Leave Sky and go to Freesat - Any good?

[Deleted User]

Colin_Maybe wrote: »

Anyone who gets or keeps Sky Q could still use the feeds on a hybrid LNB and watch Freesat on the other boxes around the house without paying £12 extra a month for Sky multiroom. That's moneysaving

Unfortunately the Sky Q mini boxes connected to the main Sky Q decoder are wi-fi and so not also connected to the dish. Anyone with such an arrangement would therefore need to shell out for extra original Sky decoders in order to get "multi-room" Freesat. It's also only a "saving" if the customer doesn't mind losing access to the subscription channels in those other rooms.

In addition, don't forget that Q boxes have to be returned to Sky on cancellation. The hybrid Q connection will then become redundant.


So, only a basic twin feed LNB is required for a single Freesat Humax box. This will cost around a third of the price of a needless hybrid. No need to buy a satellite finder either, just be ultra careful of moving the dish out of alignment while fitting the LNB. Now that IS moneysaving:money:

Colin_Maybe wrote: »

Will a tenner pay for someone local to come around clambering up on the roof (presumably) to do it for them?

No, but I really wouldn't expect someone to install an LNB if the dish is on the roof

[Deleted User]

Moneyineptitude wrote: »

Unfortunately the Sky Q mini boxes connected to the main Sky Q decoder are wi-fi and so not also connected to the dish. Anyone with such an arrangement would therefore need to shell out for extra original Sky decoders in order to get "multi-room" Freesat. It's also only a "saving" if the customer doesn't mind losing access to the subscription channels in those other rooms.

In addition, don't forget that Q boxes have to be returned to Sky on cancellation. The hybrid Q connection will then become redundant.


So, only a basic twin feed LNB is required for a single Freesat Humax box. This will cost around a third of the price of a needless hybrid. No need to buy a satellite finder either, just be ultra careful of moving the dish out of alignment while fitting the LNB. Now that IS moneysaving:money:


No, but I really wouldn't expect someone to install an LNB if the dish is on the roof

Who mentioned buying new boxes? Is the term Freesat not self explanatory?

The satellite finder was only mentioned in case they did move the dish, did you miss that bit too? :rotfl:

Robisere

First, thanks for moving my Thread and thanks to all who gave advice and help, much appreciated.
I return to this having carried out more research and decided to buy a Humax HDR-1100S:

https://uk.humaxdigital.com/product/hdr-1100s/

I have a mate in the village who is a commercial supplier and fitter of TV/Internet/video services and will fit me a TWIN * LNB, also making sure the dish is correctly aligned. All for a low cash price.

*There is a difference, I have found, between a Twin LNB and a Dual LNB. The Twin is served by ONE satellite, whether Sky, Astra or Freesat. The Sky LNB is wideband and different to the Freesat LNB.

The Dual is served by TWO satellite services, usually Freesat and Sky. There is also another name for the Dual: Hybrid, and (just to add more confusion), there are Quad and Octo LNB's which can also be Hybrid. Or not, if they are only used to supply multi-room setups with the same satellite service.

After the new LNB is fitted and dish is OK, the two F-connectors which are currently connected to the Q box, will connect directly to the Humax box, which also has Ethernet, Wireless, HDMI, optical, SPDIF and USB ports. I already have an ethernet cable previously used for something else, which has been routed over the loft and into a wall plate. This will connect the Humax. The optical port will connect to my sound bar. All in all, I am expecting to be go on the 26th of this month.

I wouldn't say that I hate Sky, more disillusioned with what was on offer. I don't think that I will miss much more than a couple of box sets, and I also have a NOWTV box that I can use occasionally, when GOT returns next year, or a film, box set or Sports event catches my eye. I think that I will get as much or more out of that mix, as I got from Sky. Even allowing for the expense of the Humax box - once bought, it will last longer than my Sky contract did, and work out cheaper. Time will tell, I suppose.

I have learned some things new again, which at 72 years of age is another bonus!

Mister_G

You may want to consider fitting a quad LNB, as then you can add another Humax receiver (or even a second hand Sky box) later (bedroom perhaps?). The difference in cost is really quite small (£2-3).

[Deleted User]

Robisere wrote: »

First, thanks for moving my Thread and thanks to all who gave advice and help, much appreciated.
I return to this having carried out more research and decided to buy a Humax HDR-1100S:

https://uk.humaxdigital.com/product/hdr-1100s/

I have a mate in the village who is a commercial supplier and fitter of TV/Internet/video services and will fit me a TWIN * LNB, also making sure the dish is correctly aligned. All for a low cash price.

*There is a difference, I have found, between a Twin LNB and a Dual LNB. The Twin is served by ONE satellite, whether Sky, Astra or Freesat. The Sky LNB is wideband and different to the Freesat LNB.

The Dual is served by TWO satellite services, usually Freesat and Sky. There is also another name for the Dual: Hybrid, and (just to add more confusion), there are Quad and Octo LNB's which can also be Hybrid. Or not, if they are only used to supply multi-room setups with the same satellite service.

