Easiest Cheapest Free something HD setup?

Pidsley

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Hello,

I would like to watch Freesat HD or indeed Freeview HD on a television that does not have either as a built in receiver.

My current set up is as follows:

An old single LNB sat dish (oval mesh I think) on the front of house, currently connected to my new plasma TV with built in Freeview HD and Freesat HD. This TV is also connected to Virgins Cable V+ HD. and also connected via ethernet cable to a ReadyNAs duo and internet.

Aerial within loft that is freeview compliant (it supplies a TV in another room with freeview)

The HD Ready TV currently with no inputs whatsoever (apart from a Wii) at the rear of the house. (This is the one I would like to connect to an HD receiver of somekind).

I can run a cable from front of house(Satdish position) through loft and down back of house if needs be.

I would like to try and keep Freesat HD on both TV's if possible and am aware that a cable splitters would ruin reception and give me only one channel for two TV's, so a mulit LNB might be needed.

Recording Freesat is not a main requirement. (I'm sure the kids would disagree).

So is it to be Freesat HD or Freeview HD and if so how's best to get a signal to the receiver.

Any help gratefully received (if you pardon the pun)
 
Replace the LNB with a quad, put in that cable and choose a Freesat HD receiver: freesat HD box - freesat.
What pun?
 
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So is it to be Freesat HD or Freeview HD and if so how's best to get a signal to the receiver.

If you go Freesat you'll need a quad LNB giving four outlets, or you could go for eight... You cannot split the cables and will need a dedicated cable from each receiver to the dish. This way you will have extras for future use such as PVRs or more receivers etc.

If you go Freeview you can split into your existing cabling, though you may need a signal booster.

Personally I feel Freesat gives marginally better picture quality but that may be a reflection on Freeview reception in my area more than anything else. Probably best to choose on channel selection as there are minor differences.
 
Thank you. Do you know an easy way of finding out which quad lnb I need? and whether my dish will accept a quad?
 
There are many quad LNBs on EBay, or you might consider getting a new dish complete with its LNB.
 
The LNB fitting might be different if it's an old dish.
Might be easier and not cost much to replace it all - around £20.
 
You should also check your postcode on the Freeview website to see if you can get Freeview HD.

Humax do a Freeview HD box too.

You ought to compare the Freeview and freesat channel lists to see if that sways your decision.

Or have both!
 
The LNB fitting might be different if it's an old dish.
Might be easier and not cost much to replace it all - around £20.

Do you mean a complete new dish with quad lnb for £20? Where would I find such a deal.

Settling on freesat due to the better channel choice, HD channels and BBCiplayer and Itv player thats on its way. Now to choose the Freesat HD box?

You should also check your postcode on the Freeview website to see if you can get Freeview HD.

Humax do a Freeview HD box too.

You ought to compare the Freeview and freesat channel lists to see if that sways your decision.

Or have both!

Settling on freesat due to the better channel choice, HD channels and BBCiplayer and Itv player thats on its way. Now to choose the Freesat HD box?
 
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Has anyone any experience of the Freesat HD slingbox? Also, wll this maachine record Freesat HD on a timer (with SKY subs). SKY+ HD Box Pace TDS850NB 320gb FREESAT

Sorry about so many questions.
 
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You're OK with the questions - that's what we're here for.
Here are a selection of dishes and LNBs: sky dish with quad lnb | eBay UK.
I linked to the Freesat receivers in my first reply.
You can find the recorders there too and they work in the same way as Sky+ receivers.
The two types of machine are not the same though and the Pace is an old Sky model, not a Freesat.
Subscriptions apply only to Sky, not to Freesat.
One for you - what is a "Freesat HD slingbox"?
 
Thanks for the update. I'm referring to the add top right of this page. The echoStar Slingbox, catcher etc.
 
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Has anyone any experience of the Freesat HD slingbox? Also, wll this maachine record Freesat HD on a timer (with SKY subs). SKY+ HD Box Pace TDS850NB 320gb FREESAT

Sorry about so many questions.

There is a thread in this section regarding the Echostar slingbox model.

