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Combo Receiver or TV with twin Tuners

  • 22-08-2019 3:16pm
    #1
    Darby_321
    Registered Users Posts: 191 ✭✭


    Hi guys, looking to setup my new house with saorview and uk free to air channels and was thinking of getting combo receivers for each of the three places i am planning on putting in a tv.
    I was thinking a satellite with an octo LNB so that i can watch and record on each of the three locations and have one to spare if i want to add a spot in the future.
    I like the combo boxes as you can mess around with them and put the sky skin UI for easy usage.
    I was talking to a guy there and he said it would be easier to buy TVs that have 2 tuners built into the tv and this would make the boxes redundant.
    But what exactly are these two tuners that I should be looking for in TVs and do many TVs come with this built into them?
    Tagged:


Comments

  • #2
    Johnboy1951
    Registered Users Posts: 13,990 ✭✭✭✭Johnboy1951


    If you new house is ethernet cabled then you could have one set of tuners and distribute the TV data to all points with ethernet sockets.
    It might work out about the same price and yet be much more flexible ..... for instance being able to watch TV on any device that can connect, like laptop, tablet, phone etc.

    Might be worth thinking about, especially if you are anyway technically minded.


  • #3
    Darby_321
    Registered Users Posts: 191 ✭✭Darby_321


    Johnboy1951 wrote: »
    If you new house is ethernet cabled then you could have one set of tuners and distribute the TV data to all points with ethernet sockets.
    It might work out about the same price and yet be much more flexible ..... for instance being able to watch TV on any device that can connect, like laptop, tablet, phone etc.

    Might be worth thinking about, especially if you are anyway technically minded.

    yes i will be having ethernet cables to different rooms in the house. If you were to distribute to all points in the house would that be just the same tv signal you would get in each room then or would each room be able to individually watch a different channel?


  • #4
    Johnboy1951
    Registered Users Posts: 13,990 ✭✭✭✭Johnboy1951


    Darby_321 wrote: »
    yes i will be having ethernet cables to different rooms in the house. If you were to distribute to all points in the house would that be just the same tv signal you would get in each room then or would each room be able to individually watch a different channel?

    Each tv or connected device can watch different channels up to the capabilities of the tuners in the central location.

    You can use smart TVs or maybe small/cheap devices if the TVs are not smart.

    Ideally you would have a 'media press' in a central location to which all the ethernet cables would terminate.
    The coax from the dish and aerial brought to the tuners also in the media press.
    From there they can be distributed over the LAN.

    There are several options available for managing all this.
    The best - IMO - is a combination of software which you can choose yourself.

    There are some details about such systems in the HTPC section of boards
    https://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?f=643

    If you are considering going this route then reading there should be helpful.


  • #5
    The Cush
    Registered Users Posts: 15,476 ✭✭✭✭The Cush


    Darby_321 wrote: »
    I was thinking a satellite with an octo LNB so that i can watch and record on each of the three locations and have one to spare if i want to add a spot in the future.
    I like the combo boxes as you can mess around with them and put the sky skin UI for easy usage.
    I was talking to a guy there and he said it would be easier to buy TVs that have 2 tuners built into the tv and this would make the boxes redundant.
    But what exactly are these two tuners that I should be looking for in TVs and do many TVs come with this built into them?


    Combi TVs have 2 tuners, one Saorview the other FTA satellite (or Freesat in some cases).

    Some of these TVs have all the channels in a single list - Walker, Toshiba, Nordmende - all Vestel based TVs. Saorview channels start at 1 while the satellite channels start at 301. Standard 7 day guide for the Saorview channels and Now & Next programme info for the satellite channels.

    Other TVs from the likes of LG, Sony etc. have 2 separate tuners which require pressing buttons to switch between the 2 tuners. Some of these TVs are Freesat enabled also if setup with UK as the country/region (depends on the model), otherwise FTA satellite.

    Look over on the Powercity website, they carry a range of both types of combi TV, use the satellite check box to filter out the combis.

    You do of course say you want the ability to record/watch at each TV point in which case a separate box will be required.

    Another option for the dish would be a quattro LNB feeding the sat signal via 4 cables to a multiswitch which in turn would feed Saorview and satellite signal to as many TV points as required via co-ax cable.


  • #6
    Gerry Wicklow
    Registered Users Posts: 4,534 ✭✭✭Gerry Wicklow


    It should also be noted that multi-tuner TVs still need external storage and have very limited recording / playback options compared to a Linux box.


