No TV aerial reception - satellite?

travel_freak

Hello,

I've moved recently and at the house there is a standard TV aerial with TV points in two rooms but I can't get any reception in either room, either with the aerial points or a set top aerial.

There is also a satellite dish on the wall and I think the last owners were with Virgin for this.

I have no experience of satellite dishes and don't really want a subscriber service - just the normal free channels.

My question is, before I get someone in to try and fix the standard aerial, is there any way I can make use of the satellite dish to pick up the ordinary channels without paying a monthly subscription charge?

The leads for the satellite are strange - they don't have the normal aerial connectors on the end, just straight bits of copper wire?

I'd be really grateful for any advice.

Many thanks.

PaulK_3

Virgin do not use satellite dishes for their cable tv service. To get any channels on the satellite dish you will need a sky box or similar to decode the signal and either a subscription card that is valid or buy a freesatfromsky card for £20.

payless

a sky viewing box and card ( no card limits channels ) can be obtained subscription free ( try ebay) , although you are relying it being working , plus the dish / lnb ( thing in middle ) being set up right, plus then installing .

OR ( i know you don't want subscription ... but might be more cost effective tyhan 2nd hand )
Have you thought about buying Sky via quidco ( £125 cashback) think min deal is £16pm X12m , plus £30 install so for a net £97 you get the lot installed for the yr - new / warranty ... then after 12m you can cancel and use box/ card for free digital viewing
( they also have offers on Broadband/ tel - although customer service is questionable)

other than that- you need to see if aerial sockets are connected to anything in / or on roof- if so does moving it around help

Inactive

Just get a second hand Sky Receiver from a Car Boot or eBay etc, connect it up, sorted. ( Assuming everything is in working order ).

You will not get CH4 CH5's or Sky 3 without a card, all other free channels will work without a card.

Idiophreak

do you know anyone that has a sky box that you could borrow and see whether the dish actually works before you think about going down that route?

5limJim

Check freeycle, i often see Sky boxes on there...

I know you wouldnt want to wait, but the Freesat service from BBC/ITV is due at the beginning of this year...

espresso

travel_freak wrote: »

Hello,

I've moved recently and at the house there is a standard TV aerial with TV points in two rooms but I can't get any reception in either room, either with the aerial points or a set top aerial.

As you have moved, did you retune the TV? You may need to use a different transmitter where you are now.

Inactive

espresso wrote: »

As you have moved, did you retune the TV? You may need to use a different transmitter where you are now.

Good point espresso, one that I and everyone else had overlooked.;)

travel_freak

Hi,

Thanks to all for the helpful replies.

Yes, I tried retuning but just get a really bad picture with the indoor aerial and no signal/picture at all with the outdoor aerial (the aerial is on a chimney and too high for me to get to, it looks secure but maybe the wiring might have been damaged?).

Excuse my dimness but as there is a satellite dish already in place and wiring from it to the rooms, if I can get or borrow a Sky box should it be compatible with the dish that is there (are they universal)?

Also is the Sky box just like a freeview box, so instead of the outdoor aerial point, I use the cable running in from the satellite dish and put that into the back of the Sky box? The cable coming in doesn't have a normal connector on it, there's a small silver bit but then just a bit of bare copper wire - is this correct/normal or should it have a normal aerial end bit on it?

As the dish and wiring are there, does this mean I don't need to do anything externally with the dish, just plug the sky box in to the cable inside?

Many, many thanks.

travel_freak

Thanks 5limJim, do you have any info on how the Freesat service does/will work please and how I would pick signals up for this, i.e. what equipment I would need?

Sorry to be dim, I only progressed to a normal aerial and Freeview box in my previous house.

moonrakerz

Have your neighbours got a good signal ?

If you have a bad picture on an internal aerial and no picture on the external one, it is almost certainly your external aerial that is duff.

If I was in your position I would get an aerial man in to put up a new digital aerial, £100 - £150 ish and get a freeview box, £25 up.