Freesat from sky

[npg1]

Does anyone have this? You pay £150 and get installation and box, I think this is quite good, got to try and convince OH as he doesnt want to pay out for sky! I know its only the original sky box but I dont mind.

We have been given a sky box but dont think we can use it? WE also have an old dish on the side of house but again not sure we can use that?

have you tried plugging them in yet?

No because the box was given to us and dont have the card for it.

We have it (posted on your previous thread). The dish was already on the house when we moved here in March so we only needed the box and card. I've just had a look at the website and apparently you can buy a card for £20 if you already have the equipment. May be worth giving them a ring. I've copied and pasted the info below.

Q: I already have Sky digital satellite equipment - what else do I need?
A: All you need to gain access to the free channels available on the digital satellite platform is a Freesat from Sky viewing card, which costs just £20. If you?d like to access the interactive services available, you?ll also need a working phone line. To purchase a viewing card please phone Sky on 08448 244 400.

npg1 if you already have a sky digital dish (the elliptical shape, rather than the bigger circular one) then you should be able to use a FreeSat box (well under 100 quid) without any need for any card from Sky.

You'd get the majority of channels (I expect Sky would have a load of free-to-air shopping channels and junk like Babewatch TV that you would probably prefer not coming into the house!) though I guess there may be one or two pop video channels (perhaps mejon can confirm) which are OK.

In this area there had been a 'Sky installation' pack at Asda which cost 75 quid to get Sky installed, but I went in today to see and that's no longer available, unfortunately for me.

Im not sure what type of dish it is though, thats the only prob, I think its a small one but its abit rusty. Is there a way of trying it before contacting sky for the card or will I need the card to see if it works first?

Also the dish is at the other end of the house, quite far away from our lounge, do we just run a long wire to the lounge?

PS, sorry to have started a new post, couldnt find my old one!

Could you borrow someone else's box to try to see if the dish works? (No idea if that'd work by the way!)

Webdude - there are lots of shopping channels (though probably not as many as on 'proper' Sky) but I don't watch them so can't really comment. Ditto the music channels - there are a few (NME is there I think), but since they are fairly far down the list, I tend to forget they are there and we stick to mainly the children's channels and the main BBC/ITV/Ch4 etc. ones.

Thanks mejon - understood when there are many dozens of channels not to bother exploring too much!

npg1 - you'd need low loss satellite specific cable, the ordinary UHF TV aerial cable is not really good enough. Also, if you say the dish is rusty, then it may well be the case the LNB (lump at end of the arm) is a bit old...

If you get something like Sky+ (or HD) then the box has two inputs and would use two cables (so you can be watching one channel and recording another). Same would be true if you decided to get FreeSat box with a second tuner, or wanted a box in a different room...

Unfortunately doesn't make any particular option the "obvious winner", and doesn't clear up whether the dish could be used without replacing it, or replacing the LNB... and cable(s) so sounds like no change from a hundred quid by the time someone visits, and a FreeSat box on top

If you get Sky installed by Sky, and can persuade the chap to fit a second cable, then you could use your spare (gift) box to record a different channel if you want or in a different room, provide TV and radio in there... (though prob need Sky card for that box).

Hi everyone (again )!

Have just ordered Freesat from sky today. They are coming next sat to fit it. We are going for the new dish, box etc.

Is it possible for oH to run a cable from the dish and into the dining room at a later date? Is it an easy job? Would I need another box or could it plug straight into TV (the TV has built in freeview)

We have an unused sky+ box and not sure what I could do with it, if anything?

Oh, and how easy would it be to persude the sky guy to fit a second cable?