[SRT]

Hi all,
I presently have a sky dish picking up HD for main TV and second bed room getting sky +.
My better half wants a TV in newly extended kitchen and I was thinking is it possible to add to the lnb to get freesat or is that a non starter?
We don't want another sky sub as theres nowhere to put a box anyway (TV is to go on wall ).
If my idea is no good I guess we could hook it ( kitchen TV ) up to the freeview aerial
Any ideas appreciated.
Stuart.

[hornydragon]

YES it is all broadcast from the same satellites in space a sky dish is a freesat dish and vice versa. YOu will need aspare or additional output on LNB then sat grade cable to you "freesat" kitchen TV.

[AV Junky]

Using a spare LNB output on your dish for Freesat will work fine.

It's essentially the same signal for both. The channel owners/broadcasters send their signals up to the satellite(s) independently; it's nothing to do with Sky. Sky just provide an EPG and manage access to subscription channels, via their encryption system. Freesat is just a different EPG system, but using the same data from the same broadcasters.

[JH4]

(Don't forget you will need a Freesat box.)

[GasDad]

Originally Posted by JH4

(Don't forget you will need a Freesat box.)

Or a TV that can receive Freesat (as opposed to Freeview)

[dominicwest]

don't you have to re- aim the dish? i thought the sky and freesat signals came from different satellites?

[GasDad]

Originally Posted by dominicwest

don't you have to re- aim the dish? i thought the sky and freesat signals came from different satellites?

Absolutely NOT.

[grahamlthompson]

Originally Posted by dominicwest

don't you have to re- aim the dish? i thought the sky and freesat signals came from different satellites?

All the signals used by Sky and Freesat come from the same group of satellites Astra2A.2B,2C,2D at 28.2E and Eurobird1 at 28.5E (one of the Astra sats has currently gone on holiday to replace one recently clobbered ). These are so close so can be received by a single dish. The only thing that freesat actually transmit is a different epg to sky's (from eurobird 1). Apart from the epg the channels you watch are the same on both platforms (eg BBC1 WM is the same transmission - no different to watching freeview BBC1 on a Sony TV or a Samsung TV, the sky or freesat box is simply a tuner recieving the same signal). With freesat only channels that are not encrypted can be on the epg. If you take out the viewing card from your sky box you can watch the same channels as you will get on a freesat box. (You will lose channel 5 on the sky box without a card but can add the free to air version used by freesat in add channels)

[SRT]

Well thanks for all your replies
Its nice to have something positive for a change
I was pretty sure there would be a NO.
So can I ask - - is there a recommended lnb that I could replace the existing twin with?
The TV will be a freesat built in type - - thinking panny.
Stuart.

[hornydragon]

Originally Posted by SRT

Well thanks for all your replies
Its nice to have something positive for a change
I was pretty sure there would be a NO.
So can I ask - - is there a recommended lnb that I could replace the existing twin with?
The TV will be a freesat built in type - - thinking panny.
Stuart.

A normal sky spec Quad will give you 2 extra outputs if you need more than 4 total its an Octo or a multiswitch (Sat distribution AMP that takes 4 feeds from dish and then 8+ feeds out to receivers)

[pete thomas]

i,ve got a philex free sat that i got from B&Q, which satillites do i tune into using a sky dish? (please remember that i,m 51 therefore not upto speed on lnbs ect) thanks by the way,, it cost me £40.

[Robbo71]

You can pick up any satellite that the dish size is sufficient for.

But, assuming that you want UK channels, you should align the dish for 28E.

The same direction as everyones Sky dish, but with a lot of tweaking to optimise.

[grahamlthompson]

Originally Posted by pete thomas

i,ve got a philex free sat that i got from B&Q, which satillites do i tune into using a sky dish? (please remember that i,m 51 therefore not upto speed on lnbs ect) thanks by the way,, it cost me £40.

If you already have a dish just connect the philex sat tuner to it. If you need to use the supplied dish there's lot's of advice here

Satellite for caravans. (Satellite TV at home and abroad)

[logiciel]

Originally Posted by pete thomas

i,ve got a philex free sat that i got from B&Q, which satillites do i tune into using a sky dish?

What exactly is included for £40 in the "philex free sat"? - a receiver, a dish, anything else - and do you already have a Sky dish?
The only satellite position you are likely to want IS 28E, where all the UK freesat (and Sky) channels are.

[grahamlthompson]

Originally Posted by logiciel

What exactly is included for £40 in the "philex free sat"? - a receiver, a dish, anything else - and do you already have a Sky dish?
The only satellite position you are likely to want IS 28E, where all the UK freesat (and Sky) channels are.

If it's the one that my local b&Q sell it has everything you need. A basic tuner with scart output and a single lnb connection (I don't think there is RGB though). A 60cm dish with wall fittings, single lnb a coil of sat grade coax and f connectors. As you and I inferred it looks as if the OP may already have a dish so he really only needs the tuner.

[ciaran2506]

Originally Posted by SRT

Well thanks for all your replies
Its nice to have something positive for a change
I was pretty sure there would be a NO.
So can I ask - - is there a recommended lnb that I could replace the existing twin with?
The TV will be a freesat built in type - - thinking panny.
Stuart.

From your post it seems you have Sky HD and Sky+. This would use up all 4 ports of the quad LNB so you would need to swap it for an octo one.

[logiciel]

Originally Posted by grahamlthompson

If it's the one that my local b&Q sell it has everything you need.

Remarkably good value then - especially compared to offers from more specialist suppliers.

