freeview box to hide behind a wall mount tv?

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richms

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#70929 2-Nov-2010 23:13

Obviously the DSE one is out with its hopless IR sensor, but are any of the others sensitive enough that they could be behind the screen looking up/down and still have a reasonable remote angle.

Reasonable as in better than the hopeless DSE boxes sensor.

Seems a gap in the market for one to go on the vesa holes and hide and have a remote sensor, like those old scart plug digital tuners that were popular in the UK many years back.

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Jaxson

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#399474 3-Nov-2010 08:46

What type of freeview richms - Sat/Terrestrial?

I just went down a similar path for Sat but ended up running cables in the wall and installaing a standard sat box and DVD player in a nearby pantry shelf. Happens to work well as the remote signals bounce around in the pantry a bit and the remote still kinda works from out in the main room.

You could always go with one of those small windows 7 computers?! They do do a vesa mount too....

nickb800

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#399486 3-Nov-2010 09:08

A cleverly placed mirror on a 45 degree angle either above or below the TV (depending on which way your freeview box points) would bounce the remote's signal to it.

NonprayingMantis

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#399507 3-Nov-2010 10:03

you could always go the more expensive option and simply buy a TV with freeview built in :P

Nety

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#399540 3-Nov-2010 11:29

nickb800: A cleverly placed mirror on a 45 degree angle either above or below the TV (depending on which way your freeview box points) would bounce the remote's signal to it.

It would not need to be a mirror. Plain glass will do fine and will not do quite such a good job of showing the mess behind the TV.

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richms

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#399565 3-Nov-2010 12:28

The price difference between a monitor and a tv is massive, plus I already have a couple of 22" screens I can get my hands back on for close to nothing. I cant really run cables easily and dont want a shelf nearby.

Terrestrial, wouldnt bother with sat since I can get terrestrial.

It seems to me that the shape of the "set top box" is hardly ideal when sets dont really have tops anymore.

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Brunzy

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#399568 3-Nov-2010 12:46

I've done two with Zinwell( read DSE) boxes and they work fine

Jaxson

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#399578 3-Nov-2010 13:02

Ha yeah this whole wall mount thing is a laugh when most people want at least a DVD player attached to the unit, which has to go somewhere. And good point about the set top box thing, doesn't really work now does it.

The Zinwell/DSE boxes are probably the pick of the bunch sizewize as Brunzy says. They did run a bit hot though, if that's an issue, especially mounted sideways and towards a wall?

I've never really done a TV that was just for TV only, so have always approached this with the cable work in mind, especially given I don't have many power sockets just waiting 2/3rds of the way up the wall.

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richms

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#399738 3-Nov-2010 17:06

I can get cables thru to it just fine, its just where to you put a box in a kitchen?

Since its a monitor, it doesnt have anything to relay the IR down the HDMI, and I dont think that works for settop boxes really.

The DSE box has to be the most blind for remote of anything I have ever tried, even pointing it not quite straight at the box will make it not work. Unfortunately after looking at the mounts available for a 22" screen I don't think I will be able to stuff anything behind it really. Over $400 was the cheapest I could find a 22 with digital in it, vs about 220 for a monitor.

Richard rich.ms

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#399975 4-Nov-2010 08:39

A problem you may find too is that anything vesa standard etc will be clipping to the exact holes you'd need to use to wall mount the monitor anyway. Would be easier if it was sitting on a self etc, which would then free up the back etc.

If you take the cost of the monitor, and then the cost of the digital tuner box you'd be starting to head towards an inbuilt one anyway perhaps?

richms

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#399984 4-Nov-2010 09:00

Not really, perhaps if I get a name brand box, and I already have some 22" but not full HD screens I can get as part of an upgrade to something less lame resolution.

It seems all the 22" ones are the small vesa mount which being in the centre of the screen means that it would make the box hangout so I might just get a TV. If the box was to go on a shelf it would be a big distance from the screen which makes using the remote a pain so splashing out for an inbuilt tuner is seeming like more of a good idea. Means I also get all those wortheless composite inputs incase I want to run an old atari in the kitchen or something ;)

Richard rich.ms

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#399997 4-Nov-2010 09:25

Quick q - who says you have to use the factory "box"? Why not remove the electronics from the plastic shrouds and you could extend the IR sensor too. That's if you're not too woried about warranty...

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#400398 4-Nov-2010 22:33

Richms,
I know you said Terrestrial, But if you already have a dish on your house have a look at this
NZ's smallest sat receiver One of theses is just what you want.

richms

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#400419 4-Nov-2010 23:13

No HDMI, so cant plug into a monitor, and also its satillite, I want a watchable picture which when I was using sat was not the case on C42 which I am guessing the kitchen tv will be on most of the time. The CRT there at the moment is on C4 normally.

Richard rich.ms

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#400502 5-Nov-2010 09:38

Even at the small sizes you're talking about?

richms

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#400758 5-Nov-2010 13:43

Yes, its un watchable on a 21" CRT, I havent tried it on a 22" LCD because I dont have a sat box with HDMI out, but on component into a 32" its also unwatchable, worst is c42, tv3plus1 (which I use often to get the news at a slightly more sane time) and even the other channels are full of glitches and pixelation. I dont have the wall space for a 32 or would go for that since they are far better value for a TV than the smaller ones.

Richard rich.ms