Wanted - Reliable Basic Inexpensive Saorview box

SeamusFX

I have an old TV and I am on my 2nd Saorview box that has just died. The current one is an Alba that I got in Argos a few years back, which is intermittently working and it's getting that it doesn't work most of the time, so needs to be replaced. My first Saorview box I bought online at the start and that just died completely after about a year. So considering my bad luck or just the fact that these Saorview boxes are very poor quality, I want to get a reliable but inexpensive basic Saorview box. I already have a Humax Foxsat, so I don't need a combo box. I just need something basic without a hard drive or records to an external hard drive. Something that connects via HDMI and/or Scart. Can anyone recommend anything, as I don't want to have to look for another new Saorview box in a years time?

kooga

given that this will be your third box you might be better of upgrading the tv and bring the old one to a recycling centre.

SeamusFX

Thanks, but it's not like it's a very old TV, as it's still a top end Tele that I bought about 6 years ago, just before all of the Saorview specs were announced. In fact when I bought it in Curry's, I asked them if it would work when Saorview is launched and the liars told me yes. So why would I bring a perfectly good working TV to the scrap yard and spend about 500 euro to replace it, when all I need is a set-top box for about 50 euro?

kooga

fair point.

but I wonder are there any saorview approved terrestrial receivers being manufactured?

Are you sure your tv won't pick up the irish channels the reason I ask this is that I have a Philips tv from 2009 and for myself to get the irish channels, full epg and text I had to set the country to uk and my channel numbers start at 800.

Like yourself I have a humax for the uk cahnnels.

now if you wanted something different I can recommend a humax freeview hd recorder which will pick up the irish channels and is very reliable. I have this one

http://www.richersounds.com/product/digital-set-top-boxes/humax/hdr2000t-500gb/huma-hdr2000t-500gb

SeamusFX

Thanks Kooga, but I'm certain my TV won't pick up the Irish channels, as I've tried everything and it has been confirmed on another forum here that it can't get the Irish channels.

Yes, the Humaz Freeview hd recorder might be the way to go, it's a bit more than I wanted to spend, but I know Humax is a good quality product, as I've had my Foxsat for about 8 years with no problems, plus if I had bought the Humaz Freeview hd recorder in the beginning, if it was available, it would nearly be paid for with the money I've spent on the first two cheap boxes and probably with a lot less headaches and inconveniences. Does the Humaz Freeview hd recorder also get Aertel Teletext?

kooga

re aertel - I'm not sure but I can check tonight and post later.

Its a quality product and its handy to be able to record as well, I've had mine sine January 2015

heres an epg picture

The Cush

SeamusFX wrote: »

but it's not like it's a very old TV, as it's still a top end Tele that I bought about 6 years ago, just before all of the Saorview specs were announced. In fact when I bought it in Curry's, I asked them if it would work when Saorview is launched and the liars told me yes.

The Saorview specs were announced back in Jul 2008. Sony had compatible TVs on the market that year, I purchased one that April before the spec was confirmed. Samsung and other manufacturers had compatible TVs in their range from 2009. Unfortunately stores here had stock on their shelves compatible only with the UKs DTT service into 2010/11 and were happy to get rid of them.

This is the only Saorview box on the market at the moment, €85 at Powercity - http://www.powercity.ie/?par=10-23-WP6500

SeamusFX

Hi Cush,

Yes, my TV is a Samsung and Curry's sold me a UK spec TV prior to the launch of Saorview, but after the specs were announced and they lied to me that it would work with Saorview.
When you said "This is the only Saorview box on the market at the moment", did you mean the only Saorview Plus box or the only Saorview approved box?

The Cush

SeamusFX wrote: »

Hi Cush,

When you said "This is the only Saorview box on the market at the moment", did you mean the only Saorview Plus box or the only Saorview approved box?

It's the only Saorview approved STB and the only Saorview approved PVR on the market. A new Saorview Connect box is due for release, sometime next year.

kooga

The Humax has aertel the Cush can advise whether the panasonics have it

The Cush

kooga wrote: »

The Humax has aertel the Cush can advise whether the panasonics have it

The Panasonic PVR has Aertel but no subtitles.

galtee boy

kooga wrote: »

re aertel - I'm not sure but I can check tonight and post later.

