After the problems with my my Freesat-4k-Recordable (which seem to be
heat related rather than HDD related) I have been poking around for alternatives to receive/record satellite TV which might be more amenable
to saving those recordings and playing them on other devices.
Names I have found are Octagon SF8008 and Zgemma H7S.
Anybody here use anything like this (or similar) who can give (or point
me to) a review?
I would need it to be reasonably plug and play although I do have a
Linux box so have some familiarity with Linux, long, long, way from
being any sort of expert though.
After the problems with my my Freesat-4k-Recordable (which seem to be
heat related rather than HDD related) I have been poking around for alternatives to receive/record satellite TV which might be more amenable
to saving those recordings and playing them on other devices.
Names I have found are Octagon SF8008 and Zgemma H7S.
Anybody here use anything like this (or similar) who can give (or point
me to) a review?
I would need it to be reasonably plug and play although I do have a
Linux box so have some familiarity with Linux, long, long, way from
being any sort of expert though.
On Wed 01/07/2026 12:35, Jeff Gaines wrote:
After the problems with my my Freesat-4k-Recordable (which seem to be >>heat related rather than HDD related) I have been poking around for >>alternatives to receive/record satellite TV which might be more amenable >>to saving those recordings and playing them on other devices.
Names I have found are Octagon SF8008 and Zgemma H7S.
Anybody here use anything like this (or similar) who can give (or point >>me to) a review?
I would need it to be reasonably plug and play although I do have a Linux >>box so have some familiarity with Linux, long, long, way from being any >>sort of expert though.
Have a look at Manhattan products. I have one of their bog-standard HD >receivers and it works a treat. Plenty of on-line info or toddle along to >Currys.
On 01/07/2026 in message <1123bom$1v02g$1@dont-email.me> Woody wrote:
On Wed 01/07/2026 12:35, Jeff Gaines wrote:
After the problems with my my Freesat-4k-Recordable (which seem to be
heat related rather than HDD related) I have been poking around for
alternatives to receive/record satellite TV which might be more
amenable to saving those recordings and playing them on other devices.
Names I have found are Octagon SF8008 and Zgemma H7S.
Anybody here use anything like this (or similar) who can give (or
point me to) a review?
I would need it to be reasonably plug and play although I do have a
Linux box so have some familiarity with Linux, long, long, way from
being any sort of expert though.
Have a look at Manhattan products. I have one of their bog-standard HD
receivers and it works a treat. Plenty of on-line info or toddle along
to Currys.
Can you save recordings to play on other devices?
I use a Raspberry Pi running Raspberry PiOS (based on Linux Debian) and TVHeadend, with a satellite tuner and a dual-tuner for terrestrial, recording to a spinning (not solid-state*) hard disk. I then edit those recordings (removing continuity and commercials) and save them elsewhereI do similar (full tower PC, PCIe tuners) and TVheadend, I can use my
for watching them.
As regards playing them on other devices, I share the directory where I
save recordings as Windows (SMB) shares so other Windows computers can
read the files that I've recorded. I use Plex Server on a Windows PC to allow recordings to be played on a Roku box that has a Plex Client.
After the problems with my my Freesat-4k-Recordable (which seem to be
heat related rather than HDD related) I have been poking around for alternatives to receive/record satellite TV which might be more amenable
to saving those recordings and playing them on other devices.
Names I have found are Octagon SF8008 and Zgemma H7S.
Anybody here use anything like this (or similar) who can give (or point
me to) a review?
I would need it to be reasonably plug and play although I do have a
Linux box so have some familiarity with Linux, long, long, way from
being any sort of expert though.
On 01/07/2026 12:35, Jeff Gaines wrote:
I would need it to be reasonably plug and play although I do have a
Linux box so have some familiarity with Linux, long, long, way from
being any sort of expert though.
Just put OpenVix on them. The software supports UK satellite rather well (Freesat or for a few more channels Sky Free to air). But from World of Satellite and they will put open Vix on for you for I think (-u1)
Add a hard disk to a Enigma 2 box (of which both the above are) and with openvix you have a fully functioning PVR. Some models can take an
internal HDD and some require a external USB drive (or NAS).
On 01/07/2026 18:16, alan_m wrote:
On 01/07/2026 12:35, Jeff Gaines wrote:
I would need it to be reasonably plug and play although I do have a Linux >>>box so have some familiarity with Linux, long, long, way from being any >>>sort of expert though.
Just put OpenVix on them. The software supports UK satellite rather well >>(Freesat or for a few more channels Sky Free to air). But from World of >>Satellite and they will put open Vix on for you for I think (-u1)
Add a hard disk to a Enigma 2 box (of which both the above are) and with >>openvix you have a fully functioning PVR. Some models can take an >>internal HDD and some require a external USB drive (or NAS).
Whichever box you do buy I would recommend a box with at least two tuners.
There are enigma 2 boxes that have a single satellite tuner, some with 2, >some with slots for 4 (or more). They will be at different price points.
What LNB do you have? The sky Q wideband type LNB don't work with Enigma 2 >boxes, and possibly all 3rd party boxes except 1 or 2 Freesat banded
boxes. You need a universal dual/quad/octo LNB or a unicable LNB
After the problems with my my Freesat-4k-Recordable (which seem to be
heat related rather than HDD related) I have been poking around for alternatives to receive/record satellite TV which might be more amenable
to saving those recordings and playing them on other devices.
Names I have found are Octagon SF8008 and Zgemma H7S.
Anybody here use anything like this (or similar) who can give (or point
me to) a review?
I would need it to be reasonably plug and play although I do have a
Linux box so have some familiarity with Linux, long, long, way from
being any sort of expert though.
On 01/07/2026 12:35, Jeff Gaines wrote:
After the problems with my my Freesat-4k-Recordable (which seem to be >>heat related rather than HDD related) I have been poking around for >>alternatives to receive/record satellite TV which might be more amenable >>to saving those recordings and playing them on other devices.
Names I have found are Octagon SF8008 and Zgemma H7S.
Anybody here use anything like this (or similar) who can give (or point >>me to) a review?
I would need it to be reasonably plug and play although I do have a Linux >>box so have some familiarity with Linux, long, long, way from being any >>sort of expert though.
I bought a Labgear VSAT02 HD Free-to-Air Satellite Receiver, to see
whether errors on my old Humax box were due to the box or my dish. The >Labgear works fine, with an HDMI output socket and a USB socket for a >recording device. It has the disadvantage of not giving the Freesat 7-day >EPG and channel numbers, only Now/Next info. Channels are given numbers in >the order they were found in the installation.
Are you using it with a Sky dish?
After the problems with my my Freesat-4k-Recordable (which seem to be
heat related rather than HDD related) I have been poking around for alternatives to receive/record satellite TV which might be more amenable
to saving those recordings and playing them on other devices.
Names I have found are Octagon SF8008 and Zgemma H7S.
Anybody here use anything like this (or similar) who can give (or point
me to) a review?
I would need it to be reasonably plug and play although I do have a
Linux box so have some familiarity with Linux, long, long, way from
being any sort of expert though.
Oh, I should add, a lot of these cheap Chinese boxes do not work with
the wideband Sky Q LNB. They only support the old Universal LNBs or Unicable.
And being cheap I'd recommend buying from somewhere that offers at least
6 months guarantee on the hardware.
On 02/07/2026 in message <1125i6d$2hrgd$1@dont-email.me> Dave W wrote:
On 01/07/2026 12:35, Jeff Gaines wrote:
After the problems with my my Freesat-4k-Recordable (which seem to be
heat related rather than HDD related) I have been poking around for
alternatives to receive/record satellite TV which might be more
amenable to saving those recordings and playing them on other devices.
