Looking for help .

Currently got Freeview ,but getting fed up with constant repeats .

What are advantages of any of upgrading to Freesat -ie extra channels .

Second point - what dish will i need .Currently got option of a single output Sky dish -would this fit the bill ?

Looking for help .

Currently got Freeview ,but getting fed up with constant repeats .

What are advantages of any of upgrading to Freesat -ie extra channels .

Second point - what dish will i need .Currently got option of a single output Sky dish -would this fit the bill ?

Ideally you need a couple of outputs on the LNB to allow you to record but the Humax box (IIRC) may allow a loop through for recording - I'll await someone else to correct me though?

The dish you already have will be okay and if you did decide to get a different LNB then it shouldn't be too hard to get the correct one to plug into the existing arm.

You will also benefit from quite a few more channels than are on freeview and they usually have higher quality multi channel sound.

get a better reception if you live up a valley in the sticks!

Freesat is great better picture and less breakup.

if you want a freesat recorder then you will need to check the LNB ( black box on the end of the dish) to see how many feeds it has, if it is quite a few years old you it will be a single one and you will need a new one. they are not expencive and it's quite easy to change. You will need to run a second cable from the dish to where your TV is as a freesat box needs a cable for each tuner in the box.

Have a look at www.joinfreesat.co.uk

this explains a bit more about LNB's http://www.satcure.co.uk/tech/lnb.htm

I agree with using a Humax box or PVR - I've got both. Just one thing to remember about SAT signals, unlike terrestial TV signals where one aerial feed can be "fanned out" to a few receivers, with SAT signals, the full range of stations are carried on four distinctly different "modes of input" namely "low frequency horizontal" + "low frequency vertical" + "high frequency horizontal" + "high frequency vertical" the LNB operating mode is controlled, on demand from the decoder or PVR. Now if I remember correctly, most of the Freesat channels are carried on just two of the four possible modes. What this means is, if using a single LNB - and passing that signal into the second decoder on a PVR, you will only be able to watch programs that are sent out on one mode and only record other channels that are sent out on that mode. So, it would make sense, if only thinking of buying a single PVR that has twin decoders, to buy a two output LNB and send both signals into the two PVR inputs. If you really want to think ahead, maybe just buy a quad or four out LNB - so that you could use the remaining two signals to send to two other decoders or a second PVR. By the way, Freesat does not carry Dave and some other interesting stations that Freeview carries, so that means that Freesat is not Freeview by SAT - each one carries channels that the other does not, strange but true. Dish type and positional pointing are same as Sky as they use the same groups of satelites.

fit an 8 way LNB and stick two feeds to each room to make sure you have total flexibility. I've gone freesat HD with a humax decoder excellent image well worth the extra outlay for the F1 in HD alone.

keep in mind (unless you rip out the ariel) you are ADDING the freesat system and will still have normal freeview through the TV for Dave and any other channels you might miss, and freeview on other TVs in bedrooms ect.

fit an 8 way LNB and stick two feeds to each room to make sure you have total flexibility. I've gone freesat HD with a humax decoder excellent image well worth the extra outlay for the F1 in HD alone.

I don't think that the F1 issue will be relevant for too long.

By the way, I kind of went the "whole hog" and put two feeds into every down stairs room likely to have a TV in it, and a second pair of feeds to a different position in the sitting room so that wife can move things about, if need be I can add in wiring for the bedrooms in the future. I achieved that by fitting a nice big Frecaro penta dish and mounted a quadra LNB on to it and send this to a 8-way combiner/enhanced switcher, so that I can send my new VHF/DAB radio signals and loft mounted boosted terrestial DTV signals and the Freesat signals to 8 outlets at a time, only error in what I've done is I added a telephone wire to each of these points when I really should have used CAT5E or CAT6 wire so that I could connect every point to a router for catch-up TV - I don't want big lumpy "data over the mains" things around so its back under the floor again for me. To anyone that has not rigged up a SAT dish, just get a compass and signal strength meter and off you go - as well as info on the web for pointing the dish. If you do it yourself you can take your time and locate the dish in a smart position so that signal is good and associated wiring gets hidden - not like the "10 minute cowboys" do it.

Edited 4 November, 201114 yr by rum4mo

Def go Freesat.

Humax boxes good.

I have FortecStar HD and since added rotator and dish. Cost about £70 motor, £40 dish and can now pick up foreign TV.

