Saorview Connect

patsryan

Rosser wrote: »

Sorry dumb question but are you using both boxes to get a 7 day epg on Freesat? I’m presuming the new software still just gives ‘now & next’ for the Sat channels are there are no plans to develop this?


I’m going to drop Virgin tv so for anyone with experience of both would you recommend Saorview box over a Tiviar?

The developers are investigating how to get a 7 day Satellite EPG on the box.


The Amiko A5 is an Android based STB that has CrossEPG (7 day SAT EPG similar to Linux boxes) as well as the ability to run all apks so that may also be an option

lsjmhar

I take it from the posts over past few days that the recording function is quite robust and solid. I assume the box is quite efficient now?

STB.

Tigerandahalf wrote: »

Just on this again.
The ram on the humax 1100s is the exact same as this box.

I would presume freesat would have informed saorview of what specs the Connect box needed in order to operate the metaphor software to its potential.

The only difference that stands out is that the hard drive is external and usb connected. This must be a big issue for the box.

Note the mention above of 'recording tuner'. Is one of the tuners solely for recording? The other tuner is used for viewing?

The RAM may be the same, but the underlying SOC isn't. This box is using that ALI M3733 which is ARM. Not much is known about it.

"Recording Tuner". Don't get tied up in this. Where there are two dvb-s sources, the ability to use one for recording whilst viewing the other full dvb-s tuner band exists. The ability to switch to an available tuner is what drives limitations. Example.

Tuner A DVB-T
Tuner B DVB-T
Tuner C DVB-S2
Tuner D DVB-S2

If configured correctly in software Tuner A=B and Tuner C=D then the theoretical permutations allowed are obvious. If there are no hardware and particularly memory limitations then you should be able to record 2 dvb-s2 and 1 dvb-t on Mux 1 whilst watching another dvb-t on Mux 2.

The number of tuners available will vary according to the software written, and the software drivers for each tuner and the accompanying hardware, including mounted usb drives. It might also depend on whats been written to the available memory cache first.

Tigerandahalf

@Rosser

Yes I am using both boxes - Connect for saorview and humax 1100s for freesat.

corm500

Tigerandahalf wrote: »

@Rosser

Yes I am using both boxes - Connect for saorview and humax 1100s for freesat.

Same here, which, I suspect, is the closest we are going to get to a complete solution.

corm500

lsjmhar wrote: »

I take it from the posts over past few days that the recording function is quite robust and solid. I assume the box is quite efficient now?

No issues with recording, anything recorded has recorded in full with complete pause rewind and forward functions.

Johnboy1951

corm500 wrote: »

No issues with recording, anything recorded has recorded in full with complete pause rewind and forward functions.

Are the recordings 'protected' in any way?
Can they be easily played on a PC?

Tigerandahalf

Johnboy1951 wrote: »

Are the recordings 'protected' in any way?
Can they be easily played on a PC?

There doesn't seem to be any network connection on the box like there is with the humax. When I cast stuff my Chromecast and humax show a network connection but not the Connect box.

Johnboy1951

Tigerandahalf wrote: »

There doesn't seem to be any network connection on the box like there is with the humax. When I cast stuff my Chromecast and humax show a network connection but not the Connect box.

If the drive holding the recordings were plugged into a PC are the recordings playable?

Tigerandahalf

Johnboy1951 wrote: »

If the drive holding the recordings were plugged into a PC are the recordings playable?

I highly doubt it due to copyright but haven't checked.

lsjmhar

I tried to record Match of the Day 2 and Heineken Cup highlights last night and the box wouldn't let me. The system said one of the recordings had to be cancelled. Does that mean there is no triple tuner facility available, even with the software support? MOTD2 was on BBC and Heineken cup was on VM1, so one sat and one saorview.

I have not tried to record two programs on the sat side while watching saorview and wonder if the box can handle this option? There are two coax cables for sat so maybe it can handle two sat recordings.

If this is the case then the box is really only a double tuner - watch one side and record another.

tsue921i8wljb3

lsjmhar wrote: »

I tried to record Match of the Day 2 and Heineken Cup highlights last night and the box wouldn't let me. The system said one of the recordings had to be cancelled. Does that mean there is no triple tuner facility available, even with the software support? MOTD2 was on BBC and Heineken cup was on VM1, so one sat and one saorview.

