I need some options here about moving off of sky.

Forums › Freeview (DVB-T/DVB-S) › I need some options here about moving off of sky.

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693 posts

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#1586200 5-Jul-2016 10:54

I too have ditched Sky this year and I have just read all of this thread with surprise that there was no mention of MythTV, especially on a Geeks' forum.

MythTV has every PVR feature you could think of. I have my MythTV "backend" in my garage.

Scattered around the house, my "frontends" are 2 x FireTVs, 1 x Nexus Player, 1 x Intel NUC and 1 x HTPC

All of the frontends use Kodi for MythTV and local (on my server) content. The NUC and HTPC use LibreELEC (Just enough OS for Kodi)

The FireTVs and Nexus Player also play Netflix and You Tube (and some other stuff)

Note: The MythTV backend is the only device which requires an element of Geekiness but the journey is worth it to have such a versatile and flexible system.

Rob

trig42

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#1586303 5-Jul-2016 11:49

Does yours run without any WAF issues?

The reason I do not use such a system is I do not want text messages and phone calls from SWMBO saying something isn't going as expected.

We have a MagicTV, and that is only just acceptable. The MySky was perfect before we ditched Sky (and that is the best thing about Sky IMO). Why oh Why can't they bring in a Pace freeview box with the same UI/UE of the MySky??

robfish

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#1586423 5-Jul-2016 13:26

trig42:

Does yours run without any WAF issues?

Yes so far no problem. She does still have her TiVo on her main TV though but she realises that does not play the non-TV stuff.

If all you want is a PVR then TiVo would be a great device if you could still get them in NZ. They have an extremely high WAF

Rob

Raine

78 posts

Master Geek
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#1586474 5-Jul-2016 14:55

Mspec:

I went with terrestrial so no need for the dish. Panasonic unit is fantastic except for the small black screen glitch, still waiting on them to get back to me about it but don't really notice it now as its so random and might only happen once a day.

I gave sky notice about a month and a half ago, the refund was because I was in credit. Finding freeview fine as we also have lightbox (free) and Netflix (I think its something like 12 or 15 a month).

Funny thing when I went to drop my gear off and this was just a random time during the morning I had to wait in line of 6 other people in front of me dropping their gear off as well, have to admit I had a little snigger.

wow - that is interesting. keep thinking i must have missed something with their customer retention plan or they really don't have one? weird.

surfisup1000

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#1586478 5-Jul-2016 15:09

trig42:

Why oh Why can't they bring in a Pace freeview box with the same UI/UE of the MySky??

Because the TV Guide data is considered proprietary , I think. There was a lawsuit a few years against someone who tried to create a public tv guide data feed.

The only two devices on the market that have a dedicated TV guide data feed, is MySky (satellite data feed), and Tivo (internet data feed). I don't count the freeview epg feed as that is lacking in features.

I bought the panasonic bluray/freeview terrestrial tuner/ harddrive -- sorely disappointed in that. Never seen a more terrible user interface for some time. I've used it for about a week and it now sits in storage.

The Tivo works well and probably equal to mysky as it has a few extra features such as being able to autodelete older season pass recordings. The UI is a little odd at first but you quickly get used to it.

The lack of innovation in this space is odd. I think it must be due to the lockdowns on tv guide data.

littleheaven

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#1586519 5-Jul-2016 16:16

Yeah, the Panasonic interface is horrible. I persevere with it because it's saving me $360 a year over the alternative (renting a MySky box to get Freeview only). I wish you could buy the MySky decoder outright for Freeview use. For all the things I disliked about Sky, their PVR was great (although less so with the new EPG - my parents are having a nightmare with it).

Geek girl. Freelance copywriter and editor at Unmistakable.co.nz.

JimmyH

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#1586586 5-Jul-2016 18:30

I'm in the process of ditching Sky. Dissatisfaction with the changes they have made to the new decoder box that they recently installed here have been the straw that broke the camel's back. I just need to sort a few more elements of my setup, then I can kick them to the kerb.

