Recommend me a combo box?

drunkmonkey

Few things not sure if there relevant,

Would like 1080p but do any channels broadcast in that, I know my sky hd box is 1080i so might be no point in the box supporting it.

Would like to be able to record some shows but if it's not going to be reliable I wouldn't bother paying extra for it.

TV guide would be useful (something like my sky box)

I'm running in a single sky cable into the box and a UHF connection.
Would like possibly to loop a sky cable out to another combo box (I have a UHF point in every room), not sure if it's possible to send around a sky signal room by room like that or could a distribution box be used, I have a distribution box sending the UHF to 7 rooms.

Generally want the box to just be a good reliable box that doesn't cost a lot and requires no maintenance after initial set up and update. (Folks will be using one of the boxes, idea is to ditch sky altogether)

Thanks

Tony

A lot of combo boxes do display 1080P but as far as I am aware satellite channels use 1080i , 1080p can be used by media files though like mkv etc. At the cheaper end of the market you can use an external usb hard drive but if the box has only one satellite tuner you can only record one channel at a time, you can however watch a saorview channel while doing this. The combo box will need its won separate connection to the dish and its not really worth sending its output to other tv's unless everyone wants to watch the same channel. Combo boxes do need tuning from time to time, this is relevant right now as you will see from other threads here about frequency changes, having said that its a pretty exceptional situation presently.

drunkmonkey wrote: »

Few things not sure if there relevant,

Would like 1080p but do any channels broadcast in that, I know my sky hd box is 1080i so might be no point in the box supporting it.

Would like to be able to record some shows but if it's not going to be reliable I wouldn't bother paying extra for it.

TV guide would be useful (something like my sky box)

I'm running in a single sky cable into the box and a UHF connection.
Would like possibly to loop a sky cable out to another combo box (I have a UHF point in every room), not sure if it's possible to send around a sky signal room by room like that or could a distribution box be used, I have a distribution box sending the UHF to 7 rooms.

Generally want the box to just be a good reliable box that doesn't cost a lot and requires no maintenance after initial set up and update. (Folks will be using one of the boxes, idea is to ditch sky altogether)

Thanks

winston_1

drunkmonkey wrote: »

Would like possibly to loop a sky cable out to another combo box (I have a UHF point in every room), not sure if it's possible to send around a sky signal room by room like that or could a distribution box be used, I have a distribution box sending the UHF to 7 rooms.

No you can't do that. You need a separate feed from the dish for every room. The dish needs to be fitted with a multi output LNB, max 8 output.

drunkmonkey

winston_1 wrote: »

No you can't do that. You need a separate feed from the dish for every room. The dish needs to be fitted with a multi output LNB, max 8 output.

So I could replace all the UHF connections, with separate feed from the dish, will I still get Irish channels from the satellite or do I still need the UHF?

Is there any device that will let different channels to be watched in any room without requiring a seperate box in every room?

The Cush

drunkmonkey wrote: »

So I could replace all the UHF connections, with separate feed from the dish, will I still get Irish channels from the satellite or do I still need the UHF?

You won't get the Irish channels from the satellite dish without a Sky sub, an aerial will be required.

If you plan to have more than 1 satellite TV point and also want Saorview at each TV point also you can combine the UHF aerial feed with the satellite feed from the dish and split the feeds again before they enter the box using a multiswitch.

drunkmonkey wrote: »

Is there any device that will let different channels to be watched in any room without requiring a seperate box in every room?

Not for the domestic market.

The Cush

drunkmonkey wrote: »

Generally want the box to just be a good reliable box that doesn't cost a lot and requires no maintenance after initial set up and update. (Folks will be using one of the boxes, idea is to ditch sky altogether)

Combi boxes are basically FTA satellite receivers and they may require occasional retuning if channels move around as Tony says above, you will also have to sort the channels to your own requirements.

Only a Freesat satellite receiver will auto update channel changes etc. but they don't do Saorview. They also provide a 7 day guide and channels have an allocated position within the guide like Sky's programme guide.