Leave Sky and go to Freesat - Any good?

[Deleted User]

Hi,

well I only get the free channels, and still get 5.

I have an hdd recorder which allows me to pause and record.

jem16

noelphobic wrote: »

I hadn't realised they still had cards in! (Bit of a technophobe!) Will try it but I definitely want Channel 5.

As you will be keeping the card in the box once you cancel, you will still get Channel 5. What you don't get is the HD version of Channel 5 as that is subscription only.

noelphobic wrote: »

I had completely forgotten that I wouldn't be able to record or live pause. Doh! Presumably you would also lose Catch up TV?

Your best bet would be to buy a Humax Freesat box with Freetime. This will simply connect up with your Sky cables and give you all the Freesat channels plus catch up through Freetime. This works by "rolling back" in the EPG so it's all seamless. You will also be able to record and pause just like Sky providing you buy one with a hard drive.

You can buy refurbished models directly from Humax which are great value. I replaced a multiroom Sky box with the Humax HDR 1000S.

http://www.humaxdirect.co.uk/refurbished.html?tv_platform=245

Moneymaker

noelphobic wrote: »

I've had countless aerials but they keep getting blown down.

Obviously, that won't happen if the aerial is installed properly. Get a recommended installer from the CAI web site.

almillar

jem16 is spot on with the channels. When you cancel your sub, you will effectively have a freesatfromsky card. Don't pay for another one. The card allows you to DEcrypt the ENcrypted channels. That inlcudes Channel 5. You're left with a box that can't record though, and unlike frugalmacdougal who has a separate recorder as well as a Sky box, if you are going to spend money on a device, it might as well be a Freesat recorder, and make it FreeTime if you want to add catch up and on demand stuff.
'Freeview' is a digital terrestrial platform, and is therefore only available through the aerial. You're talking about 'free to view TV' - slight difference.

merchcon55

If you buy the NOW TV boxes (or equivalent products) you will have all the freeview catch up player aps (BBC, ITV, Channel 4, etc..) already installed. You will need a wireless internet signal, with reasonable speed.

As mentioned by another poster, you can then choose to get many other channels for only £6.99/month - and there are deals that make this even cheaper.

You cannot record programmes, but you can pause and rewind.

Inner_Zone

merchcon55 wrote: »

If you buy the NOW TV boxes (or equivalent products) you will have all the freeview catch up player aps (BBC, ITV, Channel 4, etc..) already installed. You will need a wireless internet signal, with reasonable speed.

As mentioned by another poster, you can then choose to get many other channels for only £6.99/month - and there are deals that make this even cheaper.

You cannot record programmes, but you can pause and rewind.

You can record from the white box.

teddysmum

Inner_Zone wrote: »

You can record from the white box.

I can't find one that does, could you point one out, please ?

Fi_83

jem16 wrote: »

Your best bet would be to buy a Humax Freesat box with Freetime. This will simply connect up with your Sky cables and give you all the Freesat channels plus catch up through Freetime. This works by "rolling back" in the EPG so it's all seamless. You will also be able to record and pause just like Sky providing you buy one with a hard drive.

You can buy refurbished models directly from Humax which are great value. I replaced a multiroom Sky box with the Humax HDR 1000S.

http://www.humaxdirect.co.uk/refurbished.html?tv_platform=245

Sorry to butt in- but I have been thinking about cancelling my Virgin media subscription, as I only watch freeview channels. But I really want to keep recording and pausing live TV. I have no satellite or aerial. Would the Humax box work for me with the virgin cabling? Or is it getting signal through Sky satellite

Kurtis_Blue

Fi_83 wrote: »

Sorry to butt in- but I have been thinking about cancelling my Virgin media subscription, as I only watch freeview channels. But I really want to keep recording and pausing live TV. I have no satellite or aerial. Would the Humax box work for me with the virgin cabling? Or is it getting signal through Sky satellite

No you cannot connect anything to the VM network.

teddysmum

Fi_83 wrote: »

Sorry to butt in- but I have been thinking about cancelling my Virgin media subscription, as I only watch freeview channels. But I really want to keep recording and pausing live TV. I have no satellite or aerial. Would the Humax box work for me with the virgin cabling? Or is it getting signal through Sky satellite

You will either need an aerial and a Freeview PVR box, such as a Humax or a dish and a Freesat box.


Freeview and Freesat boxes and sources are not interchangeable, but if you have good reception, you may get away with an indoor aerial (perhaps with mains booster) and a Freeview PVR.