Names I have found are Octagon SF8008 and Zgemma H7S.
Anybody here use anything like this (or similar) who can give (or
point me to) a review?
I would need it to be reasonably plug and play although I do have a
Linux box so have some familiarity with Linux, long, long, way from
being any sort of expert though.
I bought a Labgear VSAT02 HD Free-to-Air Satellite Receiver, to see
whether errors on my old Humax box were due to the box or my dish. The
Labgear works fine, with an HDMI output socket and a USB socket for a
recording device. It has the disadvantage of not giving the Freesat
7-day EPG and channel numbers, only Now/Next info. Channels are given
numbers in the order they were found in the installation.
Thank you :-)
Are you using it with a Sky dish? Are the recordings encrypted or can
they be played back on other devices?
Labgear is one of the few things in the universe older than me....
Jeff Gaines wrote:None of the freesat channels are encrypted, the tvheadend software that
Are you using it with a Sky dish? Are the recordings encrypted or can
they be played back on other devices?
I don't know. I thought only HD channels are encrypted,
On Fri 03/07/2026 15:35, Brian Gregory wrote:
Oh, I should add, a lot of these cheap Chinese boxes do not work with
the wideband Sky Q LNB. They only support the old Universal LNBs or
Unicable.
And being cheap I'd recommend buying from somewhere that offers at
least 6 months guarantee on the hardware.
Inverto are well made and reliable. Suggest you get a twin or quad, then
if one fails you have another one/three to use! Get extra F-type plugs,
fill the cable end of one/three of them with silicone sealant and put
them on the unused ports - keeps moisture and flees out!
Dave W wrote:
Jeff Gaines wrote:None of the freesat channels are encrypted, the tvheadend software that
Are you using it with a Sky dish? Are the recordings encrypted or can
they be played back on other devices?
I don't know. I thought only HD channels are encrypted,
I mentioned just filters the various PIDs (audio/video/subtitles/etc)
and records them as an MPEG transport stream, that's what VLC plays, you could transcode it to any format you like, there's no lock-in.
After the problems with my my Freesat-4k-Recordable (which seem to be
heat related rather than HDD related) I have been poking around for alternatives to receive/record satellite TV which might be more amenable
to saving those recordings and playing them on other devices.
Names I have found are Octagon SF8008 and Zgemma H7S.
Anybody here use anything like this (or similar) who can give (or point
me to) a review?
I would need it to be reasonably plug and play although I do have a
Linux box so have some familiarity with Linux, long, long, way from
being any sort of expert though.
On 01/07/2026 12:35, Jeff Gaines wrote:
After the problems with my my Freesat-4k-Recordable (which seem to be
heat related rather than HDD related) I have been poking around for
alternatives to receive/record satellite TV which might be more
amenable to saving those recordings and playing them on other devices.
Names I have found are Octagon SF8008 and Zgemma H7S.
Anybody here use anything like this (or similar) who can give (or
point me to) a review?
I would need it to be reasonably plug and play although I do have a
Linux box so have some familiarity with Linux, long, long, way from
being any sort of expert though.
What's the attraction of Freely ?
Isn't it just like having a good selection of apps for the UK channels?
So on my Panasonic if I miss the BBC news I have to open iPlayer,
navigate to channels, select BBC1, scroll down to schedule, navigate to
the news.
On 01/07/2026 12:35, Jeff Gaines wrote:
After the problems with my my Freesat-4k-Recordable (which seem to be >>heat related rather than HDD related) I have been poking around for >>alternatives to receive/record satellite TV which might be more amenable >>to saving those recordings and playing them on other devices.
Names I have found are Octagon SF8008 and Zgemma H7S.
Anybody here use anything like this (or similar) who can give (or point >>me to) a review?
I would need it to be reasonably plug and play although I do have a Linux >>box so have some familiarity with Linux, long, long, way from being any >>sort of expert though.
What's the attraction of Freely ?
Isn't it just like having a good selection of apps for the UK channels?
On 09/07/2026 22:34, David Wade wrote:
So on my Panasonic if I miss the BBC news I have to open iPlayer,
navigate to channels, select BBC1, scroll down to schedule, navigate to
the news.
I've never understood why the designers of that iPlayer page put the >schedule at the bottom, so you have to scroll through all the programme >dross before being able to use the schedule to find what /you/ want to >watch.
On 09/07/2026 in message <nba3tgF6iqpU1@mid.individual.net> Brian Gregory wrote:
On 01/07/2026 12:35, Jeff Gaines wrote:
After the problems with my my Freesat-4k-Recordable (which seem to be
heat related rather than HDD related) I have been poking around for
alternatives to receive/record satellite TV which might be more amenable >>> to saving those recordings and playing them on other devices.
Names I have found are Octagon SF8008 and Zgemma H7S.
Anybody here use anything like this (or similar) who can give (or point
me to) a review?
I would need it to be reasonably plug and play although I do have a Linux >>> box so have some familiarity with Linux, long, long, way from being any >>> sort of expert though.
What's the attraction of Freely ?
Isn't it just like having a good selection of apps for the UK channels?
I didn't know what Freely is so have looked it up.
Still no ability to record streamed programmes and doesn't run Kodi which
I use to view .iso files so not for me.
On 10/07/2026 09:48, Jeff Gaines wrote:
On 09/07/2026 in message <nba3tgF6iqpU1@mid.individual.net> Brian Gregory >>wrote:
On 01/07/2026 12:35, Jeff Gaines wrote:
After the problems with my my Freesat-4k-Recordable (which seem to be >>>>heat related rather than HDD related) I have been poking around for >>>>alternatives to receive/record satellite TV which might be more amenable >>>>to saving those recordings and playing them on other devices.
Names I have found are Octagon SF8008 and Zgemma H7S.
Anybody here use anything like this (or similar) who can give (or point >>>>me to) a review?
I would need it to be reasonably plug and play although I do have a >>>>Linux
box so have some familiarity with Linux, long, long, way from being any >>>>sort of expert though.
What's the attraction of Freely ?
Isn't it just like having a good selection of apps for the UK channels?
I didn't know what Freely is so have looked it up.
Still no ability to record streamed programmes and doesn't run Kodi which
I use to view .iso files so not for me.
I can't see PVRs or even anything similar commercially being developed so >that streams can be recorded.
I think that's for two reasons. Firstly, with the exception of the BBC >(well, perhaps not as we have to pay to watch that anyway via the licence >fee), the streaming companies want us to pay for their service and watch >their adverts unless we pay more to not see those adverts. Secondly, and I >think this is often not noticed, we are a data source for them. They know >what we watch as we have a subscription linked to an email address. The
name you use to logon might be false (and that's probably against the
ToS), but the email address will be on a data centre store somewhere and >link the watcher to what is streamed, and possible what you buy if that >email address is also used for online purchases.
In my experience - and that's only with iPlayer - I find streamed
programmes to be rather less functional than what a decent PVR can do.
There is no slow-motion or step-frame for those sports moments you want to >see (on or off the ball!). Mind you, the latest and probably final PVR -
the Manhattan T4R - doesn't have that either. Older Panasonics are
available which do have those are still sold - at a price - but nothing >else.
