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Freesat vs Freeview

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  • almillar
    almillar Posts: 8,621 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Photogenic Name Dropper
    OP, you hint at the problem in your 1st post, then you want to avoid it the whole time. Your aerial mightn't be pointing the right way. No matter how many Freeview boxes you buy, they won't work. Shifting to the satellite dish, which you don't know about either, is just moving the problem somewhere else.
    It's very likely that your aerial IS good enough. You're lucky that you're able to reach your aerial. DO make sure that it's pointing the right way. It's not guesswork, and if you're not capable, get an installer out. You MAY need a new aerial or you MAY be in a very localised reception blackspot, in which case switching to Freesat would be a good idea. Around £200 for an HD recorder, and you'll really really want TWO signal leads coming down from the dish to use it properly.
  • macman
    macman Posts: 53,129 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    edited 11 December 2012 at 4:44PM
    If you are not sure if the dish is working or not (though there's not a lot to go wrong if it's connected up to the cabling), then just go and beg or borrow an old Sky box (free on freegle or cheap as chips on ebay). Connect that up (no card needed) and if the dish is working then you will get most of the Freesat From Sky channels.
    Failing that, if you want Freeview, then get someone in to sort out your aerial-it'll cost you less than you've already wasted on replacement Freeview boxes.
    PS: analogue hasn't just finished around your way, it's finished everywhere in the UK.
    No free lunch, and no free laptop ;)
  • You would need to look at the paperwork to see who would be responsible for fixing it. Is there anything in the lease about an aerial?
  • Robisere
    Robisere Posts: 3,237 Forumite
    Ninth Anniversary 1,000 Posts Photogenic Combo Breaker
    I do not understand why the landlord should be responsible for a TV aerial. I live in Sheltered Housing, (under a Housing Trust) have lived in privately-rented and have owned my own home in the past. The only time that a landlord can be responsible for this, is if it is part of a block of flats/dwellings with a communal aerial system. In every other other case, unless stated on the Tenancy agreement, it is the tenant's responsibility.
    I think this job really needs
    a much bigger hammer.
  • timbo58
    timbo58 Posts: 1,164 Forumite
    I'm guessing it depends on the contract, when I rented they had no aerial and I fitted one myself in the loft as it was a Grade 2 listed building so even if I'd wanted to I couldn't have fitted it on the front or roof sections.
    The house was tall and on top of a stonking great hill so the reception was spot on.

    When I moved into my present house I noticed the aerial was snapped (repo house so no danger of that being seen as a priority) I got a few quotes to replace the aerial and most were silly money (£150 plus) since I'd already bought a top of the range 48 element aerial in any case.

    I then noticed the house had a sat dish round the back and cabling so I bought a used freesat (humax foxsat) off ebay (£70 IIRC?) which works beautifully.

    I missed a few terrestrial channels and had a freeview box (humax pvr3000t) anyway, so thinking the aerial would probably be good enough in the loft I tried it - perfect picture -despite the fact most other houses down the street had theirs chimney mounted on long poles.
    I did speak to a TV aerial chap about this and he told me most people in older house have rubbish aerials or get the cheapest one -my choice had been particularly good in his opinion! result!

    So long & short of it: try a really decent aerial in the loft 1st!
    Unless specifically stated all posts by me are my own considered opinion.
    If you don't like my opinion feel free to respond with your own.
  • Sarah715
    Sarah715 Posts: 127 Forumite
    i like freeview , but it is very inconsistent with signal. We have 4 freeview boxes in different parts of the house, and one upstairs could be working fine while one downstairs barely works at all. It seems like moveing it even to the next room can completely change which channels work and which don't.

    I haven't used freesat before so can't comment on that, but freeview can definitely be annoying!
  • Heinz
    Heinz Posts: 11,191 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture Combo Breaker Car Insurance Carver!
    It sounds like you need to get your aerial system sorted out Sarah715 (if all 4 sets are running off the same aerial, a proper amplifier and distribution system is essential).
    Time has moved on (much quicker than it used to - or so it seems at my age) and my previous advice on residential telephony has been or is now gradually being overtaken by changes in the retail market. Hence, I have now deleted links to my previous 'pearls of wisdom'. I sincerely hope they helped save some of you money.
  • sniggings
    sniggings Posts: 5,281 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    four of one aerial could be your problem here!
  • GarbageGuy
    GarbageGuy Posts: 34 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10 Posts Combo Breaker
    edited 13 December 2012 at 11:36PM
    If you have the money you could by a new tv, the new Samsungs come with Freeview HD and Freesat HD built in, so you would have both, so if one wasnt working to well you could watch the other, Freesat has a few more channels. If you only watching and not recording you will only need 1 lead from the sky dish. if you can reach it from your window, or ladders it may be worth making a short lead and testing the dish to see if it is still working, ( argos sell freesat box's, test it, then take it back )
    Sarah, sounds like one or more of your leads isnt shielded correctly
  • Thanks for all the replies.

    Looks like I need to buy a new aerial... or at least get the existing one looked at. I don't plan to be in this house forever though. Which (if any) would be easier to take with me if I move - a satellite dish or an aerial? Or would removing either be stupid once I've had them fitted?
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