Leave Sky and go to Freesat - Any good?

Robisere

If you did decide to have a Humax when your Bband is upgraded, you would need to fit a new LNB to the Sky dish. That's the bit that sits in the centre of the dish and has 2 cables coming out of it. If you wanted it to serve two TV's, you would need a QUAD LNB.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sky-LNB-Output-Quad-Freesat/dp/B00KS4M786

This Humax link to the 1100s, also shows the available channels.

https://www.humaxdirect.co.uk/freesat/humax-hdr-1100s-freesat-recorder-black.html

I left Sky and fitted a Dual LNB, as we only use the Humax on one TV. If you use a Humax with poor download speeds, the 1100s has an Ethernet cable socket, which is what I used before our BB was upgraded: we also had just 1.5 to 2 Mbps download before Fibre came into the village. I note that your OH uses his laptop for TV. Does he have a TV tuner fitted? Here is a Freesat tuner for a laptop:

http://www.hauppauge.co.uk/site/products/data_novas2.html

Freeview tuners (this one is HD & has 2 tuners):

http://www.hauppauge.co.uk/site/products/data_dualhd.html

neilmcl

Robisere wrote: »

If you did decide to have a Humax when your Bband is upgraded, you would need to fit a new LNB to the Sky dish. That's the bit that sits in the centre of the dish and has 2 cables coming out of it. If you wanted it to serve two TV's, you would need a QUAD LNB.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sky-LNB-Output-Quad-Freesat/dp/B00KS4M786

This Humax link to the 1100s, also shows the available channels.

https://www.humaxdirect.co.uk/freesat/humax-hdr-1100s-freesat-recorder-black.html

I left Sky and fitted a Dual LNB, as we only use the Humax on one TV. If you use a Humax with poor download speeds, the 1100s has an Ethernet cable socket, which is what I used before our BB was upgraded: we also had just 1.5 to 2 Mbps download before Fibre came into the village. I note that your OH uses his laptop for TV. Does he have a TV tuner fitted? Here is a Freesat tuner for a laptop:

http://www.hauppauge.co.uk/site/products/data_novas2.html

Freeview tuners (this one is HD & has 2 tuners):

http://www.hauppauge.co.uk/site/products/data_dualhd.html

Not necessarily. Unless the OP has had Sky Q and the LNB isn't a hybrid then they wouldn't need a new LNB for the dish, unless as you suggest they only have a dual LNB with just 2 outputs and they needed to feed two boxes.

Sunflowerssuffolk, if you have a working aerial with feeds for both TV's then I'd suggest you'd be better off with a Freeview or Youview recorder, you can pick these up for a hell of a lot less than the Humax Freesat boxes, especially second hand.

sunflowersuffolk

Thanks Neilm. I checked our speed and it's only 1.5 Mbps so Youview no good, unless our speed is improved as promised. I will try and find out if that is really happening soon as it will affect our decision.

There is only an aerial in my room, so I at least could have Freeview. I checked our postcode on freeview, it said we would get 21 freeview channels, 6 freeview HD, and 16 radio stations. Not sure how good that is.

Apparently our aerial is currently pointed at the nearest transmitter, which is onlya Freeview Light, so doesn't get a lot of programmes. We could change it to point to another transmitter in next county further away, still map says we would gets more programmes apparently.

[Deleted User]

sunflowersuffolk wrote: »

Thanks Neilm. I checked our speed and it's only 1.5 Mbps so Youview no good, unless our speed is improved as promised. I will try and find out if that is really happening soon as it will affect our decision.

There is only an aerial in my room, so I at least could have Freeview. I checked our postcode on freeview, it said we would get 21 freeview channels, 6 freeview HD, and 16 radio stations. Not sure how good that is.

Apparently our aerial is currently pointed at the nearest transmitter, which is onlya Freeview Light, so doesn't get a lot of programmes. We could change it to point to another transmitter in next county further away, still map says we would gets more programmes apparently.

