Complete Total Novice Needs Help!!!

[Suave]

Hello All,

I really know nothing about satellite TV and am in need of your assistance. My family watch a few pay channels and we have a sky dish and a basic receiver which I believe is a Panasonic TU-D50. This unit has started playing up and always freezes. I need to buy another one and thought I would buy one with more features hoping I could get something from ebay fairly cheaply. I would like one with both Sky-Plus (I beleive that has some good interactive features?) and so I can get more channels, get one that also has freeview as then I do not have to have another box. On ebay I can find models with either Sky-Plus or Freeview but not both. Is there such a thing? If not which is a very good one of each type that has a strong signal and gives a good picture? It must have those slots for a card to go in. I really need to get one quickly so would be very grateful for any quick responses! If anyone here has something that might be suitable, by all means, let me know!

Regards,

Suave!

[Chris Muriel]

This query should really be posted in the Sky section of these forums.
Note that Freeview is the UK terrestrial service ; it uses different encoding, modulation and frequencies than Sky or other satellite transmissions.
The FTV (Free To View) satellite service is known as Freesat.

Chris Muriel, Manchester

[Suave]

Hello,

I am so sorry for posting in the wrong section - I will repost in the right place!

Suave!

[fernandez]

"I would like one with both Sky-Plus.... so I can get more channels....get one that also has freeview as then I do not have to have another box. On ebay I can find models with either Sky-Plus or Freeview but not both"

No matter which type of Sky box you get the same number of actual channels is receivable
There isn't AFAIK a combined Sky(satellite) and Freeview (terrestrial) box. If there were it would need to accept a suitable CAM (and the Sky card), and even then an official Sky receiver would be needed to update the card

Just about all the channels available on terrestrial Freeview are available on Sky (although some which are free on Freeview require a subscription on Sky - Channel 4/FIVE/E4 etc)

[SamRadford]

Originally Posted by fernandez

Just about all the channels available on terrestrial Freeview are available on Sky (although some which are free on Freeview require a subscription on Sky - Channel 4/FIVE/E4 etc)

Ch4, five, Sky3, fivelife and fiveUS require only a £20 Freesat card.

[davemurgatroyd2]

Originally Posted by fernandez

"I would like one with both Sky-Plus.... so I can get more channels....get one that also has freeview as then I do not have to have another box. On ebay I can find models with either Sky-Plus or Freeview but not both"

No matter which type of Sky box you get the same number of actual channels is receivable
There isn't AFAIK a combined Sky(satellite) and Freeview (terrestrial) box. If there were it would need to accept a suitable CAM (and the Sky card), and even then an official Sky receiver would be needed to update the card

Just about all the channels available on terrestrial Freeview are available on Sky (although some which are free on Freeview require a subscription on Sky - Channel 4/FIVE/E4 etc)

There are quite a few combined Satellite and Freeview receivers - I have two different ones both made by Fortec Star - one a Lifetime Diamond and one a 5100CI Diamond (the diamond in Fortec Star models denotes twin tuners one DVB-T and one DVB-S). The Lifetime is a FTA satellite receiver only but the 5100CI has two CI slots and with a Dragon CAM works quite happily on all Sky channels (inc Premium channels) with my genuine subscription card. Although the card does need "keeping alive" in a Sky dodgibox every 3 or 4 weeks. I use my 5100CI for holidays with a camping satellite dish.

[fernandez]

I may be wrong , but from what I can find on a quick google the Fortec Star/Diamond 5100CI is now discontinued

[foneman]

note, though, that you cannot get a box to do more than just SKY(remember they are only *one* of the Satellites out there..) -they totally control this, and even what the box will do.. this is mainly to stop customer support issues..

for Freeview (terrestrial DVB) I would *invest* in a good DVD/HD recorder with DVB tuner - (see the DVD recorder section) - some of these may seem expensive, but you need to think of the usability - archiving series to watch later, or take round your mates to see, and large Hard disk so you dont have to worry about missing that recording!