In any event, my backlog of recorded material from Sky is such that I can probably survive for at least a year just off that (if not more). I can always rejoin after that, in the unlikely event that the alternatives aren't proving satisfactory and they are offering a good enough deal.

Unlike some others I don't mind the interface on the Panny recorders (I have two, one yet to be connected). At the moment I am just looking at the best way to get Netflix and Lightbox to the bedroom and spare room tellys, and VPN options for Netflix and iPlayer.

Fortunately, the GF is fine playing material off a NAS with a media player, and with driving the Panny.

Samsung

Shop now on Samsung phones, tablets, TVs and more (affiliate link).

Raine

78 posts

Master Geek
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#1586928 6-Jul-2016 09:10

not that i'm an expert or anything now, lol - but those little chrome cast thingys are a cheap enough option for your bedroom tvs. just cast from your tablet or phone i'd say. someone will correct me if i'm wrong. my spare tv has a netfix app but we don't use it for tv, just games.

muppet

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#1586947 6-Jul-2016 09:44

Just an update.

We have a Panasonic that I reviewed here. We moved from Sky. I don't find the Interface that different to Sky's, though I totally agree it's not as clear and takes a bit of getting used to. The fact there is both the "built in" EPG and the FreeviewPlus EPG is very confusing for some people. Why does it have two? Which interface records etc? That's something I've had to explain to family members.

But apart from that, we've been really happy with it as a Sky replacement. The built-in Netflix works well and has a decent interface. The ability to play stuff from my server with all the movies/TV shows I've downloaded on it is great, plenty of TV shows for the kids to watch. The Freeview Plus works well too, my wife has watched a number of shows she missed using it. It's a bit slow to find the show you want, but once you're watching it's faultless.

More than worth it for the money we're saving from having Sky and the quality of programming on both is the same (i.e. terrible)

robfish

693 posts

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#1586951 6-Jul-2016 09:48

If you are preparred to pay nearly $70 for a Chromecast I would suggest spending a bit more on either a Nexus Player or FireTV.

Rob

Raine

78 posts

Master Geek
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#1586990 6-Jul-2016 10:36

i wish this forum had a 'like' button so comments could be acknowledged, authors know they've been read. where's the suggestion box?

muppet

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#1586993 6-Jul-2016 10:38

Raine:

i wish this forum had a 'like' button so comments could be acknowledged, authors know they've been read. where's the suggestion box?

The big +1 button on each post is for exactly that reason :)

timbosan

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#1586996 6-Jul-2016 10:41

surfisup1000:

trig42:

Why oh Why can't they bring in a Pace freeview box with the same UI/UE of the MySky??

Because the TV Guide data is considered proprietary , I think. There was a lawsuit a few years against someone who tried to create a public tv guide data feed.

The only two devices on the market that have a dedicated TV guide data feed, is MySky (satellite data feed), and Tivo (internet data feed). I don't count the freeview epg feed as that is lacking in features.

I bought the panasonic bluray/freeview terrestrial tuner/ harddrive -- sorely disappointed in that. Never seen a more terrible user interface for some time. I've used it for about a week and it now sits in storage.

The Tivo works well and probably equal to mysky as it has a few extra features such as being able to autodelete older season pass recordings. The UI is a little odd at first but you quickly get used to it.

The lack of innovation in this space is odd. I think it must be due to the lockdowns on tv guide data.

Slighty OT - the guide data is available via Satellite including the 7(10?) day EPG data. I use this on my HTPC (I use the guide data from DVB-S but view the channels from DVB-T). What data/features are missing?

JimmyH

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#1587320 6-Jul-2016 21:34

I'm not that keen on a Chromecast. It is a nifty bit of technology, but my WiFi isn't terrific around the house. I think I would prefer a wired solution.

Yabanize

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#1587351 6-Jul-2016 22:13

JimmyH:

I'm not that keen on a Chromecast. It is a nifty bit of technology, but my WiFi isn't terrific around the house. I think I would prefer a wired solution.

there is a wired adapter you can get for chromecast, but otherwise maybe apple tv? Raspberry pi with kodi (better for local content than netflix etc)

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