Any stores in the Dublin area selling set top boxes for Digital tests?

Snake Plisken · 04-10-2006 07:19PM #1

Hi just wanted to know if anyone has found stores selling these? I read on one of the threads about homebase, but checked the one on the nass road and didn't have any. So if you come across any stores selling them please let me know.

Thanks

Snake

icdg · 04-10-2006 08:15PM

At the moment the only DTT devices readily available in Dublin seem to be for PCs - there is a selection of DVB-T PCI cards and USB devices available in PC World stores and Maplin on Jervis St also have some. Unfortunately I have yet to see an STB, though I believe as you said Homebase had some...

Snake Plisken · 05-10-2006 12:07AM

yeah its a pity as some of the stores could make a killing selling to some of the more tech savvy customers like the members here. I'm sorry I didn't buy a samsung with the built in freeview tuner from currys now.

Cheers

Snake

The Muppet · 05-10-2006 08:33AM

They are on sale at the Balbriggan Market which is at the Naul turn off of the M1 every Sunday, I got mine there for € 40.

watty · 05-10-2006 09:07AM

I MUST Emphasis again.

* There are NO setboxes avaibale in UK or Ireland for the Irish DTT tests.

* If a setbox works today, it may not work tomorrow.

* There are supposed to be be MPEG4 tests. These will NOT work on the UK or most of the other DTT boxes.

Retailers selling DTT receivers specifically for Irish tests and not UK freeview are irresponsible.

Ulsterman 1690 · 09-10-2006 10:13AM

No retailler (with the possible exception of enthusiast stores like Maplin) in their right minds will sell a DTT reciever during the testing phase for the simple reason that these tests are just that

If RTE decide for whatever reason to adopt a different standard or once again delay the implementation of DTT (Remember the DTT tests of c 2001) the retailer will be faced with a load of unhappy customers demanding refunds

Although it would be something of a grey area whether they are legally required to honour such claims (since the boxes arent actually defective) it would be rather suicidal from a customer service viewpoint not to

watty · 09-10-2006 11:35AM

Maplin infact have marked ALL DTT gear as "unavailable in ROI" in new Autumn/Winter catalogue. Which is very sensible.

If you really want to risk your 30 to 100 Quid, buy up North or online. But it is really really a serious risk and short term viewing unless you can erect a giant mast + aerials for UK Freeview.

Unless the folks in charge are complete idiots Irish DDT will use at least some MPEG4. They even already said it would. At least ensure the box is TNT compatible with a CI (CAM) slot that the clever MPEG4 to MPEG4 convertor can plug in (and take a viewing card too). These are not for HD. There is unlikely to be a HD test. MPEG4 is simply to fit 2 to 3 times as many channels into the same MUX.

SPDUB · 09-10-2006 04:04PM

watty wrote:

If you really want to risk your 30 to 100 Quid, buy up North or online. But it is really really a serious risk and short term viewing unless you can erect a giant mast + aerials for UK Freeview.

I can't actually see the difference in risking your money up north or online and risking it here in Dublin if the box or USB stick is going to be located in Dublin

watty · 09-10-2006 04:22PM

There is none for the buyer.

But for the seller a HUGE difference. Why should we expect the Irish retailers to gamble? Besides online is usually cheaper anyway.

SPDUB · 09-10-2006 05:53PM

watty wrote:

If you really want to risk your 30 to 100 Quid, buy up North or online.

You said you implying the buyer taking the risk

The seller taking the risk selling them is a different arguement though valid for the shops concerned

muincav · 10-10-2006 09:40PM

Hi all-
so, what this thread is actually saying is, that my PHILIPS DTR 1500 FREEVIEW BOX that i have been using to watch all U.K. freeview channels for the past 2 years wont be able to pick up RTE?Will the equipment that is coming for RTE be able to pick up the UK channels?if not, I think I would probably stay with the UK freeview and LIDL fta sat system and not bother with RTE and all its repeats, just a pity I still have to pay for a TV licence!
After all, channel 5 are starting 2 new channels next week and along with the current channels i would not consider swapping them for RTE, RTE2, TG4 and TV3 very enticing..
I live in the cavan area and have a perfect reception of all available IRISH and
UK annalogue channels and all UK Freeview..
bye for now....

byrnefm · 11-10-2006 08:30AM

muincav wrote:

Hi all-
so, what this thread is actually saying is, that my PHILIPS DTR 1500 FREEVIEW BOX that i have been using to watch all U.K. freeview channels for the past 2 years wont be able to pick up RTÉ?

I think what the general thread is indicating is that while RTÉ have MPEG-2 tests going at present, they have indicated that they will also be doing MPEG-4 tests at some stage. Now whether the other (eventual) content providers also broadcast in MPEG-2 or MPEG-4 is another story but I presume they have the option of doing either as well. It just means that during the periods that they test in MPEG-4, you won't be able to pick up the transmissions.

A few days ago, I read that Norway plans on launching DTT next year and that they plan on launching with MPEG-4: http://www.dvb.org/about_dvb/dvb_worldwide/norway/
It seems that MPEG-4 is slowly pickup up acceptance, which means that over the coming months, it should be easier to get hold of a MPEG-4 box (which I presume will work with MPEG-2, too).

So, for those who can 'hold out' until such boxes become easier to buy, it's a better long-term investment. This, of course, assumes RTÉ will actually launch a nationwide service afterwards

bk · 11-10-2006 04:45PM

Interestingly the BBC (and ITV, C4, C5) have started running trials of HD over DTT in London using MPEG4.

ITV has even been testing SD transmissions using MPEG4.

