Is Freesat worth it if you already have Freeview?

Marches

Freeview is the easiest of the two to receive (so long as you have a good signal) - most TV's have it built in now, plug in the aerial and you're away.
But is it worth bothering with Freesat as well? I have a dish, I've looked at the channel list and all it seems to be is BBC, ITV, C4 and Five channels, then some okay looking CBS ones and then a load of rubbish ones. Missing are good ones from Freeview, most of the decent Freesat channels are already on Freeview anyway...

So I'm wondering whether to bother. Without adjusting the dish, would I be able to access European channels? I want to learn a language and then stay fluent in it, I figure watching tv in said language may help towards that - can channels from France and Germany be picked up or do I have to adjust the dish?

Moneymaker

No, no and yes.

Marches

Moneymaker wrote: »

No, no and yes.

Would the satellite have to be adjusted for European channels? As far as Freesat itself goes though, I think I answered my own question.

[Deleted User]

Marches wrote: »

Would the satellite have to be adjusted for European channels?

Yes the dish would have to be aligned with a different satellite rather than the one from which Sky and Freesat broadcast.

By the way, if you still have a working Sky digibox (assuming you were once a Sky customer) then this will provide a similar bouquet of channels as Freesat without any extra set up cost. Otherwise, I'd simply continue with Freeview.

Marches

Moneyineptitude wrote: »

Yes the dish would have to be aligned with a different satellite rather than the one from which Sky and Freesat broadcast.

By the way, if you still have a working Sky digibox (assuming you were once a Sky customer) then this will provide a similar bouquet of channels as Freesat without any extra set up cost. Otherwise, I'd simply continue with Freeview.

I won't bother then. It's a new place and has a satellite feed as well as aerial. The dish might be shared with the other flat, I'm not entirely sure which one it is and don't want to go adjusting it if someone else is using it.
Might as well stick with Freeview only.

Thanks

macman

Marches wrote: »

I won't bother then. It's a new place and has a satellite feed as well as aerial. The dish might be shared with the other flat, I'm not entirely sure which one it is and don't want to go adjusting it if someone else is using it.
Might as well stick with Freeview only.

Thanks

Why not follow the cabling from the LNB to see which flat it enters? Dishes are not normally shared between properties.

mcfisco

macman wrote: »

Why not follow the cabling from the LNB to see which flat it enters? Dishes are not normally shared between properties.

I make part of my living designing and commissioning communal TV and satellite systems.
Shared dishes in flats etc. are quite common.

macman

If it's a communal install for a purpose built apartment block, yes. But that does not appear to be the case here.

davemurgatroyd

macman wrote: »

If it's a communal install for a purpose built apartment block, yes. But that does not appear to be the case here.

Shared dishes are very common on houses converted to flats. Communal systems using multiswitches etc are not necessary for 2 or 3 flats where they are on a common phase mains electricity supply.

Moneymaker

Marches wrote: »

The dish might be shared with the other flat, I'm not entirely sure which one it is and don't want to go adjusting it if someone else is using it.

Disconnect each cable in turn. If nobody screams, it's yours.

Marches

Marches wrote: »

Not really related to the license, but a little experience of mine...

So upon moving into a new place, paid for TV license, moved in TV, plugged in the aerial lead present in the property and guess what?.............
No signal! :mad: :mad: :mad: Typical!

Checked the freeview website and said only a reduced "Freeview light" service was available (BBC + ITV + 4 and Five channels basically), but couldn't even pick that up. Bought an indoor aerial, still no joy.
Found a satellite connection at the back of the property and had to buy a Freesat box and satellite cable and bring it all the way through hoping that the dish worked. Luckily it did.

Previous Freeview box recorded though, couldn't afford a Freesat + box at the moment (and they need 2 feeds to record to channels at once anyway, I only have one - although the Humax Foxsat ones can record 2 channels via one feed if they're at the same frequency, but they're not cheap). Now I have to watch live TV for a month after having years of lovely on demand TV and not having to sit down at set times to catch a programme. Woe is me.

So I settled for Freesat. Will sell the Freeview + box and get a Freesat + one.