Newbie Reciever decision

[enmark]

Some advice please on a new box ...

Apologies if this is in the wrong section of the forum too.

I am currently a full subscriber to Sky ..
But to be honest , we don't watch movies and we don't do sports that much . That leaves basically what's on terrestrial ... However, there are a few channels and options that we don't get on FTA terrestrial that we would like to retain when we cancel the sky subscription.

A new box ...

System so far is 11 TV's in the house at present all off a Televes RF / UHF system distributed from the two sky boxes complete with remote eyes . One main TV room and a cinema room requiring HD .
There is a cat 5 wiring system that goes with it but mostly its WiFi over the house for coverage .

We would like a box with the same sort of access and facilities the SKY HD plus has ie record , HD and RF out for distribution .
Not all the TV's have analogue/digital dual tuners and as time goes by these will no doubt get changed to digital only . However I miss watching remotely from the main TV recorded programmes on some TVs.

We were considering the Technomate TM F3/5 as an option which after some analysis of its features it appears can be configured to do what we would like .
Budget is circa £100 to 200 which the above seams to fit .


I am open to suggestions on an alternative and that's where the advice kicks in please .
Will this box accept the software and skins that make it pass off as a FTA sky box ( the Missus is familiar with the sky system ie record and EPG .)
The RF out and remote eye is important at the moment .
HD content is not too critical on some TV's ( Bedrooms ) but is on others ie main TV , cinema room and remote annex .

Ps Kodi is not for us . Tried it , great for the odd movie but other than that ....

Advice and queries welcome .

Mark

 

[Sicilian]

Do not buy TM F3/F5, they're very basic receivers which lack a lot of features.

If you want something low cost with good decent spec buy a linux Engima 2 receiver.

The Xtrend ET7500 will most likely suit your budget http://www.world-of-satellite.co.uk...ilter_category_id=63&filter_sub_category=true

Twin tuner, internal HDD facility. Pause tv, timeshift, autotimers (similar to series link). Take a look round OpenViX website http://www.openvix.co.uk/index.php/openvix-features-2/

You would even easilly setup other room receivers to just run off main receiver tuners using Ethernet http://www.world-of-satellite.com/showthread.php?55808-ChannelsImporter

No need to bother with RF outputs, setup independant client boxes, single tuners that could be used as client boxes:

http://www.world-of-satellite.co.uk...lter_category_id=171&filter_sub_category=true

http://www.world-of-satellite.co.uk/Mutant/mutant-hd11

 

[enmark]

Sicilian , most kind of you for the prompt response.
Noted on the box comments ... you get what you pay for is an adage most appropriate I suppose.

Ok I can see the point of most of it ..
For clarity , again as a newcomer to this sort of thing ..
The Xtrend 7500 will give me record facility whilst watching another , hence the twin tuner at the main point of use ie lounge . It appears to be able to accept certain skins to mimic the Sky EPG .
No RF out , but as you say no need if the main box is networked with others . One assumes this is via the wifi/ lan network and coax RF system .
Will I need to fit RF / digital splitters at the RF outlet sockets to get the sat signal into the remote boxes ? ( all sockets at the moment are standard RF / UHF )

The wiring system is quad LNB to Televes ( with slave box ) 4 x sat , 1 x terrestial outlet , 1 x return line to televes amp in loft all wired to the rear of an AV system in lounge where sky HD is . Distribution with RF coax to 12 x outlets from Televes in loft . ( 5 x bed room , 2 x bathrooms , kitchen , annex , study and cinema room and lounge.
I assume I would need a sat/ RF splitter at the outlets for the slave boxes with a Ethernet connection ? Or if I am reading it correctly in Channels importer just an ethernet connection ?
( TBH most of the read went way over my head and bouquet was not something I expected to turn up in networking ... ) .
The RF then appears to be redundant other than for watching terrestrial . ?
Apologies if all this appears very basic but the self install was done way before cat 5 was invented or considered as an AV distribution option .

Thanks again .

Mark

 

[twol]

The E2 client boxes are driven from the internet off the main (server) E2 receiver, so in fact need no tuner(s) or other connections apart from (preferably) direct LAN access.
Each client receiver shares the main receivers Bouquets(channels/services) and EPG, so can act totally independent from the server in terms of channels being watched, recordings, Skins etc.... the client receiver acts as if it is a fully connected receiver controlled by its own remote.

 

[enmark]

Thank you twol .
I am confused to a degree ...
Each client receiver shares the main receivers Bouquets(channels/services) and EPG, so can act totally independent from the server
So ,and you have to excuse me here , in English would 'Each client receiver shares the main receivers Bouquets(channels/services) and EPG,BUT can act totally independent from the server ... make sense ?

To resolve my issues ...
I will need a main box , connected to the LAN , some remote boxes at TV's that require HD off the same LAN . I can then access the recorded content off the main box at the remote locations and control that content via the remote units remote control ?
No need for RF distribution at all then ?

