LG Freesat TV's - Switching Antenna to Sat

Navarre wrote: »

The newer version of Walker and Nordmende TVs are the only TVs that i have come across that have both Irish and UK channels on the same list/screen for ease of use with no switching between lists. I have set up lots of them lately for Elderly people who cant handle 2 remotes.

Glad to hear that ...... the Walker I have (few years old) requires multiple key presses to change from terrestrial channel to satellite channel.
I gave up and use an STB instead!

cojobt wrote: »

The alternative is to get a new Satellite receiver, maybe a used Sky HD box, but I was glad to get away from a two remote system.

I'd recommend a combi box like this one:

http://www.freetv.ie/combo-box/

It's about €60...and it works fine. When you scan terrestrial it numbers the channels from 1 up and sticks the satellite channels immediately after them (My terrestrial channels run from 1 to 10 with BBC1 etc starting from 11) and you can get it pre-programmed with UK satellite channels so no searching required. You just do a terrestrial scan and Bob's your auntie's husband...

Yes all this tech stuff is great when that's your game, been there done that etc. but for example in my own case you explain to elderly parents, that you "select source" on the tv remote and all happy for a couple of days, then you find someone has put the sat box on standby etc etc.

It's a shame the likes of LG as the OP said don't implement what seems a no brainer solution that wouldn't cost anything, just a software tweak.

Just a TV set, no boxes, one remote, you switch on the tv, it defaults to Rte1, then the first 5 channels are your terrestrial channels and your next 5 channels are your favourite FTV satellite channels.

This I bet would keep a lot of people happy and anyone that doesn't want to can just ignore the menu.

Not being aegist, but I'm talking the dual tuner Tv equivalent of a Dora phone.

I remember the 'auld fella, he got a heart attack and I got him his first mobile phone.
Waste of time, after hours of explaining, there was always a problem, accidental dialling in his pocket, forgetting to end call, call credit vanished, forgetting numbers etc. and he just wouldn't bother with it in the end. He wasn't interested in learning, he just wanted to press a button and it would call.

Got him one of the clamshell Dora phones, where it's open to answer, close to end and there are three buttons "A", "B" and "C" for his 3 most used numbers. You just hold the buttons down and it rings.
After 30 seconds, he was sold and he uses it everyday and it has given everyone peace of mind.

I know the phone bit is off topic, but for people who don't want any of this tech business then something like the phone I described is literally a lifesaver.

Why a huge tv manufacturer can't make a seamless tuner switch beats me.
Instead of buying WebOs from Palm/Hp they should have bought Dora. :D

Navarre wrote: »

I hear it been called "Free to View" all the time.

That is what it is ...... Free to View, provided you have a Sky branded STB and a Sky card to de-crypt the Sky FTV encrypted channels.

FTA channels have no encryption and are independent of Sky.

cojobt wrote: »

It's pretty simple. He's 74, has got his head around WhatsApp, can copy and paste in Word, but struggles with the TV remote. He's used a Sky box for years, first as a subscription and then as FTA. The remote is big, the buttons are big, he knows how to get to the guide and navigate the channels.

With this LG, I've prepared 4 different ways to access channels and sources. Each one involves a specific sequence of clicks on a very small remote.

He has a learning block when it comes to remotes. I don't know why. We were one of the first houses I knew of to own a VCR in the 80s, but he could barely turn it on, let alone set the clock or record anything.

There may be other and better boxes out there, but he knows how to use the Sky box. That's why it's less of a headache for both of us.

Two remotes is better than one small remote with small buttons and a convoluted sequence.

Paying €10 for a card is preferable to coming home at the weekend and finding out he's been unable to watch BBC all week.

The 'Dora' version of the TV remote is exactly right. One big button for Saorview, one for Satellite, a channel list that can be programmed, and we're sorted.

So far the best solution for switching between sources is

List -- red button -- select Source

The best solution I've found to the channel list problem is

Programme manager -- edit all -- skip channels

In both Saorview and Freesat, I've skipped all the extra channels to have a smaller, more efficient list of channels. The Favourites list didn't work out as it would revert to 'All' instead of ' Favourites' each time the source was changed.

It very disappointing that these are the steps we have to take. Had I known I would have to buy a new Satellite receiver I would have looked at other TVs that didn't have Freesat built in.

If he is using WhatsApp he is far ahead of me
I don't really know what it does
I do not even use the likes of Facebook, Twitter et al
My phone is an 8 year old cast-off from one of my kids. I doubt it could do any of that even if I wanted to.

I do agree on the remote aspect though.
I sometimes think there should be two remotes with such devices .... one simple one with large well-spaced buttons for 'everyday' basic use and the other 'expanded' one including buttons for menu access and settings etc etc.

