What combo box Saorview and Freesat?

riddles

hi elderly relatives have a saorview box and dish - the box is quite old and the setup requires two remotes.

Is there a combo box you’d recommend that offers a more simplified setup and TV menu. Also is there any TV you recommend which offers better accessibility for elderly people with hearing difficulties.

icdg

Moved to satellite

swoofer

If you are anyway technical you could buy a Zgemma H7s and set it up in such a way that you just use the one remote to turn on TV and box. Then you can arrange it in such a way that button 1 gives RTE ONE, button 2 gives ITV1 and so on. You can also set up subtitles to run even during live events and news progs. You can have different colour subtitles. And so on

I have a Samsung TV and to get TV controlled by remote it uses a protocol called HDMI cec and most TV's in last 10 years usually has this facility. TV's that use HDMI is a good indicator that is has cec.

To get a TV that would be user friendly for hard of hearing it would involve Blutooth technology, you can get wireless headphones, or a speaker you can place next to one on settee.

Is there 2 cables from the dish, very important

Where are you roughly? I'm Clare

The Cush

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058333261/what-combo-box-saorview-and-freesat

I would recommend a combi TV, that has both saorview and satellite tuners with all channels in an easy to use list and single remote control. Walker and Toshiba TVs come to mind.

I can provide a pre-sorted satellite list for those TVs if required .

riddles

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121686841#Comment_121686841

Thanks so you don’t need a Freesat box you just get a tv with it built in ? Is there a 40 inch model you’d recommend? Thx

CalamariFritti

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121691099#Comment_121691099

I just bought this: https://www.richersounds.ie/p-207080-panasonic-tx32ms360b-1-year-guarantee-32-inch-smart-full-hd-led-tv-freeview.aspx

Pretty sure there is a 40" version of it

The Cush

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121691099#Comment_121691099

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121691116#Comment_121691116

The satellite list I have only works with Vestel TVs such as Walker, Toshiba and others, but not Panasonic. Also the Vestel TVs don't require switching between Saorview and satellite tuners, all channels are in a single list with one remote control, satellite channels start at 300, that's what makes them convenient.

The TVs aren't Freesat spec, the channels must be tuned in manually and sorted to your requirements, I have put together my own list which can be uploaded to similar models.

Have a look at the Walker TV range here, check for satellite tuner in the specs - https://www.powercity.ie/groups/10/13?featureList=BRAND-WALKER

Walker TVs can be purchased from local independent retailers around the country.

CalamariFritti

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121692575#Comment_121692575

It's a bit of a pain that a lot of tellies dont come with the FreeSAT UI anymore. But that UI wasnt perfect either and one always had to go back and forth between two EPGs, FreeView (Saorview) & FreeSAT.

The Panasonic has channel list import/export function to a USB stick and the list can be worked on with ChanSort (https://github.com/PredatH0r/ChanSort). It's Windows and needs .NET but works grand and allows you to sort into FreeSAT or Sky sorting or whichever way you want with just a few clicks.

After that you end up with one channel list - in my case Saorview channels at the front and SAT channels after that and it's absolutely fine. No need to switch from one tuner to another it's all in the same channel list. I have the first 20 numbers or so for Saorview and then the SATs start from 100 and you wouldn't even know when switching from one to another that its on a different tuner.

One drawback of the Panasonic ist that you dont get 7 days EPG for the FreeSAT channels, only for the Saorview channels. For the SAT channels it's only 'now and next'. I think you only get full FreeSAT EPG with an 'official' FreeSAT box.

dublin7d7

Samsung smart TV 2021

Recording Combi System

Apologise if this has been answered already.

is there a a single set top box that combines the aerial signal for the Irish Saorview channels and the satellite signal for the UK channels, with built-in hard drive recording.

Is this wht the zgemma does?

