Just so I get the terminology correct ...

Clem_Dye

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A good friend of mine who is a complete technophobe asked me for some advice yesterday. He's currently paying an arm and leg (probably with a kidney thrown in for good measure too) for a complete SkyQ setup that now that his kids have left home, is no longer being used, so he wants to get rid of it. He lives in an area where Freeview reception is very poor, so it's DSAT or nothing.

My immediate thoughts were to go for an Arris 4K Freesat PVR. Simple plug and play using his existing dish setup, and this would allow him to record up to 4 streams at once, and so on. There's a snag though. He also has an LG TV with Freesat capability, which is not currently being used, so he wants that in the mix, so that if the PVR dies he and his wife have still got something to watch. (He's also in an area with pathetically poor broadband, so streaming as a backup is a no-go.) As I understand things, me still using my old trusty Humax Freesat PVR, that in order for this to work the wideband LNB on his dish that the SkyQ setup uses would need to be swapped for a hybrid type, giving a universal-type connection for the LG TV whilst also feeding the Arris box.

Is my understanding correct? Would a hybrid LNB still allow for four simultaneous streams to be recorded whilst the LG TV's Freesat tuner was in use? He'll need to get a local installer to sort this, as his dish is on his chimney, but I need to spell out for him, chapter and verse, exactly what he needs to arrange.

Any clarifications or guidance would be much appreciated.
 
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First check the Arris and TV by connecting them in turn to the LNB.
Then find out if he needs to record four - or any in this Player age - programs at once.
 
Hybrid LNB has two wideband ports that would feed the freesat 4k PVR.
Also has 2 or 4 legacy (universal lnb) ports that can feed 2 or 4 tuner devices...
https://cpc.farnell.com/visiblewave/vhk6/hybrid-6-output-wideband-lnb-with/dp/AP03479 is an example.

May be sensible to get spare legacy feeds cables to a reachable place to feed another set or PVR if ever wanted?

Specify all copper cable WF100 etc.,.

I'd also consider asking installer to check Freeview signals with a known test aerial. There really aren't really that many places with truly poor terrestrial reception.
 
Another voice for Freeview.
 
First check the Arris and TV by connecting them in turn to the LNB.
Then find out if he needs to record four - or any in this Player age - programs at once.
Yes, obviously, but as I said, my friend wants the LG TV running in case the Arris box dies.
 
Hybrid LNB has two wideband ports that would feed the freesat 4k PVR.
Also has 2 or 4 legacy (universal lnb) ports that can feed 2 or 4 tuner devices...
https://cpc.farnell.com/visiblewave/vhk6/hybrid-6-output-wideband-lnb-with/dp/AP03479 is an example.

May be sensible to get spare legacy feeds cables to a reachable place to feed another set or PVR if ever wanted?

Specify all copper cable WF100 etc.,.

I'd also consider asking installer to check Freeview signals with a known test aerial. There really aren't really that many places with truly poor terrestrial reception.
The Freeview reception is very poor. All of the houses in the area have really stupidly tall masts, which whip around in the wind, and all have masthead amps. installed. I’ve suggested that he does re-visit the Freeview side of things again, because if it does work, he can just use the existing dish setup as-is.

I presume that on a hybrid LNB, the Arris box can still record 4 streams. A dual output legacy facility would also allow his LG TV, which has, he tells me, 2 satellite ports, to be used in a watch one/record one scenario. I really need to take a look myself, but with the covid restrictions still in place that’s a no-no for now.
 
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Des he only watch TV in one room in the house?
 
Yes with wideband LNB ins to it, all available tuners can be used (afaik but do :rtfm: of the freeview 4k-branded box to check that. ;) )

Two legacy inputs to the TV should allow some PVR functionality - how good that feature is may need research? (and will need an attached HDD for perhaps little benefit?).
If the TV is freesat hd+ certified it should be OK?

Freeview post-DSO reception (large power increases, some taller transmit masts) is rather different to old analogue reception, with ghosting sometimes even helping reception. So solutions are not always high poles - but getting installers out of old habits can be hard. {Including mounting dishes on chimneys where a ground mount might do the job better}.

NB it's a waste of time and effort to connect a wideband LNB to legacy tuners... they won't work (wrong IF local oscillator frequency).
On the other hand if the TV tuners can be set to accept a wideband lnb input; in theory splitters could work.
 
Yes with wideband LNB ins to it, all available tuners can be used (afaik but do :rtfm: of the freeview 4k-branded box to check that. ;) )

Two legacy inputs to the TV should allow some PVR functionality - how good that feature is may need research? (and will need an attached HDD for perhaps little benefit?).
If the TV is freesat hd+ certified it should be OK?

Freeview post-DSO reception (large power increases, some taller transmit masts) is rather different to old analogue reception, with ghosting sometimes even helping reception. So solutions are not always high poles - but getting installers out of old habits can be hard. {Including mounting dishes on chimneys where a ground mount might do the job better}.

NB it's a waste of time and effort to connect a wideband LNB to legacy tuners... they won't work (wrong IF local oscillator frequency).
On the other hand if the TV tuners can be set to accept a wideband lnb input; in theory splitters could work.
@Rodders53: the problem that I have is that until the covid restrictions relax, I can’t go and see what he has and have a play, so I’m trying to help as best I can from a distance, which is far from ideal. He can’t even tell me what TV he has, other than it’s 50in Samsung which he bought in 2015!

I’ve asked him to take a good look at his current TV aerial setup, which he tells me is not even connected to the TV. There’s some sort of booster box in the loft, but what it does he can’t tell me.

At face value, if he wants to drop Sky, then his only option for now is an Arris PVR, which should be plug’n’play. I think that everything else will have to wait until I can get access, or he gets someone in local to sort something out.
 
If you and he have both had both jabs... May 17th isn't that far away now even without both jabs, you should be able to distance and assist then?

$ky cancellation period and delivery of the freesat 4k pvr will likely be later than then, in any case?

why did I type freeview earlier :rotfl:

You may need to get him to find the receipt for the TV to get a model number. Samsung may or may not have a freesat mode in 2015 models? If not freesat, it might not be that useful unless in another room?
 
@Rodders53: thanks once again. I have a number if further questions for him. If he cancels Sky, he’ll need to have the Arris box on hand, as Sky will be wanting their Q kit back. To compound matters, he’s currently refurbishing his front room, so wants to hide cables and so forth.

Luckily, I have had both of my jabs, so come May 17, a site visit is deffo a possibility. I think that he’s impatient to get cracking now, hence him asking me for help.

I have a clear picture in my mind of what needs to sorted, and what questions to ask. Getting details of the TV is high on my list, and I’ll be checking his postcode on the Freeview website in due course.
 
Not plug and play, but could use an enigma2 box, these can be controlled and viewed via and android box / Firestick for viewing in other rooms
 
If it were me, yes, but to try and install something potentially complex as an Enigma box into a family of technophobes would leave me with a permanent support problem.
 

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