Saorview Connect

greasepalm

Openvix and Openatv are possibly the main ones.

STB.

Hibrasil wrote: »

What Enigma Firmware / Image Options do you recommend with the OctgonSTB. T.I.A.

OpenATV as they have Netflix working on it via Chrome.

ericzeking

My father got one of these boxes with a view to ditching Eir, seems like it will do for how they watch TV if it's working properly but the thing is the now/next display on the satellite side is inconsistent at best, alot of the time it will just say 'no data available' even though if you select the channel it will work...it means you are surfing channels blind which is irritating af. Is this a common issue, or is there an easy fix? Only thing different from optimal set up is he only has one satellite feed....but I wouldn't have thought this is the reason for this quirk....

greasepalm

Now and then sucks as you need to upscale to a better working box like e2 to know whats on tv.

g6fdyotp5nj2l7

ericzeking wrote:

Only thing different from optimal set up is he only has one satellite feed....but I wouldn't have thought this is the reason for this quirk....

Set one up for a relative had same problem with now and next on satellite side. Was in touch with saorview and was advised second feed is required for epg.
Ran second cable from the dish and all seems to have been good since. At least I haven't had any complaints.

STB.

There is no technical reason why any box should require a second satellite feed to download the epg data.


On the Saorview connect boxes and any non e2 boxes the epg data (Now/Next) is only displayed by going into the channel itself, then it remembers that data for that channel for a limited period. By going into every channel the epg data will be displayed for the course of the now/next programming window.

g6fdyotp5nj2l7

STB. wrote:

There is no technical reason why any box should require a second satellite feed to download the epg data.

I can't dispute that because I wouldn't have a clue about the technical side. All I'm saying is that's what they told me, I did it and it works.

Sam Russell

STB. wrote: »

There is no technical reason why any box should require a second satellite feed to download the epg data.


On the Saorview connect boxes and any non e2 boxes the epg data (Now/Next) is only displayed by going into the channel itself, then it remembers that data for that channel for a limited period. By going into every channel the epg data will be displayed for the course of the now/next programming window.

There could be a technical reason.

The Connect box has two separate tuners that each can tune sat or terrestrial channels, one is for watching, the other is for recording. I am not sure how that would affect Now & Next, but it could have a bearing.

STB.

Sam Russell wrote: »

The Connect box has two separate tuners that each can tune sat or terrestrial channels, one is for watching, the other is for recording. I am not sure how that would affect Now & Next, but it could have a bearing.

Put it this way, if the box was downloading the 7 day epg data on a single tuner box off the openepg or freesat transponder, you'd notice it as it hops to that tune frequency and takes about 30 seconds.

But the connect box doesn't do 7 day epg. It doesn't attempt to read off any centralised IEPG source. It just takes the now next data from the EIT which is broadcast per transponder(TP) for each channel. It only populates the now/next data when you enter the first channel on that TP.

It doesn't require a second tuner to do this. Just one and does it on the fly.

lanod2407

Bought a saorview connect box and I have to admit that, as much as I wanted it to be a good buy, it has received the award for my worst technology purchase of the decade.
It would have been so easy (I'm guessing) to develop a box with a good build quality, an internal hard drive, 7 day epg, and ability to move more easily between Irish and satellite channels. But evidently that was not possible ..... when you start with Powerpoint as your chosen manufacturer you're off to a poor start.

However, I can report a silver lining as we move into a new decade ..... a lightning strike a couple of weeks ago took out the Saorview box, as well as another 2 grand's worth of electronics

Waiting for the insurance company to tell me how much they're going to pay out.

greasepalm

Bloody hell shocking news:eek: Curious if you used protection on your gear?

lanod2407

greasepalm wrote: »

Bloody hell shocking news:eek: Curious if you used protection on your gear?

Had an electrical assessor out and he said that protection wouldn't have worked. Anything connected to the phone line or sky dish got fried - TV, hdmi splitter, playstation, surround sound, routers, etc.
Oh, and I did have an item where my laziness saved me. Bought a beautiful Yamaha amp a while back and when I got to the part where you connect it to the internet I couldn't be arsed reading the manual to see how you work it with internet feed, so I didn't bother plugging it in

Assessor recommended that I put in a surge protector in the fuse board, and also for the electronic devices. That'll be done as they get replaced.

patsryan

STB. wrote: »

There is no technical reason why any box should require a second satellite feed to download the epg data.


