Old Lidl/Aldi Sat box info

PplAreStrange

Vas_Guy wrote: »

Lidl have a Digital Satellite System next Thursday http://www.lidl.ie/ie/home.nsf/pages/c.o.20060831.p.DigitalSatelliteSystem

I live in the country side and totally know nothing about satellite TV but I'm considering getting this system in Lidl next week as I'm not looking for SKY, etc.

Could I make a suggestion that a FAQ thread be set up to help people like myself who know nothing install the system, like how high does the dish have to be house wall, roof, pole?

Rather than repeating pevious posts on the item, eg what stations are available? do you have to realign the dish every time you want to pick up different stations from another satellite?

Also any advice would be greatly appreciated i.e. is it a good purchase!

Firstly, yes that is a great idea...but i am primarily here to tell you that i bought the silvercrest SL65 (or Comag, as the book tells me). The good news is, that after only 4 days of adjusting and roaming... I GOT THE DAMN THING TO WORK!!

So this is what i did :

1. I assembled the dish as instructed.
2. Set the dish to 30 degrees
3. I attached the beeper as instructed
4. Then connected the reciever via the scart connection to the my TV
5. pointed the dish to the east
6. pressed the button on the remote for the beeper, where the tv made a corresponding continous beep.

7. adjusted the dish a little more until i got a picture.

let me also say, that there are some myths. That the dish musct be outside and at a height, this is not the case as i achieved getting an excellent picture in my kitchen, the only height it had was by fastening the dish to a tripod.

samih

Does anybody happen to know a generic remote (brand, model) that works with the SL65? Our remote broke down and the Lidl universal one has not got any codes for Comag/Silvercrest. It sucks to crawl on the floor to change the channels :-)

axton1

Hi there,
is the remote a learning remote ? and does it have a mini usb on the remote. withsome brands you can down load codes that you don't have from their website straight into the remote !
Failing that get yourself a remote that can be updated from the net.:)

samih

Unfortunately no usb on the universal I have, and, in general, it's a very limited model axton1. What would be a good replacement model to get?

One related thing: My family seems to go through remotes at a frightening pace, so a reasonable purchase price would be great. For some reason the current universal control has lasted for a long time, but does not support the SL65.

Thanks again.

axton1

Re;learner remotes
There are a few brands available; cheaper types are ''one for all '' and phillips / or upmarket ones like ''vexo'':)
vexo has lcd screen and i-pod stlye wheel and no buttons, this one will work up 16 items with macro (submenus)
so anything infrared can be operated by it. Really depends on your budget. on the cheaper end there is a one for all 12 thats no bad for about 55 squds.

biologikal

Does the universal remote have a scanning function? If it does, try following the instructions for testing that out.

Is the Lidl universal remote a Silvercrest?

I have a few URC9990's and program any new remotes into one, and store away the original. Even got e-mail support recently for a remoteless DVD/VCR combo that I couldn't find the code for switching between DVD and VCR. But then, a learner would be no good to you without the original in the first place.

samih

biological, I think the make is the world famous "support plus". Yeah, there is scanning but it didn't found a code for the SL.

I think I will buy one of the Philips universal ones. According to the website some models at least support "silvercrest" and "comag". Maybe I'll get lucky. I'll update here once the purchase has been made.

celticfc

samih wrote: »

Does anybody happen to know a generic remote (brand, model) that works with the SL65? Our remote broke down and the Lidl universal one has not got any codes for Comag/Silvercrest. It sucks to crawl on the floor to change the channels :-)

IIRC, Aldi were selling a Tevion (Made by the same/similar crowd) learning remote which people got to work with the SL65 and other Silvercrest/Tevion/Comag STB's. It is the only type I've heard to be compatible.

Other than that, I know it's very hard to get the other universal remotes to work on these boxes.

celticfc

In case anybody is still looking out to get one of these systems and thinks they're all gone, I was in Lidl on the Greenhills Road yesterday and they had about 20 boxes left.

I'm sure the other branches must do as well.

TheDriver

Not great value to be honest

biologikal

^ IYO

To be fair, the wall brackets they supply aren't the best for using in wind-prone locations without modification, but there is nothing wrong with the rest of the kit, IMO, and everything is included to get someone new to satellite TV started.

Sick of hearing/reading people putting the system down; the Lidl kit has introduced me to satellite TV, has given me access to many decent FTA channels at 28.2E, and foreign-language channels (esp. French) at other satellite locations, and it's enabled me to learn a lot about receivers/LNBs/satellites and the rest of the technology involved.

wil

Absolutely agree.

I hardly bother replying to these regular poopoos any time I mention the Aldi/Lidl Comag/Silvercrest/Tevion whatever - they are all the same Comag SL65 or SL65/12 and sold by many specialised satellite dealers for twice the price under different brand names than Aldi/Lidl.

Yes they are cheap, but they are certainly better than you could expect for half or twothirds the price of alternative systems generally available.
Nobody is particularly praising the quality of the accessories but certainly the receiver is a little gem for the price and as you say has been a brilliant introduction for many people who would never normally be tempted to venture in to the world of satellites.

