested with France, Sweden, Portugal.
- On the shared RTÉjr/RTÉ1+1 stream it will only store the active channel and ignore the other
- RTÉ News Now/3e stored in their old LCNs
- No MHEG-5 for digital text
- Regular teletext is available on TV3/TG4
- Subtitles are available
- Stores duplicate channels if found
- Channel info banner displays wrong date, epg date OK
- Signal quality bar graph, no signal strength indication

Many thanks for the info,this is the 10.2" I mentioned at the top of my thread.Seems like it is worth the money ,unless anyone has a better idea?