On the Saorview connect boxes and any non e2 boxes the epg data (Now/Next) is only displayed by going into the channel itself, then it remembers that data for that channel for a limited period. By going into every channel the epg data will be displayed for the course of the now/next programming window.

The box polls all tuned in sat frequencies every 15 mins and stores the now next data so that the guide is populated. It uses the second feed to do this so that you can watch a channel while this refresh is going on

bfa1509

I was just about to buy the powerpoint box but thank god I checked trusty boards before pulling the trigger.

My old saorview box threw in the towel. I only have an aerial connection and the next box must be elderly friendly (in use, not especially for set up)

I would also like it to have the following (I don't really care about other things like series-link, 7 day epg, on demand etc):

-Can record one channel while viewing another (and preferably the recordings can be transferred to and viewed on a PC)
-A swift user-friendly interface
-A nice clear picture (4k would be a nice future proof feature)
-I have a budget of €150

From reading through some of the pages and other threads, the Tiviar seems to be a popular choice and also Zgemma.

I'm tending towards a Zgemma as it has the linux-based Enigma2 interface and I can buy it under the protection of Amazon:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/ZGEMMA-DVB-S2X-Satellite-Receiver-Support/dp/B07YFFPKBN/ref=sr_1_14?keywords=zgemma&qid=1578439734&sr=8-14

Would this box be overkill? I'm not sure if it is satellite only. Any help would be very much appreciated!!

greasepalm

2 sat tuners and cable/saorview tuner + you will need an internal hdd for recording.Just got one but not set it up yet

WOS have theirs priced at 111.99 sterling.

https://www.world-of-satellite.co.uk/air-digital-zgemma

bfa1509

greasepalm wrote: »

2 sat tuners and cable/saorview tuner + you will need an internal hdd for recording.Just got one but not set it up yet

WOS have theirs priced at 111.99 sterling.

https://www.world-of-satellite.co.uk/air-digital-zgemma

Great! Let us know how you get on. It looks like a very nice box.

greasepalm

At the moment i have no spare cables for tuners as saorview is on my et8000.
zgemma may be used for internet viewing.

ericzeking

greasepalm wrote: »

2 sat tuners and cable/saorview tuner + you will need an internal hdd for recording.Just got one but not set it up yet

WOS have theirs priced at 111.99 sterling.

https://www.world-of-satellite.co.uk/air-digital-zgemma

What options did you select?

Gerry Wicklow

Make sure the Zgemma is the H7S model, there is another with a similar number that is not suitable. Enigma boxes allow you to stream both live and recordings to other devices on your home network. FTA recordings can also be copied to other devices for remote viewing or archiving as they are not encrypted. (unlike some Freesat boxes)

bfa1509

Gerry Wicklow wrote: »

Make sure the Zgemma is the H7S model, there is another with a similar number that is not suitable. Enigma boxes allow you to stream both live and recordings to other devices on your home network. FTA recordings can also be copied to other devices for remote viewing or archiving as they are not encrypted. (unlike some Freesat boxes)

Good to know, thanks!

I'm a bit puzzled with the selection of the Zgemma boxes. It looks like the more features the box has, the cheaper it gets. For example the H7S (£130) box is more expensive than the newer H9S variant (£69), even though the H9S has WIFI. I need to look a bit closer at the specs, there may be differences I can't see.

H7S:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/ZGEMMA-DVB-S2X-Satellite-Receiver-Support/dp/B07YFFPKBN/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=zgemma+h7s&qid=1578494622&sr=8-3

H9S:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Genuine-ZGEMMA-Multistream-Satellite-Receiver-Black/dp/B07L9KSHM5/ref=sr_1_4?keywords=zgemma+h7s&qid=1578494622&sr=8-4


Edit: Correction - I see the H9S is an older variant.

Sam Russell

Gerry Wicklow wrote: »

Make sure the Zgemma is the H7S model, there is another with a similar number that is not suitable. Enigma boxes allow you to stream both live and recordings to other devices on your home network. FTA recordings can also be copied to other devices for remote viewing or archiving as they are not encrypted. (unlike some Freesat boxes)

How easy is it to stream around the network?

