Tivusat questions

[elluise]

Hello all

I am hoping someone will have a few minutes to spare to answer a few of my questions as my Dad is driving me insane with this ;-)

My parents are both Italian and love their Italian tv and it seems it has started to disappear and they need to get a tivusat box, however the more we ask about this it seems to get more confusing.

We thought we needed a tivusat box but I read in this forum that perhaps a tivusat cam is better.. what's the difference???

Also my dad thinks this will replace the rcvr he has but I am not convinced as I read forum messages that talk about compatibility - so does this tivusat box/cam work in conjunction with the rcvr (we have a Nokia mediamaster 9600 S) and if so do we need to consider compatibility when we buy this box.

Is there anything else we need to consider?

does anyone know of the best place to buy online ? I live in Italy at the moment and could bring one back but I'm not sure that is a good idea if it doesn't work.

thanks in advance for any help

best
elluise

 

[vark]

I too was a tad confused. Right now my father in law is holidaying in Sicily with a mission from me to get a Tivu Card !

This is what I understand. Tivusat is the equivalent of Freeview or Freesat for that matter in the UK. The channels you can currently view off Hotbird 13e eg Rai Uno will eventually be scrambled. The only way you can watch them is if you purchase a Tivusat card (currently about 80Euro inc cam). Then there are two ways to watch it. Either purchase the Tivusat card with a "Tivusat receiver" for about 100 to 150 euros or just purchase the Tivusat card which will work in many satellite receiver.

To answer your questions.

A Tivusat box is a Satellite Receiver box compatible with the Tivusat card this would then replace your Nokia.
A Tivusat CAM is a device you plug the Tivusat card into which then in turn plugs into a Satellite receiver which has a Common Interface. In other words this would then plug into your Nokia Mediamasters CI slot. Whether its compatible or not who knows in theory it should be.

Problem with Tivusat is that its so new (ie came out this year) not a lot has been tested/used/discussed about it. Best thing to do would be contact any relatives in italy and see if they know more about it, albeit in my experience most of them have Sky Italia.

The best thing is to buy it in Italy and bring it back as they are selling the box and card over here for £199.

So in a few weeks time my father in law will be back, with a tivusat in hand and we will hopefully get it working in his Philips DSR4005

 

[denis1501]

I'd be very surprised if the combination of Tivu'sat card and Cam would work in a receiver as old as a Nokia 9600s to be honest.

 

[ovis]

I'd be very surprised if the combination of Tivu'sat card and Cam would work in a receiver as old as a Nokia 9600s to be honest.

You're right. I've just bought a cam on the off chance it would work in my old 9600s so's to give more receivers a chance to become available. It doesn't work. All channels (fta and scrambled) display as if scrambled. For Vark, the activation includes requests for codice fiscale and an address. It's quite probable that these will be matched up to a TV licence....not always acquired over here...

 

[vark]

You're right. I've just bought a cam on the off chance it would work in my old 9600s so's to give more receivers a chance to become available. It doesn't work. All channels (fta and scrambled) display as if scrambled. For Vark, the activation includes requests for codice fiscale and an address. It's quite probable that these will be matched up to a TV licence....not always acquired over here...

The card was activated in Sicily at a relatives address no probs. My Father in law can now watch F1 and Italian football etc that was previously scrambled !! They would not sell just the card so he bought the card and Telesystems box for 99 euros.

 

[ovis]

Yup, the easiest way to go and a good price. Great!!

 

[super azzuri]

sorry to piggy back in on this thread, but do TIVÚ Sat Boxes work in UK, as thought would run on continental Elec, do the boxes neeed any sort of adaptor?

 

[Lazarus]

Electricity supply voltages are "harmonised". Apart from which, the boxes are tolerant to quite a wide departure of supply voltage from nominal mainly due to the fact they step down to 12v and less via an onboard regulated power supply, You'll have no problems using Italian made kit in the UK.

As for mains interface, either use a suitable adapter or snip of the two pin plug and wire on a standard UK BS1363 plug.