Do hybrid cable/satellite/Freeview boxes exist?

[RichardCoulter]

A mention in another thread about hybrid cable/satellite boxes got me thinking.

Do boxes capable of handling two or all three services exist?

I have Freesat, the Virgin Media TiVo and Freeview built into my TV.

It would be very useful to be able to tie them all up together.

Two advantages immediately spring to mind.

- If all tuners are in use, another platform could be used for another channel.

- Some channels are on one platform, but not another.

In reality, I expect that i'll have to keep using my TiVo for recording and pay TV services.

 

[Analoguesat]

Yes you can buy linux boxes with various tuners in them. Not much good for many of the pay channels though of course!

 

[archive10]

Do boxes capable of handling two or all three services exist?

As @Analoguesat says it's technically possible, and you can find some (Linux especially) boxes that does this.
Others like the Technomate hybrids do similar job.
But it's a very limited market - most consumers do one or the other, not two or all three at the same time... hence there are very few boxes that have hybrid tuner configurations AND support Freeview and Freesat at the same time. And, of course, no Sky boxes would ever support freesat.
Some of the BT boxes do use Freeview for live-tv channels, but they don't do sat.

 

[Mickha]

The VU+ Duo 2 has two tuner slots, each capable of a DVB-S2 sat tuner, ot Cable/terrestrial tuner, which just plug in, the similar to a PC card.
I do know some also add a USB tuner, for terrestrial viewing, and you can fit an internal hard drive, which can record multiple channels, at the same time.
You can check out the technical specifications on the VU+ website.

http://www.vuplus.com/sub/sub0104.php

 

[davemurgtroyd]

The Openbox V8 Pro combo (at around $70) will tune DVBS 2, DVBT 2, DVBC and IPTV. Not the V8 S combo that is DVBS 2, DVBT 2 and IPTV only.

 

[RichardCoulter]

Thanks everyone for your posts; very interesting.

 

[Archive7]

Android boxes can have DVB-S2, DVB-C and DVB-T (T2) all in one and IPTV plus smart TV
See for example this link.
I am sure there are even cheaper models.
DVB C Receiver DVB S2 DVB S DVB T(t2) Smart Android4.4 IPTV Box on Aliexpress.com | Alibaba Group

 

[blademedia]

I have a mutant 4k box that will accept a cable tuner also does terrestrial iptv kodi

 

[John Pykett]

for the cable side of things no because the contract says you have to use virgins equipment

 

[Lazarus]

That's the situation in the UK, but may differ elsewhere.

 

[John Pykett]

That's the situation in the UK, but may differ elsewhere.

one more thing does the position where the bsb satellites were still exist?

 

[Lazarus]

BSB don't have their own Satellites.

They have, over the years, leased space on SES-Astra Satellites, at 19.2E in the early, Analogue days, and latterly at around 28.2E. Indeed, until fairly recently, they also utilised co-located (more or less) Eutelsat birds.

The remaining, newer, Astra Satellites at 28.2E are not exclusively used by Sky, but also by Freesat.

 

[John Pykett]

BSB don't have their own Satellites.

They have, over the years, leased space on SES-Astra Satellites, at 19.2E in the early, Analogue days, and latterly at around 28.2E. Indeed, until fairly recently, they also utilised co-located (more or less) Eutelsat birds.

The remaining, newer, Astra Satellites at 28.2E are not exclusively used by Sky, but also by Freesat.

im talking about british satellite broadcasting here not sky

 

[Analoguesat]

They operated at 31W.

 

[John Pykett]

They operated at 31W.

what is 31w now?

 

[Channel Hopper]

The two bean can satellites were originally positioned over near where the Hispasat satellites are now, at 30West.

They were then sold after the merger by the Scandinavians and repositioned at 5E and 1W where they worked for upwards of another fifteen years before they were superceded.

 

[John Pykett]

The two bean can satellites were originally positioned over near where the Hispasat satellites are now, at 30West.

They were then sold after the merger by the Scandinavians and repositioned at 5E and 1W where they worked for upwards of another fifteen years before they were superceded.

others have told me its was at 31w

 

[Channel Hopper]

I never said otherwise.

 

[Analoguesat]

what is 31w now?

Not much of interest to the UK. Hispasat have craft at 30W operating into Spain & Portugal & Intelsat operate one of their craft at 31.5W but its Ku payload is transmitting into West Africa.

 

[John Pykett]

Not much of interest to the UK. Hispasat have craft at 30W operating into Spain & Portugal & Intelsat operate one of their craft at 31.5W but its Ku payload is transmitting into West Africa.

so you cant pick it up in uk?