Another tv question

[woody7171]

Could someone please answer my question in SIMPLE terms. If I get multimax internet can I stream uk tv programs through my laptop onto tv screen if so what is the quality like - going down the other route I have seen tv boxes advertised on this forum for £119 has anyone tried and tested this box if so how does it work I have a 4,2 metre dish that is now in all but usless for the programs I want to watch I am also already hard wired up for internet but finished with my provider as they were not very flexible, we spend around 5 months a year in Cyprus so would like to get sorted out next time we are out any advise would be welcome. The set top box seems the easy option and if it works well I think £119 as a one off payment seems ok

[woody7171]

come on folks someone must have tried these boxes ?

[erol]

Could someone please answer my question in SIMPLE terms. If I get multimax internet can I stream uk tv programs through my laptop onto tv screen if so what is the quality like - going down the other route I have seen tv boxes advertised on this forum for £119 has anyone tried and tested this box if so how does it work I have a 4,2 metre dish that is now in all but usless for the programs I want to watch I am also already hard wired up for internet but finished with my provider as they were not very flexible, we spend around 5 months a year in Cyprus so would like to get sorted out next time we are out any advise would be welcome. The set top box seems the easy option and if it works well I think £119 as a one off payment seems ok

Firstly I work for Multimax.

With a Multimax internet connection there are various ways to access UK based TV on a laptop. For a guide as to the main options with a multimax connection have a look here.

http://mmcyp.com/index.php?option=com_k ... 38&lang=en

Provided your laptop and TV have the right connections then you can connect them togeather and anything that you can view on the laptop will be viewable on the TV. The latest / best connection for this would be 'hdmi'. If your laptop has an 'hdmi' output on it and the TV has an 'hdmi' input then it should be pretty straight forward connection one to the other.

As to what is quality like this depends on a number of factors. One factor would be the 'source' of the internet based video. You can get content from BBC iplayer or ITV player or third party sites like filmon.com. Quality may vary from each source / site and within a given site there may be options to vary quality as well. For example filmon.com currently offer their version of 'standard defintion' for free but charge for 'high defintion'. Other sites may lower or raise quality automaticaly based on how fast and well the internet link between them and you is perfoming. The BBC does offer some content in High Defintion for both streaming and for download, but streaming does require a good internet connection and low load at both ends (yours AND at the BBC). At the end of the day 'image quality' is a very subjective thing. Some things that annoy me greatly re image quality my partner barely even notices. Really the best appraoch would be to see for yourslef what kind of quality is possible unsing the various options and if you would like you would be more than welcome to arrange to come and vist me at my home where I have a PC connected to a TV and I can show you the kind of thing you can expect.

[cont]

[erol]

As to the various set top boxes on offer these are essentialy an alternative to having to use a laptop / pc. They are in essence just small self containted computers in their own right and access the same range of content that you can with a laptop or pc, which would be things like filmon.com and / or bbc iplayer and the like. The first thing I would say about these is that if what you get on a laptop does not meet your needs either because of what content is available or because quality is not good enough or because reliability is not good enough then a set top box like these will not make these things any better. The only excpetion to this generalisation is if your laptop is underpowered in terms of playing video. If this is the case then a set top box will offer improvments. If however your laptop is powerful enough to play video but the problems are those I listed before then a set top box will not make a difference.

Overall the pros of a set top box vs just connecting a laptop to the TV are that they are dedicated boxes that you can leave plugged in permanently and are lower power consuming than most laptops and usualy silent (no fans etc) and operate via a remote control. The main con with set top boxes is that they will never be as flexible as a laptop in terms of the range of content you can access and how you can access it.

I have tried my best to answer your question as simply as possible but to be honest it is not a simple subject. At the end of the day both a laptop connected to a TV or a set top box connected to the TV is only as good as the service you access via it and how reliable both those are AND how reliable your internet connection is. All these services, be they filmon.com or bbc iplayer or itv player of 4oD (channel 4 online service) or any other are contantly changing and evolving and that may impact your use of them over time.

[Deniz1]

Having read several posts on this question I think why bother? Laptops iplayers top boxes vpns on and on. Set the video recorder in the uk and watch it all when you go home. I live here dont have any of the above just good old Digiturk. Job done.

[butterfly]

digiturk also works for me. BBC News, CNN, and all the entertainment channells you could want.

[cyprusishome]

Digiturk for me too. With plus box and HD there is enough to watch 24 hours per day.

Personal opinion, when we came out here we knew there would be no more BBC etc and just accepted it. Only complaint other half has is that of missing BBC comedy which is best on planet.

[woody7171]

Thankyou for your reply I now have a better understanding of how things work, I think the problem I will have is my access to internet is only on my notebook it's not really made for watching t.v. so I will probably have to go with the set top box, I will still need internet connection so will be in touch when we are next over, once again thanks for taking the time to explain things.

