Freesat or Freeview that is the question

[Sanke]

Hi guys

Looking to improve our current viewing situation at home. We currently have Sky dish providing Sky + HD in lounge and Sky multi room in dining room. Our aim is to have at least two other TV's working upstairs. We have an old analougue aerial (not accessible without roof ladders etc). Our sky dish is accessible but only has a 4 way LNB

Are we best to replace aerial, then distribute signal from loft to all TV's (either built in freeview or freeview box) ? Or replace LNB with 8 way then distribute signal to TV's tuning to Freesat. I have been told that an old sky box will receive the freessat channels or is it best to get a proper Freesat box ?

Thanks for your help guys

 

[Phil]

I have freesat downstairs and freeview upstairs. tbh not much difference between them there are a couple of channels that each one has extra but not much different. the freeview box in my bedroom we have had for years since it first came out and has hdd so happy days

 

[supasparxs]

Have you heard about the Magiceye remote control unit?

Basically you run a coax from the back of your Sky box to another TV
at the other end in between the TV and the coax you put a small box (there is a trailing lead to an IR receiver)

you need to turn on the amplified loop out on the sky box (it is in a hidden menu but it's easy to find if you follow the instructions)

it means that when you turn the TV over in one room both room change channel
Remote Extenders


Richard

 

[mhar]

Supasparxs is correct but this method of distribution is going out of favour. Couple of reasons :- 1) it is an analogue output so there is usually a noticeable difference in picture quality esp on a flat screen tv and you have to change from digital to analogue mode to view 2) In the near future everything will be digital so will tv's with analogue tuners be sold in the uk?
In reply to the post, an aerial is an aerial is an aerial. Just because it is old and was erected pre digital does not mean that it is not suitable for digital broadcasts. THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A DIGITAL AERIAL, however, modern aerials with baluns do give a more efficient signal transfer from the dipole to the cable so in a few cases a change may be required but, however good the aerial is, if you are trying to shove a good signal down crap cable with unecessary joints, it may still not achieve the desired results.
Changing to an octo lnb is an option. The downside is that when your lnb goes wrong, the whole house is without tv plus you have to have stb's for each tv. Using a proper freesat box is a far far better way to go than an old sky box as I have posted elsewhere in this section.
Personally I would go for the freeview option. Ok, you may nead a freeview box but this is significantly cheaper than a freesat box and, as and when tv's are replaced, it will be inbuilt. Don't assume you will need to amplify (esp if your tv region is post switchover), I have used an 8 way splitter on a loft aerial on quite a few occasions without amplification but it does help having the correct signal measuring equipment!

 

[Sanke]

Been doing some more research & will now probably go along the Freeview route. However if the signal from the aerial is not very good do we have to replace it with an outdoor aerial or can I leave that one there & swop with a digital aerial that can be ounted on the loft ?

 

[mhar]

This is now getting a bit difficult to answer without being with you!
Again, THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A DIGITAL AERIAL.
Maybe the easiest thing for you to do in order to discover if your signal is adequate is to put a splitter innline. If you are going to run four tv's then get a fourway splitter (f type I always use), cut the cable, insert the splitter and then see the result on the tv that is being fed by the aerial.
Signal strength is largely irrelevant, signal quality is vital. So, if your tv is showing a low signal level just ignore it but pay heed to the signal quality
Outdoor is usually best but not necessarily so but it will be trial and error without a meter of some description. 2" either way can make a vast difference

 

[topquark]

Reading between the lines a bit, I suspect SKY may be going over to IP broadcast lock, stock and barrel eventually anyway (so then will prob not invest in new satellites). That's my two pennies worth on the way I read their current piloting of SKY GO anyway.

 

[mhar]

Sky don't invest in satellites, they rent capacity off SES (the Luxembourg based owners of the Astra satellites). Sky receive incredible amounts of revenue from their satellite broadcasts (10 million or so subscribers all spending between £20-£60ish per month), the reason why Rupert Murdoch was trying to buy the remaining shares which they didn't controll.
They are moving into broadband in a big big way as they see broadband delivery as a future way forward and an alternative method of content and other services delivery but (certainly initially) not as a sustitute for their satellite delivered broadcasts

 

[topquark]

Renting time still costs money, which was the point of the comment and renting time is an investment as it goes towards the cost of their service provision (ask your accountant).

 

[PVKitsDirect]

I built a silent HTPC and am running 4 Freesat HD Tuners. It's absolutely fantastic.

I don't know how I ever got by with just a Sky box before as this can do so, so much more. Streaming TV for instance, ripping DVDs and Blu-Ray, wireless networking to every room in the home with a shared library. Password protected files for kids rooms is easy.

The benefits go on.

The same would be said if I opted for Freesat, however, digital changeover hadn't taken place when I built the PC.