Sky+ to Freesat Cable swap?

[++ Jase ++]

I currently pay £104 a month for Sky+ (Multiroom 2 rooms) and to be honest I never watch any of it so I plan to cancel and just move to freesat this week.

My question is at the moment I have 2 cables going to each of my Sky+ boxes, is it just a case of using the same cables and just plugging them into a Freesat box or do I need someone to call at the house to re-align the dish etc.?

And on the question of boxes I assume these are the only options for recordable boxes?

Freesat Recordable 4K TV Box 500GB
Freesat Recordable 4K TV Box 1TB

Thanks

 

[grahamlthompson]

For full functiionality the new Arris boxes will need the lnb changing on the dish. Do you have a conventional aerial , If so you could use the existing cables to feed freeview play boxes,

If you are happy to have a limit of recording two at the same time then a Arris box at each location should work with the existing cables. No need to re-align the dish all the UK channels come from a group of satellites at 28.2E

Manhattan T3-R Freeview Play PVR Review

Review of the Manhattan T3-R Freeview Play PVR featuring 4K and HDR for iPlayer and YouTube

www.avforums.com

 

[ashenfie]

The OP stated Sky HD and if that correct (he does not have sky Q) then it's just swap the boxes. I swapped the LNB as I had sky Q and thats all I need to do, worked perfectly.

I have a basic Manhattan box which is ideal for me as I never record anything as I use catchup on the TVs apps.

 

[++ Jase ++]

For full functiionality the new Arris boxes will need the lnb changing on the dish. Do you have a conventional aerial , If so you could use the existing cables to feed freeview play boxes,

If you are happy to have a limit of recording two at the same time then a Arris box at each location should work with the existing cables. No need to re-align the dish all the UK channels come from a group of satellites at 28.2E

Manhattan T3-R Freeview Play PVR Review

Review of the Manhattan T3-R Freeview Play PVR featuring 4K and HDR for iPlayer and YouTube

www.avforums.com

The OP stated Sky HD and if that correct (he does not have sky Q) then it's just swap the boxes. I swapped the LNB as I had sky Q and thats all I need to do, worked perfectly.

I have a basic Manhattan box which is ideal for me as I never record anything as I use catchup on the TVs apps.

That is correct I have Sky HD (I don't have Sky Q), when I phoned about getting the cost reduced they tried to sell me Sky Q but I really don't watch it enough.

I'm a little confused now though, if I buy a couple of boxes that I've linked (or maybe one without the record function) it will just be a case of swapping the cables as I have Sky HD?

 

[ashenfie]

No cable swaps required, just change over the boxes. You can use the same wires from the Dish outside to your new FreeSat Box.

 

[REPASSAC]

Yes just a simple cable swap. I think the non recordable unit only requires a single cable, any one of the two current will do.

A Graham mentioned if you want to watch one channel and record MORE than 1 then you would need to swap the LNB to a wideband one. If you are happy with watch one and record one other then no change necessary.

 

[Rodders53]

To make it clearer.

You have a standard $ly-type Octo (8 output) LNB 6 outputs are feeding three (3) $ky+ recording boxes.

You can simply put Arris recording boxes in place of the $ky and will need no modifications.

Each box will be able to record two channels at once.

Graham mentioned a feature of the new boxes that a different LNB and a pile of extra modifications would allow the ne Arris boxes to each record up to 4 channels at once... But not easily or cheaply, and three new freesat boxes is a big outlay already!

 

[++ Jase ++]

Thank you all, that sounds perfect so I look forward to cancelling my Sky subscription today and saving £104 a month

 

[Mexico Man]

Pardon my ignorance. Slightly different question. Is it possible change the box from Sky Q to Arris without touching the LNB ?

 

[Rodders53]

Pardon my ignorance. Slightly different question. Is it possible change the box from Sky Q to Arris without touching the LNB ?

Yes.




Unless LNB is a $ky hybrid with 6 ports when the Arris cannot cope.

