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Recommend me a box please.

L

Lyceum

Newbie
Hi,

Just after some advice. I ditched sky years ago and got a humax box. Happy enough with the freesat channels, but would like a box that isn’t like treacle to use.

The new 4K humax boxes get appalling reviews so I don’t want to shell out for one of those. But that seems to be all that’s available for ‘official’ freesat boxes. Had a look on here and world of satellite and tbh the amount of choice has just confused me.

Not bothered about recording these days as have a smart tv with catch up and an nvidia shield. But if there an option to add a hard drive then bonus.

So just after a decent freesat box with a simple EPG that my 80 year old Aunt (who is staying with me for a while as she’s having a knee replacement) can use as well as myself. I don’t mind a bit of setting up/tinkering but I don’t want to have to spend twenty minutes every day messing about and updating things just to watch TV.

Any advice appreciated.

Thanks.
 
Did you ever have Sky Q? As that possibly limits the choice of boxes.

If you had Sky HD, do you still have your old HD box? That would work for you, as you’re not fussed about recording.

Finally, any chance your TV has a sat tuner?

If the answer is No to all 3, then the Octagon SF8008 is a good box to get.
 
Ted luxston said:
Zoomtak
Click to expand...
Thanks, will check it out.

Drbox said:
Did you ever have Sky Q? As that possibly limits the choice of boxes.

If you had Sky HD, do you still have your old HD box? That would work for you, as you’re not fussed about recording.

Finally, any chance your TV has a sat tuner?

If the answer is No to all 3, then the Octagon SF8008 is a good box to get.
Click to expand...
I didn't have Sky Q, so standard LNB as far as I'm aware. Also don't have an old sky box. And sadly the TV doesn't have a sat tuner/

Will check out the octagon, thank you!
 
Lyceum said:
Thanks, will check it out.


I didn't have Sky Q, so standard LNB as far as I'm aware. Also don't have an old sky box. And sadly the TV doesn't have a sat tuner/

Will check out the octagon, thank you!
Click to expand...
If the TV has built in Freeview, you can plug an aerial into it and get about 140 terrestrial channels
 
Lyceum said:
I don't have an aerial.

Not sure how much it would cost to get one fitted but it's defo an option.
Click to expand...
Argos sell indoor aerials quite cheap.
I used one years ago in an old campervan and it picked up quite a lot of channels.
If your aunt mostly watches free channels it might be worth a shot.
There's about 35 radio stations too
 
pabloescaban said:
Argos sell indoor aerials quite cheap.
I used one years ago in an old campervan and it picked up quite a lot of channels.
If your aunt mostly watches free channels it might be worth a shot.
There's about 35 radio stations too
Click to expand...

I did get one of the cheap ones a few months back and it didn’t pick up a single channel and I tried it in several different spots. Plus on the bedroom telly. It was probably faulty but it’s put me off them tbh.

I’m not opposed to getting one installed. Don’t think it would be much more (if at all) than buying a new freesat box. And it would do away with the need for a box and most tv’s these days have freeview built in.
 
If you just want Freesat, I'd say a cheap H2s, probably get one for £20-30.

Unless you have a motorised dish, buying an expensive sat box is probably not worth bothering with. There's virtually nothing clears on UK lines now but euro lines have plenty of content.

Most TV's do have Freeview built in but they still need an aerial
 
After 5 years in zoomtak/IPTV world..looks like I've missed alot...didn't even think folks used dishes anymore since my Zgemma died back in...April 2017...but had a good run so all good.
 
Always best to have a sat dish as what happens when internet goes down?

Still got motorised and 2 fixed sat dishes..

What is the point of installing a hard drive unless you want to record but have 2 tuners with sat cables connected.
 
So the octagon. Is open vix still the image to have flashed?

Will it update itself etc or does it need a lot of messing about?
 
Lyceum said:
So the octagon. Is open vix still the image to have flashed?

Will it update itself etc or does it need a lot of messing about?
Click to expand...
so i bought my octagon sf8008 with open vix on,depending on were you but you can have atv as well, i ended up with 4 different images which can be flashed out of the box so to speak. but then you need to decied if you want to stick with base vix or atv then use one of the images the guys on here support , grog, willo, but you will need a based image to start with, atv ( vix as well i think)for grog and open vix for willo.
they (box & image) all need setting up depends how deep you want to go but they all will need your iptv setting up etc .
 
deanmitch said:
so i bought my octagon sf8008 with open vix on,depending on were you but you can have atv as well, i ended up with 4 different images which can be flashed out of the box so to speak. but then you need to decied if you want to stick with base vix or atv then use one of the images the guys on here support , grog, willo, but you will need a based image to start with, atv ( vix as well i think)for grog and open vix for willo.
they (box & image) all need setting up depends how deep you want to go but they all will need your iptv setting up etc .
Click to expand...
Tbh I’m not interested in IPTV. I have a now tv sub which covers all the sky stuff I want and it’s only a few £ a month.

I just want a box that works and doesn’t need constantly messing about with to watch tv because my aunt has no clue whatsoever and it needs to be suitable for her too.
 
right , i think any e2 box with a base image on it will work with no more set up than tuning for just tv , obviously you need a box with the right Ariel connections on the back i am sure you know.
 
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