If you've got time, you might find this of interest and perhaps worth >playing with:
<https://obsproject.com/>
On 10/07/2026 09:48, Jeff Gaines wrote:
On 09/07/2026 in message <nba3tgF6iqpU1@mid.individual.net> Brian Gregory
wrote:
On 01/07/2026 12:35, Jeff Gaines wrote:
After the problems with my my Freesat-4k-Recordable (which seem to be
heat related rather than HDD related) I have been poking around for
alternatives to receive/record satellite TV which might be more
amenable
to saving those recordings and playing them on other devices.
Names I have found are Octagon SF8008 and Zgemma H7S.
Anybody here use anything like this (or similar) who can give (or point >>>> me to) a review?
I would need it to be reasonably plug and play although I do have a
Linux
box so have some familiarity with Linux, long, long, way from-a being >>>> any
sort of expert though.
What's the attraction of Freely ?
Isn't it just like having a good selection of apps for the UK channels?
I didn't know what Freely is so have looked it up.
Still no ability to record streamed programmes and doesn't run Kodi which
I use to view .iso files so not for me.
I can't see PVRs or even anything similar commercially being developed
so that streams can be recorded.
On 10/07/2026 11:20, Jeff Layman wrote:
On 10/07/2026 09:48, Jeff Gaines wrote:
On 09/07/2026 in message <nba3tgF6iqpU1@mid.individual.net> Brian Gregory >>> wrote:
On 01/07/2026 12:35, Jeff Gaines wrote:I didn't know what Freely is so have looked it up.
After the problems with my my Freesat-4k-Recordable (which seem to be >>>>> heat related rather than HDD related) I have been poking around for
alternatives to receive/record satellite TV which might be more
amenable
to saving those recordings and playing them on other devices.
Names I have found are Octagon SF8008 and Zgemma H7S.
Anybody here use anything like this (or similar) who can give (or point >>>>> me to) a review?
I would need it to be reasonably plug and play although I do have a
Linux
box so have some familiarity with Linux, long, long, way from-a being >>>>> any
sort of expert though.
What's the attraction of Freely ?
Isn't it just like having a good selection of apps for the UK channels? >>>
Still no ability to record streamed programmes and doesn't run Kodi which >>> I use to view .iso files so not for me.
I can't see PVRs or even anything similar commercially being developed
so that streams can be recorded.
The BT/EE TV Box Pro _in Internet mode_ can record streams (I think),
but we are warned that some may not allow ads to be skipped.
(I use it in _aerial mode_ so I can't confirm how it works.)
you can't fast-forward to avoid the ITVX ads. And it looks like there'sSo get a cheap Chinese box and run OpenViX on it.
no slo-mo and step frame. Also, switching between aerial and internet
mode apparently requires a reset which deletes any recordings, unless
you go into "maintenance mode"!
I do similar (full tower PC, PCIe tuners) and TVheadend, I can use my
laptop with a web browser and VLC to view recordings, it does work well, though isn't as user friendly as a set top box.
Andy Burns wrote:The PC is quite long in the tooth, for an old dog that's seen several
I do similar (full tower PC, PCIe tuners) and TVheadend, I can use my
laptop with a web browser and VLC to view recordings, it does work
well, though isn't as user friendly as a set top box.
Are you willing to give more details, PC specs, make & models of tuners,
OS used, etc?
Java Jive wrote:
Are you willing to give more details, PC specs, make & models of
tuners, OS used, etc?
The PC is quite long in the tooth, for an old dog that's seen several upgrades over the years it still feels OK.
-a ASRock H97 pro4 motherboard
-a Xeon E3-1245v3
-a Radeon RX580 GPU
-a 32GB RAM
-a 2x 64GB SSD for boot/root/home
-a 2x 3TB HD for samba and tv storage
-a [plus numerous disconnected SATA drives within it]
-a Hauppauge HVR5525 (DVB-T2/DVB-S2 tuners)
-a 2.5Gb NIC
It runs Fedora (an unfortunate mishmash of v41 and rawhide due to a
botched upgrade, it won't upgrade to a clean newer version, needs wiping
and reinstalling).-a Codecs, ffmpeg and tvheadend itself installed from RPMfusion free/nonfree repos.
Over the years I've had various tuner cards, the most annoying ones
needed custom kernels building and patches tweaking by hand to keep-up, eventually that becomes a chore rather than being interesting, so I
settled on the Hauppauge card as it is fully supported in stock kernels.
I've never liked USB tuners (including the ones which are USB hiding
behind a PCIe bridge on a PCI card ones) since they blast the entire mux
at 35-45Mbps to the CPU causing ~2500 interrupts/s.-a PCIe tuners have hardware filtering of PIDs, probably NY will say USB tuners have never
done him any harm, I just don't like them :-P
I have a DiSEqC switch between 28.2E and 19.2E LNBs, but hardly ever use
the latter now that German channels no longer carry the Formula1.
For "friendlier" viewing I do have Chromecast HDMI dongles, which give
an STB-like interface via a remote control.
On 2026-07-16 09:53, Andy Burns wrote:
Java Jive wrote:
Are you willing to give more details, PC specs, make & models of
tuners, OS used, etc?
The PC is quite long in the tooth, for an old dog that's seen several
upgrades over the years it still feels OK.
-a-a ASRock H97 pro4 motherboard
-a-a Xeon E3-1245v3
-a-a Radeon RX580 GPU
-a-a 32GB RAM
-a-a 2x 64GB SSD for boot/root/home
-a-a 2x 3TB HD for samba and tv storage
-a-a [plus numerous disconnected SATA drives within it]
-a-a Hauppauge HVR5525 (DVB-T2/DVB-S2 tuners)
-a-a 2.5Gb NIC
It runs Fedora (an unfortunate mishmash of v41 and rawhide due to a
botched upgrade, it won't upgrade to a clean newer version, needs
wiping and reinstalling).-a Codecs, ffmpeg and tvheadend itself
installed from RPMfusion free/nonfree repos.
Over the years I've had various tuner cards, the most annoying ones
needed custom kernels building and patches tweaking by hand to keep-
up, eventually that becomes a chore rather than being interesting, so
I settled on the Hauppauge card as it is fully supported in stock
kernels.
I've never liked USB tuners (including the ones which are USB hiding
behind a PCIe bridge on a PCI card ones) since they blast the entire
mux at 35-45Mbps to the CPU causing ~2500 interrupts/s.-a PCIe tuners
have hardware filtering of PIDs, probably NY will say USB tuners have
never done him any harm, I just don't like them :-P
I have a DiSEqC switch between 28.2E and 19.2E LNBs, but hardly ever
use the latter now that German channels no longer carry the Formula1.
For "friendlier" viewing I do have Chromecast HDMI dongles, which give
an STB-like interface via a remote control.
Many thanks, saved for possible later use.
On 16/07/2026 11:01, Java Jive wrote:
On 2026-07-16 09:53, Andy Burns wrote:
Java Jive wrote:
Are you willing to give more details, PC specs, make & models of
tuners, OS used, etc?
The PC is quite long in the tooth, for an old dog that's seen several
upgrades over the years it still feels OK.
-a-a ASRock H97 pro4 motherboard
-a-a Xeon E3-1245v3
-a-a Radeon RX580 GPU
-a-a 32GB RAM
-a-a 2x 64GB SSD for boot/root/home
-a-a 2x 3TB HD for samba and tv storage
-a-a [plus numerous disconnected SATA drives within it]
-a-a Hauppauge HVR5525 (DVB-T2/DVB-S2 tuners)
-a-a 2.5Gb NIC
It runs Fedora (an unfortunate mishmash of v41 and rawhide due to a
botched upgrade, it won't upgrade to a clean newer version, needs
wiping and reinstalling).-a Codecs, ffmpeg and tvheadend itself
installed from RPMfusion free/nonfree repos.