[kbasat]

As erol explained, these things serve as nothing more than a replacement as the connection point to your TV (as opposed to your laptop)

They do not provide any channels any channels themselves, therefore cannot provide any guarantees on quality of service or even if there will be any service in the future.

That being said, they are nice little gadgets that can permanently stay connected to your TV and also allow you to use your laptop while watching TV at the same time.

120GBP is way too much to spend on this especially if you have already sorted your laptop to TV connections. Somebody posted on another form a similar box from amazon UK ( http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B006O8O2ME/r ... pe_vfe_dt1 ) which is one third the price.

Just my 2 cents.

Kemal

[Juliamoons]

Read the comments on Amazon before purchasing this tv box they are not very complimentary.

[woody7171]

I am going to ask again has anyone tried the t.v. boxes that are advertised for £119 would just like to know if it does what it says on the box.

[aussiejock]

I have an Apple TV 2nd Generation Jailbroken ( its legal ) we live in Perth Western Australia and it's the best entertainment system I have ever had, I only need an internet connection and I have all the latest movies, Tv shows, news channels and all the sports channels that I want, and all for free, and I am talking thousands of the latest movies and TV shows, will this work in North Cyprus with a good internet connection, because I would really miss it if I can't have my Apple TV, plus with my MacBook Pro I can stream all my movies through the Apple TV to my Plasma TV using a program called Beamer, plus another program called AirParrot you can mirror your laptop onto your plasma through the Apple Tv
erol you would know this one, so can you let me know if it's possible, The Apple TV 3rd Generation will not work because they can't jailbreak this one, well not at the moment they are still working on it,
Robert and Margaret

[SatelliteCyprus]

http://www.satellitecyprus.net/uk_tv_ch ... in_cyprus/

[PapaBravo]

Woody,
I have just had the £120 set top box installed and my first impressions are favourable. I use it via Filmon.com, which gives me the usual UK TV channels, but it will be updated shortly to give me BBC Iplayer and ITV Player. It is simple and will record programmes (as many as you want) but the programme menu only provides information for up to 36 hours ahead. It plugs into the back of the TV and has its own remote control (which is a little cumbersome), however, once you have logged in to FilmOn on your TV box and your laptop, the two systems are linked and you can then record/delete programmes etc for watching on the TV by doing it on your laptop. A possible disadvantage is that it does not give you HD, so if this is a must-have, its not for you. Big plus is the once only payment of £120. As I said, I have only recently had my box fitted and may become more/less convinced by it as time passes. Why don't you log on to http://www.filmon.com and look at what they offer, as this is what you will have delivered direct to your TV and operated by its own remote control.

[billywiz]

just stream film.on through your lap top picture isnt brilliant but watchable. not much buffering i,m on multimax with no probs

[woody7171]

PAPABRAVO

thanks for your input I think this box will be ideal for us, I actually don't think the box is too expensive so will probably order one when we are next out, what speed is your internet as I will have to sort this out as well,once again thankyou, you are the only person who has given me straightforward information I may be lazy but I just want to plug in and watch tv I have been watching filmon on my laptop and I can live with the quality- better than I expected athough I know it does depend on quality on internet

[andrew4232]

whats the qaulity of the picture like once you have got on the big screen, as i also watch filmon via a laptop

[SatelliteCyprus]

Hi Everyone,

Many readers will know that SatelliteCyprus specialise in HD satellite TV systems with exceptional picture quality. The UK TV set top box that we supply and install does not give the same quality picture BUT (it does offer standard (1Mb-2Mb internet connection) and higher definition (3Mb-4Mb internet connection) options)

Here you can see a sample of picture quality which customers say is very good http://www.satellitecyprus.net/best_tv_ ... in_cyprus/

It is not an off-the-shelf product, it is a customised version of a product which has been manufactured for us - it is not available from Amazon.

Anyone can arrange to have a free trial of our UK TV system - we have been in business in the TRNC for 8 years and have stayed in business by offering good quality, value for money products and services.

[SatelliteCyprus]

Of course, should you download HD programmes and movies from the internet and save them to a drive of some sorts (USB HDD etc.) - our TV system will play them in full 1080p HD and then, the picture quality is equally as good as our HD TV systems.

[PapaBravo]

Woody,
I had my broadband upgraded to 4MHz and it all seems to work well. I forgot to mention that the box costs £120 and it costs an additional £30 to have it installed and set up (by Dan of Satellite Cyprus). Money well spent as far as I am concerned.

[PapaBravo]

Andrew4232,

I find the picture quality on my 37 inch TV is just fine.

