ASTRA 2E now moving to station at 28.5 east

[pickwick]

Hi
Projection dreams in Almancil have the following solution. I have been to see it and already arranged 12mbps cable internet from MEO. My neighbours have this service and get 25mbps but I do not need any more than 12. The box is like an Apple TV box and connects to your router and your TV and the picture quality is excellent. You get a satellite type remote control, do not need a PC and have 14 day catchup on all channels. You do not have to scroll through hundreds of channels, the on-screen display shows only the channels below. You also get an OPG (on screen programme guide) so it is a easy to operate as Sky or any other TV remote control. I was very impressed and although there might be better in six months time (this is always the case with technology and this solution is here now and for a very good price)! The box is only 150€ incl IVA and the monthly sub is 18€ incl. IVA. I used Filmon yesterday to watch BBC through my Apple TV on our big screen and every 5 minutes or so it kept freezing so not much good v what I saw in Almancil. This despite 5 to 6 mbps verified speed on my internet connection. If you do not know what your internet speed is go to http://www.speedtest.net where you can test it free.

Give Alistair a call and go and see for yourself:- (I ordered it on the spot and expect delivery and instal of the MEO next friday!)

COME IN AND SEE IT FOR YOURSELF

Projectiondreams
Rua de Republica, 64
8135-121 Almancil
Tel: 289 040 403
Telm: 917 563 665

The solution we have is using a "tweaked" Mag 250 IPTV box - rated currently as the best IPTV box in the world. We have this married to the largest service provider in Spain to provide 28 channels in good SD quality upscaled to either 720p or 1080p. Contrary to what anyone else may say there is NO iptv box able under the current frameworks able to stream true HD..but the Mag 250 is very capable and the picture improves incrementally based on the network that you have.

Indeed the Mag 250 has variable bandwidth adjustment-so even IF your internet signal is as low as 1mps you can still get a watchable picture. As well as this the Mag 250 is the ONLY solution I have tested that is a good Wi Fi performer.
Be incredibly wary of folks advertising IPTV boxes with 60 channels etc..they are crude and the channels keep blocking and pixellating,freezing and so on...in all the time I have tested the Mag 250 it has not frozen. It is also the only IPTV box that has worked fine after a power cut.......Whether you source from me or someone else ensure its a Mag 250 and ensure the service providor is a reliable one!!

Think quality not quantity.

But please..don`t take my word on the above..research the Mag 250 on the internet and read the reviews and you will see the above is 100%..

Our service includes:

-28 unique UK TV channels
-14 unique UK Radio channels
-14 day catchup TV
-7 day Electronic Program Guide

Equipment price: 150 Euros inc.iva

Monthly subscription: 18 Euros per month

TV channels:
BBC 1,2,3,4 & News
ITV 1,2,3,4
Channel 4, More 4, E4, Film 4
Channel 5, 5 USA, 5*
True Movies 1 & 2
True Drama & Entertainment
Sky News
Pick TV
Flava, Chartshow & The Vault
Community Channel
CBBC & CBeebies

Radio channels:
BBC Radio 1,2,3,4,5 Live & World service
Capital FM, Classic, Choice, Planet rock, Bay, Gold & XFM

[EMM]

"Solutions " will be coming out thick and fast and for the full time resident it looks as if there are No cheap reliable solutions and as for the other proposals only time will tell.
I was sent a link to a site where the dish size of those who can still receive BBC has been reported.
South of Lisbon 2.4-2.9 dia dishes can still receive but in the Algarve No reports of any reception have been reported.
Enjoying C and E4 while we can ( tues is the reported switch off day for the rest ), we hardly watch any ITV, must be an age thing.

[EMM]

Forgot to add regarding the Meo linked proposal does the price quoted 18euros/month also include your Meo subscription ??

[pickwick]

Hi Emm

No the 18€ is just for the IPTV feed. MEO is 21.49€ per month after the 3 months reduced price period for 12mbps plus line rental which is 10€ for the first 12 months and then 15€. This package includes calls to PT landlines at off peak periods which is neither here nor there. Using my current TMN pen in a router gives me 5 to 6 mbps all around the house on my CAT 5 network and wireless BUT the mobile package download amount is limited to 15MB per month (about 2 evenings TV viewing) and then the speed slows to 0.5mbps which is no good for streaming live TV! hence the move to fixed line internet which as long as I pay by D/D the download quantity is unlimited at the maximum speed available.
There is talk of G4 and in fact I am on the border of the G4 signal in Caramujeira BUT mobile G4 (and G3) is also limited to the same download amount by statute here in Portugal. You can get G4 from Optimus called WoW and from World Telecom http://www.worldtelecom.pt (they use the Optimus network) but if you want unlimited download thay have to fix the supply to your address, in otherwords the connection will only work in your immediate area. You can go on the Optimus site and put your postcode in to see if you are in the G4 area or you can get in touch with World Telecom (email sanela@worldtelecom.pt) or call her on 282 380 305. For me the best solution was therefore fixed line. On Tuesday I will find out if I can get MEO Fibre (guaranteed 30mbps instead of copper wire which will deliver 12mbps as a minimum but perhaps 24mbps). The upgrade to 24mbps is 5€ per month and to MEO Fibre is 9.50€ per month but I have to wait until the 12mbps is connected before MEO can say whether 24mbps is available. So for me the finances are as follows:-

