Are Freesat boxes really this bad?

JohnSwift10

I am thinking of ditching Sky and getting Freesat.

I used to have an aerial but when the soffits were repaired I removed it but didn't replace it.

I have Sky Q so will have to buy a Freesat box.

I have a friend who has a Freesat box so I asked him what it was like and had a look at his Freesat box.

It was like Windows 3.1, that was the first thing that came to me. The menus looked like file menus

No graphics, having to scroll through text menus, only record one program at a time.

I don't think I could live with that after Sky Q.

Even my Freeview TV is better than that. I would be just as well getting a new aerial and fitting a USB drive to my tv and record from that one program at a time. I used to do that before I got Sky Q.

Peppa537

This doesn't sound like the newer Arris 4k Freesat box, however my advise is to avoid it anyway. I haven't got one but other forums are full of people who've had nothing but trouble with them. You're lucky if the hard drive in them lasts more than 18 months as well. Sometimes you can get Essentials from Sky if you have a Q box (freesat channels only) for £5 a month, the usual price of £15 is way too much even though you can record, live pause etc. Otherwise when my Sky Signature deal ends next year I'll just be using the satellite receiver in my TV and a firestick. 

Longwalker

I used to have a freestat and could record 2 programmes at a time - I had Sky previously but then I just got a smart tv and watch what I want when I want, no need to record anything 

Longwalker

I used to have a freestat and could record 2 programmes at a time - I had Sky previously but then I just got a smart tv and watch what I want when I want, no need to record anything 

JohnSwift10

Freeview it is. Or not

I found my old aerial and stuck it in the loft and connected a USB drive to my TV so now I can record one program while watching another if I ditch Sky Q.

It still had all the channels and settings from when I took the aerial down.

And it is a lot better visually than my friend's Freesat box

Just like the old days with a VHS recorder.

Wife isn't happy though, so I suppose I will still be keeping Sky Q

Rodders53

The freesat 4k box when used with the $ky Q wideband LNB can record / watch 4 channels at the same time.  Some users are happy enough with them. Some are dreadfully unhappy though (deservedly).

Better choice of freeview pvrs the more recent of which also do 3 or 4 record at once events and are a tad cheaper than the freesat offering.

Why is wife unhappy?  Which channels does she 'need' that are not available on Freeview or via a Catchup App (even if a paid subscription)?

JohnSwift10

Rodders53 said:

Why is wife unhappy?  Which channels does she 'need' that are not available on Freeview or via a Catchup App (even if a paid subscription)?

Movies, Sky channels, Alibi  and Paramount +. and all the on demand and catchup stuff.

We rarely watch live TV.

The idea is to not pay a subscription to anything

JSmithy45AD

JohnSwift10 said:

Freeview it is. Or not

I found my old aerial and stuck it in the loft and connected a USB drive to my TV so now I can record one program while watching another if I ditch Sky Q.

It still had all the channels and settings from when I took the aerial down.

And it is a lot better visually than my friend's Freesat box

Just like the old days with a VHS recorder.

Wife isn't happy though, so I suppose I will still be keeping Sky Q

If you do go back to Freeview then you'll need to do a full retune as things will have changed since. Do a full auto retune with the aerial plugged out, then plug it back in and retune once more.

JohnSwift10

JSmithy45AD said:

If you do go back to Freeview then you'll need to do a full retune as things will have changed since. Do a full auto retune with the aerial plugged out, then plug it back in and retune once more.

I have already done that.