Its a quality product and its handy to be able to record as well, I've had mine sine January 2015

heres an epg picture

No series link though, which is a deal breaker for a lot of people.

kooga

Agree

But so reliable

former total

OP, get something like this:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B00Q38S9BU/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1479760927&sr=8-2&pi=SY200_QL40&keywords=august+set+top+box&dpPl=1&dpID=41idTuptOvL&ref=plSrch

Cheap and reliable. Downside is NOT Saorview approved so you will have to manually tune and order your channels but you do that once and forget about it. Connect a USB stick or hard drive and it will record, live pause etc. 30 quid, job done.

The Cush

former total wrote: »

OP, get something like this:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B00Q38S9BU/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1479760927&sr=8-2&pi=SY200_QL40&keywords=august+set+top+box&dpPl=1&dpID=41idTuptOvL&ref=plSrch

Cheap and reliable. Downside is NOT Saorview approved so you will have to manually tune and order your channels but you do that once and forget about it. Connect a USB stick or hard drive and it will record, live pause etc. 30 quid, job done.

Similar here, Irish retailers

http://www.satworld.ie/saorview/irish-digital-tv/
http://www.freetv.ie/saorview/boxes/digital-television/

winston_1

SeamusFX wrote: »

Hi Cush,

Yes, my TV is a Samsung and Curry's sold me a UK spec TV prior to the launch of Saorview, but after the specs were announced and they lied to me that it would work with Saorview.

Probably too late now but you should have rejected it as soon as that became apparent. You had 6 years under the sale of goods act to do that.

Regarding your original question, all these boxes are built down to a price and tend to fail after a few year. They can usually be fixed by replacing various capacitors.

SeamusFX

I want to thank everyone for your advice! I decided to get the Humax HDR-1800T and I am very happy! It's a quality product, like my Humax Foxsat and it has almost everything I wanted, including Aertel teletext, Subtitles, 500GB HD and a dual tuner (record 2 prog & watch a 3rd) is there ever more than 3 good shows on Irish TV at once and if I get by with 1TB with my Foxsat, 500Gb for Saorview is more than enough. The only thing it's missing is it doesn't have series link, but since I needed something now and I didn't want to wait for the Saorview Connect box to come out whenever that might be, this was one of the best options and a quality product I trust. Now all set to record the Toy Show.

Just wondering if I should get a wifi usb adapter for it, would it be worth it without using a VPN? Would I be able to configure it for anything I want, or just the preset UK Apps that I won't be able to get in Ireland without a VPN? Any recommendations?

galwaytt

The Cush wrote: »

The Saorview specs were announced back in Jul 2008. Sony had compatible TVs on the market that year, I purchased one that April before the spec was confirmed. Samsung and other manufacturers had compatible TVs in their range from 2009. Unfortunately stores here had stock on their shelves compatible only with the UKs DTT service into 2010/11 and were happy to get rid of them.

This is the only Saorview box on the market at the moment, €85 at Powercity - http://www.powercity.ie/?par=10-23-WP6500

As soon as I saw "Walker" brand I stopped looking : I've had 2 Walker units fail after about 2 years each, and they weren't cheap at the time (€169 iirc).

Incredible that there isn't a proper quality item on the market.

The cheapie I have is ok, but no RTE1 or UTV for some odd reason.

SeamusFX

galwaytt wrote: »

As soon as I saw "Walker" brand I stopped looking : I've had 2 Walker units fail after about 2 years each, and they weren't cheap at the time (€169 iirc).

Incredible that there isn't a proper quality item on the market.

The cheapie I have is ok, but no RTE1 or UTV for some odd reason.

Yes, the Humax box is worth it if you watch Irish Terrestrial TV, it's good quality product, a little expensive, but after having two cheapo boxes dying on me, I'm sorry i didn't get the Humax in the beginning. I used to think my reception was poor with the other boxes, but all channels are now perfect with the Humax.