Best combi free to air box

Green farmer

Hi all,

Looking to get a free to air combi box installed. Before I start ringing around looking for an installer, what's the best combi box out there.( or most trouble free) Don't want to blindly take whatever the installer happens to have in the back of his van on the day. I already have a triax box working for several years. It's ok, but has a mind of its own at times. Also is there any brands I should avoid .
Thanking you in advance

Technofobe

Green farmer wrote: »

Hi all,

Looking to get a free to air combi box installed. Before I start ringing around looking for an installer, what's the best combi box out there.( or most trouble free) Don't want to blindly take whatever the installer happens to have in the back of his van on the day. I already have a triax box working for several years. It's ok, but has a mind of its own at times. Also is there any brands I should avoid .
Thanking you in advance

I think a lot will depend on what you want it to do
Lots of people using ferguson ariva combi boxes which means lots of support
cheap and cheerful does what it says on the tin you can see a now and next epg ( program guide ) you can watch & record in HD
you get all your channels available in one menu RTE and Sat with 1 remote no messing around in other channels
Not sure if there are any to be avoided as such I think they will all do basicly the same thing

Karl Stein

Another vote here for the Ariva (150). There are about 4 of them in my extended family now and each one has been faultless.

Green farmer

Sounds good. Think I'll go with that. I already have a satellite dish up and running ( 3 spare ports) If I tried to do it myself, is it a matter of just running a cable to the dish and plugging in on one side and hooking the box up on the other ? Or is there a bit more too it ?

Karl Stein

Green farmer wrote: »

Sounds good. Think I'll go with that. I already have a satellite dish up and running ( 3 spare ports) If I tried to do it myself, is it a matter of just running a cable to the dish and plugging in on one side and hooking the box up on the other ? Or is there a bit more too it ?

Yep, for the FTA sat channels. For the Saorview channels you would need to hook up an aerial. As was said above you can create a channel list that combines terrestrial and sat channels. Great little boxes imo.

amdaley28

Don't get the TV Star TS4000.
I got one & had to send it back as it is cheap & rubbish.
Got a XORO 9000 instead & its fine.

cornholiooo

Amiko mini combo. Good value for money, easy to use.

GoodisonPark

cornholiooo wrote: »

Amiko mini combo. Good value for money, easy to use.

+1 , great box.
Revez also have a combo , might be worth looking at.

dodzy

Just setting up 2 x Revez 900 combos here. Wouldn't mind a channel list if anybody has one prepped!:D

Green farmer

Karl Stein wrote: »

Yep, for the FTA sat channels. For the Saorview channels you would need to hook up an aerial. As was said above you can create a channel list that combines terrestrial and sat channels. Great little boxes imo.

Bought the ariva 150. Giving it a go setting up myself. I've hooked a cable to spare port on dish. Ran cable in to box. Hooked a scart lead up to tv. Turned on box. Menu has appeared up on ariva box. Trouble is tv isn't picking up any display screen or any screen at all from the box. Tried auto tune not picking up anything and saying no signal.
Probably something small , but any ideas on how to trouble shoot this ?

littlevillage

Green farmer wrote: »

Bought the ariva 150. Giving it a go setting up myself. I've hooked a cable to spare port on dish. Ran cable in to box. Hooked a scart lead up to tv. Turned on box. Menu has appeared up on ariva box. Trouble is tv isn't picking up any display screen or any screen at all from the box. Tried auto tune not picking up anything and saying no signal.
Probably something small , but any ideas on how to trouble shoot this ?

Use the Remote to select the External input (the Scart port that Combi box is connected to) then you should see whatever the Combi box is displaying.

Green farmer

Thanks guys ,

Turned out to be a faulty scart lead. Changed lead and works perfect. First time installing anything like this so chuffed with my self. The ariva working perfect .

runswithascript

Well done for configuring (and cabling) a receiver box, something I still have to do! We are in the market for a Sky+ replacement.

I just Googled the Ariva 150 and found it on satelite.ie advertised as a Freesat box but it is really free to air, right?

It also mentions only a 7 day EPG for Saorview, would you not prefer to have an EPG for the British channels also?

Can is pause, rewind, and record live television?

If it can record is it true you can only watch what you are recording or if recording a UK channel an Irish channel and vice versa?

greasepalm

i use a triax combo for my saorview for recording but main box is vu solo2 as i like 7 day epg for setting recordings and other uses in its plugins.

most of those combo boxes record sat watch saorview and vice-versa.

runswithascript

greasepalm wrote: »

i use a triax combo for my saorview for recording but main box is vu solo2 as i like 7 day epg for setting recordings and other uses in its plugins.

Can you not configure all of that on the Vu alone using a USB adapter to bring Saorview to the Vu? I think it is called a DVT-B adapter?