Saorview decoder €49.99 Lidl 27th October

Widescreen · 28-10-2011 10:32PM

can anyone recommend a usb memory stick to use with this item. I believe one hour of recording is approx one gb so I think I would need to get a 16 or 32gb stick?

thanks

martin12 · 28-10-2011 11:32PM

Sandisk 16 or 32 gb work great never had any bother with them

nowhersjohnny · 28-10-2011 11:36PM

I agree, provided they are FAT32 and below 80gigs.
The box simply wont react to NTFS and crashes with anything over 80gigs.

MACHEAD · 29-10-2011 12:27PM

nowhersjohnny wrote: »

They where never for sale north of the border, You need to check Lidl Northern Ireland and you wont see these boxs. Im from Newry and drove to Dundalk for mine.

They seem to have changed the layout of the site. There used to be a button for the 'Northern' site. But now there's a search function for your 'local' store, and it'll refresh the page with the regional variant.

dambarude · 29-10-2011 05:48PM

Just to clarify... the problem with my LIDL saorview box was the SCART lead. Got one for €2 in a pound shop - worked a treat!

Mike 1972 · 29-10-2011 06:53PM

Tesco in NI have a Tecknika Freeview HD (not Saorview approved) for £30stg at the moment

nowhersjohnny · 29-10-2011 11:32PM

Mike 1972 wrote: »

Tesco in NI have a Tecknika Freeview HD (not Saorview approved) for £30stg at the moment

The UK broadcasts MPEG2 (Freeview) whilst Ireland are using MPEG4 for (Soarview) the two are not compatible.
Apparently MPEG 4 uses 1/4 the bandwidth MPEG2 uses, plenty of free airspace for the government to sell off to mobile phone operators to get 4G broadband/mobile services up and going. This is why they want the analogue system turned off completely.

Freeview will pick up the sound but no picture.
I live in Newry and my Sony Bravia has built in Freeview, it only picks up sound.

nowhersjohnny · 29-10-2011 11:34PM

dambarude wrote: »

Just to clarify... the problem with my LIDL saorview box was the SCART lead. Got one for €2 in a pound shop - worked a treat!

I did'nt get a scart lead in the box, but I did get a HDMI cable.

ardmacha · 30-10-2011 12:15AM

nowhersjohnny wrote:

Originally Posted by Mike 1972
Tesco in NI have a Tecknika Freeview HD (not Saorview approved) for £30stg at the moment

The UK broadcasts MPEG2 (Freeview) whilst Ireland are using MPEG4 for (Soarview) the two are not compatible.

This post is somewhat misleading. Mike 1972 posted about a Freeview HD box, not a regular Freeview one. Freeview HD is almost completely compatible with Saorview, as noted many times in this forum.

dambarude · 30-10-2011 12:28AM

nowhersjohnny wrote: »

I did'nt get a scart lead in the box, but I did get a HDMI cable.

I didn't either... was using one I already had which was a dud. Why did they provide a HDMI cable instead of a scart I wonder?

winston_1 · 30-10-2011 12:43AM

dambarude wrote: »

I didn't either... was using one I already had which was a dud. Why did they provide a HDMI cable instead of a scart I wonder?

Because an HDMI cable is necessary for HD. You cannot get HD through a scart.

winston_1 · 30-10-2011 12:46AM

nowhersjohnny wrote: »

Apparently MPEG 4 uses 1/4 the bandwidth MPEG2 uses.

That is not true.

The Cush · 30-10-2011 01:09AM

nowhersjohnny wrote: »

The UK broadcasts MPEG2 (Freeview) whilst Ireland are using MPEG4 for (Soarview) the two are not compatible.
Apparently MPEG 4 uses 1/4 the bandwidth MPEG2 uses, plenty of free airspace for the government to sell off to mobile phone operators to get 4G broadband/mobile services up and going. This is why they want the analogue system turned off completely.

Freeview will pick up the sound but no picture.

Ireland Saorview (SD & HD) = DVB-T/MPEG-4
UK FreeviewHD (& SD) = DVB-T2/MPEG-4
UK Freeview (SD) = DVB-T/MPEG-2

FreeviewHD spec receivers are backward compatible with both Saorview and Freeview in relation to video decoding.

MPEG-4 over MPEG-2 wouldn't be as efficient as you say more like 2/3 (a saving of approx 30-40%).

nowhersjohnny wrote: »

I live in Newry and my Sony Bravia has built in Freeview, it only picks up sound.

Depends on the model and how old it is I guess, my early 2008 Sony V4500 is compatible with the Saorview channels.

mattser · 30-10-2011 01:14AM

Lads, what did ye do before this ?. Rabbits ears every time for me.

nowhersjohnny · 30-10-2011 12:48PM

ardmacha wrote: »

This post is somewhat misleading. Mike 1972 posted about a Freeview HD box, not a regular Freeview one. Freeview HD is almost completely compatible with Saorview, as noted many times in this forum.

I sincerely apologise, I didn’t notice the HD, which does indeed make a difference, also I know that the Soarview box is also freeview compatible.

nowhersjohnny · 30-10-2011 12:52PM

winston_1 wrote: »

That is not true.

Somebody else has confirmed it’s a lot more efficient at about 2/3s so some of that statement is in fact true.
But if more and more content is going to be HD than the bandwidth will go up but like for like MPEG 4 uses a lot less bandwidth.