EXISTING COSTS

TMN internet pen 35€ per month
Additional sim card to share the above which I use in my MiFi dongle to get internet when out and about 15€ per month
Freeview satellite (pretty much useless within a week when ITV and C4 etc all disappear

TOTAL 50€ per month

NEW COSTS After 3 month special offer

MEO internet 21.49€ per month with 16GB cloud storage
IPTV from Projection Dreams 18€ per month
Line rental for MEO 10.99€ per month for 1st 12 months

TOTAL 50.48€ per month

This is with the loss of my internet when out and about but this is no great loss due to the WiFi services and the additional free access to MEO WiFi all over Portugal.
So for me I get double the speed in the house with unlimited downloads which means I can download as many films as I want to my Apple TV without runnung out of download and I can also stream the new signal through my network to the other 4 TVS by splitting the HDMI output into two with a small gizmo and then connecting one to my main TV and then with annother gizmo converting the HDMI output to scart which will connect to my existing gizmo which sends the signal around the house on the existing coax cables plus a landline number and some free calls.
The cost of the new 2 x gizmos plus three HDMI cables was £80 incl VAT and delivery to Portugal. So for me all in all a solution I can live with and if things get better in subsequent years I have not spent a fortune on hardware or indeed on the 12 month minimum IPTV contract. The benefits to me are that for the same payment I get the channels back, free 14 day catch up TV that I did not have before and faster internet. If the IPTV service somehow fails I will just stop paying the 18€ and I will still be able to stream Filmon etc (this is not a very elegent solition as it is PC based) until something better comes along. Having said that the IPTV content provider is in this for the long run and I do not enviage any issues in the arrangement at all.

Pickwick

[EMM]

So we now know that 1 of the solutions offered is around 600euros/year plus the cost of the box.
Obviously anyone interested in the various offers out there needs to ask a lot of questions before making a decision.
It all depends how much you value UK TV.

[ron5000]

I have gone the free way. I have an old ipad 1, apple TV, Meo internet, all connect wirelessly then HDMI from Apple TV to TV. Load the filmon app through Apple store, for some reason you get better resolution than just downloading Filmon, then subscribe for free to Filmon. When watching any station on Filmon on the pad there is a bar at the bottom of the screen with an extra button which is the Apple Airplay button. Press and ipad or TV comes up, press TV and hey presto full screen on TV comes up. Resolution on my old 40 inch Sony is as good as I got on Freesat and the pad becomes your remote with electronic programme guide, you also have the facility to record any programme by pressing the red button next to the programme on the EPG and the recording is stored on Filmon's server ready for me to watch any time. Simple and perfect for me at this moment

[pickwick]

Hi Ron

Not really "free" though as you have to have decent internet that comes at a cost?? I was dissapointed with the quality of the resolution on Filmon and consider the 18€ for the IPTV sub a month good value. For those renting their villas they cannot provide an iPad to beam the signal to the Apple TV though and even if they could would the iPad dissapear with the first visitors???

Glad you have a solution that works for you.

Pickwick

[widge]

Hi Pickwick,

If I opted for a similar solution would I still need to pay PT Telecom for my fixed line rental & broadband internet ( cost c. €60 per month ) or would that become surplus to requirement?

[EMM]

Would you still not have the equivalent MEO cost + the cost of the box and its monthly rentals ?

[widge]

Would you still not have the equivalent MEO cost + the cost of the box and its monthly rentals ?

Is that a Yes or No ?

[pickwick]

Hi Widge and EMMA

MEO is now the brand name for all TMN Internet/tv/phone packages. The costs I refer to for the MEO element is the Internet provision cost with the free calls package. In summary if you already have a line and decent speed Internet with unlimited usage then the only additional monthly cost Is the 18€ for the IPTV feed.

Pick wick

[widge]

Thanks Pickwick, got it now !

Seems like the whole thing stands or falls on my internet speed from PT Telecom ! I will call their customer service department to enquire further……….Here is a picture of the team in their new office…

image001.jpg (80.83 KiB) Viewed 10585 times

Mujibar was trying to get a job in Faro .

The Personnel Manager said,
'Mujibar, you have passed all the tests, except one.
Unless you pass it, you cannot qualify for this job.'

Mujibar said, 'I am ready.'
The manager said,
'Make a sentence using the words
Yellow, Pink, and Green .'

Mujibar said,
'The telephone goes green, green,
And I pink it up, and say,
Yellow, this is Mujibar.'

Mujibar now works at a call centre.

No doubt you have spoken to him ..................

I know I have!!!

[pickwick]

Hi Widge

If you are there you can test the speed at http://www.speedtest.net

Pickwick

[widge]

Hi Widge

If you are there you can test the speed at http://www.speedtest.net

Pickwick

Back out next Tuesday, will give you a call maybe we could fathom out a solution over a good lunch ?

[pickwick]

Hi Widge

Hope to have the MEO installed by then so will be able to update you as to the performance.

Pickwick