Over the years I've had various tuner cards, the most annoying ones
needed custom kernels building and patches tweaking by hand to keep-
up, eventually that becomes a chore rather than being interesting, so
I settled on the Hauppauge card as it is fully supported in stock
kernels.
I've never liked USB tuners (including the ones which are USB hiding
behind a PCIe bridge on a PCI card ones) since they blast the entire
mux at 35-45Mbps to the CPU causing ~2500 interrupts/s.-a PCIe tuners
have hardware filtering of PIDs, probably NY will say USB tuners have
never done him any harm, I just don't like them :-P
I have a DiSEqC switch between 28.2E and 19.2E LNBs, but hardly ever
use the latter now that German channels no longer carry the Formula1.
For "friendlier" viewing I do have Chromecast HDMI dongles, which
give an STB-like interface via a remote control.
Many thanks, saved for possible later use.
Another way to do it is to use a Silicon Dust HDHomeRun for Freeview,
this has 4 tuners and presents them as SAT>IP feeds over a home LAN
You could use a Kathrein EXIP SATIP tuner to cover off Freesat.
That then leaves you to set up SATIP clients which cam be done on a Raspberry Pi or any Linux box using the minisatip package for live viewing
TVHeadend, Plex, Jellyfin, Popcorn etc will accept SATIP feeds and that
is used as the recording PVR so you could host a PC to cover off that aspect.
On 2026-07-16 19:00, SH wrote:
On 16/07/2026 11:01, Java Jive wrote:
On 2026-07-16 09:53, Andy Burns wrote:
Java Jive wrote:
Are you willing to give more details, PC specs, make & models of
tuners, OS used, etc?
The PC is quite long in the tooth, for an old dog that's seen
several upgrades over the years it still feels OK.
-a-a ASRock H97 pro4 motherboard
-a-a Xeon E3-1245v3
-a-a Radeon RX580 GPU
-a-a 32GB RAM
-a-a 2x 64GB SSD for boot/root/home
-a-a 2x 3TB HD for samba and tv storage
-a-a [plus numerous disconnected SATA drives within it]
-a-a Hauppauge HVR5525 (DVB-T2/DVB-S2 tuners)
-a-a 2.5Gb NIC
It runs Fedora (an unfortunate mishmash of v41 and rawhide due to a
botched upgrade, it won't upgrade to a clean newer version, needs
wiping and reinstalling).-a Codecs, ffmpeg and tvheadend itself
installed from RPMfusion free/nonfree repos.
Over the years I've had various tuner cards, the most annoying ones
needed custom kernels building and patches tweaking by hand to keep-
up, eventually that becomes a chore rather than being interesting,
so I settled on the Hauppauge card as it is fully supported in stock
kernels.
I've never liked USB tuners (including the ones which are USB hiding
behind a PCIe bridge on a PCI card ones) since they blast the entire
mux at 35-45Mbps to the CPU causing ~2500 interrupts/s.-a PCIe tuners >>>> have hardware filtering of PIDs, probably NY will say USB tuners
have never done him any harm, I just don't like them :-P
I have a DiSEqC switch between 28.2E and 19.2E LNBs, but hardly ever
use the latter now that German channels no longer carry the Formula1.
For "friendlier" viewing I do have Chromecast HDMI dongles, which
give an STB-like interface via a remote control.
Many thanks, saved for possible later use.
Another way to do it is to use a Silicon Dust HDHomeRun for Freeview,
this has 4 tuners and presents them as SAT>IP feeds over a home LAN
You could use a Kathrein EXIP SATIP tuner to cover off Freesat.
That then leaves you to set up SATIP clients which cam be done on a
Raspberry Pi or any Linux box using the minisatip package for live
viewing
TVHeadend, Plex, Jellyfin, Popcorn etc will accept SATIP feeds and
that is used as the recording PVR so you could host a PC to cover off
that aspect.
Many thanks, also saved for possible future use.
On 10/07/2026 18:33, Jeff Layman wrote:
you can't fast-forward to avoid the ITVX ads. And it looks like there'sSo get a cheap Chinese box and run OpenViX on it.
no slo-mo and step frame. Also, switching between aerial and internet
mode apparently requires a reset which deletes any recordings, unless
you go into "maintenance mode"!
On 15/07/2026 22:01, Brian Gregory wrote:
On 10/07/2026 18:33, Jeff Layman wrote:
you can't fast-forward to avoid the ITVX ads. And it looks like there'sSo get a cheap Chinese box and run OpenViX on it.
no slo-mo and step frame. Also, switching between aerial and internet
mode apparently requires a reset which deletes any recordings, unless
you go into "maintenance mode"!
Just like that?
I had a look at the OpenViX webpages and found it more than a little
opaque. Usually, I turn to the manual (if there is one) to get an idea
of what can be done. However, I couldn't find an up-to-date guide - the
one on the OpenViX pages is dated 2014. Perhaps it's still usable, but
why hasn't it been updated? I assume it's section 7.12 about networks
which would apply to, eg iPlayer, etc
This thread <https://www.avforums.com/threads/enigma-2-like-skyq-so- confused.2532762/> was about someone asking how to use OpenViX instead
of Sky, as his wife "loves the pausing, recording, instant rewind etc".
The third post in reply has "You can pause live TV etc. everything you
can do with a Sky Q box, however there are no apps like Netflix ,
iPlayer , etc on these boxes. All they do is live TV." (NB that post
links to the 2014 manual, and notes it as being a full manual).
When I got my first PVR (Humax 9200T) I was setting up recordings well within an hour, and that followed with other brands of PVRs too. It
doesn't seem to me that it would be so easy with OpenViX, and I'm still
not clear about recording iPlayer, etc, and what level of slo-mo and
pause then forward/back frame step is available.
Obviously if you like building everything from scratch using individual components, then its tinkerers heaven and complete flexibility and the
above is of no fun to you EfOe
On 17/07/2026 09:01, Jeff Layman wrote:
On 15/07/2026 22:01, Brian Gregory wrote:
On 10/07/2026 18:33, Jeff Layman wrote:
you can't fast-forward to avoid the ITVX ads. And it looks like there's >>>> no slo-mo and step frame. Also, switching between aerial and internetSo get a cheap Chinese box and run OpenViX on it.
mode apparently requires a reset which deletes any recordings, unless
you go into "maintenance mode"!
Just like that?
I had a look at the OpenViX webpages and found it more than a little
opaque. Usually, I turn to the manual (if there is one) to get an idea
of what can be done. However, I couldn't find an up-to-date guide - the
one on the OpenViX pages is dated 2014. Perhaps it's still usable, but
why hasn't it been updated? I assume it's section 7.12 about networks
which would apply to, eg iPlayer, etc
This thread <https://www.avforums.com/threads/enigma-2-like-skyq-so-
confused.2532762/> was about someone asking how to use OpenViX instead
of Sky, as his wife "loves the pausing, recording, instant rewind etc".
The third post in reply has "You can pause live TV etc. everything you
can do with a Sky Q box, however there are no apps like Netflix ,
iPlayer , etc on these boxes. All they do is live TV." (NB that post
links to the 2014 manual, and notes it as being a full manual).
When I got my first PVR (Humax 9200T) I was setting up recordings well
within an hour, and that followed with other brands of PVRs too. It
doesn't seem to me that it would be so easy with OpenViX, and I'm still
not clear about recording iPlayer, etc, and what level of slo-mo and
pause then forward/back frame step is available.
