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[twiglet]

I've just been given a FreeSat box. I'm seriously considering doing away with my current subscription to Sky, and using this box instead.

I've never used FreeSat before, so can I simply remove my Sky box and plug this one in? Will it work with my Sky dish and LNB? Does the dish need to be repositioned to pick up the FreeSat signal?

TIA 

[jonnycool]

I looked into this, and you can just plug and play with no adjustments, as far as I understand it 

[zirk]

It will work james, just plug it in, depends how old your sky install is, there may even be a spare port on the Sky LNB, which means you could run another coax run to your Freesat and Sky while you make your mind about Freesat.

If not I can get stuff trade, easy fit.

Chris.

[jonnycool]

Have a look here: http://www.freesat.co.uk/

[twiglet]

Cheers guys! 

My sky was only installed 2 years ago, and I'm pretty sure I have 4 inputs on the LNB.  Therefore I assume I could run 2 freesat+ boxes?

I might take you up on your offer Chris, if I need cables, connectors, etc. 

Is anyone using freesat? How do the channels compare to Sky?

Just leaves me with the problem of not being able to watch F1 next year!!  :-/

[Martin_1962]

OK here goes

Freesat and Sky use the same cluster (Astra 2) at 28.2 east, but use different EPGs

Best Freesat box is the Humax HDR by a LONG way.

For F1 you need another LNB on 19.2E Astra 1. You will also need a Diseqc switch for each thingy set on the LNB (eg if you have say a Humax HDR you need dual LNBs at least)

The Freesat box will also need to support Diseqc switching, Humax HDR does in non Freesat mode.

F1 is on RTL a German channel and is Free to Air.

I will be putting up another dish with multi quad LNBs for 28.2 19.2 13.? and 9E when I can afford it, as there are rumours F1 in HD is Free to Air on one of those.

[MutantCav]

We have the Humax HDR box...its a good box but does have some issues...sometimes skips out of play mode to live mode...if you rewind from live tv subtitles come up, try to remove them and it says you cant have subtitles in non live mode!!!...you can only watch/record 2 channels...comes up with a warning if you are watching tv that there is a conflict but not if you are watching a recording!! So just doesnt record a programme if for example the end of Eastenders hasn't quite finished at the start of Coronation Street and you are watching a recording while the channel is set on ITV2...

Oh and had some REAL issues with MOTD last season where it recorded the replay of MOTD on Sunday morning rather than MOTD Sunday evening even though it was all set up correctly!! Wasnt a happy bunny 

Would have thought the Panasonic Blue Ray freeview recorder would be better??

But as said...plug and play...plugged the leads out of our sky box into the HDR tuned it in and away we went

[russ0205]

Had one fitted around christmas time as i found being disabled i can have it for free, All i can say is its brill plenty of channels,

 

[pscocoa]

Cheers guys! 

My sky was only installed 2 years ago, and I'm pretty sure I have 4 inputs on the LNB.  Therefore I assume I could run 2 freesat+ boxes?

I might take you up on your offer Chris, if I need cables, connectors, etc. 

Is anyone using freesat? How do the channels compare to Sky?

Just leaves me with the problem of not being able to watch F1 next year!!  :-/

The channel choice is "not bad" - for free it is brilliant though [smiley=thumbsup.gif]

If your Freesat receiver will take an internet cable (some older ones may need to be upgraded) then you can get the Iplayer type stuff as well from your broadband connection.

[redelitev6]

Have noticed that here in Newcastle lots of immigrant types have huge dishes strapped to side of house,some with remote tracking , what are they tuning to? not sky i take it! which sattelite shows -er "specialist" type progs?

[Taxi_Driver]

Have noticed that here in Newcastle lots of immigrant types have huge dishes strapped to side of house,some with remote tracking , what are they tuning to? not sky i take it! which sattelite shows -er "specialist" type progs?

They will be tunning in to polish/chech/etc where ever they come from, so they get their native channels....

Report them, if you like, to the planning office, coz afaik, the largest dish you can have without planning permission is 60cm (sky dish size) and i bet they havent got planning permission for them.

I did look at having a 1m motorised dish fitted a while ago.....the local satellite shoppy owner, asked if I had a flat roof to the rear of my property.....as it would be better to mount it on that, being out of sight 

[Richie London]

i think sky is a total waste of money, more channels, more repeats