So a lot of football and motorsport free to view albeit foreign commentary.

Freesat is great better picture and less breakup.

if you want a freesat recorder then you will need to check the LNB ( black box on the end of the dish) to see how many feeds it has, if it is quite a few years old you it will be a single one and you will need a new one. they are not expencive and it's quite easy to change. You will need to run a second cable from the dish to where your TV is as a freesat box needs a cable for each tuner in the box.

Have a look at www.joinfreesat.co.uk

this explains a bit more about LNB's http://www.satcure.co.uk/tech/lnb.htm

If you only connect one feed to the Humax PVR, does that mean you can only record what you are watching?

At this price, buy and try . . . and discard ?

http://www.aldi.co.uk/uk/html/offers/special_buys2_20473.htm

Nick

If you only connect one feed to the Humax PVR, does that mean you can only record what you are watching?

Yes, however that's the same for any Freesat set up (PVR or DVD / Blue Ray Combi).

I have two feeds per room (4 feeds from dish split to 2 rooms). That way you can watch 1, record 1. However if you leave the Freeview feed in place (receiver usually built in most TV's) this allows you to record 2 channels on Freesat, and watch another on Freeview. You also then get all the combinations of channels on both Freeview & Freesat.

Thanks for replies ,folks - dish has only one LNB ,but I've got a Freeview Humax ,a freeview box ( couple to an old Panasonic goo quality VCR ) -all coupled to ahigh quality ( but old 32" Quintrix Panasonic TV- it's got sterio sound an cinema video).So -it's only watch or record .

So at present ,I can record two channels ( possibly three ) for when the reality shows are on ,but finding that there's long spell when terestial TV has nothing on .Hoping to find extra on SAT

Not interested in TV in bedroom - we're at the stage where the bedrom is for sleeping .

Only want to get stuff to main TV in lounge .

One question for te instalers( been a long time since I loked at cable specs) what's min radius on a bend on coax .

Minimum bend radius - hummm, as big as you can make! Seriously, as long as you can not see any distortion on the outer skin then it should be okay, remember that it gets sold in a drum that has an inner diameter of about 4 inches - so use that as a guide.

At this price, buy and try . . . and discard ?

http://www.aldi.co.uk/uk/html/offers/special_buys2_20473.htm Nick

The only problem that I have with that approach is, for most people in UK getting Freesat is easy, if you don't mind the mess with outside cabling running any where down the house wall, then maybe sign up for the Sky Freesat package as that adds some more free Sky channels to normal Freesat (I think). Any serious DIYer would be well advised to do the job properly if they really want Freesat, and that means buying high quality correct cable, easily big enough dish and a good low noise LNB, then connect this lot together using quality waterproof couplers. Once its in the house and distributed you can spend money on HD boxes and HD PVR. Taking the cheap route will probably end in tears when the weather is at its worst and you can't sort things out - and the demand for "good" TV viewing is it at its highest. I knew nothing about getting Freesat before I started buying stuff in, but did not want to waste any money or time on using crap - and it seems to have paid off two years later, by the way, I probably still know nothing about getting Freesat but I've got a "GREAT" signal at all outlets!

If you only connect one feed to the Humax PVR, does that mean you can only record what you are watching?

Yes, however that's the same for any Freesat set up (PVR or DVD / Blue Ray Combi).

I have two feeds per room (4 feeds from dish split to 2 rooms). That way you can watch 1, record 1. However if you leave the Freeview feed in place (receiver usually built in most TV's) this allows you to record 2 channels on Freesat, and watch another on Freeview. You also then get all the combinations of channels on both Freeview & Freesat.

I hate to disagree but you can record two programmes and watch another with a single feed on the Humax Foxsat HDR. BUT the channels have to follow a few rules. See here

I still haven't upgraded the cabling as I find usually I can record using other BBC regions and the +1 channels.

They is also a software mod for the FOXSAT to be able to run as a DLNA server and access it from from a PC using Samba. (search for Raydon's server mod, there are links on it to Digitalspy and AVforums)

My Freeview service is pretty good and I can receive all the HD channels glitch free. Sadly ITV doesn't look like it is going to go 5.1 any time soon and BBC HD will soon revert to BBC2 HD, but otherwise. I like Freeview HD and don't really feel a need to get Freesat.