My TV options... any advice?

want2bmortgage3

I have a sky dish from a previous occupier which I'm sure would still work on reconnecting.

I also have a ntl cable coming in which picks up basic channels as well as a couple of virgin restricted channels.

Freeview reception is poor where I am as I dont have a roof aerial and tried the which best buy aerial to no avial.

I already have o2 broadband but the years up in about 4 months.

So what would be my best option to get TV again, as I currently dont have one. I'm thinking along the lines of sky, or a freesat box.

The other issue is I'd like to have the tv in 2 rooms as I am looking for a lodger and sure they will want there own tv cable and be able to choose their own channels.

I really appreciate any replies and advice, thank you.

macman

Your cheapest option is a 2nd hand Sky box off eBay and a viewing card from Sky for £20, that will get you all the non-sub channels. or you can buy a Freesat box, something like:
http://www.richersounds.com/product/freeview-freesat-pvr/humax/foxsat-hd/huma-foxsathd-box
Or just get a decent rooftop aerial so you can get Freeview.
For the other room you could take a second feed off Freesat or Sky if you aready have a twin or quad LNB on your dish.

want2bmortgage3

thanks. how could i get both rooms to be able to choose their own channels? i've gone on skys website and there is the multiroom option for an extra 9.25 a month, is this the only way or can it be done free at all?

macman

Twin feed from the dish (what LNB have you got at present?), separate Sky or Freesat box in each room.
To get Multroom you need to be on Sky subscription in thefirst place-I thought you werre trying to do it cheaply?
Or Freeview with a decent roof aerial and splitter to each room.

want2bmortgage3

how can i check what LNB I have ? thanx

macman

How many sockets are on it/how many cables from it to the room point?
Could be an old single, twin, or newer quad.
It can be changed anyway to add more feeds if only a single, but obviously costs a bit more.

want2bmortgage3

this is the dish only seems to be one outlet on it



doesnt look like it can be changed easily is this an old dish?

macman

There's only one feed fitted, but can't quite see if there is more than one socket on the LNB.
If not, changing the LNB to a quad (can buy on eBay) is cheap and easy enough, then just run the extra feed to where you want it.
PS: all that spare cable looped round the dish should not be there-very sloppy installation.

want2bmortgage3

that was me coiling up the cable as it wasnt going to be in use for a while!

theres only one socket where the cable is coming out at the top of the picture. is it easy to replace this lnb then?

going back to the other option, how much would having a freeview roof aeriel fitted cost? i ask this as most tv's now have a freeview tuner built in, whereas with freesat i would have to buy a freesat box which dont come in much under £100.

macman

Oops, sorry! It's usually a simple job to slot in a new LNB. Depends how high your dish is obviously, and if you're OK on a ladder. Then you just have to run the extra cable in. If you're changing the LNB, fit a quad not a twin, then you are future-proofing it (price is almost the same).
Aerial fitting probably starts at about £80 but depends on access etc.
Cheapest route is probably second hand Sky box and viewing card.

norbet

Yup looks like a single feed LNB - easy enough job to change to a twin feed and you should find one on the internet pretty cheap (infact you're more likely to find a qaud LNB which will be not much more expensive if at all - the quad will allow for 4 feeds which will be useful if you want sky+).
Make sure you use satellite grade co-ax cable for the feeds to the rooms and as others have suggested get a used sky box and card for access to all the free channels.
You could of course go for freesat - but I suspect that won't be the cheapest route.