Freeview/Freesat?

[Benfleet Brewery]

I have an LG too with freesat that is connected to my old sky dish. I’ve added a basic HDD, not to record stuff, just to allow us to pause anything we are watching. I don’t record anything anymore. It’s all available on catch up (iPlayer, ITVX etc)

 

[Chippy_Tea]

I can understand if it was Freeview as there can be issues with different transmitters but it really shouldn't make any difference at all with Freesat. The only thing I can think of is the lnb?

Same here I did a lot of research when I bought mine and didn't find many negative reviews, I have the bog standard lnb with 2 wires.

 

[MashBag]

Nothing at all, it's a cracking box The new box is a replacement for an old Vestel box that's still working. We use both boxes regularly

Cheers Tom

I run two boxes for the same reasons.
If you already have a manhattan get a freesat. You will be pleased you did. 50% of your kit on the phone app is good compromise. Separate systems is future / fookery proofing too.

 

[gavp1979]

I have read this thread from the start and I am now intrigued at what you are all recording so you need multiple external boxes. I thought that connecting an external box died with the introduction of modern smart TVs and streaming services but now I feel like I am missing out on something! I want something else to geek out on

 

[soupdragon]

Same here I did a lot of research when I bought mine and didn't find many negative reviews, I have the bog standard lnb with 2 wires.

Is the dish/lnb from a sky+ hd setup or earlier than that?

Cheers Tom

 

[Chippy_Tea]

I thought that connecting an external box died with the introduction of modern smart TVs and streaming services but now I feel like I am missing out on something! I want something else to geek out on

When I finally kicked Sky into touch many years ago I read about the Humax Foxsat Box which worked with the sky dish, I bought one and was very impressed, we live in an area where the TV reception could be a bit rubbish back then so the freesat box solved the problem we then got a feeeview box when we signed up to talktalk broadband, swmbo uses the freeview box I use the freesat box which is connected to a decent quality soundbar, if the freeview box breaks I will look into using the smart TV but I can't imagine me giving up freesat..

 

[Chippy_Tea]

Is the dish/lnb from a sky+ hd setup or earlier than that?

Cheers

I haven't a clue it's been many years since we had sky installed maybe 15 plus.

 

[soupdragon]

I haven't a clue it's been many years since we had sky installed maybe 15 plus.

So it probably won't be the lnb from the Sky q system then. I know the Arris box is compatible with both types so I'm now wondering if the old sky+ lnb gives less/no problems? I take it the maximum number of simultaneous recordings you can do on it is 2?

Cheers Tom

 

[Clint]

Do these boxes require a "sky dish" or aerial? Just wondering as for those who should decide to ditch sky q and get one isn't it the case now that Sky remove all equipment if you leave them?

 

[gavp1979]

Freeview requires an aerial, Freesat requires a dish. No idea about sky removing equipment but you would think that it would be costly for them to do that for no benefit to them unless they sell the old equipment off

 

[Clint]

Sure when I moved to Sky Q that the agreement is the equipment gets returned should you leave. Definitely includes the stuff indoors..hub and multi room boxes. In the past they just left the old boxes with you if you upgraded.

 

[soupdragon]

I'm now wondering about our LNB.
The cables running from the dish into the living room have been disconnected from the Sky+ box for best part of 2 years now. If there are any installers on the forum that see this, or simply someone who knows, what is the likelihood that the LNB will still be in a usable state after 2 years of inactivity?

Cheers Tom

 

[Clint]

Can't see why not. My last dish was on the house for 10 years plus until I had it moved to install the log burner chimney. The engineer gave us a new dish but used the same cables.

 

[soupdragon]

Can't see why not. My last dish was on the house for 10 years plus until I had it moved to install the log burner chimney. The engineer gave us a new dish but used the same cables.

I'm more concerned about the LNB than the cables. We've had an aerial cable in use for over 40 years (was on the house when we moved in) and only changed it a couple of years ago because the plastic outer had started deteriorating and water was getting inside. The satellite cables are less than 10 years old (ish).

Cheers Tom

 

[Chippy_Tea]

This may be of interest if anyone is considering freesat -

Freesat Manual - https://www.richersounds.com/media/pdf/F/r/Freesat_PVR_Manual_2e50.pdf

 

[Chippy_Tea]

So it probably won't be the lnb from the Sky q system then. I know the Arris box is compatible with both types so I'm now wondering if the old sky+ lnb gives less/no problems? I take it the maximum number of simultaneous recordings you can do on it is 2?

Cheers Tom

From the guide i linked to above -

 

[Chippy_Tea]

I'm now wondering about our LNB.
The cables running from the dish into the living room have been disconnected from the Sky+ box for best part of 2 years now. If there are any installers on the forum that see this, or simply someone who knows, what is the likelihood that the LNB will still be in a usable state after 2 years of inactivity?

Cheers Tom

I may be reading this wrong but If the cables at the LNB are still watertight i dont see any problem in using them.

 

[soupdragon]

I may be reading this wrong but If the cables at the LNB are still watertight i dont see any problem in using them.

I remembered about an hour ago that we didn't "recycle" the old sky box. So I found it and set it up. After a time period it sorted itself out and, lo and behold all is working. Two strong feeds, so if the decision is made to get a Freesat box I now know that there won't be an issue with the dish or LNB

Cheers Tom

 

[dad_of_jon]

Talking of update updates.

A few months after I got the Foxsat I emailed Humax and said it would be really good if you were half way through watching something and decided to go to bed (or whatever) when you pressed record it would include what you'd already watched in the recording as the first half would already be in the rewind buffer so it would be easy to copy that to a file and then record from then on. They replied with 'thanks, but we have no plans to develop that functionality'. A few years later I bought a more modern Humax box and guess what ? When you press record half way through watching something the recording included the whole programme from the start. Wonder where they got that idea ?

They didn't want to pay you intellectual property royalties

 

[dad_of_jon]

Freeview requires an aerial, Freesat requires a dish. No idea about sky removing equipment but you would think that it would be costly for them to do that for no benefit to them unless they sell the old equipment off

indeed I have 3 arials on our loft. 2 pointing at kilvey hill 1 at carmel. and despite all of this mrs DOJ still needs more space on our 3 pvr's