I have not tried to record two programs on the sat side while watching saorview and wonder if the box can handle this option? There are two coax cables for sat so maybe it can handle two sat recordings.

If this is the case then the box is really only a double tuner - watch one side and record another.

Well it does state in the "Limitations"above that recording more than one programme at a time is not possible.

It's not even a conventional double tuner box then as a double tuner should be able to record two programmes at once, provided the box is tuned to the transponder or mux of one of the recordings, or alternatively the box is in standby.

lsjmhar

That is what I was thinking. I thought if the box was on the channel then that could be recorded, as well as another channel. This will probably be fixed once the beta testing is over.

Tigerandahalf

lsjmhar wrote: »

If this is the case then the box is really only a double tuner - watch one side and record another.

We have been told the box can only do 1 recording at a time. This may be improved in time.
But even if you have 2 satellite inputs, the max you will be able to record is 1 programme, if you want to watch something at the same time.

It is really poor planning. If you are going to have 2 satellite inputs on the box you need at least 3 tuners, 4 if you want the best for the saorview side.

I don't know know how hard logistically this would be to put together in the box but with no hard drive, size shouldn't be an issue.

I think the problem here is that saorview just wanted to cover their end, of bringing a hybrid box to the market. They don't really care about the satellite end.

There was to be a saorview only Connect box launched too. You do wonder if they'll bother now as this box covers everything really if they can get the recording of 2 channels sorted.

We don't really know why they went with these multi-format tuners.

Ten Pin

This will probably be fixed once the beta testing is over.

Might be worthwhile contacting Keri to suggest that, it's possible that it will stay as is (only 1 channel record).

Beta version should have all major functions included with just minor bugs to be rectified, recording 2 channels at once is most likely a major function and if it's not in beta it may not be in final release.

galtee boy

No wonder people pay for Sky is all I can say, having read what the Saorview Connect box can't do. Are RTE not embarrassed by this backward piece of kit ? Its 2018 and they come up with a box that can only record one channel at a time and then to add further insult to injury, only to an external HDD !!

Johnboy1951

galtee boy wrote: »

No wonder people pay for Sky is all I can say, having read what the Saorview Connect box can't do. Are RTE not embarrassed by this backward piece of kit ? Its 2018 and they come up with a box that can only record one channel at a time and then to add further insult to injury, only to an external HDD !!

You cannot judge all STBs or other options based on this failed Connect box ...... and yes it has failed miserably to deliver what customers want, although it might well have fulfilled what RTÉ want from it.

Paying Sky is a mugs game unless they have some exclusive content that is worth the payment to the individual customer.

Tigerandahalf

Johnboy1951 wrote: »

You cannot judge all STBs or other options based on this failed Connect box ...... and yes it has failed miserably to deliver what customers want, although it might well have fulfilled what RTÉ want from it.

Paying Sky is a mugs game unless they have some exclusive content that is worth the payment to the individual customer.

Sky is expensive and doesn't offer all channels nor other options like players.

There is hope that the next freesat box will offer encryption. That could possibly open the way for eir, bt sports, eleven sports to offer their content on the freesat platform.

A lot more people would ditch sky only that they can't receive the sports channels on any other satellite platform.

patsryan

Tigerandahalf wrote: »

Sky is expensive and doesn't offer all channels nor other options like players.

There is hope that the next freesat box will offer encryption. That could possibly open the way for eir, bt sports, eleven sports to offer their content on the freesat platform.

A lot more people would ditch sky only that they can't receive the sports channels on any other satellite platform.

You can cast Eir Sports & BT Sport from the eir sport app and get Sky Sports via Now TV.

People have Sky for convenience

Tigerandahalf

patsryan wrote: »

You can cast Eir Sports & BT Sport from the eir sport app and get Sky Sports via Now TV.

People have Sky for convenience

You need decent broadband plus you can't record. You also need a phone.

galtee boy

Johnboy1951 wrote: »

You cannot judge all STBs or other options based on this failed Connect box ...... and yes it has failed miserably to deliver what customers want, although it might well have fulfilled what RTÉ want from it.

Paying Sky is a mugs game unless they have some exclusive content that is worth the payment to the individual customer.