I currently have a Humax Foxsat that works fine, but I would like to play recordings on other TVs around the house. Will this box allow this, and if so, what other hardware & software is needed?

dulpit

Sam Russell wrote: »

How easy is it to stream around the network?

I currently have a Humax Foxsat that works fine, but I would like to play recordings on other TVs around the house. Will this box allow this, and if so, what other hardware & software is needed?

Very easy. I use a fire tablet and android phone to watch stuff back all the time. I can also (if I wanted) cast to a chromecast from one of those devices. You could also get a fire stick. Not sure if you can watch directly on TV without a specific device though - it's possible you could if the tv had a web browser, but I don't know for sure there.

Sam Russell

dulpit wrote: »

Very easy. I use a fire tablet and android phone to watch stuff back all the time. I can also (if I wanted) cast to a chromecast from one of those devices. You could also get a fire stick. Not sure if you can watch directly on TV without a specific device though - it's possible you could if the tv had a web browser, but I don't know for sure there.

I have too Samsung smart TVs that I think might work. Samsung

Could I watch on a Win 10 PC?

dulpit

Sam Russell wrote: »

Could I watch on a Win 10 PC?

Yep. You can access via web browser and then stream using VLC or similar. Super easy.

Johnboy1951

dulpit wrote: »

Very easy. I use a fire tablet and android phone to watch stuff back all the time. I can also (if I wanted) cast to a chromecast from one of those devices. You could also get a fire stick. Not sure if you can watch directly on TV without a specific device though - it's possible you could if the tv had a web browser, but I don't know for sure there.

It does not make the media available via DLNA on the network?

I would think that might be more universal if available.

Gerry Wicklow

Sam Russell wrote: »

How easy is it to stream around the network?

I currently have a Humax Foxsat that works fine, but I would like to play recordings on other TVs around the house. Will this box allow this, and if so, what other hardware & software is needed?

Anything that supports a web browser can access what is called the WEBIF. In the 1st screenshot you can see part of the channel list. Clicking the TV screen icon beside a channel name opens that TV channel on your PC or whatever. The next icon opens the full 7 day EPG for that channel. As you can see this app also allows you set timers edit bouquets etc etc. It is very powerful.


The next screenshot show the "movies" folder where recordings are kept. Again the TV icon will stream that recording to your device.


SMART TVs should have DNLA which can also access recording directly from the box. It may need to be enabled on the box first but that would be a once off.

pablo57

STB. wrote: »

E2 receivers have become faster and more affordable. You can easily buy a triple tuner config with a 1.7 Meg processor which has 1 gig of ram (the important things to watch for as they make the box run smoother).

If you are confined to dvb-t you will need an Enigma2 receiver that has two terrestrial inputs or a twin input so you can record one terrestrial channel whilst watching another on a different frequency. The box I linked below also comes in a 2 x dvb-t2 and 1 dvb-s2 config so you might want to check if WOS have it in stock.

Otherwise if you also have a satellite dish then you can buy a semi decent 2 x dvb-s2 and 1 dvb-t2 combo enigma receiver for about STG 112. Please note that your watch and record on terrestrial will be limited to watching satellite (if recording on dvb-t) if you get this config.

https://www.world-of-satellite.co.uk/satellite-and-terrestrial/digital-receivers/zgemma/zgemma-h7s

If you just want a box to watch TV and record the occasional programme without the need to watch another programme at the same time, then the Octagon SF8008 is highly recommended.

Been reading back through several weeks of posts as I'm looking to ditch an awful Virgin Media TV product in the coming weeks and just take out a broadband package. I'm only really looking to be able to watch BBC, ITV, Channel 4 etc so am now looking at these boxes, but have no knowledge of them. I don't have a satellite dish, but would like to be able to watch one channel and record another at the same time.


Am I right in saying that the likes of the below would fit my needs?


https://www.world-of-satellite.co.uk/octagon-sf8008-twin-s2x?filter_name=OCTAGON%20SF8008


Are there any other elements/connections I need to consider?

dulpit

pablo57 wrote: »

Been reading back through several weeks of posts as I'm looking to ditch an awful Virgin Media TV product in the coming weeks and just take out a broadband package. I'm only really looking to be able to watch BBC, ITV, Channel 4 etc so am now looking at these boxes, but have no knowledge of them. I don't have a satellite dish, but would like to be able to watch one channel and record another at the same time.


