Getting Channel 4 in Wexford

vioilly

Hi,

My mother in law has asked me to look into getting Channel 4 in Wexford Town. She is using a freeview box and an aerial - no satelite.

How can I tune in Channel 4 for her. Is it possible to get Channel 4 without a satelite. Someone told me I do need to get a dish? Any help would be great!

Thanks


Oli

L1011

If she's using a Freeview box (and getting all 6 multiplexes), Channel 4 is already there - channel 8.

If she's not getting all 6 muxes, you'll need an aerial upgrade.

vioilly

Thanks for your reply - very sorry to be technically inept here but what do you mean when you say multiplexes?

Can i take it for granted that Channel 4 is available using 'any' free view box in ireland but the problem being is that either my mothe rin law hasn't got the channel tuned in properly or the aerial isn't capable of picking up the signal and I need to get a new one installed? Either case it's available?

L1011

I'm assuming you mean Freeview as in Digital Terrestrial from the UK?

Any DTT box thats getting Freeview signals here gets Channel 4.

They transmit 6 "Multiplexes" - there are TV channels, basically, that contain lots of other radio or TV channels.

With Freeview from Wales, you get BBC 1 Wales, BBC 2 Wales, HTV Wales, S4C, Five, ITV2, BBC Three, Channel 4 as your first eight channels.

Channel 4 in Wales is on Multiplex 2 - if you have HTV Wales, ITV2 and similar you should have it. If you have these and its not there, a rescan may be needed on the box

Any idea what make and model of box it is?

vioilly

I may not have made this very clear! I actually live in London however my mother in law lives in wexford county, Ireland. I'm going over to visit her this weekend and she would like me to get C4 set up for the racing! I'll give her a call this evening and ask what freeview model she has and let you know but hoping that you can still recieve C4 in Ireland? Be great if you could help set this up!

Thanks for your help

L1011

vioilly wrote:

I may not have made this very clear! I actually live in London however my mother in law lives in wexford county, Ireland. I'm going over to visit her this weekend and she would like me to get C4 set up for the racing! I'll give her a call this evening and ask what freeview model she has and let you know but hoping that you can still recieve C4 in Ireland? Be great if you could help set this up!

Thanks for your help

Yes, you can definately still receive C4 in Ireland.

If she has Freeview, she has Channel 4.

Although - is there any chance she's trying to get "Channel 4 Wales" that you get on analogue? You don't get this on Freeview. Its split into Welsh content (S4C Digidol) and normal Channel 4 (erm, on Channel 4 ) on channel numbers 4 and 8.

DMC

Just to expand on MYOB's point there...

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/terrestrial/mux/

This is what multiplexes are. Think of them as rooms in houses. Each house is Freeview, each room contains some channels. In this example, in the same room as Channel 4 in Wales, is ITV 1 Wales (or HTV Wales), ITV 2, 3 and 4, more4 and E4.

If she can receive all of the above I've just mentioned, then there is no reason in the world for her not to get Channel 4.

NOTE: S4C on Freeview is a totally different beast to that via normal analogue reception (ye olde telly methode), in that it is all Welsh, not a hint of English. If she is gettings S4C Digidol, then in the same room/multiplex is Channel 5, QVC and BBC Radio 1-4 (plus Top-Up TV channels)

vioilly

Ok - Thanks for your info DMC & MYOB

She has a satelite dish with a feed to a SilverCrest SL65 box. She reckons there is also the characters BV3 but I reckon she could be confused with DVB possibly?

She has been told that she needs a card to receive C4 but there is no slot for a card to go into her box.

Does the above make any sense to you guys? If so what's the way forward .... simple I hope

cheers!

vioilly

forgot to mention that she also gets
all of bbc
utv
new24
cnn

L1011

Thats a satellite box.

There is no way to get Channel 4 with that box. Theres no way to get -anything- on it without a satellite dish.

It does say "DVB" on the front.

To get C4 off satellite you need to get a Sky Digibox and a "Freesat From Sky" or "FTV" card - either get one and activate it from a UK adress (20 sterling and needs a digibox to do this), or get one off ebay (about 80 euros)

vioilly

ok I think i'm getting there...

I have 2 old skydigibox's that i've precured from sky contracts. One is an Amstrad SkyDigibox DVB model DRX400 the other Skydigibox Grundig digibox GDS310/2. Both have scart / dish input 13-18v 250ma max, aerial in / rf out -1 rf out -2 / audio.

Could I use them and just send over a FTV card?

DMC

Forget what we were talking about earlier. You need to get a Sky Digibox and a Freesat from Sky card.

Yes, Channel 4 is only gettable with a Sky Digibox and the "Freesat from Sky" or "FTV" card. You can handily get one of these, as you are in the UK yourself. http://www.freesatfromsky.co.uk/ Ring 0870 240 5651. Order a card, £20, laughing.

Then she needs a Sky digibox, any old (and working) one will do. You have the dish already, and that will work, as the receiver she has works already. She will still be able to get the existing channels she has with this new setup.

And she'll get Channel 5 too.

DMC

vioilly wrote:

ok I think i'm getting there...

I have 2 old skydigibox's that i've precured from sky contracts. One is an Amstrad SkyDigibox DVB model DRX400 the other Skydigibox Grundig digibox GDS310/2. Both have scart / dish input 13-18v 250ma max, aerial in / rf out -1 rf out -2 / audio.

Could I use them and just send over a FTV card?

Yes. Make sure they are still working, and use the ordering info I've just given you.

L1011

If its a full Lidl setup she has (that Silvercrest is a Lidl satellite box), take a second cable from the dish - it has two outputs - and you can use a Digibox and the Silvercrest, say one for TV and one for a video recorder.

DMC

MYOB wrote:

If its a full Lidl setup she has (that Silvercrest is a Lidl satellite box), take a second cable from the dish - it has two outputs - and you can use a Digibox and the Silvercrest, say one for TV and one for a video recorder.

Is that beyond the average Irish mother-in-law's comprehension?

Lots of dusting needed

vioilly

just to see a couple of horses crossing the line..!

Think i'm quids in on this now! well actually not cos i'm £20 down now! Card coming to my uk address in the next 3-5 working days - they did say I have to use it in the registered address which must be in n ireland or UK - funny they didn't say anything about ireland ....

Good one guys! i'll have a few guinesses for you when i'm over there this weekend!

Thanks a million

DMC

Public service

Do get back on here and let us know how you get on!

vioilly

will do definately... although it'll be a while as i'll take the box over there and plug it all in but won't be really able to tell until i get the card sorted here - apparently i have to activate it - then send it over and get her to plug it in! lucky i got a few spare boxes eh?!

so reckon a good 10 days!