Previous older models from Aldi/Lidl may have had issues but that is not a basis for knocking current versions (which probably come from a different manufacturer)
On top of that you have the benefit of a 3 year warranty which I dont see matched anywhere else.

Once getting a taste of these systems, many people move on to more specialised systems and few express any regrets at spending €80 on something that at the end of the day works just as it says on the box.

If anything, Aldi/Lidl are sparking an interest that serves specialised dealers well.

biologikal wrote: »

^ IYO

To be fair, the wall brackets they supply aren't the best for using in wind-prone locations without modification, but there is nothing wrong with the rest of the kit, IMO, and everything is included to get someone new to satellite TV started.

Sick of hearing/reading people putting the system down; the Lidl kit has introduced me to satellite TV, has given me access to many decent FTA channels at 28.2E, and foreign-language channels (esp. French) at other satellite locations, and it's enabled me to learn a lot about receivers/LNBs/satellites and the rest of the technology involved.

vkid

Folks,
Is there a way to know what sat you are locked on to? I have just spend the day messing about with a LIDL dish and receiver and am getting channels on Astra 28.2 E but can;t get any BBC/ITV channels. I am not getting a no signal/weak signal message...just a blank screen. Everything is working ok but I just can;t get the UK channels to work? Is there a setting somewhere that could be causing this?

Lost/knackered/annoyed..

Any suggestions?

biologikal

Are you certain you're getting the channels on 28.2E? Give a few examples of channels that you are able to see.

There's a possibility your dish is pointing at 19.2E (are you getting a lot of German channels?), as 28.2E and 19.2E use similar frequencies, and may lead you into a false sense that you're pointing at 28.2E, as you see good signal intensity and quality.

biologikal

samih wrote: »

biological, I think the make is the world famous "support plus". Yeah, there is scanning but it didn't found a code for the SL.

I think I will buy one of the Philips universal ones. According to the website some models at least support "silvercrest" and "comag". Maybe I'll get lucky. I'll update here once the purchase has been made.

This might be an option:

http://www.genuinecopies.tv/#silvercrest

Note, I've never dealt with them before, and have no idea if the remote they supply for the SL65 will work with your STB.

vkid

cheers folks. gonna try again tomorrow.

corcaigh07

can someone tell me where to find channel 4 on the lidi box? my brother at home couldnt find it, will it show up on the free channels only search or do you have to look throught the encrypted channels for "8350". thanks

doogb

I have a lidl 80cm dish pointing at astra 28.2e.
I want to receive other satellites without using a motor.

Has anyone done this using a Lidl 80cm dish ?

Can anyone tell me what lnb's and bracket I can use with this dish and where can I purchase them ?

At the moment I am using a combiner & a splitter for my terestrial arial signal and satellite signal.

What can I use to combine the various satellite signals and terestrial signal ?
Do I need a splitter at the tv points to separate the signals ?

Thks.

biologikal

corcaigh07 wrote: »

can someone tell me where to find channel 4 on the lidi box? my brother at home couldnt find it, will it show up on the free channels only search or do you have to look throught the encrypted channels for "8350". thanks

You need to press the menu button on remote, go to the installation menu, then TP scan, make sure your Astra 28E satellite position is selected at the top, then find transponder 10729 just below it (V and 22000 will automatically be there when you get the right transponder), and then select to scan. It'll find a few other channels too, delete them if you want. Selecting just "Free" will bring it in as it's not flagged as encrypted ($).

biologikal

doogb wrote: »

I have a lidl 80cm dish pointing at astra 28.2e.
I want to receive other satellites without using a motor.

Has anyone done this using a Lidl 80cm dish ?

Can anyone tell me what lnb's and bracket I can use with this dish and where can I purchase them ?

At the moment I am using a combiner & a splitter for my terestrial arial signal and satellite signal.

What can I use to combine the various satellite signals and terestrial signal ?
Do I need a splitter at the tv points to separate the signals ?

Thks.

I have a Lidl 80cm dish set up to pull in 13E, 19.2E and 28.2E. You really need to look at sat channel sites to see what you want to look at, but I'd say this setup is fairly common in Ireland and the UK. flysat.com and lyngsat.com would be a good starting point.

Any extras I've put on to the dish have been gotten from eBay, because I'm experimenting, and don't want to spend loads (cheapskate), especially twice as much as it probably would if I was buying from shops here, even with P&P from the UK.

Anyway, regarding LNBs, decide if you think you'll be wanting to supply other receivers in the future. If not, go for singles; if you are, then go for twins or quads, or more. Really, anything at 0.3dB rating or less is going to be fine, unless you're a snob, and need "swooshes" along the side. I'm sure others have other ideas in this matter. I've gotten simple Faval 0.2dB singles that work perfectly, and cost less than €7-8 each.