Am I right in saying that the likes of the below would fit my needs?


https://www.world-of-satellite.co.uk/octagon-sf8008-twin-s2x?filter_name=OCTAGON%20SF8008


Are there any other elements/connections I need to consider?

You'll definitely need a satellite dish, unless you are close enough to the border/East Coast to pick up free view overspill.

If you need help with satellites and setup/etc, suggest you pop over to the satellite forum...

Gerry Wicklow

pablo57 wrote: »

Been reading back through several weeks of posts as I'm looking to ditch an awful Virgin Media TV product in the coming weeks and just take out a broadband package. I'm only really looking to be able to watch BBC, ITV, Channel 4 etc so am now looking at these boxes, but have no knowledge of them. I don't have a satellite dish, but would like to be able to watch one channel and record another at the same time.


Am I right in saying that the likes of the below would fit my needs?


https://www.world-of-satellite.co.uk/octagon-sf8008-twin-s2x?filter_name=OCTAGON%20SF8008


Are there any other elements/connections I need to consider?

For the Irish channels you will need a box with a terrestrial tuner as well as 2 satellite tuners and a suitable aerial.

habanerocat

Yea, a linux 2 box with a twin sat tuner and a single terrestrial tuner isn't a bad setup. Make sure it has a hard disk option for recording and a seven day EPG.

bfa1509

Gerry Wicklow wrote: »

Make sure the Zgemma is the H7S model, there is another with a similar number that is not suitable. Enigma boxes allow you to stream both live and recordings to other devices on your home network. FTA recordings can also be copied to other devices for remote viewing or archiving as they are not encrypted. (unlike some Freesat boxes)

Thanks for the help on this. I ordered this box last week and it should be here Tuesday.

In preparation, I'm just wondering is there any modification I'll need to do out of the box i.e. flashing an image, adding skins (I think it's coming with the factory image) and if so are there any useful tutorials or recommendations?

I will only be using it with an aerial for the time being but would be interested in pushing it further as I go.

greasepalm

bfa1509 wrote: »

Thanks for the help on this. I ordered this box last week and it should be here Tuesday.

In preparation, I'm just wondering is there any modification I'll need to do out of the box i.e. flashing an image, adding skins (I think it's coming with the factory image) and if so are there any useful tutorials or recommendations?

I will only be using it with an aerial for the time being but would be interested in pushing it further as I go.

What image are you going to use?

ozmo

Anyone know where I can get a replacment remote control for this
Powerpoint DXD7025VC Saorview box?

New or used...

Thanks very much.

Gerry Wicklow

ozmo wrote: »

Anyone know where I can get a replacment remote control for this
Powerpoint DXD7025VC Saorview box?

New or used...

Thanks very much.

https://www.freetv.ie/powerpoint-dxd7025svc-remote-control/

bfa1509

greasepalm wrote: »

What image are you going to use?

Just set it up yesterday and it has OpenATV 6.0 pre loaded on it with a fairly generic skin. Any suggestions for an image/skin that's easier on the eye would be much appreciated.

I really like the Webif functionality from the browser. You can really tweak it exactly to your preference. The remote control is a breath of fresh air too.

One unusual problem I am having however: When I connect it to the television (Sony bravia) the image is slightly blurry and zoomed in too much. On checking the video settings, they are set to "Scart" even though I'm using a HDMI cable. When I change it to HDMI the image goes black and says "out of range" then defaults back to the scart setting. It lets me look at a preview through the transparent menu as I change the setting and the image looks clear and crisp. When I save the changes it blacks out again. I tried a few different cables and ports and resetting the tv settings but to no avail...

greasepalm

Thats image is too old and has been replaced a few times as its up to 6.3 or 6.4 in testing mode i believe.
Box will need a new image and a clean start and should have access to other things and skins.
I mainly use openvix as i find it does what i need.
When setting up box the wizard asks questions to how/what you want the settings at.
Thinking this box model is a 4k and tv is only 1080?
Transparent window sounds like your trying to adjust the picture size to fit the tv screen which sometime needs a tweak to get rid of the edges that are showing.
Go through the settings again and choose hdmi and save.
Is tv on the new setting saying enigma 2?

One word of warning make sure units are powered off before messing with cables.

g6fdyotp5nj2l7

Lads ye do realise this is a saorview connect thread

greasepalm

OOPs missed that again cheers.

