Freeview of Freesat?

jennyjelly

Hello, please excuse me for asking a really dorky question

Whats the difference between Freeview and Freesat, or are they different brand names for the same thing? And if there is a difference, which one is the best?

My old Freeview recorder has carked and I want to buy a replacement but not sure which to buy.

Thanks all.

googler

Freeview is the service with free channels that you get through a TV aerial, with a DVB Digibox.

Freesat is the service with free channels that you get through a Satellite dish and matching Digibox (usually a Sky box but can be other makes)

JasX

They are largely similar....

Freeview has a few channels freesat doesn't have, freesat has a few channels freeview doesn't have. Most 'free' channels are on both.

Freesat seems to have more HD channels and be slightly ahead of the game on the HD front but Freeview is due to catch up 'at some point soon'

For freesat you need a satellite dish (eg old sky dish being an ex sky customer - ebay and self install if you can get access to satellite alignment gear - pay to have one privately put up).

For freeview you don't, just an ordinary TV antenna.

Depending on where you live one might lean itself to better reception than the other (eg weak/scatteres terresterial in your area but clear view of the satellite might lean towards better quality from freesat, strong terresterial but a big building completly blocking your view of the southern sky would point you firmly towards freeview)

EDIT: noticing you're in somerset rather than north scotland so long as you can see the southern sky you won;t need a huge dish (as static satellites are all generally on the equator)

spakkker

With the satellite services there are 3 types of box- sky, freesat and free-to-air.
Sky is paid for service or pay-for-card (£25?) to watch free channels.
Freesat has so many free channels with a freeview-style prog guide, 7 day epg.
Free-to-air has only a "now and next" prog guide and lots more channels- you'll wonder how you ever lived without 400+ junk channels!
Freesat seems a little more expensive than free-to-air.

SailorSam

I have both Freesat in the kitchen and Freeview in the Lounge.
When we had the digital changeover last year here in the Granada region 'cos i'm on benefit i could have got a new free Freeview, or a cheap Freesat fitted, so i chose the second one to go in the kitchen.

welshmoneylover

I got sky+HD and bought a new panasonic viera tv with freesat built in and I've never been able to get the blooming thing to work, sky's fine though.

Any suggestions?

ukcarper

I’ve got a Panasonic TV with freesat built in and it works just fine, but the only HD channels are ITV BBC1 and BBC HD. I think channel4 HD is available on freeview if freeview HD is available in your area.

Inactive

welshmoneylover wrote: »

I got sky+HD and bought a new panasonic viera tv with freesat built in and I've never been able to get the blooming thing to work, sky's fine though.

Any suggestions?

Can we assume that you have a cable from your LNB ( dish ) attached to the TV, if yes, then it just needs tuning in via the menu.

jennyjelly

Thanks for all the input.

We have Sky+ in the living room and the old (now defunct) freeview in the kitchen so it's very much a secondary one. We don't want to get into extra dishes or more cabling or paying extra for Sky multi-room. Just a basic 'plug and play' replacement is all we need. So it looks like it's freeview all the way.

I'm so glad I understand this now!

System

I have a Panasonic Vieira tv with freeview built in, and prior to moving to another part of the country, we were able to get a great many channels.

(we also had a panasonic dvd recorder which also had freeview built in)

When we moved to Dorset, the amount of channels available greatly reduced.

We have recently bought a freesat dish & box and get hundreds of channels including HD. We sold the dvd recorder as we didn't need it's built in hard drive as the freesat box has one with a greater capacity, we then bought the cheapest DVD player from argos.

So, given that you have many freeview channels, you may get the same or more freesat channels, but it can depend entirely where you live, but wherever it is, freesat is guaranteed to give you maximum.

ukcarper

But lets face most of the additional channels are rubbish. Notable missing channels from freesat are Dave, Five USA, Fiver and 4hd.