Freesat: 80 channels, £150, or £200 with HD inc. installation

bribrian

Sun..... what sun!!! lol...
I hope someone can help me here, i have a very old dish & receiver tuned into the old sky/astra satellite (the receiver is a Fedelity SR950+, 2GHz, 200channel). My question is can any of this equipment be used for freesat..?
Thanks....

stphnstevey

Clowance wrote: »

Don't know the answer to using your current card, suggest you try it before spending money?

However we did pay £20 for the card from sky, and bought an old sky box off ebay to connect to a cheapie lidl satellite, and you use your normal remote and get your normal menu of channels, but if you try and access a pay channel it simply tells you it isnt available. HTH

And I am tired of all the fuss about freeview etc, despite living in an area with a quarter of a million people we wont be able to get it until 2012 and even then not channel 5, which we also cant get on terrestrial. GRRR (rant over)

I have a Sky Digital Satallite and bought a SKy Digital receiver in the bootsale. It had the original Sky Card, but when I connected it up, it would only show 4 channels and wouldn't let me tune into any other stations. Came up with Sky Viewing Card error when tried to retune.

Can you get a card from Sky for £20 then? How long will this card last for?

mm244

stphnstevey wrote: »

I have a Sky Digital Satallite and bought a SKy Digital receiver in the bootsale. It had the original Sky Card, but when I connected it up, it would only show 4 channels and wouldn't let me tune into any other stations. Came up with Sky Viewing Card error when tried to retune.

Can you get a card from Sky for £20 then? How long will this card last for?

Apparently you phone sky 08448 244 400.
More info here

michael_thornton

stphnstevey wrote: »

I have a Sky Digital Satallite and bought a SKy Digital receiver in the bootsale. It had the original Sky Card, but when I connected it up, it would only show 4 channels and wouldn't let me tune into any other stations. Came up with Sky Viewing Card error when tried to retune.

you can try to update the box software by switching off at the main hold backup on the box on and switching on you get a black screen with updating software takes 10 to 15 minutes worth a go

RJ1970

stphnstevey wrote: »

I have a Sky Digital Satallite and bought a SKy Digital receiver in the bootsale. It had the original Sky Card, but when I connected it up, it would only show 4 channels and wouldn't let me tune into any other stations. Came up with Sky Viewing Card error when tried to retune.

Can you get a card from Sky for £20 then? How long will this card last for?

Keep your existing card that SKY will say has been switched off when you cancel your subscription, they have cancelled the subscription channels you no longer subscribe to and this also deactivates the free to view channels as well leaving only the free to air channels, leave the card in the receiver and powered on the set top box will (might take 2-3 days) the card will reactivate to receive free to view channels. This will be the same card as you would get from Freesat from SKY.
The main difference between freesat and Freesat from SKY is the EPG (Electronic Program Guide), if you go the Freesat from SKY route the EPG will be cluttered with all the subscription channels you can not receive, if you have SKY+ the you will not be able to record this includes recording FTA/FTV channels, if you have SKY HD you will still be able to receive BBC HD you will not receive ITV HD as it is a red button service exclusive to freesat for the time being.
Humax will be bringing out a freesat HD PVR for Christmas 2008, 320 gb, twin tuners release price expected to be around £300, this will surely fall after Christmas.
Channel 5 is not on freesat, it is anticipated it will be available by Christmas, all freesat receivers have an Ethernet port it is anticipated they will soon have access to BBC iPlayer via broadband next year.
Lots of info can be found here: http://www.freesatadvice.co.uk also contains a price compare section for freesat set boxes.
Specific freesat questions can quickly be found and answered on the Digital Spy freesat forum: http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=142

jarman57

hi i am new to this its the first time i have used it could anyone tell me how many freesat boxes you can add to one sattelite dish thinking about having it installed only heard about freesat today
thanks for any help:eek:

almillar

Doesn't matter about the dish, matters about the LNB (in the middle of the dish). Generally they have 1, 4 or even 8 outputs. If you have had Sky for years, you've probably got 1. If you have Sky+ it'll have 4. Sky+ (or similar) uses 2 of these feeds. 4 output LNBs can be had on eBay very cheap if you're up to unclipping and clipping your LNB if required, or just adding in extra wires and running them to the right place in your house. I'm waiting for the Freesat HD recorder which will hopefully be release before Christmas...