So it is clear that over the next few years as the analogue transmission is turned off, that the UK will also be moving to a MPEG4 system.

You can already see that a lot of the PC DTT receivers are starting to support MPEG4.

So it would be crazy for Ireland not to at least support MPEG4 side by side with MPEG2 from the out set.

watty · 11-10-2006 05:33PM

muincav wrote:

Hi all-
so, what this thread is actually saying is, that my PHILIPS DTR 1500 FREEVIEW BOX that i have been using to watch all U.K. freeview channels for the past 2 years wont be able to pick up RTE?Will the equipment that is coming for RTE be able to pick up the UK channels?if not, I think I would probably stay with the UK freeview and LIDL fta sat system and not bother with RTE and all its repeats, just a pity I still have to pay for a TV licence!
After all, channel 5 are starting 2 new channels next week and along with the current channels i would not consider swapping them for RTE, RTE2, TG4 and TV3 very enticing..
I live in the cavan area and have a perfect reception of all available IRISH and
UK annalogue channels and all UK Freeview..
bye for now....

Any Irish DTT receiver would be compatible with UK Freeview, but a Freeview receiver may not work all the time with the current Irish Trail.

Presently there is NO PLAN, NO ROADMAP for ANY actual Irish DTT service

The TV licence is not and never has been a licence to watch RTE, it is a tax on having TV reception capability. It is almost coincidental that most of this money goes to RTE. Some goes to TG4 (to become separate soon) and I think 10% is available for indepentent Irish productions for Irish TV.

byrnefm · 12-10-2006 08:43AM

bk wrote:

You can already see that a lot of the PC DTT receivers are starting to support MPEG4.

Cool - I hadn't seen any of these to date - could you give me a link to where to find them? Do they come in PCMCIA or USB format?

watty · 12-10-2006 09:25AM

PCI cards are the only ones I have seen.
Some PCMCIA models will do SD MPEG4 via SW upgrade.
USB 2.0 (only) indeed should be available soon.

atellyer · 14-10-2006 05:54PM

So, would it be a safe bet to buy an MPEG4 STB with a view to this being compatible in the future? (Are there any good MPEG4 boxes out there and what are they retailing for?) Or is there yet another standard that could overtake this before the trials are finished?

ethernet · 14-10-2006 07:10PM

Ulsterman 1690 wrote:

No retailler (with the possible exception of enthusiast stores like Maplin) in their right minds will sell a DTT reciever during the testing phase for the simple reason that these tests are just that ...

Tell this to PC World [in Galway at least]. They have more DTT equipment than analogue terrestrial gear.

watty · 14-10-2006 11:51PM

atellyer wrote:

So, would it be a safe bet to buy an MPEG4 STB with a view to this being compatible in the future? (Are there any good MPEG4 boxes out there and what are they retailing for?) Or is there yet another standard that could overtake this before the trials are finished?

No. The current codecs are probably as good (or as bad) as it will get. The other issue is Interactive service. UK DTT uses MHEG. Sky uses a version of "open tv", some places are using MHP. There are other options too.

I'd guess that the final "real" Irish DTT will use whatever interactive / epg / middleware agreed then rather than anything that might be don in the trial.

lawhec · 18-10-2006 09:28PM

My own advice for someone who doesn't want to go to the lengths of shipping a box from the mainland Europe and finds going up north or cross-channel handy (along with the fact that once the trial is in full swing, it won't pick up everything broadcast) is that if you go for a STB get a cheap one, no more than £30. Asda (do they have a store in Newry?) have a Durabrand box for £23 - not certain if its directly compatible though it should be if it follows the DVB-T specs correctly.

mrdtv · 19-10-2006 06:03PM

A cynical perspective. ComReg, Noel Dempsey and RTE could not organise their way out of a paper bag.

The MOST cost-effective solution would be:

a) two MPEG2 DVB-T multiplexes carrying the Irish and British FTA channels leveraging existing STB economics in Europe... Forget about MPEG4 in a VERY VERY VERY SMALL MARKET.

b) Four DVB-H pay multiplexes on the other frequencies. Auctioned to the highest bidder...

c) Forget about the rest as:

:a) there is a Freesat offer which will be expanded dramatically next year with C4 + C5

b) the market is far too small to support 'off piste' solutions with a max .35M TVHH.

Its time to get real and follow the money. Otherwise they can spend another two years wasting time trialling two systems which already work: DVB-T and DVB-H.

We were laughing at the ridiculous ComReg/RTE policies at the CSI Mobile TV conference in London today.

The market is too small *NOT* to follow the economic trends but then RTE, ComReg, and the Department are totally clueless. That's why there is no DTT system in Ireland today nearly ten years down the line whereas virtually every other EU state is on-air. Its a disgraceful piece of incompetence, but only possible in dear old Ireland...

mrdtv

Brian h · 21-10-2006 12:19AM

Northern Correspondent wrote:

My own advice for someone who doesn't want to go to the lengths of shipping a box from the mainland Europe and finds going up north or cross-channel handy (along with the fact that once the trial is in full swing, it won't pick up everything broadcast) is that if you go for a STB get a cheap one, no more than £30. Asda (do they have a store in Newry?) have a Durabrand box for £23 - not certain if its directly compatible though it should be if it follows the DVB-T specs correctly.

Hi Northern Correspondent,

Don't know if ASDA are in Newry, but they have a store in the Erneside Centre in Enniskillen.

FunkyDa · 22-10-2006 09:55PM

Anybody heading down to Alicante can pick one up(an STB) for 35Euro, in Carrefours hypermarket. I presume the offer is available in all branches in Spain.

Any stores in the Dublin area selling set top boxes for Digital tests?

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