While I agree Sky is pricey and if you don't want Sports or movies, then a lot of channels can be got fta, but to there is more to it also, at least for your money, you get all the Irish terrestrials in HD, buckets of box sets, remote record from phone etc, watch channels via an app on phone or tablet, record multiple channels at a time etc. The Saorview box will never compete with that or should it, but for the love of God, it should at least be a proper pvr with built in hard drive and be able to record two channels at once. I move around my pay tv suppliers every year or two and play them off against each other, there is no need to pay full price. If someone gave me a Saorview Connect for free, I don't think I would take it, why ? to record Virgin Media and TG4 in SD ? No thanks. When and if they ever bring out a proper pvr, then I may be tempted, but the problem of only RTE in HD will remain.

STB.

Tigerandahalf wrote: »

I highly doubt it due to copyright but haven't checked.

I highly doubt the recordings are DRM'd.

They would have to be flagged in the data stream as such and they don't from the last time I recorded on a STB and viewed on a PC.

VLC or Potplayer should play them straight off.

tsue921i8wljb3

STB. wrote: »

I highly doubt the recordings are DRM'd.

They would have to be flagged in the data stream as such and they don't from the last time I recorded on a STB and viewed on a PC.

VLC or Potplayer should play them straight off.

If it is similar to the Humax HDR 1000/1010/1100S then the recordings will be encrypted.

https://www.burningimage.net/humaxusb/

patsryan

Lincoln Important Syllable wrote: »

If it is similar to the Humax HDR 1000/1010/1100S then the recordings will be encrypted.

https://www.burningimage.net/humaxusb/

That’s because some of the U.K. data streams request compatible receivers to DRM recordings.

Could someone confirm for me if the Now / next data can be populated automatically on any FTA receiver with two tuners without any additional plugins or changing to a channel on that transponder

STB.

patsryan wrote: »

That’s because some of the U.K. data streams request compatible receivers to DRM recordings.

Could someone confirm for me if the Now / next data can be populated automatically on any FTA receiver with two tuners without any additional plugins or changing to a channel on that transponder

Indeed they do, on HD Channels. But the Connect Box is not built to the Freesat spec. The tuner is generic,. Why would it be DRMing sat content ?

Do RTE broadcast encode flags ?

Your question. No. My experience of now/next data on generic receivers and TV's is that the info only populates when you have entered that channels multiplex (the now next data for all channels on that mux will populate when you enter the first).

tsue921i8wljb3

STB. wrote: »

Indeed they do, on HD Channels.

Do RTE broadcast encode flags ?

Your question. No. My experience of now/next data on generic receivers and TV's is that the info only populates when you have entered that channels multiplex (the now next data for all channels on that mux will populate when you enter the first).

AFAIK everything on the G2 Humax devices is encrypted, HD and SD. It's impossible to play them back on another device.

Capt'n Midnight

patsryan wrote: »

That’s because some of the U.K. data streams request compatible receivers to DRM recordings.

No it's because genuine Freesat boxes encrypt unencrypted FTA HD channels to prevent them being viewed on other boxes later on.

Record the same channel with a FTA box and it's clear.

tsue921i8wljb3

Capt'n Midnight wrote: »

No it's because genuine Freesat boxes encrypt unencrypted FTA HD channels to prevent them being viewed on other boxes later on.

Record the same channel with a FTA box and it's clear.

Yes and there was a workaround for the original HDR with Raydon's custom firmware. Unfortunately no such firmware exists for the G2 boxes so everything is encrypted.

STB.

Lincoln Important Syllable wrote: »

AFAIK everything on the G2 Humax devices is encrypted, HD and SD. It's impossible to play them back on another device.

More accident than design on the SD, I gather. (thought the SD recordings did strip the encoding on SD on USB transfer on the Hummy 1000 series ??)

I see the Saorview spec that.......HDCP must be on (enabled or activated) in the signal within the HDMI-link out of the IRD for services in case of any following alternatives:

• if any of service’s components has copyright flag in Transport Stream (TS) or Packetised Elementary Stream (PES) header is set on (‘1’) and/or
• if signalled as must be on via PSI/SI descriptor in PMT as specified in NorDig specificationand/or
• if signalled as a must be on via CA-system as specified in NorDig specification.

If any of the above alternatives request the HDCP must be on, then the service is here referred to as a ‘protected’ service. Now whether that rule would be copied across to dvb-s.......

Tigerandahalf

I contacted rte re the new player and having the player in HD on Connect. No launch dates set for either. Doubtful they will be launched for Xmas I guess.