Technologies have filled the world around us and now it can be difficult, and also expensive, to “keep up” with the latest technology. If we talk about TVs, those that have the Smart TV function are becoming increasingly popular - in other words, a TV with Internet access.
But did you know that you can “upgrade” your regular TV and get all the functions of a Smart TV?
Smart TV: high price and no guarantees
It would seem that everything is simple and clear with Smart TVs, but there is one “But”. High price and the need for constant updating, because technology is improving at breakneck speed. And here you are not an ordinary computer, for which you can buy a couple of parts - and you are back in trend. Here you will have to put your favorite TV in a corner, and its place will be taken by a new, more expensive one, but with more functions. Then this one will have to be hidden, and its place will be taken by an even more fashionable Smart TV.
How to make your regular TV “smart”
The Fregat TV company has created a product that is unique in its essence, which will allow you to use even a regular TV, having all the advantages of a modern Smart TV. The price of Interactive Television Fregat TV is affordable to everyone (the set-top box costs only 1 UAH!) for 150 channels of quality content.
Advantages of Fregat TV
- Affordable price and compactness
The new set-top box for only 1 hryvnia is an alternative to expensive iptv set-top boxes and televisions with Internet access. Plus, the set-top box has a lifetime warranty and takes up little space. - Pause the broadcast and rewind programs
There is no longer any need to keep track of the time and rush home to watch your favorite movie, because Fregat TV allows you to pause and even rewind the broadcast 7 days ago. - Radio online
With Fregat TV you can listen to your favorite radio stations, both local and foreign. - Youtube access and “Parental Control” function literally makes your TV equal to any “smart”.
- Works from any Internet
No matter what provider you have, you can use interactive
television and get all the benefits of quality television. - HD channels
You can watch your favorite movies and shows in high quality right at home. - Cinema hall
made a selection of the most popular films, TV series, cartoons and shows - the card index contains more than 5,000 files!
How can a telecommunications provider survive in these times of rapid development of computer network capabilities? After all, today data transfer speeds are growing rapidly, and the cost of Internet services is decreasing. Twisted pair is actively being replaced by optical fiber, the new Wi-Fi standard has surpassed the speed of 1 Gbit/s, 4G is replacing 3G. Of course, provide third-party additional services for a fee.
How far can a provider go in an effort to increase its revenue? We can say that there are no boundaries. But that’s not about that now. In this material we will talk about the Internet provider "Fregat", or more precisely about its new OTT service "Fregat TV", which provides users of any Internet provider with access to watching streaming television (IPTV), a huge collection of video content and a number of other additional, but no less interesting opportunities with the help of the Fregat F-Box SML-482 HD smart set-top box.
Scope of delivery
The smart console comes in a small cardboard box that is pleasant to the touch. It contains inscriptions and icons of the main multimedia capabilities, as well as the Fregat provider logo. There is no high-quality photo printing on the box, nor are there any colorful images on it, since everything looks quite attractive anyway.
All components are neatly and compactly folded into the box, there is everything you need and nothing extra.
The scope of delivery includes:
- TV set-top box F-BOX.
- Power adapter 12 V - 1.2 A.
- Remote control.
- Power supply for the remote control (AAA batteries, 2 pcs.).
- Brief operating instructions in Russian and Ukrainian.
- HDMI cable.
- AV cable.
Appearance
The SML-482 HD media set-top box is made in miniature sizes, comparable to Apple TV 4 (SML-482 HD is slightly larger).
The material used is high-quality black plastic. The design is simple and elegant: 4 screws and latches around the perimeter, there is only one LED on the front panel (standard color: operating mode - green, sleep mode - red; moderately bright, not noticeable), on the end sides there are some elements are missing, and all interfaces are located on the rear panel. In fact, there are not many of them, but quite enough for comfortable work with the console. At the same time, they are located according to the mind.
Interfaces:
- Power (12V);
- 3.5 mm TRRS mini-jack;
- S/PDIF;
- HDMI;
- LAN (10/100 Mbit/s);
- USB 2.0.
The remote control is small in size and pleasant to the touch. Its front panel is made of mirror-glossy black plastic (the surface gets dirty, but under the buttons it’s not as noticeable as, say, on a phone, but wiping off dirt from your fingers is much more convenient and easier).
The back panel, on the contrary, is matte, structured, and embossed. Thanks to this, the remote control does not slip in your hand. The location of the buttons is standard, their movement does not cause discomfort, it is soft and smooth.