Openvix doesn't do the Iplayer or the equivalent from other broadcasters.
Openvix is just an image (software) that can be run of a dozen or more Enigma2 (linux basesd) boxes from different manufacturers and at
different price points. The prices generally reflecting the
specification of the box. However even the cheap boxes work very well.
Openvix supports terrestrial or satellite receivers depending on tuners fitted. It can do both at the same time. I have a box with 2 satellite
and 2 terrestrial tuners. All can be used at the same time for recording
and watching from one of them on the TV. Add a hard disk and it becomes
a fully functional PVR with the usual pause, recording jump through
recorded adverts etc. BUT with no catch up TV from the internet.
The boxes are fully networked. In-built ethernet and on some boxes
inbuilt wi-fi, on others wi-fi with an optional USB dongle.
The recording are the broadcast transport stream so they can be
transferred over you network to be played on any device/software that supports the format.
Openvix supports the 7 day over the air EPG from Freeview and Freesat
and, if required, by tuning into transponder for Sky IEPG data the over
the air 7 day EPG for sky. (possibly only necessary if you want the few extra free to air channels from sky). Optionally you can get the 7 day
EPG over the internet, which is supported in OpenVix. It's advisable to
only get the EPG from one source.
All Openvix software is written by hobbyists and is very stable. There
are a variety of both software writers and an an active team of alpha
and beta testers. All appear to be active in the Openvix user forums.
There is an update to add new features etc. around 6 times a year. In my experience the rare bugs missed by the alpha/beta testers with the issue
of an upgrade are reported in the user forums and usually fixed within
days. You have to realise that these boxes are highly configurable and
used in many different ways. There are numerous plugins that can be
installed by the user to enhance/change some of the functionality. Also
while OpenVix is very UK friendly with regards support for UK
terrestrial and satellite tuning they are used internationally so a user abroad may be using it with a completely different configuration.
While highly configurable the default setting are more than adequate and sensible. Some users may want to implement a different skin with a
horrendous colour scheme :) :)
Yes the manual is out of date but in my experience owning these boxes
for around 10 years I've never read the manual. There is a learning
curve but nothing too bad for someone with some basic technical
knowledge and common sense. It does help to know that for UK terrestrial
or satellite use the Autoboquets options from the menu for tuning etc.
On first startup or an upgrade there are "wizards" to help with network
and tuning. All settings and images (versions of Openvix) can easily be backed up to a hard disk etc. and settings can be restored when a new
upgrade is installed.
Fast forward and backwards with recordings x2,x4, x8....... x128
Slow motion, by default 2,4,8 (user configurable) but the effect may
also be down to how the digital signal is broadcast, the GOP structure
etc.
Jump ford/backward 3 buttons on the remote enable to jump forward and 3
to jump back. The times are user configurable but by default 15seconds,
60 seconds and 300 seconds. Useful for skipping adverts.
Its worth finding the inbuilt web interface for things like making user channel lists or re-ordering channels in the list/epg. The web interface
is enabled by just typing the IP of te box in your internet browser
address bar. Then web interface gives you full control of the box/openvix
By the way, I'd wondered what "Autobouquet" was. An internet search
turned up "bouquets" - it's weird how a term associated with a bunch of flowers has come to be used with digital TV!
I've been thinking about restoring TV to the property for some time.
On 18/07/2026 in message <113ervq$39mgb$1@dont-email.me> Java Jive wrote:
I've been thinking about restoring TV to the property for some time.
Is it worth it? Broadcast TV is closing down and being replaced with
streamed TV, you'd be better of with Freely or a decent streaming device, assuming you have a decent Internet connection.
On 18/07/2026 08:43, Jeff Gaines wrote:
On 18/07/2026 in message <113ervq$39mgb$1@dont-email.me> Java Jive wrote:
I've been thinking about restoring TV to the property for some time.
Is it worth it? Broadcast TV is closing down and being replaced with >>streamed TV, you'd be better of with Freely or a decent streaming device, >>assuming you have a decent Internet connection.
Closing down when? Apart from The Guardian article >(<https://www.theguardian.com/media/2026/jan/29/as-most-tv-viewers-tune-in-via-broadband-will-2034-signal-the-death-of-freeview>),
now approaching six months old, there seems to have been nothing official
on the subject. The article states:
"After two years examining options for the future of the free-to-air >service, the DCMS is due to deliver its verdict soon. It is looking at
three options put forward by Ofcom: an expensive upgrade to FreeviewrCOs >ageing technology; maintaining it as an extremely limited service with
just a minimum of core channels from the BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Channel
5; and a rCLswitch off over the 2030srCY."
I found some more info here: ><https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/cost-of-living/freeview-cut-off-date-confirmed-34074146>
"In response, Minister of State for Digital Government and Data Ian Murray >confirmed that no decision has yet been reached: rCLFollowing the >consultation in 2021 on the renewal of digital terrestrial television
(DTT) multiplex licences to which my honourable friend refers, Parliament >legislated to secure the future of DTT until at least 2034. No decision
has yet been made about the future of the DTT platform beyond this point."
On 18/07/2026 in message <113fjrc$3cb1v$2@dont-email.me> Jeff Layman wrote:
On 18/07/2026 08:43, Jeff Gaines wrote:
On 18/07/2026 in message <113ervq$39mgb$1@dont-email.me> Java Jive wrote: >>>
I've been thinking about restoring TV to the property for some time.
Is it worth it? Broadcast TV is closing down and being replaced with
streamed TV, you'd be better of with Freely or a decent streaming device, >>> assuming you have a decent Internet connection.
Closing down when? Apart from The Guardian article
(<https://www.theguardian.com/media/2026/jan/29/as-most-tv-viewers-tune-in-via-broadband-will-2034-signal-the-death-of-freeview>),
now approaching six months old, there seems to have been nothing official
on the subject. The article states:
"After two years examining options for the future of the free-to-air
service, the DCMS is due to deliver its verdict soon. It is looking at
three options put forward by Ofcom: an expensive upgrade to FreeviewrCOs
ageing technology; maintaining it as an extremely limited service with
just a minimum of core channels from the BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Channel
5; and a rCLswitch off over the 2030srCY."
I found some more info here:
<https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/cost-of-living/freeview-cut-off-date-confirmed-34074146>
"In response, Minister of State for Digital Government and Data Ian Murray >> confirmed that no decision has yet been reached: rCLFollowing the
consultation in 2021 on the renewal of digital terrestrial television
(DTT) multiplex licences to which my honourable friend refers, Parliament
legislated to secure the future of DTT until at least 2034. No decision
has yet been made about the future of the DTT platform beyond this point."
I found it here:
https://www.google.co.uk/search?as_q=when+will+freesat+close+down&as_epq=&as_eq=&as_sitesearch=&as_filetype=&as_qdr=&lr=&cr=&tbs=&authuser=
and here:
https://www.google.co.uk/search?as_q=when+will+freeview+close+down&as_epq=&as_eq=&as_sitesearch=&as_filetype=&as_qdr=&lr=&cr=&tbs=&authuser=
I've been thinking about restoring TV to the property for some time.
Is it worth it? Broadcast TV is closing down and being replaced with
streamed TV, you'd be better of with Freely or a decent streaming device,
assuming you have a decent Internet connection.