A Sky remote has some 41 buttons!
I bought a tv box recently and its remote has 13 buttons, all well spaced, even if the buttons are small.
At least my thick fingers can hit them reliably.

I have no searched, but would expect there to be simple remotes with a small number of buttons, which can be programmed to suit the device/s in use.

My personal STB preference is for a combi even though every now and again a channel or two will need re-tuning.
One list, edited by me, containing both Saorview & Sat channels in the order I want.
It keeps the frustration levels to a minimum which might be more important to me than others
A re-tune of some channels a few times per year is much more acceptable to me.

So maybe a Dora remote would be a half-way measure ..... time to start searching .......



EDIT:

Dora
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Doro-4155-vHandleEasy-Universal-Infrared-Grey-White/dp/B0014F2CJC/ref=pd_sbs_107_4?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=8HNSWA2MVRZ098BXTMVE

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Universal-Remote-Massive-Buttons-Satillite/dp/B0011OVNHI

https://www.amazon.com/Big-Button-TV-Universal-Remote/dp/B00011R47U

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/jim-t-miller/television-remotes-designed-for-seniors_b_3371888.html

http://www.bigbuttonremotes.com/

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00RW1YL5A/ref=psdc_4085771_t2_B0014F2CJC


There seems to be quite a number of remotes out there that might be suitable

You mean like this







Just get an enigma2 box. One remote.

He can use the up down buttons for channel change or the numbers or scroll down the list and press ok.

STB. wrote: »

You can turn a lot of stuff off on an enigma2 box.

You dont need a VuDUo2 or Xtrend ET9000. They'd be pointless as they are not combo boxes.

The pictures above are from a single tuner sat and saorview combo box. It is an enigma2 box, a gigablue. It doesnt have to be a gigablue. You can get a single dvb-t and dvb-s2 enigma2 box for less than a hundred quid.

e2 options allow near full slef configuration. You can turn off a lot of things, like menus etc.

If you want to use a different remote you can. It'll use the samsung remote (for example) if the normal one is too complicated. Many other e2 combo boxes could be forced to use a siimple rcu.

You can also reassign all the keys in e2. Thats your starting point. You will not be able to lock down an off the shelf non e2 combo box as they use closed software. I doubt you are into decrompressing formware and trying to hack it!!

I know m8, been in the sat game since D2mac, I actually have a gigablue somewhere in the attic.
The Vu+Duo2 is a combo box, and the Extrend 9000 is too as it has an external tuner but anyway I don't really see the point of using E2 for FTA stuff.
Actually any of the boxes like the old Ferguson Ariva 120 can be configured to arrange the channel list with a combination of sat/terrestrial.
I know most of the solutions m8, was just agreeing with the op that if the likes of LG put a little effort into their software, it would be a nice clean boxless solution.

What I din't know until this thread was that it appears that Walker or Hisense can do this although until now, they were brands I would ignore.

STB. wrote: »

The Vu Duo 2 and Et9000 are twin sat boxes. Adding a USB to a box might make it a combo box but they are not sold with more stable on board NIMMs.

Like I said my Vu+Duo2 was and is a combi box, I am watching it right now, it has built in twin sat and DvbT/C tuner, because that's how I bought it. It is not an external tuner.

STB. wrote: »

Ferguson (like a lot of the closed software) boxes are Ali based chips. There are tools for editing but are not for end user. You also need to know what you are doing.

There was a full thread here somewhere on the Ferguson Arive 120, was a piece of cake to use, I guess someone had done the hard work for us.

STB. wrote: »

This one ?

That's the one m8, worked a treat back then with an old Sony 32" crt.
That's the point I'm trying to make, it's impossible to make a twin tuner tv to behave similar to that dirt cheap little combo box from years ago.

Or I wish LG or whoever would fix it, because I'm too lazy. :pac:


Thats my Vu+Duo2 setup, all built in.

STB. wrote: »

Well the thing about the little cheap boxes is that they are limited by the software. Take the fergusons or other ALI chip boxes. Their downfall was that they have to be retuned when a station moved. Hence I have lost this channel, or this channel isnt working posts etc.

The Autobouquets python plugin exists on E2 platform. No more re-tune problems. A good starting point for what you want to do. Now go into the menus and turn all the menus off and reconfig the RCU mapping! You have a box that non tech folk can use.

Now lets take your VuoDuo2 (with the 3rd NIM installed). That cost you €400+. You can now buy a similarily configed 3 tuner 1.3ghz MIPS E2 box for £89. So if you were thinking I am not going to spend €400+ to do something like this headcase on boards is suggesting, ask yourself would you do it with a sub €100 box ????

I know what you are saying m8, I have spent zillions of hours back in the day on my knees prodding and poking at season interfaces, back when Elvis was a programmer not a singer. Money isn't even an issue, if it's available I'll get it.

