Desparate to go digital!!! Freesat???

Katie-Kat-Kins

Hi, I'm stuck in the dark ages with just five channels (on a good day one and five can be a bit ropey if the weather's bad :mad:)

I'm getting seriously frustrated by the amount of content I can't access, especially as the computer is a bit slow and rubbish for watching iplayer. :mad:

We don't get the digital swtichover until 2012 and don't have a freeview signal at the moment. Neither do we have cable. So I guess that means that we either wait three years or go for freesat.

I don't particularly want a dish on the front of the house but as we have an internal aerial at the moment I guess we will have to get a new aerial at switchover time so we'd incur the cost at somepoint anyway.

So my main question is how much will freesat cost me, are there any deals to get in cheaper and what will it involve? Are there any associated expenses or pitfalls?

Thanks

Kat

davetrousers

There are post code checkers available online that tell you if you can (and how strong) receive a freeview digital signal, have you put your post code into one of these.

If it says you can get a good signal you should be ok with a good quality 'digital' aerial and good quality coaxial (aerial) wire.

There is also a freesat website that should tell you all you need to know about freesat

macman

Freesat has no ongoing costs, once you have the kit installed it is free. Basic cost is a dish, LNB and the cabling. For that kit and install to one TV point you are looking at £100-£130 depending on where you live and where it has to go.
The cost of the box will depend on what you want, if you want a Freesat box incorporating a PVR then that is an extra cost over the basic box.
Have a look at the Humax Freesat products.

Katie-Kat-Kins

Have checked online and we are amongst the last to go digital, we can't get freeview now because we receive our signal through a booster station.

What's a PVR???

Sorry I'm a bit cluless!

davetrousers

A PVR is a freeview (freesat) box that receives the signal but also has a Hard drive so that you can record programmes.

I have a feeling Argos do freesat including installing, not sure though.

Katie-Kat-Kins

Oh and I should say we have a small, not very new tv so we aren't looking for HD or anything.

We are only interested in free channels and only have one tv.

We'd just like to get access to the additional free channels as cheaply as possible.

Katie-Kat-Kins

Being able to record would be good, our ancient vcr is on its last legs, the instructions for programming the darn thing may as well be in latin and it doesn't help when I finally get the thing tuned and the mother in law comes round and switches everything off at the wall!!!

Katie-Kat-Kins

Ok just looked at argos and it looks cheaper than sky but I don't know what separate things I would need to buy.... installation is £78, then a kit is £49, but do you need a box too? They look expensive.....

macman

Whether you can get Freeview yet does not have anything to do with your signal coming from a relay station, it's whether the main transmitter that serves that relay has gone digital yet. Using the postcode checker on the digital UK site will tell you either way, and if not yet switched over it will give you a date.
Freesat requires a standard satellite dish, LNB and cabling (all exactly the same as you would have for Sky. You then need a Freesat box to connect to your existing TV. These will vary from around £150 for basic box, to around £250 for a box incorporating a PVR.
If you can't get Freeview at present, then your only options are Freesat, (or Virgin and Sky subscription systems).

Katie-Kat-Kins

macman wrote: »

Whether you can get Freeview yet does not have anything to do with your signal coming from a relay station, it's whether the main transmitter that serves that relay has gone digital yet. Using the postcode checker on the digital UK site will tell you either way, and if not yet switched over it will give you a date.
Freesat requires a standard satellite dish, LNB and cabling (all exactly the same as you would have for Sky. You then need a Freesat box to connect to your existing TV. These will vary from around £150 for basic box, to around £250 for a box incorporating a PVR.
If you can't get Freeview at present, then your only options are Freesat, (or Virgin and Sky subscription systems).

As I said I have checked and we can't get freeview yet, we can't get it until 2012. I know that a dish is the only option, but I want to know what the total cost is likely to be, what the best way to get freesat is and what is involved in installation.

To be honest if it is £150 for a basic box and then there are installation costs etc on top it probably isn't worth bothering with, we'd be cheaper getting a new external aerial fitted when we can eventually get freeview.

The only concern I have with this is that there will at the same time be a lot of people needing new aerials all at the same time as they will all have lost their analogue signal at the same time. So I guess it could be difficult to arrange.

macman

KatP wrote: »

As I said I have checked and we can't get freeview yet, we can't get it until 2012. I know that a dish is the only option, but I want to know what the total cost is likely to be, what the best way to get freesat is and what is involved in installation.

To be honest if it is £150 for a basic box and then there are installation costs etc on top it probably isn't worth bothering with, we'd be cheaper getting a new external aerial fitted when we can eventually get freeview.

The only concern I have with this is that there will at the same time be a lot of people needing new aerials all at the same time as they will all have lost their analogue signal at the same time. So I guess it could be difficult to arrange.

Cheapest Freesat box is £89 direct from Humax (refurb Foxsat). Dish/LNB/cable install available from around £70 depending on your property. So say £160 all in.
External aerial and Freeview box are not going to cost you much less than that anyway. (You seem to forget that you can't get Freeview on your old TV anyway, you'll still need a Freeview box as well as an aerial).