Saorview Connect

Sam Russell

Johnboy1951 wrote: »

I guess those questions are rhetoric
My answer would be .... proprietary sh1t designed to limit what users can do!

I don't think that is in fact true.

1: RTE are a content provider and a regulated body, so have to be careful about intellectual property rights, and licences. They cannot get involved in any 'dodgy' bits of software to provide EPG data without the owner of that data giving permission. I doubt they could even ask.

2: RTE do not derive any financial benefit from the Connect box, but might get feedback from its use through usage data from users who sign up to their ID service. Their interest is to try and support the Saorview brand and usage.

3: RTE are not best friends with the Minister or the Dept (and never have been in the last 50 years) and need a rise in the licence fee, or the eradication of evasion, or both. Neither is on the list of priorities of the politicos.

I]I have no connection with RTE other than as a viewer[/I

Johnboy1951

Sam Russell wrote: »

I don't think that is in fact true.

1: RTE are a content provider and a regulated body, so have to be careful about intellectual property rights, and licences. They cannot get involved in any 'dodgy' bits of software to provide EPG data without the owner of that data giving permission. I doubt they could even ask.

2: RTE do not derive any financial benefit from the Connect box, but might get feedback from its use through usage data from users who sign up to their ID service. Their interest is to try and support the Saorview brand and usage.

3: RTE are not best friends with the Minister or the Dept (and never have been in the last 50 years) and need a rise in the licence fee, or the eradication of evasion, or both. Neither is on the list of priorities of the politicos.

I]I have no connection with RTE other than as a viewer[/I

I did not suggest anything dodgy. Nor would they need to include anything dodgy in the box. The rest does not impact any more or less regardless proprietary or open source.

There are similar boxes on the market, only missing the Saorview catch-up/on-demand software.

None of which really addresses what I posted .... 'designed to limit what the user can do'.
Freesat deliberately refuses to allow users to do things that would make life easier for the user.
RTE chose Freesat firmware ..... a deliberate decision.

It is no wonder the likes of Enigma boxes are popular ..... they give the user the freedom to use and tweak their device as they wish, and not as some proprietary provider determines.

RTE could have chosen that open route if they wished, but didn't.

Anyway, too late now - people are stuck with what RTE give them ...... or rather don't give them!

Sam Russell

Johnboy1951 wrote: »

I did not suggest anything dodgy. Nor would they need to include anything dodgy in the box. The rest does not impact any more or less regardless proprietary or open source.

There are similar boxes on the market, only missing the Saorview catch-up/on-demand software.

None of which really addresses what I posted .... 'designed to limit what the user can do'.
Freesat deliberately refuses to allow users to do things that would make life easier for the user.
RTE chose Freesat firmware ..... a deliberate decision.

It is no wonder the likes of Enigma boxes are popular ..... they give the user the freedom to use and tweak their device as they wish, and not as some proprietary provider determines.

RTE could have chosen that open route if they wished, but didn't.

Anyway, too late now - people are stuck with what RTE give them ...... or rather don't give them!

RTE and Freesat (and Freeview) all suffer from the same disease - public oversight. They are all based on bodies funded by licence fees. I do not think the Freesat software is relevant, it is the need to tender for all supplies and not to show preference.

We end up with a lesser product.

corm500

I recieved the following from Saorview re recording on connect.
" recording software is in testing and will be introduced soon. It will allow series link on Saorview channels and timer record on satellite channels. It will allow recording of Saorview channels while watching Satellite channels and vica versa. This will require you using an external USB hard drive. Once launched it will be available as an automatic software update sent as a download to all existing Saorview Connect Boxes"

Worryingly I get from the reply the possibility that you may not be able to watch one saorview channel whilst recording another. Say it aint so.:(

Sam Russell

corm500 wrote: »

I recieved the following from Saorview re recording on connect.
" recording software is in testing and will be introduced soon. It will allow series link on Saorview channels and timer record on satellite channels. It will allow recording of Saorview channels while watching Satellite channels and vica versa. This will require you using an external USB hard drive. Once launched it will be available as an automatic software update sent as a download to all existing Saorview Connect Boxes"

Worryingly I get from the reply the possibility that you may not be able to watch one saorview channel whilst recording another. Say it aint so.:(

It aint so.

