Options for getting basic channels on smart tv

Player_86

Hello,

I watch television mostly in my kitchen and have a Virgin box in there with the usual range of channels and some of the sports ones. I have a Philips smart television in my living room, which I rarely use. I previously had a second Virgin box in there but got rid of it when I couldn’t get the sports channels in HD, apparently HD sports is not supported on a second box.

Long story short, the television in the living room is now only used very occasionally for Netflix and the like, and it seems a bit of a waste. I was going to pay someone to install one of those “bye bye tv bills forever” things so that I’d just have the basic channels and I could watch RTE or whatever, but it’s pricey and I suspect there’s an easier way.

What are my options here? Given that my tv is a smart one, should it just be able to pick up the channels, or do I need a satellite of some sort? Or would I be best just to pay someone to come in and do it for me? Given my obvious lack of technical competence, I’d be really grateful if any responses could be kept very simple!

Thanks very much in advance.

Johnboy1951

Player_86 wrote: »

Hello,

I watch television mostly in my kitchen and have a Virgin box in there with the usual range of channels and some of the sports ones. I have a Philips smart television in my living room, which I rarely use. I previously had a second Virgin box in there but got rid of it when I couldn’t get the sports channels in HD, apparently HD sports is not supported on a second box.

Long story short, the television in the living room is now only used very occasionally for Netflix and the like, and it seems a bit of a waste. I was going to pay someone to install one of those “bye bye tv bills forever” things so that I’d just have the basic channels and I could watch RTE or whatever, but it’s pricey and I suspect there’s an easier way.

What are my options here? Given that my tv is a smart one, should it just be able to pick up the channels, or do I need a satellite of some sort? Or would I be best just to pay someone to come in and do it for me? Given my obvious lack of technical competence, I’d be really grateful if any responses could be kept very simple!

Thanks very much in advance.

Get a local installer to install an aerial for Saorview and you will have the RTE channels from that.

If you want the English channels you can get them by installing a stellite dish and either use a Set Top Box or maybe your TV has a satellite tuner which would mean no STB required, unless you wanted more functions.

Post the make & model of your TV and someone will be able to tell what facilities it has and what might be required.

There is no subscription needed to receive those channels - they are Free To Air (FTA).


.

athlone573

Also depending how close to your local TV antenna you are, a "rabbit ears" or "coat hanger" style aerial such as you may find in your local pound shop may suffice.

Player_86

Thanks for the replies.

It’s a Philips 6703 series 65” television.

Just looking at the Philips website there and reading the comments above, it seems that if I buy a fairly basic aerial and point it in the general direction of the local transmitter in Three Rock (about 9km away), I should be able to get the RTE channels without too much hassle. But I’ll need to buy and install a satellite to get the UK channels, which I’ll presumably need to get an installer to do.

Does this sound right? If anyone has any suggestions regarding a reliable installer in the general south Dublin area, someone who might even put in a box that allows me to record television, please send me a PM.

Thanks again.

Johnboy1951

I would advise you to get the installer to do the aerial at the same time as the dish.
He will then ensure the correct aerial for your transmitter frequencies & orientation is fitted.

I would suggest you inform yourself about what suitable STBs are available by reading on the Satellite thread.
https://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?f=55

It would be best if you are in control of the STB box used.
It might be supplied, fitted and set up by the installer ...... they vary on this so you should clarify before agreeing to any work.

Player_86

Johnboy1951 wrote: »

I would advise you to get the installer to do the aerial at the same time as the dish.
He will then ensure the correct aerial for your transmitter frequencies & orientation is fitted.

I would suggest you inform yourself about what suitable STBs are available by reading on the Satellite thread.
https://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?f=55

It would be best if you are in control of the STB box used.
It might be supplied, fitted and set up by the installer ...... they vary on this so you should clarify before agreeing to any work.

Thanks very much, Johnboy. Having taken a good look at that thread, the Zgamma H7S looks like a solid option that will allow me to get the saorview and the freeview channels and record as well (depending on how it’s set up).

So I’m thinking of asking a couple of installers to quote for sourcing and setting up a Zgamma H7S STB and hopefully that will do the job.

Is there regular “maintenance” needed on these STBs? For example, is it common that channels drop off the EPG, leaving you trying to tune them back in?

Thanks again.

Johnboy1951

Is there regular “maintenance” needed on these STBs? For example, is it common that channels drop off the EPG, leaving you trying to tune them back in?

Out of box it is usual to need some maintenance when channels change frequency.
There are methods to implement a scheme where this is done automatically.
I have not set up one for a complete user experience so cannot answer from personal experience.
Check out those threads previously mentioned, maybe someone has shared an image which includes all that, as was previously done for the Tiviar box by a couple of users.

If not then I expect users can help you do it yourself.

The alternative is a Freesat branded box which do not include the capability of receiving Saorview.
The advantage of a Freesat box is that it is set up so that channel frequency changes are tracked automatically so no maintenance is required for that.
Freesat does not have the complete FTA channels available 'out of box' .... missing some channels such as Channel 4 HD.

On the other hand your TV seems to have both an aerial input and an input for a satellite dish connection.
If you do not require recording and other such functions then maybe you do not need a separate STB?

Tuner/Reception/Transmission
Digital TV
DVB-T/T2/T2-HD/C/S/S2

Do ensure you bring two cables from the sat dish to allow for recording should you ever wish to have it. (watch one channel and record another from the satellite)

dulpit

Player_86 wrote: »

Is there regular “maintenance” needed on these STBs? For example, is it common that channels drop off the EPG, leaving you trying to tune them back in?