For the cost of the box I think I will order a Xtrend 7500 with dual satellite tuners to get me going . If the interface is as good as reported I will get the remote boxes too and drop Sky altogether .

 

[twol]

The client see the same channels (Bouquet(s) ) as the main receiver, so can select whatever LIVE channel it wants in the Bouquet(s), as can the main box totally independently from each other.
You can share the recorded programs as well, or can record locally if a HDD is attached.

Everything is via the LAN. You can watch LIVE on server say BBC1 and watch LIVE on any of the clients another channel (say BBC2) providing you have a free tuner on the main (server) box to handle the client

So in general watching on server, ties up a tuner, as does a client box watching something else, as does a 2nd client box watching another channel....

So depending on how many active receivers you have, you must have sufficient tuners to handle the load!

 

[enmark]

Thank you again twol .
And not specifically to reply from you ... although I do appreciate your assistance ......
I get the flow of boxes to TV's and the signals . However it will mean I have to buy as many boxes as I have TV's if I wish to watch what's recorded on the main unit and also drop in LAN facility .
So its not like the sky standard RF system then ?. I understand and correct me If I am wrong here but each box can have its own digital sat feed off the RF system ( subject to adequate multiswitches ?.)
Is there a box that will do an RF outlet that can be 'networked' and has the 'sky eye' equivalent ? Or can it be done with a TRIAX TRI LINK unit ?
Complicated I appreciate but with 11 TV's this is going to cost a packet .
The reason I have two sky boxes is one for the kids and one for me and the missus . The kids can watch off one box ( SD ) and me another ( HD box ) at the same time . I can still watch and control both the sky boxes with the remote in another room / multiroom with the eyes .

 

[twol]

Yep, 11 TV's are significant
... I run most of my receivers off a 16 port multiswitch (2 sats in ... 16 out), but also some run completely (like my cellar bedroom receiver) off one of the other receivers so I can pick up the channels.

I have seen posts where people try and do what you want, but how well it works only they can say-

 

[maxal]

Would a hdmi network extender work for you

 

[Andy_Hazza]

I would personally spend a bit more and get a better main receiver.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[enmark]

Hi twol ..
I thought it might come to a multi switch but with only a few of the 11 TV'S requiring the additional channel / record facility I think I can pull it off with the gear I have in the loft .
I will order the 7500 as a start .... the triax unit looks favourable though even if I have to inject a RF modulator .

maxal .. thank you , the HDMI extender is an option but as the furthest TV is some 50m away ( total wire length ) from the sat box its doubtful there would be any signal left ?. However there are a few that state that they can run 60m ... worth a thought thanks for that ... however as the 7500 doesn't have an RF out though I couldn't control the main box remotely ...

 

[Andy_Hazza]

If you are determined to get a satellite receiver with RF then you may wish to buy this >> http://www.world-of-satellite.co.uk...-1TB-1000GB-HDD-Twin-Tuner-Satellite-Receiver BUT it is a dated receiver.


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[Andy_Hazza]

My friend has successfully done something similar to you and he used this >> http://www.world-of-satellite.co.uk/av-distribution/hdmi-modulators BUT some of his TVs were not up to receiving a picture and had to use a cheapo digi box as well.


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[enmark]

Andy , thank you for your input ... ' spend a bit more '' is intriguing .. will a more expensive box do as required ie have an rf2 out like the sky box ?
The main areas I can cover with additional boxes ... annex and cinema room ... but I do like to watch recorded programmes in bed .. I can do this on a Sky HD box via RF2 out and coax at the moment I am not too bothered about HD in this instance . But come the day of switch off of the sky box of course the record facility will be lost . Hence sourcing an adequate replacement .

Is there a box with a RF2 out , has two sat tuners and record ? If I spend a bit more ? ie a sky plus HD in a different skin ?

 

[maxal]

maxal .. thank you , the HDMI extender is an option but as the furthest TV is some 50m away ( total wire length ) from the sat box its doubtful there would be any signal left ?. However there are a few that state that they can run 60m ... worth a thought thanks for that ... however as the 7500 doesn't have an RF out though I couldn't control the main box remotely ...[/QUOTE]

More info for you about the HDMI extender you don't need RF out
Description:
The newest HDMI Network Extender build-in HDMI loop-out for local display, lossless quality and auto adjustment to match the cable length of CAT6. The HDMI extender over a single UTP cables with IR control is the right way to send your HDMI signal over long distances. Instead of using expensive HDMI cables, this device lets you use your existing Cat 6 cables while also performing the same functions like transferring Deep Color video and new lossless compressed audio. And if that weren't enough, you can use your existing remote to control your device through an IR blaster.

 

[enmark]

Andy thanks for the link ... youtube videos suggest this is a prime target for the whole house system ... giving facility on any sky eye TV analogue or digital . but the RF2 looks cheaper .