After the new LNB is fitted and dish is OK, the two F-connectors which are currently connected to the Q box, will connect directly to the Humax box, which also has Ethernet, Wireless, HDMI, optical, SPDIF and USB ports. I already have an ethernet cable previously used for something else, which has been routed over the loft and into a wall plate. This will connect the Humax. The optical port will connect to my sound bar. All in all, I am expecting to be go on the 26th of this month.

I wouldn't say that I hate Sky, more disillusioned with what was on offer. I don't think that I will miss much more than a couple of box sets, and I also have a NOWTV box that I can use occasionally, when GOT returns next year, or a film, box set or Sports event catches my eye. I think that I will get as much or more out of that mix, as I got from Sky. Even allowing for the expense of the Humax box - once bought, it will last longer than my Sky contract did, and work out cheaper. Time will tell, I suppose.

I have learned some things new again, which at 72 years of age is another bonus!

That’s exactly what I did. Why pay sky all that money?
The Humax 1100s is excellent and I got a 5 year warranty with mine from richersounds for an extra 20 quid.

Robisere

Mister_G wrote: »

You may want to consider fitting a quad LNB, as then you can add another Humax receiver (or even a second hand Sky box) later (bedroom perhaps?). The difference in cost is really quite small (£2-3).

Many thanks for that, but we are a couple in our 70's who live in a small 2-bed bungalow. My OH does not watch TV much after 11 pm, as she is usually dozing beside me on the settee by then. We like some of the same programmes, but sport, war and anything with more than a little violent content, turns her off. I usually watch early sport on the PC in a separate room, as I have fitted a TV card to it, whilst she watches stuff such as quizzes, 'talent' shows and Come Dancing on the main box in the lounge. After 11 pm I will have the main TV to myself. OH does not want a TV in the bedroom.

[Deleted User]

Colin_Maybe wrote: »

Who mentioned buying new boxes? Is the term Freesat not self explanatory?

The point was that Robisere has Sky Q, so in order to get Freesat in other rooms he'd have to buy separate and different decoders to his current set up. I know you said your answers were for general reading, mine were specific to the ones which the poster asked.

Robisere wrote: »

I wouldn't say that I hate Sky

Well, your threads on the subject of cancellation certainly gave that impression; First accusing them of fraud and later of deliberately reducing your internet speed simply because you cancelled! :eek:

By the way, you really didn't need to pay anyone to fit a new LNB; it's definitely a DIY job.

Robisere

Quote:
Originally Posted by Robisere
I wouldn't say that I hate Sky

Well, your threads on the subject of cancellation certainly gave that impression; First accusing them of fraud and later of deliberately reducing your internet speed simply because you cancelled! :eek:

By the way, you really didn't need to pay anyone to fit a new LNB; it's definitely a DIY job.

Yes you keep bringing that up, don't you? Exaggeration is your forte, it seems. Look back at that post (cba to link it) and see that it was not an accusation. And my download speed was reduced, still is not what I began with and had for the first few weeks. I had many more problems than those with Sky, who took their own sweet time about doing anything about them, every time, and often completely screwed up the 'solution' by making things worse. An accumulation of successive problems, and the fact that I was not getting my money's worth, led to me leaving.
You obviously did not read the reasons why I am having the LNB professionally fitted, but that seems to be a part of your selective reading history.
To prevent me reading any more of your comments on this thread, I will not return to it.

[Deleted User]

Robisere wrote: »

You obviously did not read the reasons why I am having the LNB professionally fitted, but that seems to be a part of your selective reading history.

I did indeed read what you've said in all your Sky related posts. But I won't hark back to your other problems again.

I told you what LNB to purchase and fit from the outset and I also said it was a DIY job. I stand by that assertion. It's your own choice to pay someone (even a friend doing it cheaply).

It is, of course, also your own choice to ignore my responses. just as it mine to construct such responses.

Note that it's just as easy to set individual posters to "ignore" as it is to not return to specific threads.

Good luck with your new Humax decoder. I hope it gives you many happy trouble-free years of service.

almillar

Who mentioned buying new boxes? Is the term Freesat not self explanatory?

It definitely isn't! If you've got Sky and you stop subscribing, you end up with 'freesatfromsky'. No cost. If you want Freesat you need to buy a Freesat box, with a logo and everything.
Also not to be confused with, simply, free satellite, where you can buy a box, a dish, and point it at whatever satellite you can find to receive TV.

I return to this having carried out more research and decided to buy a Humax HDR-1100S:

Good call.

*There is a difference, I have found, between a Twin LNB and a Dual LNB. The Twin is served by ONE satellite, whether Sky, Astra or Freesat. The Sky LNB is wideband and different to the Freesat LNB.

This isn't my understanding. I've got Freesat and Sky HD in my house, and a Quad LNB. One dish, one LNB, all pointing at the same place, serving out 4 outputs (2 to the Sky box, 2 to the Freesat box. Sky and Freesat come from the same satellite.

Hybrid,

- this is the new one. It has come along with Sky Q, which uses a different type of LNB (?) and can't be used with others. Sky, SkyHD and Freesat can all take a feed from a 'normal' LNB. Sky Q needs a 'special' LNB, and if you want to mix services, you need a Hybrid LNB.