Hardware
- Chipset BCM7230 750 MHz dual-core (2000DMIPS)
- RAM DDR3 512 MB
- Flash NAND 256 MB
Hardware support: audio codecs – MPEG1/2, MP3, AAC, AC3, WMA, video codecs – MPEG-2, MPEG-4 Part 2, H.263, H.264/MPEG-4 AVC, VC-1.
The system does not have flexibility in settings or expansion of functionality; it performs exactly the task that was assigned to it, no more, no less. In principle, all provider media devices look like this, so you shouldn’t be surprised here.
At the same time, the presence of a built-in Wi-Fi module is good news, especially considering that there is only one USB port and occupying it with a Wi-Fi adapter is not the best solution. And so, everyone is happy: there is Wi-Fi and the USB port is free.
Software
I dare to suggest: the only thing that interests the reader in this review is the functionality and main capabilities of the SML-482 HD. Therefore, let's get started!
Connecting the set-top box to the TV and starting it is quite simple and will not cause difficulties even for a beginner. So, we turn on the power supply to the network, connect the HDMI cable (if the TV is old, then RCA will help, it is included in the kit), press the power button on the remote control and wait for the set-top box to load. Next, in the main settings, select the required language and configure the Internet connection. It is also necessary to register the set-top box. This procedure involves entering a phone number to which you will receive an SMS with a code that is entered in the proposed menu and voila! That's it, the prefix is assigned to your number.
From the moment of unpacking to comfortable viewing of TV channels, 5-7 minutes pass (registration takes the longest, since operating the remote control as a keyboard is not the easiest task).
The system is built on the Linux kernel. The graphical shell varies depending on the services provided by the operators (this is a universal set-top box developed by SmartLabs and favored by many providers in the CIS countries).
On the main screen there are five menu icons with captions, under which there is a selection of Megogo films:
The graphic design looks attractive. The menu itself has a well-thought-out structure, but... at the same time, the console also has a number of shortcomings, because Linux offers much more opportunities for flights of fancy. However, we should remember here that this is a provider device, so we will continue our review further.
The main menu window looks like this:
Five main menu icons significantly simplify the user’s communication with the set-top box - settings, applications, TV channels, cinema, wallet. The default cursor is set to “TV channels”, it would seem like a small thing, but it’s nice :-).
The following services are available to the user in the applications:
- Live search (searches for anything and everything according to your request, the results are divided into categories, simple and convenient, because as you enter at least three characters of the search query, the user is offered hint words);
- Youtube;
- Maps (Yandex and Google, the map loads quite quickly, view representation: topography);
- Exchange rates, weather;
- Internet radio (the list of radio stations is quite large);
- Home devices (folders shared over the network or a raised DLNA server work flawlessly, a raised server on a laptop using the Home Media Server program was immediately identified, the entire structure of folders and content in them is also visible, all tested formats were recognized without difficulty: avi, mkv , mp4);
- TV channels are, in fact, IPTV.
Switching channels occurs in a split second, whether the channel is in standard definition format or in HD quality. Picons (channel icons) make it easier to find the channels you need; you don’t need to look closely at their names, just look at the recognizable logos. The default arrangement of channels seemed convenient, although if someone doesn’t like this order, changing it at their discretion will not be difficult, since such a function is present in the settings.
The set-top box also has the ability to divide channels into groups based on content. In general: comfortable, high quality, beautiful.
And now about another fly in the ointment. The declared “Life Pause” function (pause the broadcast for up to 10 minutes) does not work on all channels. For example, it does not work on STB, ICTV and other Ukrainian channels. It works mainly on thematic entertainment channels, for example, TV1000 Premium HD or Sony Sci-Fi (although it is worth adding that this function also works on the “1+1” TV channel). However, as the Fregat company assured us, this is due to the rights to the content, and not to the incorrect operation of the service.
With the “Back-EPG” function (TV channels recorded up to a week ago), things will be exactly the same. It all depends on television rights. In general, “Back-EPG” works stably.
Cinema is a client program for watching videos. There are a lot of films, but there are no new products as such; Soviet films and cartoons also occupy a huge niche. But, as the service develops, the library of films will also expand.
Wallet - an electronic account where you can see all your subscriptions (you can connect/disable them), the amount in the account, how much is left until the next payment, payment history, services (change of number, pause and multiroom - in development).