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  • #7
    Darby_321
    Registered Users Posts: 191 ✭✭Darby_321


    Gerry Wicklow wrote: »
    It should also be noted that multi-tuner TVs still need external storage and have very limited recording / playback options compared to a Linux box.

    Yes external storage is pretty cheap now so that's not much of a problem. The recording and playback options and just the general user UI is one thing I'm worried about because that is dependent on the TV make and model and might not be very usable compared to a combo box where you can modify the UI


  • #8
    Darby_321
    Registered Users Posts: 191 ✭✭Darby_321


    The Cush wrote: »
    Combi TVs have 2 tuners, one Saorview the other FTA satellite (or Freesat in some cases).

    Some of these TVs have all the channels in a single list - Walker, Toshiba, Nordmende - all Vestel based TVs. Saorview channels start at 1 while the satellite channels start at 301. Standard 7 day guide for the Saorview channels and Now & Next programme info for the satellite channels.

    Other TVs from the likes of LG, Sony etc. have 2 separate tuners which require pressing buttons to switch between the 2 tuners. Some of these TVs are Freesat enabled also if setup with UK as the country/region (depends on the model), otherwise FTA satellite.

    Look over on the Powercity website, they carry a range of both types of combi TV, use the satellite check box to filter out the combis.

    You do of course say you want the ability to record/watch at each TV point in which case a separate box will be required.

    Another option for the dish would be a quattro LNB feeding the sat signal via 4 cables to a multiswitch which in turn would feed Saorview and satellite signal to as many TV points as required via co-ax cable.

    Has anybody ever used a Walker brand tv? looking them up there and they seem like a good price. Can get a 32 inch HD smart tv one for 230 euro.

    https://www.redmondelectric.ie/32-smart-tv-by-walker-wps3219sm.html

    It seems very hard though to find any reviews for Walker brand tvs so no idea if they worth the money or not


  • #9
    StreetLight
    Registered Users Posts: 1,388 ✭✭✭StreetLight


    The Cush wrote: »

    Some of these TVs have all the channels in a single list - Walker, Toshiba, Nordmende - all Vestel based TVs. Saorview channels start at 1 while the satellite channels start at 301. Standard 7 day guide for the Saorview channels and Now & Next programme info for the satellite channels.
    .

    Do the Vestel based TVs still flag some UK satellite channels as scrambled? There has been an issue for a long time about the Channel 4 and Channel 5 groups showing as being scrambled, but do they display normally anyway?


  • #10
    decor58
    Registered Users Posts: 819 ✭✭✭decor58


    Darby_321 wrote: »
    Has anybody ever used a Walker brand tv? looking them up there and they seem like a good price. Can get a 32 inch HD smart tv one for 230 euro.

    https://www.redmondelectric.ie/32-smart-tv-by-walker-wps3219sm.html

    It seems very hard though to find any reviews for Walker brand tvs so no idea if they worth the money or not
    I have a Walker 24 inch smart since May and other than the sound, as with many LED tv's, it's fine. Saorview and sat on one list, down load the app and you can renumber the channels any way you wish, the app gives 3 day epg on sat with programme info, recordings can be set from the app. Timed recording on sat work fine, set Saorview epg to record, I record to a HDD, hasn't missed a recording so far. In terms of value for money it's as good as others in the price range (170e), we will see how long it lasts but so far so good.


  • #11
    St Senan
    Moderators, Regional South East Moderators Posts: 3,584 Mod ✭✭✭✭St Senan


    decor58 wrote: »
    I have a Walker 24 inch smart since May and other than the sound, as with many LED tv's, it's fine. Saorview and sat on one list, down load the app and you can renumber the channels any way you wish, the app gives 3 day epg on sat with programme info, recordings can be set from the app. Timed recording on sat work fine, set Saorview epg to record, I record to a HDD, hasn't missed a recording so far. In terms of value for money it's as good as others in the price range (170e), we will see how long it lasts but so far so good.

    Go to settings and go to sound, change Equalizer to Movie and then move down to AVL and turn that to On. That will improve your sound on the TV. also in accessibility there is the option to turn on hard of hearing again that should improve your sound on the TV. :)


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  • #12
    STB.
    Registered Users Posts: 5,380 ✭✭✭STB.


    @OP.


    You want
    • a UI (SlyUK) that is the same across all three locations.
    • a box that has both Saorview and Satellite in the one channel list
    • has the ability to record (and 7 day epg presumably)
    You are doing this from scratch. I suggest you look at unicable ii which is one lnb and one cable in. Then redistributed via a central point to the various locations in the house.

