Android TV box instead of a 'freeview' box

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Wannabe Geek

Topic # 132252 14-Oct-2013 22:52

Hi,

I have a TV that doesn't have a digital tuner built into to, so I'm considering getting an Android based external tuner, a bit like this:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/GV-10-and-DVB-T-Android-4-0-TV-BOX-1G-4G-with-2-4G-Remote-Control-Free-shipping-/190826271857

I have a couple of questions:
- If I find something that says it supports DVB-T, will that be sufficient for me to plug my UHF aerial into the device, and be able to watch the digital channels in the same way a freeview box would?
- Will I miss any channels with just DVB-T?
- Can anyone recommend something similar that they've actually had experience with?

Thanks!
-Rob-

freitasm

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Reply # 915098 14-Oct-2013 22:55

Supporting DVB-T doesn't mean supporting the standards used in New Zealand - that box will most likely not work here.

If you're looking an Android box, there's the DTVS Smart1 - but it's DVB-S only. Our review here.

Currently DVB-T has more channels than DVB-S. This probably won't change.

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Wannabe Geek

Reply # 915186 15-Oct-2013 08:23

Hi,

Thanks for your reply.

Can you tell me specifically what features of the NZ network wouldn't be supported by an imported box?

Thanks,
-Rob-

freitasm

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Reply # 915203 15-Oct-2013 08:53

You need support for h.264 and MHEG-5.

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Wannabe Geek

Reply # 915219 15-Oct-2013 09:03

Okay, so that box I've linked to does support h.264, but not MHEG-5.

Is it just the EPG that comes over MHEG-5?
Given the box doesn't support that, does that mean that I won't get the epg, but audio/video will still work?

Thanks,
-Rob-

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Reply # 915304 15-Oct-2013 11:37

You will only have the now plus one or two programs ahead in the FTA EPG. I can't guarantee the box will support h.264 as needed. Buy at your own risk...

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Wannabe Geek

Reply # 915306 15-Oct-2013 11:39

Okay thanks for your help.
If I do end up getting one, I'll post a reply with the particular model, and my experience with it :)

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Reply # 918841 20-Oct-2013 20:50

Also IME anytime video gets anywhere near one of those android stick devices, quality sucks since they take everything into RGB mode before outputting, so banding is worse and then you have the issues of if it does proper vsyncing like an actual DVB box will or if you get dropped/duplicated frames which looks aweful.

Its cheap, lists YUV in the specs and it might not suck. Since its under a hundred you may as well take a punt on it, even if its totally useless for DVB-T it isnt a huge amount more than other android based players which can mostly run things that you would want.

Richard rich.ms