My understanding is that there are two identical tuners - each capable of tuning both terrestrial and satellite channels. Currently, the second one is disabled.

Now I may be wrong, but I do not think so.

Johnboy1951

It will allow series link on Saorview channels and timer record on satellite channels.

So no series link on Satellite channels apparently.

Wheety

I thought the box receives 1 sat and 1 terrestrial signal and you if you are recording from 1 source (ie Sat), you can't watch something else from that source?

I have a triple tuner (1 terrestrial and 2 sat). I can only use 1 tuner to record* while watching another so either I record a Saorview channel and watch satellite or if recording 1 satellite channel, I can watch the other satellite feed or terrestrial.

Not sure if the 2 tuners can take terrestrial or satellite on Saorview Connect. I thought they were different frequencies?

It may be possible to record 2 things but the restrictions are still there on what you can watch at the same time.

tsue921i8wljb3

Johnboy1951 wrote: »

So no series link on Satellite channels apparently.

It could not do series link for satellite when it only has now and next epg data. It's still way overpriced at €149.

Johnboy1951

Sam Russell wrote: »

RTE and Freesat (and Freeview) all suffer from the same disease - public oversight. They are all based on bodies funded by licence fees. I do not think the Freesat software is relevant, it is the need to tender for all supplies and not to show preference.

We end up with a lesser product.

I guess it depends on how the requirements were specified for tender.

,,,,,, and yes to a less than ideal device as a result.

Sam Russell

Wheety wrote: »

I thought the box receives 1 sat and 1 terrestrial signal and you if you are recording from 1 source (ie Sat), you can't watch something else from that source?

I have a triple tuner (1 terrestrial and 2 sat). I can only use 1 tuner to record* while watching another so either I record a Saorview channel and watch satellite or if recording 1 satellite channel, I can watch the other satellite feed or terrestrial.

Not sure if the 2 tuners can take terrestrial or satellite on Saorview Connect. I thought they were different frequencies?

It may be possible to record 2 things but the restrictions are still there on what you can watch at the same time.

Read my post above. It has two identical tuners - each can receive both sat and terrestrial. Your tuners cannot do that.

Sam Russell

Lincoln Important Syllable wrote: »

It could not do series link for satellite when it only has now and next epg data. It's still way overpriced at €149.

That is so. Nothing can do series link with Saorview except the Walker piece of ...... recorder. At least not Saorview approved.

Other boxes can do series link for Satellite - particularly Freesat boxes.

Tigerandahalf

On my freesat box I can delete channels so I have deleted any sd channels that I don't want.
My channel order is
102 bbc2 hd
104 c4 sd (as c4 hd removed from freesat)
105 c5 hd
106 bbc1 hd
107 bbc4 hd
109 bbc alba sd
111 itv hd

I have to add that the saorview connect remote is very nice to use, much nicer than the freesat humax remote. Very nice feel to it.

Tigerandahalf

Remote back

Sam Russell

Tigerandahalf wrote: »

Remote back

Do the dimples on the back give it good aerodynamics when you throw it at the TV?

Tigerandahalf

Does anyone know is there a way on lg smart tvs to record what is on the screen?
If I could I would put up a video showing it.
Tvtrade did a poor enough review of the box. They didn't even connect it upto an aerial and/or satellite input.

lsjmhar

Sam Russell wrote:

Sky is of no use to me anyway, as I have little interest in sport and I have Netflix for films and box sets. I do not think Sky is good value for anything. *Why can Freesat not have logical channel numbers? Why can they not put HD channels in prime position? Why can they not switch from HD to SD for local content? [Rant, rant, rant, but it is free and we do not even have to pay for a UK licence.]

