can i view digital freeview on my laptop

mkennedy

hi.
i just want to know if it's possible to view digital freeview channels on my laptop and if so how?

do i just need to attach a digital tv tuner to my laptop to pick up whatever freeview channels are available here?

or do i need to actually connect the digital tv tuner up to a digital receiver (like the sky digibox etc) to get the channels?

i also read something in other posts here about a satellite card called the skystar2 card which gives you free to air channels by satellite on a pc. is this a once off payment or is it subscription based?

i am a relative newbie when it comes to this stuff so any advice would be really appreciated.
thanks.

watty

It depends where "Here" is. If "Here" is beside a UK TV transmitter, then a PCMCIA/PC DVB-t Card will work.

Freeview is UK Digital Terrestrial.


Satellite has many free channels inc all BBC & ITV. This works nearly anywhere in Ireland/Western Europe. A Skystar2 card (or similar) in a PCI slot in a PC connects to an LNB on a dish arm. By definition, free satellite channels have no subscription.

All these channels:
http://bytelive.com/wiki/tiki-index.php?page=Free+To+Air+on+Sky

work free & legally on ANY Digital Satellite PC card or any PayTV or FTA (free To Air) Satellite receiver.


FTA Satellite needs a dish. (DVB-s)

Freeview (DVB-t) needs an aerial picking up UK Digital Terrestrial signals.

USB Satellite receivers exist for laptop but since ANY PC or Laptop picture is inferior to a TV set picture for TV, there is no point as it is not portable (Dish needed).

Dish + LNB + Receiver to feed TV set under 160 Euro.

Dish + LNB + PC Satellite PCI card from 150 Euro, so main advantage of Satellit ePCI card is not cost, but direct disk recording and data reception such as free Casablanca service.

dkane

There are two different technologies being discussed here

1) Freeview - this is a digital terrestrial TV(DTT) service (i.e. the channels are transmitted across the air and picked up on your tv aerial). Freeview is the name given to the British DTT service. Currently Ireland does not have a DTT service. the only chance you have of picking up digital tv in this way is if you have exceptionally good reception on the British channels from the north or from Wales. If this is the case all you need to do too view these channels is buy the tuner card for your laptop and plug in your tv aerial. There is no reoccurring charge with freeview.

2) Free to Air on Satellite. There are loads of digital channels available FTA on satellite. For example on 28E (The one Sky dishes are pointed at) you can watch BBC1,2,3,4 BBC news 24, ITV 1,2,3,4 and UTV, Sky News and loads more without any subscription. To view these channels on your laptop you need to buy a Satellite tuner card and have a sat dish pointed at the satellite you want to watch. This service is available everywhere in Ireland.

mkennedy

hi.
thanks to both of you for the comprehensive replies. they clear up a lot of my queries.

i'm actually living in clare and kerry at the moment so does anyone know if it's possible to pick up freeview there. probably not i suspect.

also, i saw a PORTABLE satellite dish for sale by either lidl or aldi a while ago. i didn't pay too much attention to it at the time but is anyone familiar with this and would such a thing be a viable alternative for viewing digital FTA channels on a laptop.

thanks again.

dkane

I wouldn’t fancy your chances of picking up freeview so. Satellite is a possibility although its not very mobile as the dish needs to be aligned to pick up a signal. Also the smaller the dish the harder it will be to align. The small dish will also pick up fewer sats and/or transceivers meaning less channels.

mkennedy

thanks.
that's a shame.
any idea when the digital rollout will occur in ireland.

btw anyone know anything about those portable dishes from
aldi/lidl?

watty

No start date for a Digital rollout.

The portable dishs will be poor when it rains. Maplin also has the similar / identical camping system.

mkennedy

thanks for all your help.
btw, one more thing: is the connection between the satellite card and portable satellite dish a physical connection or is it wireless?

dkane

It connects via coax cable

mkennedy

thanks.
that's great.