Confused about Freesat+ and Sky

gjchester

horsewidow wrote: »

Inactive you are a star! So if I eventually buy a Freesat PVR.... then I will need a second LNB. Thanks for putting me straight on this.

To get Freesat you're all set, it's a straight swap if the reciever.

If in the future you want to record from Freesat you will probably need a replacment LNB not a second one, you cannot add another to your existing setup you need to swap them. The LNB needs to be at the focal point of the dish and you can't stack one on top of another. You need one that can output at least two channels (as the PVR needs two) so you can record two different channels but remember if you had had Sky + you may even already have the cabling in place.

You can easily get a twin LNB, and as has been stated a Quad will only cost you £20 or so (I actually got the sky dish and a quad LNB for £25 inc postage from someone called uk-satellite-supplies on Ebay) You just need to get the cable on top. You need to think how many recievers you need in the future, we have Freesat in the TV and want a recorder (when they ever get back in stock in the UK) so we need three, and it was cheaper to get a quad than a triple.

You can just swap the LNB and you should not need to re-allign the dish if you are gentle removing the OLD LNB. You do need to run a cable from each reciever section of the LNB to the decoder, unlike "regular" aerial wires they can't send data down the same cable each part of the LNB needs to get to each tuner seperatly

Helen99_2

We have a sky aerial and box and now want a second TV to watch different channels. I've been told by the aerial fitters that I need a second Sky box in order to watch different channels with a quad lnb and that these along with the fitting will cost 190 + VAT. At Currys today I was told that I could buy a Freesat box. Does this work in all areas of the country? Will I still need to spend so much on the aerial job? Will we be able to watch different channels from the other TV? What's best- another sky box or a freesat box?

Simon_B_2

kkpolobear wrote: »

if you want c4 on the sky box just stick any card in the box ie a store loyal card then it should give you c4

As in a tesco clubcard?

BexTech

horsewidow wrote: »

Just to get this straight about LNB's~: if I were to ditch my sky box and replace it with a freesat, I could use the existing cabling as it is without having to buy anymore? i only need to install a second LNB if i want to keep both my sky box and have a freesat box? Have I got this right?
Any advice gratefully received

I'd really only ditch the Sky box once it fails.

Freesat and FreesatFromSky, both point at the same satellites (Astra 2 and Eutelsat) they will both pick up the same FTA channels, though the Freesat box doesn't have them all on the EPG, you have to add them via non-Freesat EPG, plus there's a couple or so channels that are FTV and require a FreesatFromSky box with a viewing card.

BexTech

Helen99 wrote: »

We have a sky aerial and box and now want a second TV to watch different channels. I've been told by the aerial fitters that I need a second Sky box in order to watch different channels with a quad lnb and that these along with the fitting will cost 190 + VAT. At Currys today I was told that I could buy a Freesat box. Does this work in all areas of the country? Will I still need to spend so much on the aerial job? Will we be able to watch different channels from the other TV? What's best- another sky box or a freesat box?

Not an aerial, it's a dish, you won't get any Sky channels from the Astra 2 and Eutelsat (Sky own no satellites) satellite with an aerial. :cool:

If you want to watch different channels in another room, then you need another box. You also need to swap your single output LNB (attached to the arm on the dish) to a Quad output LNB and then run a satellite grade line of co-ax from the LNB to the receiver. I can be a DIY job, and no way should cost £190+VAT, sure they are some cowboy firm trying to sell you an aerial for Freeview and not sort the dish out? I wouldn't be paying a third that price.

With two boxes, they will be independent so you will get different channels on each of the TVs.

Sky boxes are often given away on freecycle, or for not much money on eBay, if you aren't interested in HiDef then a basic Freesat box isn't a great deal brand-new.

You'll get about 120 channels automatically on the EPG, you can add the other 80 or so free channels via the non-Freesat EPG route. (EU regulations, you can't be prevented for accessing all Free To Air channels).

Satellite boxes work anywhere in the UK and Ireland where you have line of sight to the satellite - in other words as long you don't don't have a mountain right in front of your dish or trees right in front of it, or you have a tower block 50cm from your dish, you'll get signal, the satellite is about 36,000KM away over the equator. With the right size dish you can pick up the channels in many other parts of Europe and why people watch British TV whilst living in Spain (though some are more difficult on the tight beam).

BexTech

Inactive wrote: »

A new LNB, but not a new dish.

To be honest, if you can get Freeview to work, you would be better off with it than Freesat, Freeview has less channels, but they are far better ones in my opinion.

As for High Definition on Freesat, there is so little to watch, it isn't worth the expense to be honest.

Also a Freeview+ Receiver is only around £80 as opposed to around £300 for a Freesat Recorder, OK...no HD, but that isn't really worth bothering with.

I've had Free To Air satellite for years and wouldn't be without it. You get more channels, and a lot of them are very good channels. Granted you also get a couple or so on Freeview that aren't free on satellite, (though my TV has built-in freeview) and I have cable TV too. I like the many news channels, other members of the household enjoy the free movie channels, plenty of choice - granted a lot of the crappy-shopping channels too for the gulible.

BillScarab

For the record HD over Freeview is due to start this year, depends where you live though. They're already trialling it somewhere I believe.

http://www.hdtvuk.tv/2008/10/ofcom_awards_hd.html