Advice Needed Is there a cheap box for BBC,ITV,CH4 & 5 on demand services

[DishDick]

Hi,

Looking a cheap box for

BBC IPlayer
ITV Player
4OD
Demand5

Saw :
NOW TV box, nice and cheap but no ITV Player (yet?), plus don´t like Sky controlled devices
Roku LT - better but still no ITV Player

So any cheap box that will do it all? This will be used in the UK for a second TV, Youview box on main telly.

Thanks

 

[rolfw]

Any of the Android based units should do the job, Google Android 4 probably one of the best.

 

[Captain Jack]

I use a home built media player based on MediaPortal. Works well enough...

 

[DishDick]

Thanks. Its going to be used by a pensioner who is far from I.T literate. Was hoping for a purpose built unit that would be suitable. May have to go down the Samsung Blu ray player road.

 

[pgh13]

You can run XBMC on a Raspberry Pi but 4OD won't work coz it allows you to skip their mind rotting ads so, verboten. It runs 1 Channel and Ice Films, Youtube etc., though

 

[rolfw]

The Google android 4 has a reasonable menu structure and a remote, but any of these devices will be confusing for someone who is not tech savvy.

 

[Huevos]

Is it for use outside the UK?

A Linux box like the TM Single and use the OnDemand plugin. No need for a proxy or VPN.

 

[DishDick]

Hi,

Having looked on Ebay the Talk Talk boxes are very cheap, think I will go down that road as she is already used to that.

Are those Talk Talk boxes any good, lots for sale! I wonder why?

 

[Piltdownpaul]

You can run XBMC on a Raspberry Pi but 4OD won't work coz it allows you to skip their mind rotting ads so, verboten. It runs 1 Channel and Ice Films, Youtube etc., though

For a pensioner personally i think the rasperry PI with xbmc on it will be too technical i feel,just my opinion but my wife doesnt know how to use it yet until i show her, its just not plug and go. There are some great addons though, but really tv from anywhere is your oyster with this box.

 

[A nonymous]

Just watch out with the Talk Talk boxes. If they are anything like the newest black BT Vision boxes they won't work at all without a subscription.

I have a BT Vision box here which will probably have the HDD stripped out of it and the remote will go on ebay. The rest will go in the scrap bin at the local tip.

Fortunately i got it off ebay for a steal at £10 so i will make my money back on it by just selling the remote control.

Nano

 

[Hug]

I have the Skynow tv box and its great for iplayer and 40d. dead simple to use plus we are getting ITV player see here:

http://www.itv.com/presscentre/press-releases/itv-encore-launch-sky

Are you outside the UK as you will need a smartdns and this has to be set at router level as the sky box is wireless.

I also have a raspberry pi running openelec with some great addons dixie deans,mikeys,filmon,etc BUT it is a git to set up and quite a handful to use if your not a techie (i am)
And i have an oldlaptop with hdmi out, this just works! ie all the browser based sites work but needs an external mouse and keyboard( or sit very near to the telly!)

Shoot me any question if you need help

H

 

[DishDick]

Thanks, when I got there it turned out she had a Talk Talk box - badly installed. I ran a CAT5 cable directly to box from router, correctly set up with HDMI (instead of Scart) and updated the OS.

It seems to work OK, not perfect by a long way but OK.

I may look at a Sky go box as a toy for me at a later date.

 

[Vipersan]

FWIW ..The Neo Mimix X7 or the Cheaper X5 is the one ..
All singing all dancing with integrated XBMC ..and all demand services with the right plugins ..
Plus Samba network access (plugin) or through XBMC ..
Plus those dubious movie stream services ...
Network cable or WiFi ..

Running Jellybean and later..
Self updating ..plugins etc..
around £100 for the X7 and half that for the X5.
I've seen one in action and was suitably impressed ..and is on my shopping list for the future.
Also will work with Remote control /extended with integral keyboard..
Or air mouse ..
Will also run a webcam (usb)
imo ..the way forward.
rgds
VS

Forgot to add ..the miix X7 is a quad core ..and no fans ..
Runs silent and cold ..
Most impressive.

 

[DishDick]

Vipersan, I have this unit. Specs excellent, but not impressed, sluggish response and often locking up. But as you say, its quiet as it has no fans.

 

[Vipersan]

Vipersan, I have this unit. Specs excellent, but not impressed, sluggish response and often locking up. But as you say, its quiet as it has no fans.

I agree Dick ..but then it is considered a -work in progress- atm ..
It will only get better I think.

 

[DishDick]

I know, but it gets very frustrating ( as well as expensive) when you keep buying and trying things. If I could have my money back from all the tech I have tried that has turned out to be poor I would be a rich man with less wrinkles!

One of my New Years resolutions is to have a year without buying a "gadget". This will help out financially and mentally. But its difficult! Do I risk 800 Euro on a SMV LNB to get a whisker better s/n ratio (2E/F)? Do I try to get the FTA channels from the other satellite (new receiver)? Do I buy the latest Mac Mini (when it comes out) for a fanless media centre? Hmmmm

 

[Vipersan]

I know, but it gets very frustrating ( as well as expensive) when you keep buying and trying things. If I could have my money back from all the tech I have tried that has turned out to be poor I would be a rich man with less wrinkles!

One of my New Years resolutions is to have a year without buying a "gadget". This will help out financially and mentally. But its difficult! Do I risk 800 Euro on a SMV LNB to get a whisker better s/n ratio (2E/F)? Do I try to get the FTA channels from the other satellite (new receiver)? Do I buy the latest Mac Mini (when it comes out) for a fanless media centre? Hmmmm

I know what you mean mate ..
One of the reasons it's the Neo is on my shopping list and not in my house ..
I'm in wait n see mode ...having fallen for this before.
But ..I see this one as a definate maybe ..lol

 

[smoggy07]

I may look at a Sky go box as a toy for me at a later date.

Don't get a NowTV box, get the Roku equivilent, you can get the Now TV channel and the same content + more from the channel store but you might need to set it up behind a VPN/SmartDNS with a UK IP or the Roku website might Geolock your channel store to the local one for your IP

I've got both (2 Now TV and a Roku LT) and I think the Roku is miles better, it gets everything the Sky box gets and there was no need to sideload the Plex app which was cool

 

[DishDick]

Thanks for the advice.

 

[Piltdownpaul]

My Pi sits behind my tv on the wall. Silent, running openelec is the best version i feel with auto update and for 39 odd quid with an sd card and software included. Very cheap and access to the world.