Just 1.5Mb will give you issues on using catch-up as well I'm afraid.

I just checked on http://www.digitaluk.co.uk/ and I can receive 109 SD Freeview channels and 12 HD so if using the aerial you may want to check you've got the correct aerial and do actually have it set up correctly. Of course it may be that that is already optimal for yourself.

https://www.freeview.co.uk/support/before-you-buy/reception-aerials-and-coverage

Mister_G

It looks like the OP is served by a relay station, with the restricted number of channels (muxes). Of course this may be sufficient for their needs.

It may be possible to install a larger aerial pointing at a main station, but that will depend on how far away it is.

For the technically minded, you can check here:

http://www.wolfbane.net/cgi-bin/tvd.exe?

It's looking like the Freesat option may well be best.

It doesn't appear that the OP has Sky Q, so the LNB will not need changing, unless it's not a quad already.

sunflowersuffolk

Thanks everyone. We are currently pointed at Aldeburgh, our nearest but more limited station 4 miles away.

Apparently, according to OH, we could have it changed around and pointed at Tachelstone - 25 miles away - which offers much more - suggestion on that link for us is amplified extra hi gain, whatever that means.

Nothing is simple for us. I am getting a bit confused on my best option now. Checking Freeview for my postcode, limited 1 Freeview channels and 6 HD.

Freesat - my current TV doesn't have HDMI, which I think is needed? Could I buy new TV with freesat included, including the record and pause? I realise I'd have to have some extra cables added to sky box too. I don't want a huge TV, mine is only 26", so say 32" max, and most are much bigger.

neilmcl

sunflowersuffolk wrote: »

Thanks everyone. We are currently pointed at Aldeburgh, our nearest but more limited station 4 miles away.

Apparently, according to OH, we could have it changed around and pointed at Tachelstone - 25 miles away - which offers much more - suggestion on that link for us is amplified extra hi gain, whatever that means.

Nothing is simple for us. I am getting a bit confused on my best option now. Checking Freeview for my postcode, limited 1 Freeview channels and 6 HD.

Freesat - my current TV doesn't have HDMI, which I think is needed? Could I buy new TV with freesat included, including the record and pause? I realise I'd have to have some extra cables added to sky box too. I don't want a huge TV, mine is only 26", so say 32" max, and most are much bigger.

Sounds like you're due an upgrade in TV and yes you can get ones with Freesat, a lot of Panasonics come with Freesat but none I know of will allow you to record, other than to a USB device. Also I think you'll struggle getting one at only 32".

There are older Humax recorder models that do have scart inputs, I believ the HDR-1000s does so you might be able to get one of these from ebay, gumtree etc.

Cornucopia

Or the current Humax HDR-1100S has phono outputs that could be used to connect to an older TV via SCART or Phono.

Mister_G

sunflowersuffolk wrote: »

Thanks everyone. We are currently pointed at Aldeburgh, our nearest but more limited station 4 miles away.

Apparently, according to OH, we could have it changed around and pointed at Tachelstone - 25 miles away - which offers much more - suggestion on that link for us is amplified extra hi gain, whatever that means.

Nothing is simple for us. I am getting a bit confused on my best option now. Checking Freeview for my postcode, limited 1 Freeview channels and 6 HD.

Freesat - my current TV doesn't have HDMI, which I think is needed? Could I buy new TV with freesat included, including the record and pause? I realise I'd have to have some extra cables added to sky box too. I don't want a huge TV, mine is only 26", so say 32" max, and most are much bigger.

An amplified extra high gain aerial will not come cheap, especially with installation charge. Even then, you may struggle to get an acceptable signal. This is the reason that the Aldeburgh relay was built.

The Freesat option is still looking favourite.

sunflowersuffolk

Hi
just one more query please. Someone suggested I try Talk Talk.

I put in my postcode and checked and they say I can get up to 37mb. Typical download speed 36Mb - 37Mb. Typical upload 9Mb - 9Mb.

Many thanks.