mollysbb

Am I right in thinking that if I just want to watch the weekend soap omnibuses and bbc and channel 4 documentaries, then all I have to do is buy a gadget to connect my laptop to my computer and watch them on i-player, 4oD etc? Have cancelled the ridiculously expensive sky+ (£56 pm for everything :eek: ) and will eventually buy a humax, when the recording ones come out, but will be great not to be putting money into rupert murdoch's pockets any more :j :j yet still be able to watch what I want, when I want...

Cheers

molly

MrMoore

After noticing that Maplin have a satellite system for £139 I told my son about it, and so he went to the local store and purchased one. I too was considering getting one. He was assured by the sales person that if he was not satisfied with his purchase that he could get a full refund. He was not satisfied because the instructions are not clear enough and he also considered it not fit for purpose because it would not receive every digital freeview channel in the UK. The sales literature states that over 250 channels are receivable making it clear that it should at least receive all UK Freeview signals, which it does not. Apparently there are only a few freeview channels transmitted via satellite. For the rest you need a digital ariel.

He returned the equipment and was told that if no fault was found he would not get a refund. This is contrary to a board stating full refunds will be given and salesperson assurance. It is only when the very small print on the reciept was pointed out when he returned the item that any mention of being sent for testing before refund was seen.

My son now feels cheated by Comet becuase even though no fault will be found he still considers the equipment was sold as not fit for purpose, in that it should be able to recieve ALL Freeview channels in the UK. It gives the impression that you can.

Also most of the freesat recievers, especially HD have software problems and need regular software updates, which invalidate the guarantee if done. Also a special lead is required to transfer the update from your pc to your sat receiver.

Your better off with a HD vidio player with an HD movie for a special treat or wait untill mid recession, say November 2009 and mop up the bargains as cheating suppliers go bust!!

Deep breath ahhh, that's it for a quick starters.:money:

tonylemesmer

MrMoore wrote: »

After noticing that Maplin have a satellite system for £139 I told my son about it, and so he went to the local store and purchased one. I too was considering getting one. He was assured by the sales person that if he was not satisfied with his purchase that he could get a full refund. He was not satisfied because the instructions are not clear enough and he also considered it not fit for purpose because it would not receive every digital freeview channel in the UK. The sales literature states that over 250 channels are receivable making it clear that it should at least receive all UK Freeview signals, which it does not. Apparently there are only a few freeview channels transmitted via satellite. For the rest you need a digital ariel.

He returned the equipment and was told that if no fault was found he would not get a refund. This is contrary to a board stating full refunds will be given and salesperson assurance. It is only when the very small print on the reciept was pointed out when he returned the item that any mention of being sent for testing before refund was seen.

My son now feels cheated by Comet becuase even though no fault will be found he still considers the equipment was sold as not fit for purpose, in that it should be able to recieve ALL Freeview channels in the UK. It gives the impression that you can.

Also most of the freesat recievers, especially HD have software problems and need regular software updates, which invalidate the guarantee if done. Also a special lead is required to transfer the update from your pc to your sat receiver.

Your better off with a HD vidio player with an HD movie for a special treat or wait untill mid recession, say November 2009 and mop up the bargains as cheating suppliers go bust!!

Deep breath ahhh, that's it for a quick starters.:money:

OK Deep breath...

1. Freesat and Freeview are not the same, I assume the sales literature said that you could receive 250 free channels, not freeview channels.

2. You mention both Maplins and Comet, which was it? Not recieiving all UK free channels would not make it not fit for purpose, it's purpose is to pick up FTA transmissions via digital satellite.

3. Only a few satellite receivers have bug problems, I have a Humax freesat box and have ad no problems with it. The software updates automatically via satellite and does not affect the warranty whatsoever. No lead is needed.

Please don't pollute the forum with your misinformation.