Widescreen · 30-10-2011 07:59PM

martin12 wrote: »

Sandisk 16 or 32 gb work great never had any bother with them

thanks , picked up a 16gb in argos yesterday, works a treat. cheers

winston_1 · 31-10-2011 12:35AM

nowhersjohnny wrote: »

Somebody else has confirmed it’s a lot more efficient at about 2/3s so some of that statement is in fact true.
But if more and more content is going to be HD than the bandwidth will go up but like for like MPEG 4 uses a lot less bandwidth.

MPEG4 uses a little less bandwidth, not a lot less.

tvman2 · 31-10-2011 01:13AM

Is there anything special about the Akura STB sold by Lidl apart from the extra warranty. I understood from other posts they were exactly the same as the BUSH currently sold by Argos - same price, manufacturer, software etc made in Turkey by Vestel.

When Freeview HD starts up from Divis will these STBs' be ok to receive it or will they only display SD. I have a BUSH at the moment and it is fine with Saorview SD/HD, Freeview SD and digital text from both.

The Cush · 31-10-2011 01:42AM

tvman2 wrote: »

When Freeview HD starts up from Divis will these STBs' be ok to receive it or will they only display SD. I have a BUSH at the moment and it is fine with Saorview SD/HD, Freeview SD and digital text from both.

FreeviewHD requires a receiver with a DVB-T2 tuner, not sure if the Akura STB has one.

wikily · 07-11-2011 07:58PM

I get the point about FreeviewHD being Saorview compatable, from a picture standpoint, but do FreeviewHD employ MHEG-5 teletext ??

Just a question for clarity..

Regards,

Kristopherus · 07-11-2011 08:02PM

wikily wrote: »

I get the point about FreeviewHD being Saorview compatable, from a picture standpoint, but do FreeviewHD employ MHEG-5 teletext ??

Just a question for clarity..

Regards,

Usually no. But there are a few new models coming on stream that may have it. LG seem to be leading that crawl.

winston_1 · 07-11-2011 08:19PM

All Freeview HD boxes have MHEG5, it's part of the spec.

The best ones for Irish viewers are either the Icecrypt T2200 or the ican easy HD as these two are also compatible with EBU teletext which you need for some channels.

The Technika boxes are not compatible with EBU teletext.

Kristopherus · 07-11-2011 11:21PM

Before anyone jumps on me, I was referring to TV sets:)

wikily · 08-11-2011 12:55AM

winston_1 wrote: »

All Freeview HD boxes have MHEG5, it's part of the spec.

The best ones for Irish viewers are either the Icecrypt T2200 or the ican easy HD as these two are also compatible with EBU teletext which you need for some channels.

The Technika boxes are not compatible with EBU teletext.

k, but that Icecrypt T2200 dont even have PVR yet..

so whats the point in even posting those brands if the LIDL/ALDI stuff is cheaper... with PVR, and MHEG-5?

winston_1 · 08-11-2011 08:06PM

You can plug a hard disk into the Icecrypt to use it as a PVR. The i-can easy HD was sold in Aldi for £39.99. I was not aware that Audi and Lidl sell PVRs with MHEG 5 cheaper than that. Please post a source of that information.

Widescreen · 12-12-2011 09:59PM

Just something I've noticed on this lidl saorview box.

Hadn't noticed before because I have not been using it much, but what seems to happen is, that if you leave the usb in all the time you generally have to reboot the box again to get it to display picture etc or take out the flash drive.

I have now taken out the usb and the box works perfect all the time. This is not ideal though as you have to keep messing around putting in the usb when u want to tape something and the usb socket is stupidly, around on the back of the box!

anyone experience this... thanks

bmaxi · 12-12-2011 11:51PM

Widescreen wrote: »

Just something I've noticed on this lidl saorview box.

Hadn't noticed before because I have not been using it much, but what seems to happen is, that if you leave the usb in all the time you generally have to reboot the box again to get it to display picture etc or take out the flash drive.

I have now taken out the usb and the box works perfect all the time. This is not ideal though as you have to keep messing around putting in the usb when u want to tape something and the usb socket is stupidly, around on the back of the box!

anyone experience this... thanks

Sorry, I can't help with your problem but I just had to laugh when you complained about the USB being on the back of the box. There was a whole raft of complaints about the USB socket being on the front of the Ariva 120. I think there was even a poll.

Widescreen · 13-12-2011 09:32PM

bmaxi wrote: »

Sorry, I can't help with your problem but I just had to laugh when you complained about the USB being on the back of the box. There was a whole raft of complaints about the USB socket being on the front of the Ariva 120. I think there was even a poll.

Yeah I remember that! If the usb was on the front of this box I wouldnt mind taking it in and out as I needed to record stuff it, but its a hassle having to pull out the box each time to do it.

I think I'll give this box to my mother in law when her analogue signal goes and invest in a Freeview HD with built in PVR or whatever new technology is out then!

Sam Russell · 14-12-2011 01:28PM

bmaxi wrote: »

Sorry, I can't help with your problem but I just had to laugh when you complained about the USB being on the back of the box. There was a whole raft of complaints about the USB socket being on the front of the Ariva 120. I think there was even a poll.

The complaint about the USB port being on the back arises because the box does not work properly with the USB device inserted permanently, and because of this, it has to be removed frequently. It is a fault with the box.

Saorview decoder €49.99 Lidl 27th October

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