Closing down *when*? Apart from The Guardian article >(<https://www.theguardian.com/media/2026/jan/29/as-most-tv-viewers-tune-in-via-broadband-will-2034-signal-the-death-of-freeview>),
now approaching six months old, there seems to have been nothing
official on the subject.
So, stop paying expensive cable/satellite bills, and start paying for
even more expensive streaming services bills!
Amazon Prime costs considerably less than a BBC licence, and for that
they deliver parcels as well. And if that's too much there's plenty of
stuff you can watch without any subscriptions at all. Some of it has
adverts, which you'd see anyway if you watched a broadcast. You just
pay for what you want, and stop paying when you want, and nobody will threaten you with fines or prison for doing so. It's the future.
Rod.
Amazon Prime costs considerably less than a BBC licence, and for that
they deliver parcels as well. And if that's too much there's plenty of
stuff you can watch without any subscriptions at all. Some of it has
adverts, which you'd see anyway if you watched a broadcast. You just
pay for what you want, and stop paying when you want, and nobody will
threaten you with fines or prison for doing so. It's the future.
Rod.
Theres also stacks of free films and other programmes on youtube if you
dont mind the ads
On Sat, 18 Jul 2026 12:48:24 +0100, Jeff Layman <Jeff@invalid.invalid>
wrote:
So, stop paying expensive cable/satellite bills, and start paying for
even more expensive streaming services bills!
Amazon Prime costs considerably less than a BBC licence, and for that
they deliver parcels as well. And if that's too much there's plenty of
stuff you can watch without any subscriptions at all. Some of it has
adverts, which you'd see anyway if you watched a broadcast. You just
pay for what you want, and stop paying when you want, and nobody will threaten you with fines or prison for doing so. It's the future.
On Sat, 18 Jul 2026 11:17:16 +0100, Jeff Layman <Jeff@invalid.invalid>
wrote:
I've been thinking about restoring TV to the property for some time.
Is it worth it? Broadcast TV is closing down and being replaced with
streamed TV, you'd be better of with Freely or a decent streaming device, >>> assuming you have a decent Internet connection.
Closing down *when*? Apart from The Guardian article
(<https://www.theguardian.com/media/2026/jan/29/as-most-tv-viewers-tune-in-via-broadband-will-2034-signal-the-death-of-freeview>),
now approaching six months old, there seems to have been nothing
official on the subject.
There doesn't need to be anything 'official' about it for the future
of conventional broadcasting to be clear. The only thing in doubt is
the time frame.
with which one-way broadcasting by radio transmission cannot compete
that it can only be a matter of time before it completely replaces all
other communication and entertainment services in our homes.
On 18/07/2026 13:47, Roderick Stewart wrote:
On Sat, 18 Jul 2026 12:48:24 +0100, Jeff Layman <Jeff@invalid.invalid>
wrote:
So, stop paying expensive cable/satellite bills, and start paying for
even more expensive streaming services bills!
Amazon Prime costs considerably less than a BBC licence, and for that
they deliver parcels as well. And if that's too much there's plenty of
stuff you can watch without any subscriptions at all. Some of it has
adverts, which you'd see anyway if you watched a broadcast. You just
pay for what you want, and stop paying when you want, and nobody will
threaten you with fines or prison for doing so. It's the future.
How much is "subscription free" with the premium services such as
Netflix, Paramount+, Disney+. etc
It's not so much the adverts I am concerned about, it's the necessity to >have an account - even if free - which makes me the product (ie data
source for viewing statistics).
On 18/07/2026 13:42, Roderick Stewart wrote:
On Sat, 18 Jul 2026 11:17:16 +0100, Jeff Layman <Jeff@invalid.invalid> >>wrote:
I've been thinking about restoring TV to the property for some time.
Is it worth it? Broadcast TV is closing down and being replaced with >>>>streamed TV, you'd be better of with Freely or a decent streaming >>>>device,
assuming you have a decent Internet connection.
Closing down when? Apart from The Guardian article >>>(<https://www.theguardian.com/media/2026/jan/29/as-most-tv-viewers-tune-in-via-broadband-will-2034-signal-the-death-of-freeview>),
now approaching six months old, there seems to have been nothing
official on the subject.
There doesn't need to be anything 'official' about it for the future
of conventional broadcasting to be clear. The only thing in doubt is
the time frame.
But that's the point. Until a time is announced there is no change!
It's not the need to have accounts that I am concerned about, it's the necessity to watch or record broadcast services to somebody else's
timetable instead of your own. With online services you don't need to
record anything; the recordings are all there, whenever you want them.
On 18/07/2026 16:16, Roderick Stewart wrote:
It's not the need to have accounts that I am concerned about, it's the
necessity to watch or record broadcast services to somebody else's
timetable instead of your own. With online services you don't need to
record anything; the recordings are all there, whenever you want them.
Until they aren't, and you find you can't watch what you want because
it's been taken down. I prefer to have physical posession of stuff.
I do have a mobile phone, but it only has 10GB a month allowance.
There's not too much you could stream with that.
Jeff Layman wrote:
I do have a mobile phone, but it only has 10GB a month allowance.
There's not too much you could stream with that.
But it'd let you buy a SIM with a larger allowance ...
On 18/07/2026 13:42, Roderick Stewart wrote:
On Sat, 18 Jul 2026 11:17:16 +0100, Jeff Layman <Jeff@invalid.invalid>
wrote:
I've been thinking about restoring TV to the property for some time.
Is it worth it? Broadcast TV is closing down and being replaced with
streamed TV, you'd be better of with Freely or a decent streaming
device,
assuming you have a decent Internet connection.
Closing down *when*? Apart from The Guardian article
(<https://www.theguardian.com/media/2026/jan/29/as-most-tv-viewers-tune-in-via-broadband-will-2034-signal-the-death-of-freeview>),
now approaching six months old, there seems to have been nothing
official on the subject.
There doesn't need to be anything 'official' about it for the future
of conventional broadcasting to be clear. The only thing in doubt is
the time frame.
But that's the point. Until a time is announced there is *no* change!
Fibre to the home offers so many potential features
with which one-way broadcasting by radio transmission cannot compete
that it can only be a matter of time before it completely replaces all
other communication and entertainment services in our homes.
No FTTP here, just FTTC. I'm pretty sure that Openreach's December 2026
date will be passed for me and many others. Not that I need FTTP; FTTC
is quite enough to stream UHD.
It offers many more potential features to the broadcasters, programme makers, advertisers, and data collectors than it does to the viewers. Streaming on demand for /all/ programmes is not available present, but perhaps will be in the future, and that is the only "advantage" I can
see. What other features do you see that are not already available on
the internet to any broadband user?
How will the viewer find out about new programmes other than endless adverts/trailers which already seem to fill in-between programme spaces, even (or should that be particularly!) on the BBC. Will we be getting a "Streaming Now and in Future" guide, with those able to pay more for
premium spaces getting the best position to push their new programmes? I already find iPlayer annoying because it pushes what it thinks I should
be watching rather than what I want to watch. I pay for the paper Radio Times because I find every EPG I find on line far more difficult to scan through in the same way that I can do with the RT.
On 18/07/2026 17:07, Laurence Taylor wrote:
On 18/07/2026 16:16, Roderick Stewart wrote:
It's not the need to have accounts that I am concerned about, it's the
necessity to watch or record broadcast services to somebody else's
timetable instead of your own. With online services you don't need to
record anything; the recordings are all there, whenever you want them.
Until they aren't, and you find you can't watch what you want because
it's been taken down. I prefer to have physical posession of stuff.