NewClareman

Sam Russell wrote: »

How easy is it to stream around the network?

I currently have a Humax Foxsat that works fine, but I would like to play recordings on other TVs around the house. Will this box allow this, and if so, what other hardware & software is needed?

Have you tried the third party firmware for the Humax? I used it for a number of years to stream live tv and recordings to tablets, pc and other TVs.

Sam Russell

NewClareman wrote: »

Have you tried the third party firmware for the Humax? I used it for a number of years to stream live tv and recordings to tablets, pc and other TVs.

I have not tried it because I am nervous of turning the Foxsat into a doorstop. I have not the courage to try it as I have no experience of Linux.

NewClareman

Sam Russell wrote: »

I have not tried it because I am nervous of turning the Foxsat into a doorstop. I have not the courage to try it as I have no experience of Linux.

It was super easy to setup and use. I’ll dig out the details for you.

MACHEAD

lsjmhar wrote: »

Turn it off and on and reconnect the hdd.

From reading through this thread thus far, (that will shorten your day for you!), it seems that when you plug in a hard drive to a record enabled box, it asks if you want to format the drive for recording ?
Anyone know what disc format the Saorview Connect Box uses ? such as ext3 / ext4 etc. And what video format they use, are they .TS files ?

Thanks.

MACHEAD

doney84 wrote: »

I played around a little with a Sony TV that had youview. It's a very slick UI and well layed out with great implementation of the catch up services, iPlayer, ITV Hub etc but due to geo blocking they won't work here. What I did notice was that when I scanned in the terrestrial services it completely ignored the Saorview channels and didn't populate them in the youview EPG. I wonder if the Saorview connect box would treat the Freeview channels the same and ignore them?

I had a similar experience with a Sony. (KD-49 XG8396). There is no country selection in initial setup, country / region is determined in software from epg data or internet connection. It will by default populate the UK channels at the top of the guide and Saorview channels are scattered around the 800s as the tuner finds them.

With Youview enabled, it will put the NI Minmux channels in the guide, but they don't have catch-up capability, however it seems to completely ignore the Saorview transmitter at Clermont Carn, so I have disabled Youview.

Great TV, but disappointed that I can't select the setup country as Ireland. It's a bit of a chore, but it is possible to manually change to LCN No's to mimmic the guide on an older Sony in another room.

NewClareman

Sam Russell wrote: »

I have not tried it because I am nervous of turning the Foxsat into a doorstop. I have not the courage to try it as I have no experience of Linux.

I have updated the information on modifying the Humax HDR to here.
By default, HD recordings are encrypted and cannot be streamed or viewed on other devices other than the box they are recorded on. The patch I have uploaded allows future recordings be unencrypted.

Its a long time since I did this, but it was very straightforward.
(My knowledge of Linux is limited, but no knowledge was required.)

monkeycork

Hi

Not sure if this is the right place to ask

Looking at possibly buying this LG TV

24TL510S

If I connect a saorview aerial and a freesat satellite dish to it at the same time, can I receive both Irish saorview channels and UK freesat channels on this TV?


Would the region settings stop receiving both services?

coylemj

The name of this thread needs to be changed to 'Saorview Connect Set-Top Box'. The current name suggests that it's a generic Saorview thread.

habanerocat

monkeycork wrote: »

Hi

Not sure if this is the right place to ask

Looking at possibly buying this LG TV

24TL510S

If I connect a saorview aerial and a freesat satellite dish to it at the same time, can I receive both Irish saorview channels and UK freesat channels on this TV?


Would the region settings stop receiving both services?

It will work fine, but why buy such a small tv?

kooga

monkeycork wrote: »

Hi

Not sure if this is the right place to ask

Looking at possibly buying this LG TV

24TL510S

If I connect a saorview aerial and a freesat satellite dish to it at the same time, can I receive both Irish saorview channels and UK freesat channels on this TV?


Would the region settings stop receiving both services?

this tv/monitor doesn't have a satellite connection or tuner so you wont get freesat

habanerocat

kooga wrote: »

this tv/monitor doesn't have a satellite connection or tuner so you wont get freesat

Spec sheet that I read says it has an S2 tuner. So looks like it does have Freesat.

Gerry Wicklow

Some versions have DVB-S2 tuner no mention of FreeSat but would do FTA