Satellite vs Aerial

morvin777

Hi all,
I am buying a new build house and I am clueless about what difference between satellite and aerial is.

The builder is offering to install for "Astrapak" in the loft for the satellite for a charge. Is that something I need to have channels from Sky/BT/Virgin?

Please could you explain how aerial and satellite work? and whether I need a satellite dish for Sky etc.

Many thanks

DCFC79

Yes you need a dish for Sky, no idea what an astrapak is but you dont need 1 for Virgin nor BT. Maybe ask an independant installer for a price and what they would do eg would they fit an astrapak.

Its Sky, cable or freeview

Sky will at some point stop providing the dish and move over to other means of getting the service to you.
Virgin is cable
Freeview uses a TV ariel

Gloomendoom

Freesat uses a dish.

My house used to be owned by a radio ham and he obviously had a bit of an aerial fixation. There were two on each chimney stack. They looked awful so I removed them all and had a Sky dish fitted unobtrusively at the back of the house. I have found that problem with relying on just satellite is that it cuts out in heavy rain or snow.

iniltous

morvin777 wrote: »

Hi all,
I am buying a new build house and I am clueless about what difference between satellite and aerial is.

The builder is offering to install for "Astrapak" in the loft for the satellite for a charge. Is that something I need to have channels from Sky/BT/Virgin?

Please could you explain how aerial and satellite work? and whether I need a satellite dish for Sky etc.

Many thanks

Not sure you can get satellite TV directly from something ( a dish ?) in the loft, perhaps they are offering a type of cable TV, where they have a communal dish sited remotely and you benefit from that being 'cabled' into your loft
I think you need to ask the developer, but Sky and Freesat need an external dish, Virgin , you need to be in a VM area , and other TV services (BTTV etc) are a mix of 'ordinary' freeview aerial channels supplemented by channels delivered over your broadband connection
Satellite TV needs a external dish pointing at the orbital position of the satellite transmitting the 'channels' you want, a TV aerial can be inside or outside the property and pointed at the TV transmitter for your location and mainly delivers 'freeview'

[Deleted User]

I suspect that may be some sort of booster/distribution box for satellite and aerial?

You plug a satellite or/and aerial feed into it through your eaves and the signal is boosted into multiple outlets which are wired into the house coming out at various sockets.

Edit: purely a guess by the way.

teddysmum

I assume the offered kit is a larger version of the mini dish and receiver sold by the likes of Aldi,to watch any free channels it can find.


If having Sky, they will provide the dish as part of the setup cost,so no pint in having the builders offer,then paying Sky,too.

morvin777

Thanks for the replies, I will ask the builders what exactly is an Astrapak

AndyPK

what tv's recorders and services do you currently have?

Rodders53

Do not bother with builder's extra cost offer.

$ky now do a different receiver system ($ky Q) which is incompatible with most systems builders are likely to supply. These can do multiroom without cables (use Wi-Fi).

Check if there is a ban on external aerials for UHF TV or Satellite dishes on the property _before you commit to buy_ as those Codicil restrictions will be burdensome in many locations. Especially if you want free (non Sky or Virgin) TV.

Check our Freeview reception predictions for the area (use Show Home postcode?) to ensure you get All the TV programme channels you would like.

DCFC79

morvin777 wrote: »

Thanks for the replies, I will ask the builders what exactly is an Astrapak

To be honest I wouldn't bother speaking to the builder, get someone like Sky or Virgin to get you connected if its possible and if theres no restrictions as Rodders points out.

[Deleted User]

teddysmum wrote: »

I assume the offered kit is a larger version of the mini dish and receiver sold by the likes of Aldi,to watch any free channels it can find.


If having Sky, they will provide the dish as part of the setup cost,so no pint in having the builders offer,then paying Sky,too.

Unless they put the dish outside it wouldn't work, satellite dishes need line of sight.