Channels are in that order due to funding. BBC and ITV pay most to Freesat system so they go first. Other channels contribute less and are views as less important by their parent channel so they take lower order. It's always about money as advertiser's want their monies worth.

In July or Jaugust or Jeptember or joctober or jovember or jecember we will have record on saorview connect. Lmao

Harry Palmr

lsjmhar wrote: »

Channels are in that order due to funding. BBC and ITV pay most to Freesat system so they go first. Other channels contribute less and are views as less important by their parent channel so they take lower order. It's always about money as advertiser's want their monies worth.

In July or Jaugust or Jeptember or joctober or jovember or jecember we will have record on saorview connect. Lmao

The initial channel order is down to tradition really, the five channels that are obliged to provide public service broadcast material go first and of course the BBC got there first, then ITV, channel 4 and finally channel 5.

Tigerandahalf

Harry Palmr wrote: »

The initial channel order is down to tradition really, the five channels that are obliged to provide public service broadcast material go first and of course the BBC got there first, then ITV, channel 4 and finally channel 5.

The funny thing about c4 removing their hd channel is that if you removed the sd versions their channel was very high up. As you can see from what I listed above c5hd is very high up.
The big thing is to be on the 1st page of the epg.


Edit: I actually looked online there and c4hd was further down the epg whereas their sd channel is at 104 (on the first page), so they actually could have more viewers without the hd version being available.

Capt'n Midnight

Johnboy1951 wrote: »

I guess those questions are rhetoric
My answer would be .... proprietary sh1t designed to limit what users can do!

Well yeah, that's what happens on UK satellite.


On UK satellite to get anything other than now/next you have the choices of
- SKY
- Genuine Freesat box
- roll your own , linux box + internet lookups or sniffing the feeds.


Saorsat gives you the full EPG for the week ahead.
- But my freesat box ignores it only showing only now/next

meelick

Sam Russell wrote: »

Lincoln Important Syllable wrote: »

It could not do series link for satellite when it only has now and next epg data. It's still way overpriced at €149.

That is so.  Nothing can do series link with Saorview except the Walker piece of ......  recorder.  At least not Saorview approved.

Other boxes can do series link for Satellite - particularly Freesat boxes.

I think I'll to go down the DIY route. 

Backend: Small Single Board Computer (Up Board, like a Raspbery Pi) with DVB-T2 and DVB-S2 USB dongles feeding into a MythTV server with 2TB USB hard drive. I'll stick that in my office, along with all the incoming cables from 4-way LNB and DVB-T antenna.

Frontend(s): Any TV in the house can then have an Amazon FireTV or Amazon FireTV stick with Kodi for playing back stored media, and Kodi using the the MythTV addon for Live TV with EPG for both terrestrial and satellite all integrated into the same EPG. Live TV pause/resume, series link, multi-channel record (with however many USB dongles I have on the back-end server), record and watch any combination of terrestrial/sat at the same time. No Fiddling switching between Satellite and Terrestrial. My house has Ethernet cabling to every room. At leas that's the plan.

My journey into this started last night, I got an Up Board running MythTV and Kodi with a U3100 DVB-T dongle. That dongle can record 2 simultaneous channels (or watch 1 record 1). Kodi EPG front end is WAY nicer than the Saorview connect EPG.

Anyway, at the risk of going off topic (I guess I already have), I'm going to either try to return the Saorview Connect box, or stick it onto done-deal. I can't see me making much use of it now that I've explored the alternatives a bit. 
Dave.

PabloAndRoy

meelick wrote: »

I think I'll to go down the DIY route. 

Backend: Small Single Board Computer (Up Board, like a Raspbery Pi) with DVB-T2 and DVB-S2 USB dongles feeding into a MythTV server with 2TB USB hard drive. I'll stick that in my office, along with all the incoming cables from 4-way LNB and DVB-T antenna.