[David Chapman]

Sorry to be ignorant!......

Just trying to find an alternative to Sky+ as we only watch the freeview channels and are paying £31/mth (incl. 2nd Sky box in breakfast room). So I'm thinking I need to buy a Freeview/sat+ box.....

Reading this thread it appears that if I stop my SKY+ subscription I can still get the Freeview/sat channels via my Sky+ & 2nd Sky box just by removing the Sky card?

But will my Sky+ box still record and allow pause/rewind etc AND record two free channels simultaneously whilst I watch a previously recorded programme, as with Sky+?

Also, I have a TV-eye in the bedroom connected to the Sky+ box in the lounge via RF. Will this still control the Sky+ box as now?

Thanks for any help!!

[Doctor_AB]

If you cancel your sky sub you will not be able to use the sky+ features. You will not be able to watch any of the pre recorded programmes either.

[David Chapman]

Originally Posted by Doctor_AB

If you cancel your sky sub you will not be able to use the sky+ features. You will not be able to watch any of the pre recorded programmes either.

Just found this out for myself by removing the Sky+ card!

So... what can I replace the Sky+ box with to give me identical features, including a 2nd feed for the 2nd TV and its magic eye?
Also, is there a Freesat+ as well as Freeview+, and if so should I stick with the 'sat' as I have a dish already, rather than 'view'?

Any recommended hardware for the one that'll give me what I want?

Many thanks! Told you I was new to all this!!

[grahamlthompson]

Yes Freesat+ is available and there are now several twin tuner HD pvr models

Join Freesat

None will provide the magic eye remote control and rf transmission of the output without buying extra bits

[David Chapman]

Originally Posted by grahamlthompson

Yes Freesat+ is available and there are now several twin tuner HD pvr models

Join Freesat

None will provide the magic eye remote control and rf transmission of the output without buying extra bits

Thanks for that. I already have coax cable from the lounge to the bedroom for the Sky+ magic eye set up. What would I need for Freesat+? I'm guessing some sort of IR sender stuck to the Freesat box? Does that use the coax cable too? If I bought a Humax Foxsat box (found this since the last question - I'm learning fast!) does that have an RF out for the coax or do I need to convert one of its other outputs to coax. TV in the lounge has HDMI in from the Foxsat.

Thanks!!

[grahamlthompson]

Originally Posted by David Chapman

Thanks for that. I already have coax cable from the lounge to the bedroom for the Sky+ magic eye set up. What would I need for Freesat+? I'm guessing some sort of IR sender stuck to the Freesat box? Does that use the coax cable too? If I bought a Humax Foxsat box (found this since the last question - I'm learning fast!) does that have an RF out for the coax or do I need to convert one of its other outputs to coax. TV in the lounge has HDMI in from the Foxsat.

Thanks!!

If you want to retain what you have know you need two bits of kit.

One an external modulator that connects to one of the hdr outputs and works the same as the internal one in a sky box (It adds the hdr output as an analogue tv channel to all the others analogue and digital coming from your aerial. You then need to convert the control signals from the eye back to IR.

All the kit is here

Buy Now

Alternatively you could use a wireless video sender which combines both functions and won't need your coax (you can still use it to send the aerial channels). There are two types the 5.8GHz ones suffer less interference problems

[David Chapman]

I can't see an RF out on the back of the Foxsat box so what connects it to the modulator?

Also, it's the signal coming via satellite out of the Foxsat I want to send to the bedroom, not anything from my loft aerial. I have an additional stand alone coax going from the lounge direct to the bedroom TV socket. So I guess I connect one (which?) of the Foxsat's ouputs to the modulator, but what about the Smart Blaster's RF 'in' and 'out' to add that into the equation?
Will my Sky magic eye work with the Smart Blaster or does it need its dedicated Smart-Eye?

[logiciel]

glt's alternative is the way I'd go - no hassle with modulators, cables, blasters, or "magic" anything.

[David Chapman]

Originally Posted by logiciel

glt's alternative is the way I'd go - no hassle with modulators, cables, blasters, or "magic" anything.

Is there a 5.8 unit you could recommend?

Thanks.

[logiciel]

I've found the less expensive ones work well and haven't needed a 5.8gHz.
Argos or Amazon would be my preferred source and they both have quite a range of the 5.8s.
HTH - Logi

[grahamlthompson]

Originally Posted by David Chapman

I can't see an RF out on the back of the Foxsat box so what connects it to the modulator?

Also, it's the signal coming via satellite out of the Foxsat I want to send to the bedroom, not anything from my loft aerial. I have an additional stand alone coax going from the lounge direct to the bedroom TV socket. So I guess I connect one (which?) of the Foxsat's ouputs to the modulator, but what about the Smart Blaster's RF 'in' and 'out' to add that into the equation?
Will my Sky magic eye work with the Smart Blaster or does it need its dedicated Smart-Eye?

The modulator connects to either the vcr scart or the 3 RCA phono outputs Video and Stereo Audio. The RF in and out are on the modulator itself.

Example

SCART & PHONE SIGNAL ILS102 RF MODULATOR (350.111) on eBay (end time 16-Mar-10 10:04:10 GMT)

[grahamlthompson]

Originally Posted by logiciel

I've found the less expensive ones work well and haven't needed a 5.8gHz.
Argos or Amazon would be my preferred source and they both have quite a range of the 5.8s.
HTH - Logi

My cordless dect phone setup makes the low frequency one unusable for me.

[logiciel]

My DECT phone is no problem but my router was until I changed the frequency on the Videosender.