I set mine up, and also did a buddie's, and haven't had to gone at it again since. Process was:

1. Install Autobouquetsmaker (ABM)
2. Install crossepg
3. Install autotimers. This will allow you to series link.
4. Set up ABM. I use Sky UK SD as source for satellite, and swap the HD channels. This means 1101 is BBC1, 1102 is BBC2, 1111 is Dave and so on. 1104 is C4 HD.
5. Set up crossepg. This will automatically populate the epg data on a nightly basis.

Once I did all of this, nothing else needed for me. I've had to restart the odd time when the box was hanging.

Del2005

Johnboy1951 wrote: »

I would advise you to get the installer to do the aerial at the same time as the dish.
He will then ensure the correct aerial for your transmitter frequencies & orientation is fitted.

I'm probably the same distance as the OP from Three Rock and there's no need for an aerial. Have all the soarview channels off basic rabbits ears behind the TV, could easily hide it in the attic put I'm not that fussed.

Johnboy1951

Del2005 wrote: »

I'm probably the same distance as the OP from Three Rock and there's no need for an aerial. Have all the soarview channels off basic rabbits ears behind the TV, could easily hide it in the attic put I'm not that fussed.

Reception is dependent no only on the aerial but also it position, the orientation, building and the loacation of the building.
What might work for you might not for someone 500 metrtes away.

winston_1

athlone573 wrote: »

Also depending how close to your local TV antenna you are, a "rabbit ears" or "coat hanger" style aerial such as you may find in your local pound shop may suffice.

So called rabbits ears are VHF aerials for FM and DAB radio not TV. Don't use them.

winston_1

Del2005 wrote: »

Have all the soarview channels off basic rabbits ears behind the TV, could easily hide it in the attic put I'm not that fussed.

Again.
So called rabbits ears are VHF aerials for FM and DAB radio not TV. Don't use them.

Del2005

winston_1 wrote: »

Again.
So called rabbits ears are VHF aerials for FM and DAB radio not TV. Don't use them.

I've all the Soarview channels on rabbits ears, why can't I use them?

athlone573

winston_1 wrote: »

Again.
So called rabbits ears are VHF aerials for FM and DAB radio not TV. Don't use them.

If they work, why not?? If you live close enough you'll get saorview off a piece of wet string.

winston_1

Del2005 wrote: »

I've all the Soarview channels on rabbits ears, why can't I use them?

Because they are not suitable. A proper suitable aerial will get better results and if an indoor type will probably be smaller.

winston_1

athlone573 wrote: »

If they work, why not?? If you live close enough you'll get saorview off a piece of wet string.

A piece of wet string is cheaper.

winston_1

Del2005 wrote: »

I've all the Soarview channels on rabbits ears, why can't I use them?

Because they are not suitable. A proper suitable aerial will get better results and if an indoor type will probably be smaller.

MarkR

Player_86 wrote: »

Thanks very much, Johnboy. Having taken a good look at that thread, the Zgamma H7S looks like a solid option that will allow me to get the saorview and the freeview channels and record as well (depending on how it’s set up).

So I’m thinking of asking a couple of installers to quote for sourcing and setting up a Zgamma H7S STB and hopefully that will do the job.

Is there regular “maintenance” needed on these STBs? For example, is it common that channels drop off the EPG, leaving you trying to tune them back in?

Thanks again.

I have a Zgemma H7S and a new TCL smart tv. The tv was originally only for netflix / PS5, but I was able to add channels to it in two ways.

Standard scan of a satellite feed. Gets all the normal free channels, but the sorting was AWFUL. Got ALL the channels. Need twenty versions of BBC? I got your back. Arab stations? No problem.

I was also able to pull the feed from the Zgemma instead, using dream player tv. It can take the signal from the sat box and show it on the tv over the wifi. Sometimes I need to set it to actually change the channel in the other room (presume the box was already recording something), but it works fine.

Del2005

winston_1 wrote: »

Because they are not suitable. A proper suitable aerial will get better results and if an indoor type will probably be smaller.

I get perfect reception and they are 2 bits of telescopic metal, you can't get much smaller. What better results can I get from a digital transmission? You sound like the shops selling €30 HDMI cables for TV, if it gets a 1 and 0 it'll work.

NewClareman

winston_1 wrote: »

Because they are not suitable. A proper suitable aerial will get better results and if an indoor type will probably be smaller.

Here.we.go.again.

If they pick up the signal, they are suitable!

NewClareman

dulpit wrote: »

I set mine up, and also did a buddie's, and haven't had to gone at it again since. Process was:

1. Install Autobouquetsmaker (ABM)
2. Install crossepg
3. Install autotimers. This will allow you to series link.
4. Set up ABM. I use Sky UK SD as source for satellite, and swap the HD channels. This means 1101 is BBC1, 1102 is BBC2, 1111 is Dave and so on. 1104 is C4 HD.
5. Set up crossepg. This will automatically populate the epg data on a nightly basis.

Once I did all of this, nothing else needed for me. I've had to restart the odd time when the box was hanging.

Just to let you know that the recent builds of OpenATV and OpenVix have incorporated some of the CrossEPG code, and that plug-in is no longer required. If using the Sky EPG you do need EPGRefresh. All this does is to zap to the correct download channel, to download the OpenTV EPG. It works well, but is slower to download than CrossEPG.