I'm not really sure what your asking regarding the Sky box. A Sky+ HD box could be used and you'd get FreesatFromSky, which is different from Freesat. It's basically Sky without any of the subscription channels, they charge approx £20 or so for a viewing card then will want £10 per month to turn on recording.
 
Ok thanks for the SKY clarity.
 
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they charge approx £20 or so for a viewing card then will want £10 per month to turn on recording.

But this viewing card only gets you an extra half dozen channels. All the FTA channels (approx 200 of them) are free with no card at all. The card simply adds the handful of FTV channels as well - and gets you local versions of BBC and ITV rather than the defaults of ITV West Midlands and BBC London.
 
I'm referring to the add top right of this page. The echoStar Slingbox, catcher etc.
Ads on this page?:confused:
The thread about it is: http://www.avforums.com/forums/freesat/1440117-what-i-think-echo-star-hds-600s.html.
All I can say about it is that it's very pricey!
I don't know how FreeSatFromSky has come into this, but the card for the few extra channels costs a one-off £25, and if they're still letting people pay £10 a month to run Sky+ without a TV subscription that would obviously need a card too, maybe the same one.
Here are details of FSFS, and the other ways of getting free satellite TV: http://www.avforums.com/forums/freesat/1307423-free-satellite-freesatfromsky-freesat.html.
 
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I think you'll find it's required to enable recording.

Correct. But the OP won't have to pay £20 for the card in the first place if they are then going to pay £10 per month for Sky+ functionality - as Sky will provide them with that card FOC the same way they would would if they were taking out a Sky TV subscription.

Unfortunately Sky seem to have become reluctant recently to sell the Sky+ feature for a tenner a month to new non-subscribers though. They still offer it to people who previously had a Sky TV subscription (and therefore already had an expired Sky subscription card) but don't always offer it to a new customer who requires both a card, and then wants the Sky+ functionality added to that card. They used to offer it - and may well still do in certain circumstances - but it isn't as widely available as it used to be.

But as the OP said that recording wasn't a requirement, I doubt very much whether the idea of paying a tenner a month for the ability to record is relevant anyway.
 
But as the OP said that recording wasn't a requirement, I doubt very much whether the idea of paying a tenner a month for the ability to record is relevant anyway.

Maybe, but they did enquire about recording in post #11.
 
If you want to go the simpler Freeview HD route, Tesco are doing good deals on boxes from £30 (their Technika STBHDIS2010, ignore the other box with H rather than IS in the model). For a bit more, you can have the ICan for £50 or the Icecrypt for £58. I understand the Icecrypt software can be updated so, like the Humax, you can record to a USB hard drive.

You do of course have to be in a Freeview HD served area.
 
Thank you for all your input.

As I have a good signal and good picture quality (I would say better than my Virgin cable HD) at the moment (winter might be different I know); I have decided to buy a new quad lng to fit the existing sky minidish. Run a double cable to the front room (to the existing inbuilt Freesat HD TV); run a double cable through the loft and into the back room for the new Humax FoxSat recorder I just purchased.

Hopefully this will save me time on realigning the dish. If the picture qual suffers I might consider replacing the dish setup completely (therefore only losing the £15 I paid for the new quad LNG.

Now to get it all done before the "I do's" on Friday.

Thanks again.
 
That's OK and it raises only a few points.
The HD TV takes only one dish connection - a second one would be of no use.
It's a quad LNB that you're looking for.
You won't see any difference in picture quality - it will either produce a picture or it won't.
 
Cheers, my bad typing I'm afraid. Got the LNB. I might as well run the dual cable to front room TV area, In case I get another PVR for that room at some point. Plus the existing single cabel is damaged. Its only 5 meters or so from dish to TV.

Mind you I just read that the Humax Foxsat is DLNA, My TV plays DLNA through existing network. I wonder of I will be able to stream recordings from the Humax (back of house). Through to the TV via ethernet network (at front of house).

As you can tell I tend to get carried away with thinking about too many options.
 
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That's OK and you might as well have the connection for future use.
The DNLA thing is something you'll find reams about in various threads here, and i'm sure you'll feel at home in them. ;)
 

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