Best free to air satellite box

RHJ

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Gerry Wicklow

Get a FreeSat branded box. They automatically update when channels move and are pretty much plug and play.

RHJ

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winston_1

RHJ wrote: »

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Humax.

galtee boy

winston_1 wrote: »

Humax.

Humax is the best by a mile, but go the extra money and get the Humax Freesat +, it will record, series link etc. Once she gets used to it, she'll won't watch much live TV anymore, record everything, watch when you want to and best of all, skip the ads, a one hour programme will turn into 45 mins approx without ads.

NegativeOne

Freesat is no good if you want the saorview channels through the same box though. Something like an amiko alien 2 would do the job if she's looking for a combo box.

anonanymore

Just bought the Humax™ HDR-1000S Freesat+ HD Box (1TB w/FreeTime), great box.

obezyana

A cheap Freesat box that doesnt record/rewind etc......Manhattan Plaza HD S2.

watty

NegativeOne wrote: »

Freesat is no good if you want the saorview channels through the same box though. Something like an amiko alien 2 would do the job if she's looking for a combo box.

Garbage for Freesat compared with Humax. Combo boxes are really for old TVs or mis-sold TVs that should have been returned. None do Freesat properly.

For Freesat only, you can't beat a real Freesat box, and Humax are good for a PVR (external disk/USB stick boxes are not proper PVRs).

Not a single combo is a true Freesat box.

RHJ

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codar

Unlike aerial/terestrial cables, you shouldn't split satellite feeds as they won't work properly if you do.
Best option is to run another feed from your dish to your receiver.
A second option would be a stacker/destacker to use one feed but these ain't cheap and are really only ever used if running a second feed is next to impossible due to dish location relative to receiver.
A stacker/destacker will cost in the region of €100+ and will also use another socket at the rear of the receiver.
A third option would be to use your aerial cable for saorview as your second sat feed cable (if your aerial is located anyway near your dish) as running a satellite and terrestrial signal through one cable (depending on cable quality) is very easily done.
To accomplish this, you would need 2 diplexers (also known as satellite & aerial combiners) which are very cheap (you should get both for around €10)
If your dish was installed by sky in the past few years, chances are that it already has a quad lnb which allows the connection of up to four satellite feeds.
Have a close look at where the cable feeds into it and you should see how many extra (if any) feed outputs there are.

Thurston?

RHJ wrote: »

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Don't know about other makes, but the Humax boxes have an internal splitter that can share a single feed between both tuners, with single or twin feed being automatically detected on setup. (Needs a 'factory reset' to change later on.)

Of course as pointed out already, this isn't ideal, & limits the channels that are available for recording & watching simultaneously, though not as severely as if you only had a single tuner.

Best to get the twin feeds sorted, & avoid any complaints about channels being unavailable for viewing or making a 2nd recording while the 1st recording is taking place.

mass_debater

watty wrote: »

Garbage for Freesat compared with Humax. Combo boxes are really for old TVs or mis-sold TVs that should have been returned. None do Freesat properly.

For Freesat only, you can't beat a real Freesat box, and Humax are good for a PVR (external disk/USB stick boxes are not proper PVRs).

Not a single combo is a true Freesat box.

A properly configured Alien 2 can do all the features of Freesat PVR, auto frequency update, recording, series link etc and combine Saorview and Freesat in the one EPG for a lot less money.

obezyana

mass_debater wrote: »

A properly configured Alien 2 can do all the features of Freesat PVR, auto frequency update, recording, series link etc and combine Saorview and Freesat in the one EPG for a lot less money.

The alien boxes might be very versatile but the problem is they are still a bit too complicated for the average user just looking to watch TV. I myself wouldnt bother getting one given the issues that can arise from time to time with them and id have zero issue in setting it up. Its the maintaining of it that id find off putting. Anyone i install TV for just want TV with no complicated setup.

moleyv

I'm seeing a lot of BT branded humax DTR T1000 500gb models on eBay. I could probably get one for under 50 euro.

Is this a good model? I know they are used etc, but seem to be a good price. Or are they old at this stage?

Edit: I see I need a freesat model rather than this which is free view.

kooga

moleyv wrote: »

I'm seeing a lot of BT branded humax DTR T1000 500gb models on eBay. I could probably get one for under 50 euro.

Is this a good model? I know they are used etc, but seem to be a good price. Or are they old at this stage?

Edit: I see I need a freesat model rather than this which is free view.

they are freeview boxes with you view and need to be connected to BT internet. You need a humax freesat box connected to the dish for your uk channels

watty

Freeview only connects to an aerial. Only practical if you can get a signal from N.I. or Wales. Reduced number of channels.
Only a small proportion of areas.
Most people need Freesat (Dish).

watty

mass_debater wrote: »

A properly configured Alien 2 ...

A hobbyist / enthusiast box. Not plug and play for Joe Soap. Or are you going to support it?

Bog Butter

Looking for advice.

I want to buy a good FTA box with series record etc.

At the moment I don't have a facility to record the Saorview channels either. What should I do?

Stick with a Freesat box and buy another device to record the Saorview channels?

I thought this thread might tell me but there are conflicting messages!

Atlantic Dawn

Bog Butter wrote: »

Looking for advice.

I want to buy a good FTA box with series record etc.

At the moment I don't have a facility to record the Saorview channels either. What should I do?

Stick with a Freesat box and buy another device to record the Saorview channels?

I thought this thread might tell me but there are conflicting messages!

Get a Humax Freesat box witgh record functionality.

Get a Walker Saorview box to record on...
http://www.powercity.ie/?par=10-23-WP6500