# Satellite Disk - Free View



## mickdoyle (10 Oct 2006)

Will any satellite disk work with BBC's freeview? Where is the cheapest place to buy the box?


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## hansov (10 Oct 2006)

I presume you mean dish! Anything from a black sky-dish and bigger will work. Ste the dish up with an LNB in place. Thats the thingy that points towards the dish. Point it at astra - look at the direction neighbours have their dishes pointed - a little tweaking up/down, right/left - a little patience and hook it in to a digibox and away you go. There have been a few posts here on the same topic. Digiboxes can be purchased second hand and dishes as well. Expect to pay 100 - 120 for the lot. But then free 'clear' TV.


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## pnh (10 Oct 2006)

mickdoyle said:


> Will any satellite disk work with BBC's freeview? Where is the cheapest place to buy the box?


Lidl/Aldi offer these kits every so often .You will get a good selection of stations including all BBC and  ITV but not RTE.
I think Maplins have/had also a suitable kit if u want to check them out


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## potnoodler (10 Oct 2006)

www.corksat.com have the dish, lnb and lnb for €120 exc p&p


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## patspost (11 Oct 2006)

All the satelite dishes will pick up the freeview on BBC if they are pointing at the right satellite.
The Fortech star available from Maplins has to have the transponder code for the BBC entered manually as it doesn't seem to pick it up on a scan or search.


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## hansov (11 Oct 2006)

I suppose that's the beauty of a digibox - point the dish at the right satellite (astra2) and away you go. EPG (Electronic Programme Guide) as well.


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## Ron Burgundy (16 Oct 2006)

can the freeview box run off the sky dish i have up at the mo or would i need to fit a seperate dish ??


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## hansov (16 Oct 2006)

Lads: To receive a signal from the sky dish you must have a sky digibox or other satellite receiver. I think "Freeview" is different and not available generally in Ireland - you do get it in border areas etc. We are talking about pointing a dish (satellite that is) at the southern sky, pulling in a signal and decoding that signal through a digibox or satellite receiver. So Ron if you have a dish, get a box (digi or other receiver - don't buy a freeview box!) and you're away!


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## Ron Burgundy (16 Oct 2006)

yeah i have a dish with sky and sky+ on it, just a just send another feed to a different reciever for this ?????


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## Technologist (16 Oct 2006)

The short answer is 'Yes'.

The $ky Digibox points at Astra 28.2 East, it can get channels other than the pre-programmed ones but it cannot cope with some of the frequencies or 'symbol rates'.

So, to get the other channels, you'd need a general-purpose satellite receiver, known as a FTA receiver (Free-To-Air). These usually have a 'pass-through' connector to allow two tuners use the same dish.

BUT, there are probably very few channels on Astra at 28.2 East that cannot be received with the $ky box, so it might not be worth the bother.

You could motorise the dish so that it can point at other satellites or you could add another LNB so that it points at another satellite (e.g. Astra 19.2e or HotBird 13e). You'd definitely need to use the FTA receiver to control this and tune the non-$ky channels. The $ky box cannot do this.

Have a look at www.lyngsat.com, check out what's free, what's on satellites that you can 'see' and what interests you.

If you do not want to pay for $ky & get their channels, you can get all the free  BBC and ITV channels by connecting the FTA receiver to the same dish you were using for $ky & just put the $ky box away.  You cannot get C4 or RTE TV with a FTA receiver.


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## Ron Burgundy (16 Oct 2006)

getting channel four was the main reason for this  

my brother in law lives in london and if he has sky i might have a card sent over.


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## hansov (17 Oct 2006)

He doesn't need to have sky. He can buy a sky card for 20 pounds or so that gives him/you access to Ch4, five and sky three.


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## Old Jim (17 Oct 2006)

Where are the best places to buy just the digibox? ebay? Do you need to buy the sky card seperately?


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## hansov (17 Oct 2006)

The digibox - ebay or buyandsell. Often cards are offered for sale but you need to be careful, somebody could theoretically sell you a card and next week cancel the card with sky. Go the relative/friend route and you'll be okay.


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## Ron Burgundy (17 Oct 2006)

Old Jim said:


> Where are the best places to buy just the digibox? ebay? Do you need to buy the sky card seperately?


 
but it must be activated before i get it, right ???


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## hansov (17 Oct 2006)

Yes and no. If you get a relative to activate it (the card that is) give them the details of your digibox (serial no etc) which can be had off one of the menus.


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## Technologist (17 Oct 2006)

hansov said:


> He doesn't need to have sky. He can buy a sky card for 20 pounds or so that gives him/you access to Ch4, five and sky three.


BUT...The UK $ky card (Freesat?) will not get RTE TV.


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## hansov (17 Oct 2006)

Yep - afraid it's the old rabbit's ears for RTE!, 2 and other Irish terrestrial channels. Old Jim check your PM.


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