[barrysnakes]

Woody7171, after much deliberation, me and Mrs Snakes decided to use the streaming box offered by Satellite Cyprus. Whilst considering this we also realised that our internet connection with Nethouse was not sufficient to support this although 4mb (so they claimed and which we paid for). We had monitored our speed and rarely achieved above 1mb even after numerous calls and visits. Dan took the trouble and time to explain the systems available at present in the TRNC so we changed to Extend 4mb's. We have monitored the connection speed which has constantly been around 4mb's download and around 1mb upload (which we dont use). The box has buffered sometimes during extremely popular programs such as X Factor but only for seconds. We can also record endless programs if desired. For our needs this seems the best option available at present although I dont think picture quality will ever be as good as satellite it can be switched to High Definition which is very good but obviously uses more speed than normal definition. We are more than happy with Dan's attention to detail and service from Satellite Cyprus and would recommend this system. Regards Barry

[woody7171]

Thank you for all your replies I think the box is the way to go for us it's always good to hear other peoples stories, just need to sort out who to go with for internet.

[Bert]

Barry

Correct me if I am wrong someone but I had it on good authority that unless you achieve a reasonable upload speed i.e 4mb Up and 4mb Down for example then streaming and or downloading will suffer even if you are not uploading yourself. Glad to be contradicted here its just what a so called expert told me!

[SatelliteCyprus]

Bert, just to clarify what you have been told - were you told that unless you had a good (4Mb) upload speed, you wouldn't be able to download or, stream data in, to the full potential of the download connection ie. 4Mb - if so, that is just not correct

[Bert]

thats exactly what I was led to believe. If thats not correct then thats fine thanks for the clarrification.

[barrysnakes]

Bert, although I have a limited amount of internet knowledge I do feel you were mislead with that information. We had Nethouse for the last 2 years and our "upload" speed was always more than "Download". I have to say it was generally rubbish and am so pleased with our change to Extend as we have monitored the speed which has always been around the 4mg download and 1 mg upload which is what we ordered and paid for ! Dan from SatelliteCyprus will gladly explain to you the system here with Internet suppliers and after that you will have no doubt who you should subscribe to. Regards Barry PS watching BBC 1 at present with no problems.

[Bert]

Cheers Barry over in 2 weeks so will sort it then

[SatelliteCyprus]

Hi Everyone, having completed quite a few installations of our UK TV set top box system this week, we have discovered a couple of things that forum members may be interested to know.

We completed an installation on a very large (60") TV and in standard definition which needs a 2 Mb internet connection, there was no noticeable picture degradation when viewed from the correct distance, even on this size TV. The higher definition picture which needs 4 Mb internet connection, was unbelievable (customer's words). One important thing to note is that you must make sure that you have the right size TV for the size of the room. Don't have too big a TV in a small room otherwise, you will be sat too close to the TV and the picture quality will 'seem' not to be as good.

We completed another installation of 2 systems in the same house, one in the lounge on a 50" TV, and one in the bedroom on a 32" TV. On an eXtend 4 Mb internet connection, the 2 TV systems ran simultaneously with the lounge TV on higher definition and the bedroom TV on standard definition. The standard definition picture on the 32" TV was of the same picture quality as the higher definition picture on the larger TV in the lounge.

During the day, up to UK peak time viewing (8pm'ish' our time) on a 4 Mb internet connection (eXtend) the system seems to work in higher definition with no problems (varies from ISP to ISP and distance to base station, strength of signal, peak time usage etc. are factors) - during peak time viewing, you 'may' need to reduce the picture quality to standard definition.

Since we began installing these systems, we have had no 'repeated' buffering complaints which is a testament to the quality of the internet connections - as long as there is good internet, it works perfectly. It's no secret that we work with eXtend and therefore, readers will have to take this with a pinch of salt, but I'd just like to reiterate what Barry Snakes has already said which is that our TV system works 'almost' perfectly on their internet connections with very little buffering.

On those eXtend customers whose internet connections weren't up to scratch when we completed their free internet health-check (issues with distance to base station, signal quality etc.) I can confirm that eXtend have been very obliging in helping us to solve these problems before we installed the TV system (checking radio channel selection, switching customers to alternative base stations, replacing faulty equipment etc.) in fact, every customer bar none has been able to upgrade their eXtend internet connections to 4 Mb allowing our TV system to work as well as it does.

cont/

[SatelliteCyprus]

cont/

I know that they are currently upgrading their internet infrastructure in and around the Alsancak, Lapta and Karsiyaka areas and we are looking forward to getting stuck into installing the TV system in those areas very soon - they have said that the work will be completed within 7 - 10 days so, those customers in those areas with orders pending, it looks like you will be watching quality UK TV programming for Christmas afterall.

If you want to read more, here is another new web page: http://www.satellitecyprus.net/online_tv_cyprus/