HD TV freesat question

wulfhere

Hi, I recently cancelled my Sky+ TV package. However, I'm now interested in the freeview HD option. I would also like to have the ability to record programs in much the same way as I was with Sky +. Can anyone recommend what my options are? Thanks.

scotsbob

wulfhere wrote: »

Hi, I recently cancelled my Sky+ TV package. However, I'm now interested in the freeview HD option. I would also like to have the ability to record programs in much the same way as I was with Sky +. Can anyone recommend what my options are? Thanks.

At present Freeview does not brodacast any channels in HD, although broadcasters say they will by the end of the year. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7328029.stm

You will note that you will not be able to receive HD with present Freeview equipment.

If you don't wish to subscribe to Sky then you may be interested to read one of my previous posts
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=1640889

ixwood

Do you mean Freesat HD? You can get that now. Just connect to your sky wires/dish and you're away. Do a search on here, or google for "freesat HD" or "Humax freesat PVR"

PS Brace yourself for a shock with the price.

Phantom_Flan_Flinger

ixwood wrote: »

PS Brace yourself for a shock with the price.

Yeah, you're looking at £260 for the unit.

Of course depending on what SKY package you've cancelled, you will recoup this over time. Unfortunately there is the initial outlay.

bzooboy

I bought a managers special humax box from their site for my father which is really good and was very easy to install (disconnect the old freesat from sky box and plug in the new box and set it tuning) I paid £94 including postage for a refurb instead of £145 but it's not a recorder. My father is almost 80 and managed to fit a quad lnb and connect the new hd box and run cables and connect his old sky box in the loft bedroom so it is fairly simple

try keeping an eye on www humax direct co uk managers specials to see if a recorder comes up at a reasonable price. the HD is stunning on his Samsung lcd

Idiophreak

bzooboy wrote: »

My father is almost 80 and managed to fit a quad lnb and connect the new hd box

Yay, I've been waiting for a suitable thread to hijack

I know quite a lot about most of this AV stuff, but it turns out I know NOTHING about sky...

OK, so !!!!!! is an LNB?

I'm moving into a newbuild flat shortly and was going to be getting a regular hummy on freeview, but my sister recently got the foxsat and has recommended it, so quite fancying it.

Problem(?) is, the flat has all the wiring for sky/freeview in place, already, run off a communal satellite / aerial. So, in the wall, there's just a little point to plug your sky box in...Will this be dual/quad lnb, will it be single? How do I tell? how do I convert from one to the other? And so on

MX5huggy

LNB is the sticky out bit on a Sat dish. Then Quad refers to 4 wires comming from the dish. To wtach one channel and record another you need 2 wires. If there is only one socket then you only have 1 feed. Your really need to go and see what is being fitted to the new build and if you can upgrade so you can have what you want.

seadee

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Low-noise_block_converter

All about the LNB (sort of)

The Quad refers to the number of outputs available - I currently use 3 of my 4

Has the flat got a feed of a dish and an aerial?
Thats great if it has

Idiophreak

seadee wrote: »

Has the flat got a feed of a dish and an aerial?
Thats great if it has

Yeah, both serviced and maintained under the maintenance charge

Both TV and Satellite points in the lounge and both the bedrooms...

Thanks both for your replies, I'm trying to get my head round this (don't know why I'm finding it so hard).

Next question: Do you need dual/quad lnb for sky+ ?

It seems they'd be stupid these days to install single if it's no good for sky+, when so many people use it?

Also, would I be able to tell whether it was quad just by the sockets in the wall? ie would a quad actually have four sockets?

It may well do for all I know, a while since I've been there and I completely ignored the sky sockets last time I went - had no interest in it then...

seadee

A Sky+ box has twin inputs so you need to feed it with two cables, from an LNB that can provide these. So a quad or bigger is fine.

I run a third to an old Sky box, leaving me another for something else in future!

My dish is old enough for Sky+ not to have been around hence the single LNB. Also it can be a nice little earner supplying new LNBs (and cable)

As a dual cable, or a shotgun type where the two cables are side by side, joined together, is bigger than a single it can mean drilling bigger holes for some people.

If you have only one connector then you will only have one feed which means "normal" Sky not Sky plus. However depending when the work was done, you might want to take the plate off and find the other half of a dual cable hidden behind there, if you are lucky.

Idiophreak

Further to this, I found a photo I took of the wall in the lounge and zoomed in, Blade Runner style to the sockets. Fairly sure what's there is something like this:
http://www.screwfix.com/prods/31909/Electrical-Supplies/TV-Range/Sockets/Labgear-Screened-Socket-Quadruplexed-Return
Except it doesn't have the "return" socket on it.

So, it's looking hopeful there may be 2 sat cables built in (huzzah).

(also, for the record, I noticed that the bedrooms actually only have aerial points, not sky ones )