Freesat

[Lord Tyrion]

We use an old Sky Box upstairs for basic channels. It is starting to play up so we need to replace it. A Freesat box is looking the most likely but I thought I'd check before buying in case anyone has a better suggestion.

Before anyone mentions sticks we have poor wifi speeds, particularly upstairs where this will be. We need something that will not buffer or be dependent on wifi.

We don't need to record on it or do anything fancy. Just the basics is okay.

 

[rudebhoy]

I bought one of these a couple of months ago as the tv reception is hopeless at our cottage in Filey.

https://www.argos.co.uk/product/7647019?clickSR=slp:term:freesat:1:13:1

dead easy to set up, great picture and very reliable.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

I bought one of these a couple of months ago as the tv reception is hopeless at our cottage in Filey.

https://www.argos.co.uk/product/7647019?clickSR=slp:term:freesat:1:13:1

dead easy to set up, great picture and very reliable.

There only looks to be one point of entry for the satellite wires, for Sky there are two. Does it matter or is the extra wire unnecessary for this?

 

[mteam]

I've had a humax freesat box for at least 10 years I replaced the hard drive with a bigger one never had any issues with it. Mine has 2 inputs at the back can do Simultaneous Recording

Sorry just read you dont need recording one connector should be fine

 

[PJ87]

There only looks to be one point of entry for the satellite wires, for Sky there are two. Does it matter or is the extra wire unnecessary for this?

You only need 1 wire to watch sky

The second wire was when Sky plus was invented to record and watch

As you say you don't need to record you just need one wire

My TV has one wire of sky in it from the sat

 

[Bunkermagnet]

Buy a new TV with built in freesat?
My Pana has it and we use it all the time

 

[jim8flog]

There only looks to be one point of entry for the satellite wires, for Sky there are two. Does it matter or is the extra wire unnecessary for this?

Sky boxes can be turned to one cable mode. The only real reason for two cables was so you could watch one channel and record another a feature you only get with a subscription.

Both cables with Sky + have the same signal coming in so either cable will will work with freesat.

Just one thing. When you say the sky box is playing up what is the fault? It could be that the dish or LNB in the dish is faulty so you will get the same problem with Freesat.

Dish/LNB faults are normally pixelation/picture breakup no satellite signal.

Lastly these days the what you get on freesat and what you get on freeview via an aerial are virtually the same.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

Sky boxes can be turned to one cable mode. The only real reason for two cables was so you could watch one channel and record another a feature you only get with a subscription.

Both cables with Sky + have the same signal coming in so either cable will will work with freesat.

Just one thing. When you say the sky box is playing up what is the fault? It could be that the dish or LNB in the dish is faulty so you will get the same problem with Freesat.

Dish/LNB faults are normally pixelation/picture breakup no satellite signal.

Lastly these days the what you get on freesat and what you get on freeview via an aerial are virtually the same.

We have full fat sky downstairs and there are no issues there. What is happening is the channels are jumping, from BBC 1 to BBC 2 for some reason. It isn't the remote, I've taken it out of the house and it still jumps.

We don't have an aerial, we had it removed a few years ago so it is satellite or nothing.

 

[Robster59]

There are loads of old Sky/Sky+/Sky HD boxes for sale on Gumtree, ebay and the like that you can pick up for buttons.

 

[Beezerk]

I've still got my old sky TV box you can have if you want.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

I've still got my old sky TV box you can have if you want.

Cheers. I'm doing a rebuild now, seems a popular thing to do. If that doesn't work I'll try unplugging it for 10 minutes, embarrassed that I haven't done this already.

If none of those things work I might take you up on that ?

 

[srixon 1]

I bought one of these a couple of months ago as the tv reception is hopeless at our cottage in Filey.

https://www.argos.co.uk/product/7647019?clickSR=slp:term:freesat:1:13:1

dead easy to set up, great picture and very reliable.

my FiL has one of these. Works a treat and great picture.

 

[Slab]

We have full fat sky downstairs and there are no issues there. What is happening is the channels are jumping, from BBC 1 to BBC 2 for some reason. It isn't the remote, I've taken it out of the house and it still jumps.

We don't have an aerial, we had it removed a few years ago so it is satellite or nothing.

Woah, can we just back up a bit.... You took the remote out of the house to make sure it wasn't changing TV channels by itself! I'm sure this is a completely practical thing to do... but imagining it just tickles me pink for a Thursday


(next time just pop the batteries out of it instead of taking it walkies )

 

[Lord Tyrion]

Woah, can we just back up a bit.... You took the remote out of the house to make sure it wasn't changing TV channels by itself! I'm sure this is a completely practical thing to do... but imagining it just tickles me pink for a Thursday


(next time just pop the batteries out of it instead of taking it walkies )

The clicky bit on the back panel of the remote is broken so it is held on by electricians tape. It's more of a faff to take that off and replace whilst trying to cover the sticky residue left behind than it is to simply put it in my pocket and go outside.

Sometimes you just do things without looking rationally at it. I wanted to make extra extra sure it wasn't the remote but yes, your point is fair ?. I blame lockdown fever ?

 

[Slab]

The clicky bit on the back panel of the remote is broken so it is held on by electricians tape. It's more of a faff to take that off and replace whilst trying to cover the sticky residue left behind than it is to simply put it in my pocket and go outside.

Sometimes you just do things without looking rationally at it. I wanted to make extra extra sure it wasn't the remote but yes, your point is fair ?. I blame lockdown fever ?

See I knew there would be a rational reason for it ... so did you leave it at the end of the driveway and go back for it later after watching telly for a bit or stay out in the wind/rain and set up a 2nd person to monitor the channels while you were gone?

 

[Lord Tyrion]

See I knew there would be a rational reason for it ... so did you leave it at the end of the driveway and go back for it later after watching telly for a bit or stay out in the wind/rain and set up a 2nd person to monitor the channels while you were gone?

In the pocket whilst I walked the dog in the wind and rain, leaving my wife to monitor the tv. End of the driveway could have been too close . Not that paranoia was setting in or anything .

At this point it looks like the rebuild has done it. When in doubt with a Sky box either rebuild or unplug for 10 mins. So poor of me to have forgotten the golden rules.