Six years ago a car took out the BT cabinet here with all the DSLAM >equipment in it. There were 176 households (including mine) with no
internet connection for a week. A couple of years later an SSE crew cut >through the BT cables to half-a-dozen or so houses here. I was without >broadband internet for a couple of days. I do have a mobile phone, but
it only has 10GB a month allowance. There's not too much you could
stream with that.
The January 2027 deadline is not about the demise of FTTC it is about
the demise of the PSTN. So if you still have a real telephone you won't
have by then. Yes it might look like a real telephone, and fit in the
wall socket, but it will be converted to VOIP in the "Exchange" and you
will have to dial the full number.
Jeff Layman wrote:
I do have a mobile phone, but it only has 10GB a month allowance.
There's not too much you could stream with that.
But it'd let you buy a SIM with a larger allowance ...
On Sun, 19 Jul 2026 00:24:27 +0100, David Wade <g4ugm@dave.invalid>
wrote:
The January 2027 deadline is not about the demise of FTTC it is about
the demise of the PSTN. So if you still have a real telephone you won't
have by then. Yes it might look like a real telephone, and fit in the
wall socket, but it will be converted to VOIP in the "Exchange" and you
will have to dial the full number.
My telephone is exactly the same one I've had since before my landline
was removed when my connection was changed to fibre. It plugs into the
router instead of a wall socket, but in use it works exactly as it did before. I didn't have to change any settings on the phone and I don't
have to dial anything different. When people call me they call the
same number as before, and nobody has commented on any percieved
difference. If anything, the sound is clearer.
And there's a neat feature of my system (Zen with Fritzbox) that I
don't think they all have. I can make or answer calls on the house
phone using an app on my mobile. This is sometimes handy anyway, and
my mobile has much better speakerphone performance and a battery that
doesn't conk out after an hour or so like most cordless handsets that
use a couple of AAA cells.
On Sat, 18 Jul 2026 18:07:23 +0100, Jeff Layman <Jeff@invalid.invalid>
wrote:
On 18/07/2026 17:07, Laurence Taylor wrote:
On 18/07/2026 16:16, Roderick Stewart wrote:
It's not the need to have accounts that I am concerned about, it's
the necessity to watch or record broadcast services to somebody
else's timetable instead of your own. With online services you don't
need to record anything; the recordings are all there, whenever you
want them.
Until they aren't, and you find you can't watch what you want because
it's been taken down. I prefer to have physical posession of stuff.
Six years ago a car took out the BT cabinet here with all the DSLAM >>equipment in it. There were 176 households (including mine) with no >>internet connection for a week. A couple of years later an SSE crew cut >>through the BT cables to half-a-dozen or so houses here. I was without >>broadband internet for a couple of days. I do have a mobile phone, but
it only has 10GB a month allowance. There's not too much you could
stream with that.
I have a mobile phone bundle that gives me unlimited calls and texts and
3GB data for -u5 per month. This is enough for my normal usage, but
there's an app on my phone with which I can check at any time how much
data has been used, and buy more on a one-off basis or upgrade to a
different bundle. In other words, my 'allowance' can be whatever I want
it to be, and I'm in control of it.
And if I ever have to be without the use of the internet for any length
of time, I still know how to read books.
Rod.
Jeff Layman wrote:
By the way, I'd wondered what "Autobouquet" was. An internet search
turned up "bouquets" - it's weird how a term associated with a bunch
of flowers has come to be used with digital TV!
TVheadend also uses the term ... in the same way that a mux refers to a group of channels, a bouquet refers to a group of muxes.
Or perhaps a group of channels split across several muxes, but not necessarily consisting of every channel in every mux that contributes to
the bouquet.
*-a The wind comes barrelling across the loch and straight into the
house, anything not robust and weighted down will be destroyed &/or
blown away; I usually use my wheelbarrow upturned to protect my mower
from rain where it's parked partially sheltered by a big tall hedge and
a corner of the house, but one day even that was blown off and now I
weigh it down with lumps of rock!
Given the wind problem, I'm wondering how to mount a satellite dish securely.-a There is no possibility of mounting one on most of the walls, because they were made of bits of random stone and rocks, which mostly
are impossibly hard to drill, held together weakly by a crumbly
substance that once may or may not have had any real mortar in it.
On 18/07/2026 04:29, Java Jive wrote:
*-a The wind comes barrelling across the loch and straight into the
house, anything not robust and weighted down will be destroyed &/or
blown away; I usually use my wheelbarrow upturned to protect my mower
from rain where it's parked partially sheltered by a big tall hedge
and a corner of the house, but one day even that was blown off and now
I weigh it down with lumps of rock!
Given the wind problem, I'm wondering how to mount a satellite dish
securely.-a There is no possibility of mounting one on most of the
walls, because they were made of bits of random stone and rocks, which
mostly are impossibly hard to drill, held together weakly by a crumbly
substance that once may or may not have had any real mortar in it.
Is there a stout tree nearby on which to mount the dish? My dish is
fixed at ground level to the trunk of an ash tree at the bottom of my garden, far enough away to be line-of-sight to the satellite over the
house roof.
Thanks for the thought, but I don't think there's anything very suitable close enough.-a The land behind the house was clear-felled not long
before I moved in, and has been naturally regenerating ever since, so
all the trees on it are thin and bendy.-a The trees on my land are more bushy than anything else, so are thin and bendy in a different way.
On 25/07/2026 22:25, Java Jive wrote:
Thanks for the thought, but I don't think there's anything very
suitable close enough.-a The land behind the house was clear-felled not
long before I moved in, and has been naturally regenerating ever
since, so all the trees on it are thin and bendy.-a The trees on my
land are more bushy than anything else, so are thin and bendy in a
different way.
A bit of scaffolding pole concreted into the ground?-a The dish doesn't
have to mounted high - it just needs line of sight and not obscured by undergrowth etc.
On 26/07/2026 07:15, alan_m wrote:
On 25/07/2026 22:25, Java Jive wrote:
Thanks for the thought, but I don't think there's anything very
suitable close enough.-a The land behind the house was clear-felled
not long before I moved in, and has been naturally regenerating ever
since, so all the trees on it are thin and bendy.-a The trees on my
land are more bushy than anything else, so are thin and bendy in a
different way.
A bit of scaffolding pole concreted into the ground?-a The dish doesn't
have to mounted high - it just needs line of sight and not obscured by
undergrowth etc.
tripod mount frame thingys used to be available for this exact purpose -
so no need to mess around with concrete-a - apart from the bags of
concrete required to stop it blowing away in a gale
On 2026-07-26 08:39, Abandoned Trolley wrote:
On 26/07/2026 07:15, alan_m wrote:
On 25/07/2026 22:25, Java Jive wrote:
Thanks for the thought, but I don't think there's anything very
suitable close enough.-a The land behind the house was clear-felled
not long before I moved in, and has been naturally regenerating ever
since, so all the trees on it are thin and bendy.-a The trees on my
land are more bushy than anything else, so are thin and bendy in a
different way.
A bit of scaffolding pole concreted into the ground?-a The dish
doesn't have to mounted high - it just needs line of sight and not
obscured by undergrowth etc.
tripod mount frame thingys used to be available for this exact purpose
- so no need to mess around with concrete-a - apart from the bags of
concrete required to stop it blowing away in a gale
Tx to both.-a Tripod, I don't think so, too easily disturbed. Scaffolding pole, not quite solid enough to hold the dish steady in a gale.