Frontend(s): Any TV in the house can then have an Amazon FireTV or Amazon FireTV stick with Kodi for playing back stored media, and Kodi using the the MythTV addon for Live TV with EPG for both terrestrial and satellite all integrated into the same EPG. Live TV pause/resume, series link, multi-channel record (with however many USB dongles I have on the back-end server), record and watch any combination of terrestrial/sat at the same time. No Fiddling switching between Satellite and Terrestrial. My house has Ethernet cabling to every room. At leas that's the plan.

My journey into this started last night, I got an Up Board running MythTV and Kodi with a U3100 DVB-T dongle. That dongle can record 2 simultaneous channels (or watch 1 record 1). Kodi EPG front end is WAY nicer than the Saorview connect EPG.

Anyway, at the risk of going off topic (I guess I already have), I'm going to either try to return the Saorview Connect box, or stick it onto done-deal. I can't see me making much use of it now that I've explored the alternatives a bit. 
Dave.

I (and some others on this forum) have a similar set up as you describe, but we tend to use tvheadend rather than Myth-TV. Also .. rather than 4 x USB DVB-S dongles, which are pretty pricey, you might consider a Sat>IP box. I am using the Telestar Digibit R1, which you can purchase on amazon germany for about €130 delivered to Ireland. I swear by this box and have recommended it to many happy users.

FWIW, I found the Fire stick to not have the grunt to handle decoding HD streams from this set up. I tend to use LibreELEC on either Raspberry Pis or re-purposed S905 boxes running LibreELEC. LibreELEC is a small linux distro just for running Kodi.

Johnboy1951

meelick wrote: »

I think I'll to go down the DIY route. 

In that case you should find some posts of interest to you in the HTPC section of Boards.

https://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?f=643

Tigerandahalf

These setups that ye describe above - do they allow you to remotely watch tv (away from your house) and have the ability to cast it to a tv in your holiday accommodation?

Johnboy1951

Tigerandahalf wrote: »

These setups that ye describe above - do they allow you to remotely watch tv (away from your house) and have the ability to cast it to a tv in your holiday accommodation?

Yes you can view from remote location ..... provided you have the upload speed required.

Tigerandahalf

TG4 catchup seems to be on the connect box this evening.

lsjmhar

Tigerandahalf wrote:

TG4 catchup seems to be on the connect box this evening.

Gradually improving. At least they are delivering a product. I think it is a good box tbh. Once record is included it will be more usuable, unless you are mental about TV of course!!

Tigerandahalf

Johnboy1951 wrote: »

Yes you can view from remote location ..... provided you have the upload speed required.

But not the ability to cast? That wouldn't appeal to me.

I notice how the long ads are gone from the start of the rte player app too. Now there is just a 10 second ad. Maybe they are finally learning and copying the approach of the All4 app.

I wonder also how long it will be before rte and other broadcasters allow licence payers to use the content abroad. It makes no sense to stop people from viewing from abroad. Allow people to use their licence details if necessary.

Johnboy1951

Tigerandahalf wrote: »

But not the ability to cast? That wouldn't appeal to me.

Maybe we are at cross purposes
You asked

These setups that ye describe above - do they allow you to remotely watch tv (away from your house) and have the ability to cast it to a tv in your holiday accommodation?

which presumably were those described to "meelick".

In that case what happens to the received data at the remote location is dependent entirely on the functions of the receiving device.

meelick

PabloAndRoy wrote: »

I (and some others on this forum) have a similar set up as you describe, but we tend to use tvheadend rather than Myth-TV. Also .. rather than 4 x USB DVB-S dongles, which are pretty pricey, you might consider a Sat>IP box. I am using the Telestar Digibit R1, which you can purchase on amazon germany for about €130 delivered to Ireland. I swear by this box and have recommended it to many happy users.

Thanks for that execellent information. I've just ordered a Telestar Digibit R1 from amazon.de.

lsjmhar

TG4 has some great shows on the player. Never noticed before as never used the app. Good few sports documentaries also. This connect box has opened up good opportunities it seems!