The problem in my case, is there is not a solution which can be bought for what seems like an simple problem.
It's probably unique to older Irish people. The parents grew up with analog tv, where you put up a "BBC" aerial and you tuned them on your ancient tv, and presto they appeared one after another Rte1, Rte2, BBC1, BBC2, UTV etc.
No boxes, no menus, no nothing, just worked albeit with some snow.They don't want Sky, they don't want TV guides, they don't want to record, time shift, nothing only flick through the channels.

eg, the auld fella wants to watch the 9:00 pm news on Rte and then wants to get the 10:00pm news on BBC1

I have tried boxes from sky, freesat to E2 etc all "kinda" solutions but none as simple as it could be.

Because of bad eyesight, won't put on the glasses, the remote pointing the wrong way, the couch in the way of the box, someone has pressed the menu button on the box, or the radio button etc etc blah blah, the phone call comes "the BBC's won't work. - Aarrgh

I am not talking your average customer here, I'm talking a niche market and I'm reluctant to use elderly or get the aegist brigade going again.

I just think it's weird, that I have a house full of boxes, ranging form the new Vu+ to the Nvidia Shield Tv and everything in-between from Iptv to Xboxes and yet I can't get what he once had.

Or to cut out all the chat, this is the sum total of what he wants. and if anyone knows the best way of achieving that, then that's all I need. Occasional retuning of channels is not an issue, I can sort that, if and when it happens.

One Tv with One remote.

Press 1 = Rte1
Press 2 = Rte2
Press 3 = Tv 3
Press 4 = Tg4
Press 5 = BBC 1
Press 6 = BBC 2
Press 7 = ITV
Press 8 = Ch4
Press 9 = Sky News

Vol Up
Vol Down

On/Off



Maybe according to this thread, the Walker or Hisense tv's can do this.

Zimmerframe wrote: »

I know what you are saying m8, I have spent zillions of hours back in the day on my knees prodding and poking at season interfaces, back when Elvis was a programmer not a singer. Money isn't even an issue, if it's available I'll get it.

The problem in my case, is there is not a solution which can be bought for what seems like an simple problem.
It's probably unique to older Irish people. The parents grew up with analog tv, where you put up a "BBC" aerial and you tuned them on your ancient tv, and presto they appeared one after another Rte1, Rte2, BBC1, BBC2, UTV etc.
No boxes, no menus, no nothing, just worked albeit with some snow.They don't want Sky, they don't want TV guides, they don't want to record, time shift, nothing only flick through the channels.

eg, the auld fella wants to watch the 9:00 pm news on Rte and then wants to get the 10:00pm news on BBC1

I have tried boxes from sky, freesat to E2 etc all "kinda" solutions but none as simple as it could be.

Because of bad eyesight, won't put on the glasses, the remote pointing the wrong way, the couch in the way of the box, someone has pressed the menu button on the box, or the radio button etc etc blah blah, the phone call comes "the BBC's won't work. - Aarrgh

I am not talking your average customer here, I'm talking a niche market and I'm reluctant to use elderly or get the aegist brigade going again.

I just think it's weird, that I have a house full of boxes, ranging form the new Vu+ to the Nvidia Shield Tv and everything in-between from Iptv to Xboxes and yet I can't get what he once had.

Or to cut out all the chat, this is the sum total of what he wants. and if anyone knows the best way of achieving that, then that's all I need. Occasional retuning of channels is not an issue, I can sort that, if and when it happens.

One Tv with One remote.

Press 1 = Rte1
Press 2 = Rte2
Press 3 = Tv 3
Press 4 = Tg4
Press 5 = BBC 1
Press 6 = BBC 2
Press 7 = ITV
Press 8 = Ch4
Press 9 = Sky News

Vol Up
Vol Down

On/Off



Maybe according to this thread, the Walker or Hisense tv's can do this.

Based on that I would say a cheap combi STB set up with only those channels tuned and listed.
I have no idea when any of those channels last moved to warrant a retune, so that is not a problem.

Get a Dora (or other) simple remote for daily use with the STB.
Keep the original STB remote safely so it is available if required.

Did I miss something important?

Navarre wrote: »

the closest TV to what your looking for for your father is the Walker and Nordmende saorview/satellite TV. All the channels are on the same screen, 1 remote and its button up or button down to move through the channels. Brilliant solution for non techies and for older people. As i said to a elderly gentleman the other day while i was setting up his new walker TV, Doro make the phones simple, Walker/Nordmende make the TV's simple.

Thats exactly what I'm looking for m8. I'll be checking them in the sales.

It's weird being a "techie", trying to be a technophobe.

One more question, is there decent sound from those tv's, as in can they go pretty loud like the LG.