Is this any good?

Peig Sayers

http://www.tesco.com/direct/sagemcom-dtr94-500-freesat-hd-digital-tv-recorder-500gb/658-9780.prd?pageLevel=&skuId=658-9780#reviews

Has anyone used one of these boxes? Don't want to spend too much money but really want something that can record. Sky account is due for cancellation at the end of the month. I have a UK Sky viewing card that I can use.

NIMAN

have the 320gb, never had any bother with it.

Bit ugly though.

It won't use your Sky card, its a Freesat box.

Peig Sayers

NIMAN wrote: »

have the 320gb, never had any bother with it.

Bit ugly though.

It won't use your Sky card, its a Freesat box.

Thanks! Not tech savvy at all. Is it easy to hook up? Could I do it myself?

Thurston?

You won't get the Irish channels from it (assuming you're interested), at least not hooked up to a dish installed for Sky.

Saorview terrestrial is the way to go there, maybe your TV works with this?

donegal.

if you've had sky previously i.e. your dish and cables are in place , then its very easy to set up.

you will only get uk tv stations and no irish stations.

Peig Sayers

donegal. wrote: »

if you've had sky previously i.e. your dish and cables are in place , then its very easy to set up.

you will only get uk tv stations and no irish stations.

That's great. I'll get the same freesat stations as if I had a UK Sky card inserted in my Sky box so? That'll do me!

The Cush

Peig Sayers wrote: »

I'll get the same freesat stations as if I had a UK Sky card inserted in my Sky box so? That'll do me!

List of channels on Freesat - http://www.tvchannellists.com/List_of_channels_on_Freesat_(UK)

Two cables from the dish required for recording. During installation it simply requires a UK postcode which sets the UK regional channels received i.e. a NI postcode gives you BBC NI/UTV, a London postcode gives you BBC London/ITV London etc.

NIMAN

How many cables you got coming in from your dish? 1 or 2?

If you had sky + then you will have 2, just a matter of plugging these in and bob's your uncle.

donegal.

if you do want irish stations then this is not a good box to buy.

NIMAN

donegal. wrote: »

if you do want irish stations then this is not a good box to buy.

It's a Freesat box, the Irish channels aren't on Freesat.

someoneknew16

It will pick up Astra 2A which the sky dish was set up for so no need to change that just install the box. Run an Aeriel into the attic or use an indoor one in addition to the dish to get RTE's TV3 etc...

donegal.

NIMAN wrote: »

It's a Freesat box, the Irish channels aren't on Freesat.

that was my point.

Peig Sayers

Does anyone use this box?

http://www.humaxdigital.com/uk/products/product.php?gid=554

Slightly dearer but better specs.

Thurston?

That's a terrestrial receiver.

Humax satellite receivers are in the Freesat section of products. They don't make combi satellite/terrestrial.

brightspark

Peig Sayers wrote: »

Does anyone use this box?

http://www.humaxdigital.com/uk/products/product.php?gid=554

Slightly dearer but better specs.

That's a UK Freeview, not Freesat box. No use here in Ireland for watching UK channels.

Thurston?

brightspark wrote: »

No use here in Ireland for watching UK channels.

Some places in ROI have a perfectly usable Freeview signal, & the north is physically Ireland, if not politically.

Peig Sayers

Thanks! What about this one? Seems to combine the best of best worlds?

http://www.ebay.ie/itm/Ferguson-Ariva-252-HD-Combo-Freesat-Saorview-Receiver-LATEST-MODEL-FULL-HD-/261053110727?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_205&hash=item3cc7fa59c7

Gerry Wicklow

There's a thread about them in the terrestrial forum and other combo boxes.

Thurston?

Peig Sayers wrote: »

What about this one? Seems to combine the best of best worlds?

'Combines the basics of both worlds' would be closer to the truth: only now-&-next EPG for satellite channels, no series linking, limited record/watch flexibility. Not saying that's inherently bad but maybe if you're used to a Sky box, it would be a bit of a comedown.

Maybe your TV has a recording feature that could look after the terrestrial end, what's the make & model?

Peig Sayers

Thurston? wrote: »

'Combines the basics of both worlds' would be closer to the truth: only now-&-next EPG for satellite channels, no series linking, limited record/watch flexibility. Not saying that's inherently bad but maybe if you're used to a Sky box, it would be a bit of a comedown.

Maybe your TV has a recording feature that could look after the terrestrial end, what's the make & model?

This one:
http://www.philips.ie/c-p/42PDL7906H_12/designline-edge-smart-led-tv-with-ambilight-spectra-2-and-pixel-precise-hd/support

Kristopherus

Peig Sayers wrote: »

This one:
http://www.philips.ie/c-p/42PDL7906H_12/designline-edge-smart-led-tv-with-ambilight-spectra-2-and-pixel-precise-hd/support

That TV is near enough top of the range. You could hook up a high capacity usb drive, or external hdd which will record your Saorview channels. The EPG features of that tv are for Saorview only, I suspect. You will have to get a Freesat + box to satisfy your satellite recording needs.

Peig Sayers

Kristopherus wrote: »

That TV is near enough top of the range. You could hook up a high capacity usb drive, or external hdd which will record your Saorview channels. The EPG features of that tv are for Saorview only, I suspect. You will have to get a Freesat + box to satisfy your satellite recording needs.

Thanks. A friend is giving me a Northern Ireland Sky card so I can watch the Irish channels. I just need something simple I can record on like the sky box setup. Not tech savvy at all.

Thurston?

You won't get the Irish channels on a Sky box without a valid subscription. A card on its own is no use.

You can see the recording features the TV offers in the manual, under 'Use more of your TV'. This TV has a single terrestrial tuner only.

NIMAN

Peig Sayers wrote: »

Thanks. A friend is giving me a Northern Ireland Sky card so I can watch the Irish channels. I just need something simple I can record on like the sky box setup. Not tech savvy at all.

Sky cards are linked to the box they are used in, so someone can't give you their card to use in another box (as far as I know).

Peig Sayers

I already have a UK Syk card that I bought on Adverts. It just changes the channels to the UK setup - 101 = BBC etc. Works fine.

Thurston?

It works fine for non-subscription channels. RTE, TV3, TG4 are subscription-only from the satellite your Sky dish is pointed at.

NIMAN

I've got a 320gb Sagem surplus to requirements if the OP is still thinking of one.

muffler

Peig Sayers wrote: »

A friend is giving me a Northern Ireland Sky card so I can watch the Irish channels.

Peig Sayers wrote: »

I already have a UK Syk card that I bought on Adverts. It just changes the channels to the UK setup - 101 = BBC etc. Works fine.

Neither the N.I. card or the UK card (I assume they are different) will allow you to receive / view any of the Irish channels as you have probably discovered by now. Im not sure why you have now stated that it "works fine"