Re:Satellite virgin needs advise

cubix

On chorus analogue cable at the moment and like being able to watch different chanels in different rooms. I understand I can go down the multiroom viewing option with sky but think its a bit of a rip @€;15 a room when you consider chorus/ntl do it for €5 on their digital service. So was thinking of having the sky box for the main room and a FTA box for the other room and an ariel in the attic so we can get the 4 irish channels on the tv with the FTA box. So I am wondering if possible can all this stuff be hooked up ie:
The room where I am putting the FTA box does this connect via a scart/ariel connection to the tv or is there a connection on the box to take the feed from the ariel in the attic or do I need to plug in which everone I want to use.

What is the line up of channels I can get on the FTA box

Thks Cubix

Tony

yes this can be done, try www.lyngsat.com for channel listings

cubix

Cheers Tony can you get all these channels http://www.lyngsat.com/freetv/United-Kingdom.html

Cubix

watty

Yes. I have only one Sky sub which I frequenty cancel. (I feel a phone call coming on). The box works better for BBC/ITV when cancelled.

I have a QUAD LNB for Sky which feeds 3 Digiboxes and a PC (record BBC/ITV direct to disk like Sky+). Also a motorised dish which can get Sky FTA on another FTA receiver.

You might find the ICDG info usefull
http://bytelive.com/wiki/tiki-index.php?page=Free+To+Air+on+Sky

Some FTA receivers have no RF modulator (I use a VHS as one). Others do have a modulator, Strong at about €110 has one from www.satellite.ie, but a non-subscription Sky box can also be used. Check out the suppliers list on the sticky http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=155714 and on http:/icdg.bytelive.com/

When you subscribe to Sky you own the gear from day one, but have a minimum 12 month subscription.

You can feed the TV aerial into RF in on a VHS or Satellite Receiver and daisy chain RF out --> RF in on several receivers and /or VHS (each must be set to a different channel, which is different to any aerial channel). The last RF out (ideally RF2 on the Sky Digibox) can feed a Sky Eye compatible 4, 6 or 8Way RF TV amplifier. Then this feeds every TV RF in socket. One or more TVs can have a Sky Eye adaptor on its aerial socket and the Sky remote will work there.

SCART with RGB setting give best local picture on any Satellite Receiver, an the RF is only MONO (apart from TV aerial channels which are Nicam).

Stereo on the Satellite receivers is via SCART or the L &R rca/phono connectors.

Sponge Bob

the lnb and cable is the key thing

single sky box , single dish and single lnb (thats a sky the installer puts in) €210 for the whole of the year and then you can drop the sub and keep the sky box free.

installer leaves

you buy quad lnb for sky dish and put that in the lnb holder and run cable

now you can have

single dish 4 cables and quad lnb and can have 4 boxes in the house ...be they sky or fta boxes it does not matter , always lots of these Raven brand Sky Quads on Ebay if you look, about £20 a pop .

Note the twist of the LNB, its not straight in the bracket but twisted about 25 degrees right .

thats all.

givecredit

Do as spongebob says above, except at time of installation ask the installer for a quad lnb with 3 extra cable runs to the rooms you want free satillite in. The installer should do this for circa E65-e80 (A friend of mine did this this week)

You can feed the aerial feed from attic directly to back of your tv and feed the freesat box with the scart lead.

I currently have 5 sky boxes, One subscription (Sky+) 4 free to view (Freesatfromsky card) The four freesat tvs are also feed with Irish tv from tv Aerial. It all works a treat.

Just a note of caution. Four satellite boxes is simply with a quad, anything higher than for requires a different setup, eg octo lnb or quattro lnb with distribution box.

watty

Some newer distribution systems can use a Quad or a Quattro. A Quattro looks just like a Quad but is useless without a distribution system.

cubix

Appreciate the input lads,just a couple of more questions

The little fella has got use to Cartoon network and usually watches it upstairs before going to bed. The sky will more than likely be plugged into the tv downstairs which her self watchs the soaps on. So my question : is there anyting decent on CBBies for a 5yr in the evening or is there any other kids programs on FTA that are any good

The other thing I am wondering is I presume with a normal sky dish I am getting the FTA channels from the astra+hotbird sats. IF this is the case is it worth my while getting a bigger dish to get the FTA channels on the other sats,another words are there any good programs on them ie:football/motor sport etc

Thanks

By the way watty besides bbc+itv working better any other reason you cancel your sub from time to time?

watty

CBeebies and CBBC stops at 7pm. When the new C-ITV starts it will stop at 6pm.

There is POP and TinyPop. But in evening I think they have a lot of Pop Video. Check schedule. They often have a lot of programs more suitable for small kids than Cartoon Network/Disney/Nick etc.

You need more than a Dish. With an 80cm dish you can point it at 19E for Astra1 etc mostly German and add a bracket for Sky LNB off to west side of it. FTA: CNN, CNBC, Euronews, Bloomberg, BBC World TV, Sky News etc in English, also TV5 and DW-TV, Terranova, Arte etc.

An other LNB can be added close up on East side to give 13E Hotbirds:
Bloomberg, Russia Today, Arriang, BBC World TV etc in English, Terranova, Arte, DW-TV, Nile TV int, IBA ch33 (all part english) also many Italian, Polish, Arabic.

See www.lyngsat.com/europe/ for 19E and 13E

I cancel because everything repeats after a while. There is plenty good TV free. I don't watch sport at all. I never use Sky Box office or Sky Movie subs, I can get up to 8 new DVDs (not new releases) in shopping center per month for price of top Sky sub. Or almost one new release for price of Sky minimum release.

Reactivating takes minutes. Once you are past minimum contract you can cancel with one month notice and effectively have a sub even just for 8 weeks over Christmas.

cubix

Cheers;)