As far as I've thought about it, I think something like an old telegraph pole but about half the height, with a footing about a metre long buried
in concrete, is probably about the best that can be done.-a At the
moment, there are only ever sheep in the field it would look over, but
there are plenty of cattle around here as well, so the dish would have
to be high enough to have an unobstructed view over the heads of any
cattle in the field next door, yet solid enough that it wouldn't move
too much in a gale.
You may be surprised how low the dish can be installed to clear an
obstacle in the path.
Go to https://www.dishpointer.com/
Select "28.2E astra 2F/2G for the satellite
Enter your location (by postcode etc.)
A map will be displayed with a green line showing the direction your
dish needs to be pointed.
You can move the end of the green line to your exact installation location. In the dish setup data you can see the elevation for the signal
(Scotland approx 18 to 20 degrees) so the dish only needs to be 6m away
get clear a 2m high cow assuming the dish was mounted at ground level.
After the problems with my my Freesat-4k-Recordable (which seem to be
heat related rather than HDD related) I have been poking around for alternatives to receive/record satellite TV which might be more amenable
to saving those recordings and playing them on other devices.
Names I have found are Octagon SF8008 and Zgemma H7S.
Anybody here use anything like this (or similar) who can give (or point
me to) a review?
I would need it to be reasonably plug and play although I do have a
Linux box so have some familiarity with Linux, long, long, way from
being any sort of expert though.
On 01/07/2026 12:35, Jeff Gaines wrote:
After the problems with my my Freesat-4k-Recordable (which seem to be >>heat related rather than HDD related) I have been poking around for >>alternatives to receive/record satellite TV which might be more amenable >>to saving those recordings and playing them on other devices.
Names I have found are Octagon SF8008 and Zgemma H7S.
Anybody here use anything like this (or similar) who can give (or point >>me to) a review?
I would need it to be reasonably plug and play although I do have a Linux >>box so have some familiarity with Linux, long, long, way from being any >>sort of expert though.
This thread has only been rattling on for nearly a month, so maybe its a
bit early to ask why you specify a "Non Freesat" box
As an alternative to my Freesat branded box.
As an alternative to my Freesat branded box.
OK ..
some Freesat boxes (like a couple of my Humax(en?) can be switched to a >non-freesat mode, for the viewing of non-freesat channels. Once set up,
they store 2 completely different channel lists.
Just in case you were interested ....
On 2026-07-26 08:39, Abandoned Trolley wrote:
On 26/07/2026 07:15, alan_m wrote:
On 25/07/2026 22:25, Java Jive wrote:
Thanks for the thought, but I don't think there's anything very
suitable close enough.-a The land behind the house was clear-felled
not long before I moved in, and has been naturally regenerating ever
since, so all the trees on it are thin and bendy.-a The trees on my
land are more bushy than anything else, so are thin and bendy in a
different way.
A bit of scaffolding pole concreted into the ground?-a The dish
doesn't have to mounted high - it just needs line of sight and not
obscured by undergrowth etc.
tripod mount frame thingys used to be available for this exact purpose
- so no need to mess around with concrete-a - apart from the bags of
concrete required to stop it blowing away in a gale
Tx to both.-a Tripod, I don't think so, too easily disturbed. Scaffolding pole, not quite solid enough to hold the dish steady in a gale.
As far as I've thought about it, I think something like an old telegraph pole but about half the height, with a footing about a metre long buried
in concrete, is probably about the best that can be done.-a At the
moment, there are only ever sheep in the field it would look over, but
there are plenty of cattle around here as well, so the dish would have
to be high enough to have an unobstructed view over the heads of any
cattle in the field next door, yet solid enough that it wouldn't move
too much in a gale.-a I would probably put it about a metre or so inside
the boundary fence, because if it was part of the boundary fence
livestock would scratch themselves on the pole, their doing this is a
large factor in the posts in the local boundary fences breaking and
getting pushed over.
On 26/07/2026 15:49, Java Jive wrote:
On 2026-07-26 08:39, Abandoned Trolley wrote:Add a fence round the dish at suitable height and distance so that the
On 26/07/2026 07:15, alan_m wrote:
On 25/07/2026 22:25, Java Jive wrote:
Thanks for the thought, but I don't think there's anything very
suitable close enough.-a The land behind the house was clear-felled >>>>> not long before I moved in, and has been naturally regenerating
ever since, so all the trees on it are thin and bendy.-a The trees
on my land are more bushy than anything else, so are thin and bendy >>>>> in a different way.
A bit of scaffolding pole concreted into the ground?-a The dish
doesn't have to mounted high - it just needs line of sight and not
obscured by undergrowth etc.
tripod mount frame thingys used to be available for this exact
purpose - so no need to mess around with concrete-a - apart from the
bags of concrete required to stop it blowing away in a gale
Tx to both.-a Tripod, I don't think so, too easily disturbed.
Scaffolding pole, not quite solid enough to hold the dish steady in a
gale.
As far as I've thought about it, I think something like an old
telegraph pole but about half the height, with a footing about a metre
long buried in concrete, is probably about the best that can be done.
At the moment, there are only ever sheep in the field it would look
over, but there are plenty of cattle around here as well, so the dish
would have to be high enough to have an unobstructed view over the
heads of any cattle in the field next door, yet solid enough that it
wouldn't move too much in a gale.-a I would probably put it about a
metre or so inside the boundary fence, because if it was part of the
boundary fence livestock would scratch themselves on the pole, their
doing this is a large factor in the posts in the local boundary fences
breaking and getting pushed over.
dish looks above the backs of the cattle.
The elevation of the Astra satellite is about 27 degrees above
horizontal if you want to work out how far the dish needs to be from any cattle.
Add a fence round the dish at suitable height and distance so that the
dish looks above the backs of the cattle.
On 03/08/2026 22:02, Dave W wrote:
On 26/07/2026 15:49, Java Jive wrote:
On 2026-07-26 08:39, Abandoned Trolley wrote:Add a fence round the dish at suitable height and distance so that the
On 26/07/2026 07:15, alan_m wrote:
On 25/07/2026 22:25, Java Jive wrote:
Thanks for the thought, but I don't think there's anything very
suitable close enough.-a The land behind the house was clear-felled >>>>>> not long before I moved in, and has been naturally regenerating
ever since, so all the trees on it are thin and bendy.-a The trees >>>>>> on my land are more bushy than anything else, so are thin and
bendy in a different way.
A bit of scaffolding pole concreted into the ground?-a The dish
doesn't have to mounted high - it just needs line of sight and not
obscured by undergrowth etc.
tripod mount frame thingys used to be available for this exact
purpose - so no need to mess around with concrete-a - apart from the
bags of concrete required to stop it blowing away in a gale
Tx to both.-a Tripod, I don't think so, too easily disturbed.
Scaffolding pole, not quite solid enough to hold the dish steady in a
gale.
As far as I've thought about it, I think something like an old
telegraph pole but about half the height, with a footing about a
metre long buried in concrete, is probably about the best that can be
done. At the moment, there are only ever sheep in the field it would
look over, but there are plenty of cattle around here as well, so the
dish would have to be high enough to have an unobstructed view over
the heads of any cattle in the field next door, yet solid enough that
it wouldn't move too much in a gale.-a I would probably put it about a
metre or so inside the boundary fence, because if it was part of the
boundary fence livestock would scratch themselves on the pole, their
doing this is a large factor in the posts in the local boundary
fences breaking and getting pushed over.
dish looks above the backs of the cattle.
The elevation of the Astra satellite is about 27 degrees above
horizontal if you want to work out how far the dish needs to be from any cattle.
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