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Technical Help & Discussion => General Tech Discussion, News & Q&A => Topic started by: Clive on May 06, 2008, 15:25

Title: Free satellite TV service begins
Post by: Clive on May 06, 2008, 15:25
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7384928.stm
Title: Re: Free satellite TV service begins
Post by: Simon on May 06, 2008, 16:14
Interesting, but we're considered too posh to be allowed dishes round here, so I guess I'll have to stick to Freeview.
Title: Re: Free satellite TV service begins
Post by: Clive on May 06, 2008, 16:44
Sandra won't be able to move down south then!   ;D
Title: Re: Free satellite TV service begins
Post by: GillE on May 06, 2008, 17:02
I would love to know if our current Sky satellite dish can receive this broadcast without compromising our Sky service.  I don't want to have another satellite dish on the side of our house; not only will it make our place look like a communications centre, it'll mean £80 for a dish (according to Argos), another £80 for installation (again, according to Argos) and another decoder which will probably cost more than £80 if it's to be of a decent quality.

Gill
Title: Re: Free satellite TV service begins
Post by: Rik on May 06, 2008, 17:03
The service is using the Astra satellites, Gill, so you can just swap the box in in place of a Sky one.
Title: Re: Free satellite TV service begins
Post by: Rik on May 06, 2008, 17:04
Interesting, but we're considered too posh to be allowed dishes round here, so I guess I'll have to stick to Freeview.

That's not legally enforceable anymore, Simon, there's an EU directive on the subject.
Title: Re: Free satellite TV service begins
Post by: Clive on May 06, 2008, 17:14
The service is using the Astra satellites, Gill, so you can just swap the box in in place of a Sky one.

We need a list of channels!   :)
Title: Re: Free satellite TV service begins
Post by: Simon on May 06, 2008, 17:16
That's not legally enforceable anymore, Simon, there's an EU directive on the subject.

This is Mid Sussex, Rik.  Our MP is Nicholas Soames, the man who got fined for allowing his grandchildren to travel unrestrained in the back of a trailer, on a fox hunt.  EU directives mean nothing to us.  ;D
Title: Re: Free satellite TV service begins
Post by: Rik on May 06, 2008, 18:05
We need a list of channels!   :)

BBC1-4, plus News Parliament & kids
ITV1-4 (and plus ones)
Ch4, More 4 (and plus ones)
Five
Five US
Fiver (and plus ones)
All the shopping channels you can eat
Radio channels
Performance
all the others I can't think of right now. :)
Title: Re: Free satellite TV service begins
Post by: GillE on May 06, 2008, 19:38
I'll remember that, Rik - thanks.  Personally, I'd like to downgrade from Sky but His Lordship would never give up his wall-to-wall, Simpsons and kiddies' cartoon channels  ::) .
Title: Re: Free satellite TV service begins
Post by: Clive on May 06, 2008, 21:46
I would love to downgrade from Sky too.  But we also have "vital" channels such as Living which shows endless repeats of CSI.   :vomit:
Title: Re: Free satellite TV service begins
Post by: Sandra on May 07, 2008, 00:50
Channel 5 and some of the extra channel 4 derivitives arent on yet.
Theyre still contracted to Sky UK. Once they come to the end of their current contract then they can move to Astra 2D and join up with the current line up.

The easiest way to get it Gill will be to replace your single LNB on your present Sky dish with a double or quad LNB, then you can run a coax lead to up to either 2 or 4 satellite boxes.
Or two twin tuner boxes if you go for a quad LNB.

I wouldnt advise anyone jumping into the advertised HD freesat boxes just yet as there are a lot of HD satellite receivers coming onto the market that will be possibly around the same price but will be better boxes or for a little more will have such extra functions as multiple tuners, built in hard drives, ethernet and USB connections.
Title: Re: Free satellite TV service begins
Post by: GillE on May 07, 2008, 01:03
I'll do as you advise, Sandra, and hold fire until other receivers become available.  Then I'll try to do what you suggest in paragraph two, vertigo and ignorance of wiggly amp language permitting  :blush: .
Title: Re: Free satellite TV service begins
Post by: Rik on May 07, 2008, 12:04
Channel 5 and some of the extra channel 4 derivitives arent on yet.

This (http://www.freesat.co.uk/index.php?page=whatson.Main) lists 4, More 4, E4 and Film 4 as available, with 5, 'soon'.
Title: Re: Free satellite TV service begins
Post by: Sandra on May 07, 2008, 12:39
Theyre hoping to add 30 channels a month to take the total channels available to 200.
Lets hope the extra ones arent going to be all shopping and god ones  ::)
Title: Re: Free satellite TV service begins
Post by: Rik on May 07, 2008, 13:26
95% shopping, 4% God, 1% can't make their mind up. ;)
Title: Re: Free satellite TV service begins
Post by: Clive on May 07, 2008, 13:29
Yippee - BBC World.   :vomit:
Title: Re: Free satellite TV service begins
Post by: Rik on May 07, 2008, 15:23
You don't have to watch, Clive - luckily. :)
Title: Re: Free satellite TV service begins
Post by: Clive on May 07, 2008, 16:21
It really is a dreadful channel to have to suffer when you are away on holiday. 
Title: Re: Free satellite TV service begins
Post by: Rik on May 07, 2008, 16:44
Watch the scenery, not the TV. ;)