FTA, FTV Beginner

whatawaster

Im relatively new to the boards and im looking to set up a satellite system in my home. Does anyone recommend any particular systems i should go for, preferably as inexpensive as possible. Also are there cards available in ireland that will allow me to get e4 and channel 4. finally is there any extensive list of free channels which would be available to me? any help would be greatly appreciated

Mossy Monk

if you want E4 and Channel 4 you will need either a UK subscription or a Irish sub/FTV card combination

E4 is not free on satellite

boardy

I picked up my FTA system at Lidl for €99 and I'm happy as Larry with it.

My biggest problem is with the dish itself, especially with the winds lately. I had to go up on a ladder twice to re-tighten it as it moved. If it happens again, I will replace it with a mesh dish. Some of the lads were complaining about the dish holder (bracket), but that's fine as long as you secure it correctly.

There's lots of information on boards already about this and FTV, just do a google search and include "boards.ie" at the end ...

Best of luck.

Ulsterman 1690

Some of the lads were complaining about the dish holder (bracket), but that's fine as long as you secure it correctly.

The brackets are pretty junky. I got a Lidl dish and bracket with FTV digibox for some relations down South and theyre complaining that the picture breaks up on a windy day (In fairness the location in question is very exposed to the wind but nonetheless its pretty crap)

Tony does some nice sturdy brackets (Im probably going to be investing in another one soon as a Christmas present for said relations)

The fact that the Lidl dish is secured to the bracket using a single U bolt (although there are slots for two more) probably doesnt help matters

I dont know if a mesh dish would improve things. If I remember my school Physics correctly doesnt the wind cause little air pockets around the mesh holes making them ineffective (but then again I could be totally wrong ?)

Supercell

Cheapest way is a lidly type setup, then get a uk freesat card on ebay plus ex sky digibox, probably about 60euro for both (speaking from experience).

You now can get , BBC 1,2,3,4 , ITV 1,2,3,4? , C4,C5, Sky 3 plus many other fta channels yer probably not going to watch bar the news ones..Sky news etc, thats a pretty reasonable selection for "free" apart from the costs of installing em, there is no monthly fee at least.

For the wonders of e4...you need to sub to some provider.

watty

A mesh dish can actually have HIGHER wind resistance at some wind angles and nearly the same resistance straight on. Mesh is for lightness of shipping and cheapness to make. I have 3 x 90cm dished and not moved in very strong winds. Good bracket well tightened.

The Lidl systems are only available every 6 months or so.

Two suppliers of FTA DIY kit (much better dishes than small Lidl one) are www.satellite.ie and www.maplin.co.uk Mapilin has shops in Galway, Limerick, Cork, Dublin and Belfast.

You ought to get a really good system (Dish, LNB, receiver, fitteings) around 200 to 250 Euro, depending on brackets and amount of cable. A motor to increase satellites from 1 to about 20 is about 100 Euro.

Out of about 1500 FTA TV and 1100 FTA radio on 20 satellites I watch about 25 TV channels and listen about 10 Radio stations :-)

You don't channel flick but best to use www.gypsymedia.com "Digiguide" on PC for program guide. I tried Channel flicking one wet Saturday and it took 4 hours.

C4, Five, Sky3 need a UK FTV card in a Digibox.

Many "pay" encrypted news and foriegn channels are FTA elesewhere on a motorised system totally legitimately. Or German versions of Eurosport and MTV which are part of Pay TV in UK/Ireland Sky platform.

(fixed link 12th nov).

mjsmyth

Not being smart here Watty, but that link needs to be changed to www.gypsymedia.com to get it to work.

MJ

jonnygee

I bought a lidl reciever and 55 cm dish with twin lnb from the local store here at the end of August. I assembled the dish the day I bought it and I was very disappointed with the (should I say) build quality of the dish. The plastic mounting on the dish flexes far too easily which means the dish arm can move left or right in strong winds and cause picture breakup. Even so as my minidish was very badly rusted I thought I would try the lidl dish while I reconditioned (wire brush and plasticote paint) my minidish. On Monday night during the storm I was left without satellite pictures as the lidl dish blew all over the place. I have never had this problem with any other dish. (I have had 5 different dishes on my wall) On Tuesday morning I was back up the ladder trying to secure my one u bolt plastic mounting flimsy disharm too small lidl dish. Its coming down tomorrow, I bought a new minidish and quad lnb today. Would anyone like to buy my lidl dish. It,s going cheap.

vinvon

Quoting an earlier contributor -

"Cheapest way is a lidly type setup, then get a uk freesat card on ebay plus ex sky digibox, probably about 60euro for both (speaking from experience)."

Are two boxes requird for FTA or just one?

watty

No only a single receiver does FTA. You only need a Sky system for the following:
1) Subscribing to Sky Pay TV channels or Pay Per View Events & Movies.
2) BBC, Sky and other Sky Digibox specific Interactive services (these do not require a subscription).
3) Watching Sky3, C4 and Five with a "FTV" card, only available for a single payment of £21 to a UK address ONLY. It works fine anywhere else.


FTA does not use any cards at all. Works on any type of Digital Satellite Receiver, though an Irish Sky Subcription on a Digibox "hides" some FTA channels that can be added manually.

FTV needs a card only available in UK that only works on a Sky Digibox.

Unlike Cable/MMDS you own the Sky box from day it installed. After one year (normally, though occasionally 6months or 3 months) you can cancel and still get all the FTA channels. )With Cable/MMDS you have nothing when you cancel). After the initial subscription period a phone call typically gets you the Pay TV channels back in about 5 to 10 minutes (unlike Cable / MMDS) , then the minimum period to cancel is one month notice.

On Pay TV satellite you can upgrade your package in minutes (pay more per month) via phone call and downgrade with one month notic (pay less per month).

A cancelled subscription Sky Digibox is essentially like a FTA receiver except that program guide is over one week ahead, and inculdes the Pay TV channels and the Interactive services work.

A basic good value Sky pack is Knowledge + Variety at about €21 a month and the full package is nearly €70 p.m.

If you want direct hard Disk recording and replay (PVR), such that playback is SAME IDENTICAL quality to live TV, then that is a different topic.

And you CAN'T walk into Lidl and get a Satellite system. They only sell them about twice a year at often are sold out with 15minutes of store opening.

But the dish is small on Lidl (=potoential loss of signal in very heavy rain). A system of similar or better quality with 80cm dish is recommended for FTA and costs really the same if cost of larger dish compared with cheaper small dish is considered. I posted links for FTA systems earlier.

Pataman

I bought my fta box in power city, but which satellite do I point it at.

Mossy Monk

for the free BBC and ITV channels you point it at Astra 2 which sits at 28.2° East

vinvon

Thanks Watty for a very comprehensive reply.