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New Setup, TVHeadend?

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  • 07-02-2021 6:38pm
    #1
    daraghwal
    Registered Users Posts: 945 ✭✭✭


    I currently have a basic walker set top box that has a saorview and free to air satellite tuner to 1 TV. All others just have RTE via aerial.

    We have a few TVs in the house and I'd like to create an internal system where all TVs can access saorview and free to air satellite channels and EPG easily in the one place. What equipment do I need starting out? Raspberry Pi running TBheadend, DVB-T and DVB-S tuner? All the TVs are smart TVs and for some of them I'd be happy to just use the available IPTV apps but for the main sitting room TV and maybe one other room I'd like a clean, easily used UI (for other people using it, the set up doesn't have to be) with saorview and free to air channels. I don't need to record or anything. Where do I begin? What do I actually need to buy to achieve this?

    I remember seeing a detailed step by step for something like this years ago but I can't find it anywhere now and don't know if it's exactly what I'm looking for


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


    You need centralised tuners for both DVB-T and DVB-S/2. At least two of each, but I would recommend more DVB-S tuners to allow for several viewing and maybe recording in the future.
    Along with those you would need a low powered device like a R-Pi or a cheap Android box to run Tvheadend on it to manage the tuners and recording if any.

    Tvheadend will manage allocation of tuners, EPG, recordings, timeshift etc etc.

    After that it depends on the devices viewing the TV Channels.
    Anything that can run Kodi and output to a display would be suitable for basic TVs (another cheap Android box) ...... newer TVs might have suitable software built in.
    All PCs, laptops, tablets etc can run Kodi and display the channels, which can be received via wired LAN or wireless. Wired gives best results. You can also use 'Home Plugs' if your mains wiring allows it.

    That is a brief outline of one method ...... there are other methods of course.
    I have been using such a system for years and am very happy with it.


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    #3
    daraghwal
    Registered Users Posts: 945 ✭✭✭daraghwal


    Johnboy1951 wrote: »
    You need centralised tuners for both DVB-T and DVB-S/2. At least two of each, but I would recommend more DVB-S tuners to allow for several viewing and maybe recording in the future.
    Along with those you would need a low powered device like a R-Pi or a cheap Android box to run Tvheadend on it to manage the tuners and recording if any.

    After that it depends on the devices viewing the TV Channels.
    Anything that can run Kodi and output to a display would be suitable for basic TVs (another cheap Android box) ...... newer TVs might have suitable software built in.
    All PCs, laptops, tablets etc can run Kodi and display the channels, which can be received via wired LAN or wireless. Wired gives best results. You can also use 'Home Plugs' if your mains wiring allows it.

    That is a brief outline of one method ...... there are other methods of course.
    I have been using such a system for years and am very happy with it.

    Is there a particular (hopefully not too expensive?) brand of tuner that you work recommend that works with a raspberry pi running tvheadend? What way does the raspberry pi receive signal from the tuners? USB or lan/wlan?

    After that I'd just set up kodi etc. on devices as I wanted. Thanks.


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    #4
    daraghwal
    Registered Users Posts: 945 ✭✭✭daraghwal


    Also what's the best front end for the television for people that wouldn't be very tech savvy (simple, flicking between channels and EPG).


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    #5
    cargen
    Registered Users Posts: 270 ✭✭cargen


    [
    Not sure if you liked at it already but why don't look at enigma2 boxes


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    #6
    Johnboy1951
    Registered Users Posts: 13,990 ✭✭✭✭Johnboy1951


    A Dual DVB-T HDHomeRun box costs about €100+. It outputs on ethernet cable.
    Alternatively I have used cheap USB DVB-T tuners costing about €10 which might require a powered USB hub with that plugged into the R-Pi.

    A quad tuner DVB-S tuner box such as the Telestar Digibi R1 would be the one I would recommend.
    It can take coax from a quad LNB or a single coax from a Unicable LNB.
    It is a Sat>IP device.

    The HDHomeRun, R-Pi and Digibit would need to be plugged into the same LAN/router.

    As for the TV ..... I find the best option is something cheap that will run Kodi (if it is not available on the TV) so that all display devices have the same user experience, channel listing etc etc.

    With the storage device for recorded and stored media attached to the backend server, all client devices can access all media.


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    #7
    Johnboy1951
    Registered Users Posts: 13,990 ✭✭✭✭Johnboy1951


    There is another alternative, as mentioned by cargen above.

    I have been testing an old Enigma box Zgemma H2.S with minisatip installed, and added a USB DVB-T tuner, giving 2 x DVB-S/2 and one DVB-T tuners shared on the LAN.

    The newer Zgemma box has 2 x DVB-S and 1x DVB-T built in and is probably the cheapest means of getting good tuners.
    https://www.world-of-satellite.co.uk/zgemma-h7s?filter_name=Zgemma%20H7S
    I do not have this box, but I would expect a cheap USB DVB-T tuner could be added and minisatip server run on it to share the tuners to a TVH server (R-Pi or equivalent) and from there to Kodi clients. The TVH server managing everything.

    There is another way to have the channels on the LAN ... using DLNA.
    I am unsure about how this would compare with the above TBH ....... I suspect the above scheme has more to offer ---- IF you need it.


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    #8
    daraghwal
    Registered Users Posts: 945 ✭✭✭daraghwal


    Johnboy1951 wrote: »
    There is another alternative, as mentioned by cargen above.

    I have been testing an old Enigma box Zgemma H2.S with minisatip installed, and added a USB DVB-T tuner, giving 2 x DVB-S/2 and one DVB-T tuners shared on the LAN.

    The newer Zgemma box has 2 x DVB-S and 1x DVB-T built in and is probably the cheapest means of getting good tuners.
    https://www.world-of-satellite.co.uk/zgemma-h7s?filter_name=Zgemma%20H7S
    I do not have this box, but I would expect a cheap USB DVB-T tuner could be added and minisatip server run on it to share the tuners to a TVH server (R-Pi or equivalent) and from there to Kodi clients. The TVH server managing everything.

    There is another way to have the channels on the LAN ... using DLNA.
    I am unsure about how this would compare with the above TBH ....... I suspect the above scheme has more to offer ---- IF you need it.

    That looks like a good solution, thanks for that. Does the USB DVB-T Tuner just allow watching of the two different saorview muxes or what would it's purpose be. Thanks again for your help.


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    #9
    Johnboy1951
    Registered Users Posts: 13,990 ✭✭✭✭Johnboy1951


    daraghwal wrote: »
    That looks like a good solution, thanks for that. Does the USB DVB-T Tuner just allow watching of the two different saorview muxes or what would it's purpose be. Thanks again for your help.

    You need one tuner per mux if you want to watch or record a channel (or channels) on both muxes at the same time.


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    #10
    daraghwal
    Registered Users Posts: 945 ✭✭✭daraghwal


    So I didn't get around to doing this and am back to college now so don't have the time to at the moment. Unfortunately, the combi box we have has just died so I am looking for a good set top box that has a nice UI combining satellite and terrestrial. I am not that pushed about recording now when almost everything can be found on the player via VPN etc.


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