Currently looking to offload sky signature wtf thst is

Txs

swoofer

I have a zgemma h7s all set up and ready to go, HDD is 120gb ssd 34 hours recording, not used bought feb 23 on amazon de. Its the latest version so the hdd is in a push in slot at rear. You need 2 sat cables and one aerial cable.

I have put 4 images on it.

singingstranger

Sorry to bump an old thread - I have a similar issue, older relatives using an older (non-Saorview) TV. They had a combo box which was receiving Saorview and Freesat into a single EPG which was ideal for them, but the removal of some BBC (and now ITV) channels from SD means it might be time to upgrade.

I’m not sure if the Zgemma sounds like the right option for them - does anyone know if any Freesat HD tuners on the market also come with a Freeview/Saorview tuner? Or are we just now at a point where it’s assumed the TV will have them built in anyway?

CalamariFritti

You just need to rescan the satellite and reorder channels. As in throw out the old obsolete SD BBC channels. No need for a new box really I think.

Gerry Wicklow

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121727643#Comment_121727643

There is no such thing as a FreeSat and terrestrial (Saorview) combo box. FreeSat is proprietary software that selects some of the Free To Air (FTA) satellite channels. Combo boxes pickup all FTA satellite and terrestrial channels and can show them in any combination you wish.

However there are some TVs with builtin FreeSat and terrestrial tuners and thus don't need a separate box.

The Cush

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121727643#Comment_121727643

Can I suggest a combi Saorview/ FTA satellite TV. I have a couple of Walker TVs here and are generally user friendly. All TV channels on a single list with one remote control.

I arrange the satellite channels the way I want and can download the list to transfer to any of the other Walker/Toshiba TVs. I have also sent the list to some people here on boards for uploading to their TVs.

greasepalm

I have a Sony Bravia twin sat and Saorview but went back to H7S for my Bouquets and Epg as its was easier to find what i was looking for

digitalsystem

...

digitalsystem

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121684964#Comment_121684964

Hi, I saw this response and wanted to check with you. I have a visiblewave satellite receiver that I want to change from. UI is not great and I don't want to have to switch between tv inputs to move from RTE to BBC etc..

I have two spare cables coming from the 'aerial' socket in the wall, is there any way I could know if it is suitable for Zgemma H7s? Or is there any other box that people would recommend that would be a plug and play replacement for the visiblewave box that would remove the need to change tv inputs? Not looking to change tv at the moment

I'm also based in Clare for what it is worth

greasepalm

H7S needs 2 sat cables for its tuners , it can work with 1 but for recording 2 are better.

No box is plug and play as it does not know what you want of it and what you want to view.

Old Sky+ boxes used 2 sat cables from sat dish on 28.2. Sky Q uses a different LNB

Depends on what way your wall plug is wired up with aerial or sat feeds.

Your old box when working will know and show what cables it uses.

I have all 4 hdmi inputs in use and might depend if your tv has cec

I just use remote to go to different input to choose another device.

byte

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121692575#Comment_121692575

That Panasonic is a Vestel TV though not sure if your channel list would transfer successfully (may depend on the chassis/software used but I suspect it would). Same with many "cheaper" Panasonic TV's these days as well as other big brands.

I did double check on their website to be sure and it's certainly a Vestel with identical layout and input cluster to other brands that use Vestel. https://www.panasonic.com/uk/consumer/televisions/HDTV/tx-32ms360b.html

The Cush

The Walker and Toshiba TVs are both Vestel chassis and the .sdx file is cross transferable, not sure about the Panasonic.

I guess the only way to know for sure would be to attempt a download, backing up the existing list first of course.

riddles

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121748312#Comment_121748312

Is it possible you can share the channel list? I bought a manhattan freesat box probably in error as I then found a walker 40inch tv plan is to just use the TV sat tuner. There’s only one sat input cable I believe.

The Cush

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121748662#Comment_121748662

PM me your email

CalamariFritti

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121748312#Comment_121748312

Panasonic is .sdx too. ChanSort is your friend: https://github.com/PredatH0r/ChanSort