Looking to buy a new set-top box

Oiriallach

I'm looking to buy a new set-top box which will be compatible with both Saorview and Freeview HD. As I live near the border, I can receive both signals (from Clermont Carn and Camlough). I know that a couple of years ago only a Freeview HD box would have done the job, as Saorview boxes were DVB-T rather than DVB-T2 then. But if the Saorview boxes currently on sale are DVB-T2, does it matter any more?

I'd also like a box which would allow me to store all the channels (both Saorview & Freeview) in my own preferred order (and not have the "foreign" ones in the 800s).

I also have a satellite dish with a FTA SD box, which is currently working fine. When I bought it several years ago, HD transmissions were very limited and a FTA HD box was much more expensive. Maybe it would now be worth considering a "combi" box which would allow me to receive Saorview, Freeview HD and FTA HD channels via the one box?

Any recommendations as to which boxes would meet my needs?

Thurston?

I don't think any current Saorview approved boxes are DVB-T2.

Ferguson Ariva 152 & 252 would be examples of basic combis with T2 (1 satellite & 1 terrestrial tuner). There are others, some with extra tuners that increase the choice of channels you can switch to while recording, or the number of programmes you can record at the same time.

kooga

there are posts on here recommending either the panasonic 130 230 plus the dmrs 530? etc or the humax hdr 1010s as being suitable boxes.
one of those users might be able to oblige.
I assume its just terrestial uk and irish channels

Thurston?

kooga wrote: »

I assume its just terrestial uk and irish channels

If you read the entire OP you won't assume that.

Camlough is just 'Freeview Lite', so a few channels could be gained from FTA satellite, such as BBC4 HD; Pick TV; Sky News; ITV3, ITV4 & their +1s, & of course out-of-region BBCs & ITVs

kooga

Thurston? wrote: »

If you read the entire OP you won't assume that.

Camlough is just 'Freeview Lite', so a few channels could be gained from FTA satellite, such as BBC4 HD; Pick TV; Sky News; ITV3, ITV4 & their +1s, & of course out-of-region BBCs & ITVs

fine, will leave you to assist on this thread!

Thurston?

I didn't mean there was anything wrong with your advice: the OP might decide a proper Freeview HD spec. PVR suits their needs just fine.

AngCork

are you looking for any smart apps? the more expensive ones have them

Oiriallach

Thanks for all the feedback.

The reason I posted initially is that I was afraid I could haved ended up buying a Saorview box which wouldn't have received the Freeview HD channels or a Freeview HD box which wouldn't have received the Saorview channels. I also don't want a box which would receive all the Clermont Carn and Camlough channels but would not allow me to reorder the channels. I don't want to end up with the channels in what I would regard as an illogical order and a bunch of channels in the 800s.

My priority is to be able to watch terrestrial TV (Saorview plus Freeview HD). But as I also have an old FTA satellite receiver (which works fine, but is SD only), I would also consider a "combi" receiver if that would allow me to watch the terrestrial channels as I described in the previous paragraph and to upgrade my satellite channels (ITV4, Film 4 +1, BBC One Scotland, BBC Alba, etc.) from SD to HD (I know only some of those "satellite channels broadcast in HD).

I guess another thing I should consider is recoding capability. At the moment I'm relying on a VCR. But I don't watch an awful lot of TV (maybe 30 mins a day on average) and it's only rarely (once or twice a year) that I'd be looking to record something.

Thurston?

Oiriallach wrote: »

... I also don't want a box which would receive all the Clermont Carn and Camlough channels but would not allow me to reorder the channels. I don't want to end up with the channels in what I would regard as an illogical order and a bunch of channels in the 800s.

My priority is to be able to watch terrestrial TV (Saorview plus Freeview HD). But as I also have an old FTA satellite receiver (which works fine, but is SD only), I would also consider a "combi" receiver if that would allow me to watch the terrestrial channels as I described in the previous paragraph and to upgrade my satellite channels (ITV4, Film 4 +1, BBC One Scotland, BBC Alba, etc.) from SD to HD (I know only some of those "satellite channels broadcast in HD).

I guess another thing I should consider is recoding capability. At the moment I'm relying on a VCR. But I don't watch an awful lot of TV (maybe 30 mins a day on average) and it's only rarely (once or twice a year) that I'd be looking to record something.

The combi receivers I'm aware of can all record to an external device via USB connection.

Can't offer a personal recommendation on these receivers, but I know the Arivas allow ordering of channels any way you like, terrestrial & satellite in a single list.

In the case of combis, you could also consider not limiting yourself to DVB-T2 receivers, since the few DVB-T2 services currently available from Camlough are all FTA on satellite. (BBC 1, 2 & 3 HD, CBBC HD, UTV HD, C4 HD, & Film 4 +1 SD). Now in this case, with a single satellite tuner & single DVB-T tuner, if you have the satellite tuner 'tied up' recording something & want to switch to 1 of the HD channels here, they might not be available depending on what you are recording & you'd have to make do with the SD version, so that could be a reason to go with T2.

Also just general future-proofing, although indications are that there won't be any mass switch of tranmissions to DVB-T2, even after the so-called 'digital dividend II', when more TV spectrum will be sold to the mobile operators, starting in about 5 years time.