Telecommunications provider Fregat has launched a worthy and competitive OTT project on the Ukrainian market, which is good news (especially if you know the price of this service - 23 UAH/month at the time of testing). As for the set-top box, it consistently copes with the main responsibilities assigned to it (watching IPTV and video content). However, to make some changes and settings in the set-top box (for example, adding a city to view the weather; by default, only Dnepropetrovsk and Kyiv are available), users will have to contact technical support. However, the Fregat company assured us that when sales start in a particular region, cities in the Weather service will be added automatically. In general, the service is young, but adjusted for the price of the service, it is very promising. The main thing is to polish the work of all services and expand their capabilities.
Screenshots of the set-top box settings menu:
Additional screenshots taken during testing of the console:
Internet provider Fregat is a leader in providing telecommunications services in Dnepr. To connect its subscribers, it uses FTTB technology - providing access by connecting fiber optic cables to homes. This technology ensures uninterrupted connection and the highest data transfer speed.
A distinctive feature of this provider is that it has developed its own loyalty program for regular customers. It consists of permanently accruing bonuses, which can then be converted into a discount of up to 15%. In addition, as a Fregat subscriber, you can test IPTV television for free. And if you move, you can “carry” the Internet with you to your new place.
The company has several unlimited tariff plans that differ in speed and price. Tariffs vary depending on the region.
A fee of 2 UAH is charged for connecting to the Fregat network. You may need to pay additionally for the cable, but this is decided on a case-by-case basis, depending on technical capabilities.
To submit a connection request, you must fill out a special form on the website or call. Subsequently, you can pay for the company’s services through terminals, using special cards, at bank branches or through payment systems on the Internet.
The Fregat provider never tires of delighting its subscribers with various promotions. He gives them bonuses, discounts and gifts; you just need to carefully follow the news on the site.
Connect internet Frigate possible in the following cities: Verkhnedneprovsk, Kamenskoye, Dnepr, Zheltye Vody, Zaporozhye, Krivoy Rog, Kyiv, Kremenchug, Sinelnikovo, Novomoskovsk, Pokrov, Pavlograd, Poltava, Cherkasy.
Do you want to connect interactive television, but don’t know which company to choose? I suggest you read a brief overview of 3 popular multimedia operators in Ukraine:
- Ukrtelecom
- Ultra TV
- Frigate TV
We will consider interactive TV provided by each operator according to 3 parameters: tariff packages, number of channels and company promotions.
Ukrtelecom - television
The company offers 3 tariff packages:
- Standard – 79 channels for 39 UAH. per month.
- Optimal – 100 channels for 79 UAH. per month.
- Premium – 136 channels for 159 UAH. per month.
Ukrtelecom TV connects via a set-top box, but only works on one TV. That is, for each device you need to buy and connect a separate package.
Ukrtelecom’s long-term promotion consists of selling the “Optimal” package at the price of the standard offer. The downside is that the 39 hryvnia subscription fee will be charged for 3 months, after which the price will rise to 79 hryvnia.
Ultra TV operator
Each of the three tariff packages contains more than 500 channels. The price depends on the duration of the order. So, when connecting television for 1 month, you need to pay 119 ₴, making an order for 3 months, the price for each will be 109 ₴, and connecting interactive TV for six months - the fee for each month will not exceed 99 UAH.
Ultra TV is available on Smart TVs, home theaters, smartphones, tablets, PCs and via IPTV set-top boxes. In this case, it is possible to conduct a free 7-day trial of the service and receive a permanent 20% discount on the subscription fee.
Frigate TV
Among the TV operators under consideration, cable television Fregat offers multimedia services at the most affordable price. Total 23 UAH. monthly subscription fee for a basic package consisting of 93 TV channels.
Additional channel packages are included in the basic tariff:
- Entertaining +14.
- He and She + 9.
- Cognitive + 7.
- Sports + 10.
- Cinema + 12.
- HD+8.
- Children's + 8.
Each of the packages, in addition to the basic one, will cost another 23 ₴ per month.
Fregat TV is connected via an IPTV set-top box and produces a 1080p Full HD picture, with a minimum network connection speed of 4 Mb/sec. The set-top box works autonomously without the need to turn on a computer or other devices.
Until September 30, Fregat TV connects interactive TV for 1 UAH. That is, you get more than 170 channels and the necessary equipment almost free of charge.
Conclusion
Each of the operators has a similar set of functions, such as pausing broadcasting for up to 10 minutes, recording TV programs, parental controls, and program guides. Interactive television in Ukraine is just developing, but there is already plenty to choose from. Make up your mind, choose and enjoy Full HD TV.