    Then look at suitable receivers. Right now I use a Octagon SF8008 combo and they support unicable. They are STG99 each and have built in wifi. They are very fast, have loads of RAM and will run the UI you are looking to use. You can image one and then clone that image to the other two.

    Don't skimp on the dish. Get a Triax TD88 and a dish mount (about €75) . They will last a lot longer than those flimsy Sky Dishes which will rust in no time.

    I don't believe the Walker TV's give 7 day epg for sat ? They certainly wouldn't be as customisable as an E2 STB.


  • #13
    Darby_321
    Registered Users Posts: 191 ✭✭Darby_321


    Hi Guys, im just after finding this new app last night that seems to work fairly good.

    Its called dreamEPG and it connects your android box or fire stick to your enigma box and you can stream the tv to your android box or access your recordings or control the enigma box by the remote on the app.

    Thought this would be handy to have because if i decide to put in another tv point in the house that doesnt have access to the satellite or terrestrial cable i can put this app onto an android box and just access the channels from that.

    It cost 7 euro to get the premium version to give full access to all your channels but after just messing around with it last night i think it could be 7 euro well spent especially then as i can just have record on one box and then access them recording from any place that has access to this app.


  • #14
    Gerry Wicklow
    Registered Users Posts: 4,534 ✭✭✭Gerry Wicklow


    If you have an enigma box it includes the WEBIF function by default. Simply enter the box network address into any web browser on the same network to access controls, stream live or recorded content. etc


  • #15
    tom23
    Registered Users Posts: 1,094 ✭✭✭tom23


    Howdy Folks, just reading down through this thread and the knowledge displayed by some on the technology is pretty impressive. I just cancelled my sky as I just have a pain in my hole trying to negotiate for peanuts ever year, thats it I'm done with them.

    I don't have a saorview installation in my house so I have to get that done. I would describe myself as technological minded so I am going to invest in a combo box that works for the family and especially the wife, the biggest barrier apart from the finance to getting the Saorview in the house. So a couple of very basic questions, apologies if they have been repeated before on other threads.

    Best Combo Box to get with a single EPG listing (value for money one and a premium model).

    How hard is it to apply a 'skin' especially one that emulates the Sky UI?

    Would an LG TV (which I currently have) with a dual tuner be as good as a basic combo box?


    many thanks folks, really appreciate it.



  • #16
    Gerry Wicklow
    Registered Users Posts: 4,534 ✭✭✭Gerry Wicklow


    @tom23 Assuming it's not a SkyQ LNB you can simply plug the satellite coaxes into your tv and do a scan to see what you get in terms of interface, EPG etc. For Saorview, you will need a conventional aerial feed also. Depending on how strong the signal is in your area you might get away with an indoor aerial (not recommended) or one fitted in the attic. A look at your neighbours might give an indication if a Saorview aerial is reqd.



  • #17
    tom23
    Registered Users Posts: 1,094 ✭✭✭tom23


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118416651#Comment_118416651

    It's a Sky Q LNB. Based here in Navan and most of the houses have the tall arial on the chimney. Im hoping to have the money next month to pay for the Saorview installation (around the €250/80). I think that includes the combo box. I might try and see can I get my hands on an indoor arial to see what I can get in the meantime. Thanks Gerry.



  • #18
    cnocbui
    Registered Users Posts: 19,673 ✭✭✭✭cnocbui


    MY LG TV gets Fressat and terrestrial Irish TV and radio stations. Whether it's as good as a basic external box, I don't know, but it's perfectly adequate for my usage and more aestheticly pleasing, visually and functionally, than when I had a basic sat box, thick scart cable and had to juggle two remotes to get it to all work.



  • #19
    The Cush
    Registered Users Posts: 15,476 ✭✭✭✭The Cush


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118416910#Comment_118416910

    The tall aerials I assume are for UK TV reception from a transmitter in NI, a great option for relaying UK TV around the house. Not sure if all Freeview muxes are available now since a large slice of spectrum was cleared for mobile services.

    Use the Saorview coverage checker to see what transmitter is recommended for your location - https://www.saorview.ie/en/get/coverage



  • #20
    Antoholly
    Registered Users Posts: 2 ✭Antoholly


    Hi guys I bought a Edison nino pro combo and I’m just wondering how to you download the sky skins on it and sort the channels out



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