What box should get? Please advise

Howdy all,

I hope you can help - i am a nooby to all this stuff and am trying to find out as much as i can about these boxes before i buy. I am currently a sky+ subscriber but hate the company and am on the look out for a cheaper or free alternative. I also have a generic tv aerial comming through my wall where i can get a fuzzy picture of bbc's, itv & channel 4.

What box should i get? Do i need a subscription? What channels are available? Will i need to update software etc on a regular basis? Ideally i would like to have as many channels as possible,european and irish, (rte etc) if poss + all the sky sports movies etc - i would then get a tivo or something similiar for recording. I live in sw london.

Please advise, cheers

 

if you have a cable line coming into the house a s*view4 will get you the heap you can also get a harddrive for it and record

 

thanks for the reply! I do have a cable comming in from the street that gives me the basic 5 terrestrial channels. Is that what you mean? Do you know of anywhere i can see a channel list? - im based in london. Just to confirm - will these channels be free?

 

you need to have at least the minimum virgin cable tv package.

 

oh and what channels you get usually depends on your area...im in surrey and get around 320 channels

 

do you have the irish channels - rte etc? Does the box basically offer all the virgin channels unscrambled or are there additional ones?

 

i dont have any of the irish channels..i think because virgin dont carry them over here..yes the box will give you the virgin channels unscrambled

 

thanks for the help. do you know where i can see a full channel list pleae

 

if u live in ireland then i would not but the sv4 as not all channels r working in ireland now a sthey r changing 2 nagra 2/3. the only box working n ireland 100% is the kryptview. even this box is not guaranteed 2 work after the changeover so i would maybe hang off 4 a while b4 buying any box. have a read throuhg the forum and u will c what i mean m8.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_channels_on_Virgin_Television

 

sorry m8. never relised u were london.

 

thanks for all the replies. the other option i was considering was to get a dreambo.x instead. what would you think are the pros/cons of this as an alternative

 

i dont no much about the dreamxox but i have a starview 4 with the usb hdd. this is by far the best box i have owned. box was cheap, hdd was even cheaper. u can get both 4 £150 delivered. easy 2 use. and 2 answer yuor other question u dont have 2 constantly update the firmware. maybe a dreambox owner will reply 2 your thread, or else go onto a dreambox thead, im sure u will find your pro's and cons lol. read the sv4 treads 2.

 

thanks for the reply m8 - one last q - where did you buy your kit

 

you dont need a minimum package just plug it in alow if your cable company turn your line off in the street then you would have to subscribe

 

77 delivery 1to2 weeks
http://www.dvbmonkey.com/catalog/index.php?act=viewProd&productId=30
89 next day delivery
http://wizardsatellite.co.uk/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=4_56&products_id=140

 

thanks m8. before i buy the box - is there any way of checking if the cable will work without ringing vrgin. when i cnnect it to tv i get fizzy reception for basic 5 terrestrial channels.

 

are you sure it cable feed sounds like it could just be a roof top areial follow the wire to outside see were it goes if you dont have cable at your adress it means you would need to get it installed first

 

it does look like an aerialcable but it runs into a box on the wall out on the street

 

is it tingly to touch like putting ur tongue on 9v battery?