To get the LNBs to work with the holder already in place on the Lidl dish, I've found items like these to fit the bill:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Multifeed-Triple-LNB-Holder-Universal-Fitting-New_W0QQitemZ360042858244QQihZ023QQcategoryZ60838QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Those ones above are plastic, though there are metal-alloy ones, which I have, and are probably much sturdier than the plastic. Easy to set-up and very adjustable. Mine haven't budged in over six months outside in our $hitty weather. I haven't seen any other type that would work as well with the Lidl dish and the holder already on it.

If you use a multiple-LNB set-up, you'll need a DiSEqC switch (2-way for 2 LNBs, 4-way for 2, 3 or 4 LNBs, etc.). This will take the leads from the LNBs and output them to one lead to supply the receiver. You can then use a combiner/splitter in the normal way you probably already use them to combine with your terrestrial signal.

You can then set-up the receiver so that it will automatically switch to whatever LNB is required to be turned on and at whatever frequency. Basically, you just tell it at what DiSEqC switch each satellite is expected.

corcaigh07

thanks bio, i rang my brother to do that and it sounds like he followed your instructions perfectly. he only came across scrambled channels like e4 and more 4 but no FTA C4. maybe its gone again or our satellite reception isnt good enough, i dont know.

biologikal

corcaigh07 wrote: »

thanks bio, i rang my brother to do that and it sounds like he followed your instructions perfectly. he only came across scrambled channels like e4 and more 4 but no FTA C4. maybe its gone again or our satellite reception isnt good enough, i dont know.

Well, if he's getting some channels on that transponder, then he should be getting all. It's possible not to get all transponders on a satellite due to non-perfect dish allignment, but if he's getting any channels on a particular transponder, he should be getting them all.

The channel isn't named "Channel 4", it's named "8350", and it was working fine last night on my Lidl STB. Maybe he just dismissed this "8350" channel as being rubbish (though in recent years, I'd tend to say that most of the programming on C4 is rubbish, but then that's just my opinion).

corcaigh07

i told him it was under 8350. no worries, ill have a look myself when im home next and ill report back! iits probably something small. thanks

fatal

Hi,
Im looking for a new receiver for my satellite dish.If I was to buy this http://www.lidl.ie/ie/home.nsf/pages/c.o.20080421.p.DigitalCampingSatelliteSystem , would the receiver work with my existing dish?

Tony

Should do

wil

biologikal wrote: »

.......Any extras I've put on to the dish have been gotten from eBay, because I'm experimenting, and don't want to spend loads (cheapskate), especially twice as much as it probably would if I was buying from shops here, even with P&P from the UK.

Anyway, regarding LNBs, decide if you think you'll be wanting to supply other receivers in the future. If not, go for singles; if you are, then go for twins or quads, or more. Really, anything at 0.3dB rating or less is going to be fine, unless you're a snob, and need "swooshes" along the side. I'm sure others have other ideas in this matter. I've gotten simple Faval 0.2dB singles that work perfectly, and cost less than €7-8 each.
.........

I am not the only one to realise it is possible to expand on this hobby without forking out large wads of cash:)
Where can you buy those swooshes to stick on lnbs:D

If you are getting a diseqc, you are better off spending a few euro extra for a 4way. Works out cheaper if you want to add more dishes. I recently paid €14 for a basic one new, 6 months ago same one same supplier was €17.

I wonder will a diseqc work correctly with a splitter combiner?

biologikal

wil wrote: »

I wonder will a diseqc work correctly with a splitter combiner?

I had wondered about this, but I imagine the DiSEqC signal from the STB to the switch would be sorted as a sat frequency, and routed as such. I haven't any personal experience of their use, just from what I've read. Is it possible that there is only one way signals/freqs can travel through these splitters/combiners?

b318isp

biologikal wrote: »

To get the LNBs to work with the holder already in place on the Lidl dish, I've found items like these to fit the bill:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Multifeed-Triple-LNB-Holder-Universal-Fitting-New_W0QQitemZ360042858244QQihZ023QQcategoryZ60838QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Those ones above are plastic, though there are metal-alloy ones, which I have, and are probably much sturdier than the plastic. Easy to set-up and very adjustable. Mine haven't budged in over six months outside in our $hitty weather. I haven't seen any other type that would work as well with the Lidl dish and the holder already on it.

If you use a multiple-LNB set-up, you'll need a DiSEqC switch (2-way for 2 LNBs, 4-way for 2, 3 or 4 LNBs, etc.). This will take the leads from the LNBs and output them to one lead to supply the receiver. You can then use a combiner/splitter in the normal way you probably already use them to combine with your terrestrial signal.

You can then set-up the receiver so that it will automatically switch to whatever LNB is required to be turned on and at whatever frequency. Basically, you just tell it at what DiSEqC switch each satellite is expected.

Are you saying you are using one dish and mulitple LNBs to pick up different satellites? I thought this was only posible with DiSEqC motor drive on the dish...

biologikal

Yep, look here for examples:

http://www.satellitesuperstore.com/multisat.htm

coffee to go

Be aware that that's the camping version adn takes a 12v input, so you'd need a transformer or similar.

Maybe call a few lidls to see if they still have the normal (non-camping) one in stock from a couple of weeks ago.