 

[winston2010]

No cable swaps required, just change over the boxes. You can use the same wires from the Dish outside to your new FreeSat Box.

Once you cancel the existing boxes will continue to get the free channels without doing anything though you won’t be able to record.

 

[rs101]

Yes.




Unless LNB is a $ky hybrid with 6 ports when the Arris cannot cope.

Wrong. The Arris works with a hybrid LNB, but isn't able to switch it to wideband mode, so will only support 2 tuners at a time.

 

[Rodders53]

Wrong. The Arris works with a hybrid LNB, but isn't able to switch it to wideband mode, so will only support 2 tuners at a time.

So it can't cope with it properly! But the 4 port legacy version (with dedicated 2xwide and 2xlegacy) will work with the Arris as you'd expect it to!

 

[rs101]

So it can't cope with it properly! But the 4 port legacy version (with dedicated 2xwide and 2xlegacy) will work with the Arris as you'd expect it to!

Correct.

 

[++ Jase ++]

Once you cancel the existing boxes will continue to get the free channels without doing anything though you won’t be able to record.

Ohh do you mean I can continue to use my sky boxes after I cancel to get free channels?

If so what channels are they, the same as freesat? that would save be buying new boxes

 

[logiciel]

Of course.

 

[Rodders53]

Note they become dumb receivers and power hungry ones at that.

But they will allow you to watch, for example, Channel 4 in HD complete with ads, that freeviewSAT only has in SD.

The freesat vs "free sat from Sky" line up is a bit different, as the card will decrypt certain free to view channels (and include C4 HD in the Sky epg). Expired subs cards automatically become free sat from sky cards. Removing the card will lose any encrypted FTV ones.

Freesat only allows viewing of free to air channels that are in its freesat epg, and that requires a fee from the broadcasters (as does the $ky epg).

List of channels on Sky (UK and Ireland) – TVCL – TV Channel Lists seems a reasonably up to date resource (unlike some others).

 

[davemurgatroyd2]

Freesat only allows viewing of free to air channels that are in its freesat epg, and that requires a fee from the broadcasters (as does the $ky epg).

Nit quite correct - by law all satellite receivers must be able to view all FTA (Free to air) channels that their hardware can disply. However channels that do not pay to be on the EPG can only be viewed in "non Freesat" mode and cannot usually be recorded

 

[Rodders53]

Nit quite correct - by law all satellite receivers must be able to view all FTA (Free to air) channels that their hardware can disply. However channels that do not pay to be on the EPG can only be viewed in "non Freesat" mode and cannot usually be recorded

But the receivers often make that so difficult to do - and their latest Arris, freesat branded, unit (I read) is even worse!

So wot I wrote is to all intents and purposes true for them normal people wot don't like to mess about with tech too much!

 

[MJH1962]

But they will allow you to watch, for example, Channel 4 in HD complete with ads, that freeview only has in SD.

I think you mean Freesat, Freeview has Channel 4 HD on its EPG

 

[grahamlthompson]

I think you mean Freesat, Freeview has Channel 4 HD on its EPG

An expired card on a Sky-HD box does give Channe;4-HD but you cannot record it.

Correct for Frreeview-HD - PSB-3 available on all Freeview-HD transmitters has channel-4-HD and you can record it and also All4- catch up services is available on Freeview-HD kit

 

[Rodders53]

My bad - freeSAT not FreeVIEW doesn't have C4 HD..
Corrected it, above.

 

[MJH1962]

An expired card on a Sky-HD box does give Channe;4-HD but you cannot record it.

Correct for Frreeview-HD - PSB-3 available on all Freeview-HD transmitters has channel-4-HD and you can record it and also All4- catch up services is available on Freeview-HD kit

Thanks for re-stating what has already been said.

 

[grahamlthompson]

Thanks for re-stating what has already been said.

When posted it had not been said. The post was corrected as I clarified the situation.