Free to air TV in Portlaoise

Hi

I have recently moved house in Portlaoise. the house has a satelite dish installed but I have no decoder. I'm interested in getting the free to air channels BBC1, 2 etc. I would also need rte 1 & 2.

I think that would need a seperate aerial, does anyone know what this would cost to get the free to air & RTE and if you know anyone in the area who does this.

thanks

There are a few people who advertise these services in the classifieds ads at the back of the Leinster Express. You could also try JM Services, Portlaoise (in the book), he does TV and electronic repairs but I'm sure he could point you in the right direction.

For free to air you're more than half way there. Buy a second-hand digibox (try an ad in your local supermarket going rate about 50 euro). The dish you say is already up, and presumably already pointing at Astra 2 the satellite which Sky uses. Search through your house, the coaxial cable is probably still coming from the dish. Plug in using an F-connector and if the allignment of the dish has not been put out - you should be able to pick up the BBC's and ITV's. A rabbit's ears or aerial in the attic will give you the Irish channels. However if the dish is out of allignment you need to re-allign it. This can be easy-ish or difficult depending on your head for heights etc!! Good luck

Thanks folks I'll give it ago

In a similar vein, i have an analogue dish on the house for a number of years now (almost forgotton about now). An analogue decoder is still connected and indeed the last time i checked it could still get Eurosport and CNN in english as well as a number of german channels.
My question is can i still use this old dish for any useful purpose. If i get a second hand digital decoder as advertised in buy and sell, can i effectivly plug it inyo the same connections and pick up any free to air channels. Or is it a bit more complicated than that.
Any simple advice would be much appreciated

went with Chorus in the end, free to air requires a box or for ITV a card and then you need an RTE aerial seperate.

to get someone to give you free to air bbc and itv and an rte configuration was coming in around 320.

to get C4 rte bbc and itv chorus were the only ones doing it.

I didnt fancy sticking and aerial up on the chinmey either as you are into the aerial of it twisting in the wind and all that.

it sounded fine in theory but in practise for a technophobe it was quite complicated.