Good freeview

2Shae

Hi, I currently have sky multiroom and i barely use it, i want to get rid of one of my multiroom boxes and replace it with a good freeview box with good music chanels. i heard scuzz is going freeview if so will it work on any freeview box?
also is there anything that can be done with the skybox that will be left over?

Mossy Monk

you do realise that Freeview is terrestrial? a Freeview box wont work with a satellite dish

watty

Freeview = UK Digital Terrestrial via an Aerial. Can you really receive this?

The Sky box will receive MORE stations on EPG (i.e. all the missing BBC/ITV and also BBC radio) without an irish sub. It's yours and will indefinately recieve the Free To Air channels..

2Shae wrote:

i heard scuzz is going freeview

Freeview = UK Terresrial via Aerial; Any DTT /DVB-t receiver works

FTA= Free To Air : Any satellite receiver including Sky box works

FTV=FreeToView=Freesat from Sky: Only a Sky digibox with any kind of UK viewing card. No subscription needed. Will not work on any Non-Sky receiver or on Irish viewing card or Sky Digibox without a current UK card.

2Shae

sorry for getting the title wrong im still not used to this
but where can i get a good fta box then, id like to get as many channels as possible, strange cos when i was in bulgaria discovery channel was fta

byte

You don't really need a FTA box. The Sky box will show you the FTA channels when you remove the card (do this while in Sky News Active so that the standard EPG will list). A Sky box will also allow you to use BBCi, Sky News Active, SkyText and other free interactive services. A FTA box cannot do this.

However, if you want to press ahead with a FTA box, the Technomates are good. The new model Triax (new model, but model number for some reason is same as predecessor) seems OK too, though the menus look dire in Red & White.

Strong receivers are also generally reliable. Outside of these, I guess Humax, Echostar, Manhattan, Dreambox, Reelbox, etc worthy of a mention, though I have little to no experience with these, as distribution of these seems pretty poor in Ireland.

watty

It may have been FTA a short while. I had Turkish Discovery channel here in Ireland with english(select French Language) for two weeks.

Tony

byte wrote:

Strong receivers are also generally reliable.

Unfortunately the latest 6015 has a poor reliability record

mjsmyth

Ahh jaysus Tony, don't say that!!! I only got one last month and installed it in a friends house

Whats the problem with them?

MJ

Tony

mjsmyth wrote:

Ahh jaysus Tony, don't say that!!! I only got one last month and installed it in a friends house

Whats the problem with them?

MJ

well 3 in a 100 went down which for me is a little high, dont worry I'm sure your friends will be fine but I will not be re stocking them as the rapido now has an RF output so all the benefits of a strong at a lower price

mjsmyth

Fair enough then Thanks for the quick reply.

mj

Tony

Pleasure

byte

Tony wrote:

Unfortunately the latest 6015 has a poor reliability record

Hmm, must bear that in mind, though I'd have thought 3 out of 100 isn't bad.

2Shae

ok so i get rid of my sky box, can you link me to things i need for all of this
I think i will go with strong as one of my neighbours have one and they seem cool
But my brother has decided he is taking the other sky box into his room. so im going to need a new LNB amnit i. If anyone has a 2 port lnb that they can spare for a skydish would they send it to me for a few bucks.

Tony

2Shae wrote:

ok so i get rid of my sky box, can you link me to things i need for all of this
I think i will go with strong as one of my neighbours have one and they seem cool
But my brother has decided he is taking the other sky box into his room. so im going to need a new LNB amnit i. If anyone has a 2 port lnb that they can spare for a skydish would they send it to me for a few bucks.

I'm afraid only four port LNB's (quads) are available for sky minidishes

Tony

byte wrote:

Hmm, must bear that in mind, though I'd have thought 3 out of 100 isn't bad.

Yeah normally i'd agree but I heard bad things from some wholesalers as well and the triax and smart rapido seem a better product anyway. Maybe it was just a bad batch who knows, but as you know the margins are so tight that even a 3% failure rate can kill profit pretty quickly.Slighly OT but the triax 1000 is actually made by the same guys who make the rapido they just cant sell that particular model under the smart name in Uk or Ireland (no matter how much i plead ):)

2Shae

hmm so doubtful anyone would have a quad:/, i have 2 sky dishs on my house :P, one that came with it that i use for the sitting room, and the one i got with my box (dont ask long story).
should have just got a quad lnb back then. So all i need is a box and new lnb then.
How many channels would i get when its aimed at the normal sky satelite

byte

Tony wrote:

Yeah normally i'd agree but I heard bad things from some wholesalers as well and the triax and smart rapido seem a better product anyway. Maybe it was just a bad batch who knows, but as you know the margins are so tight that even a 3% failure rate can kill profit pretty quickly.Slighly OT but the triax 1000 is actually made by the same guys who make the rapido they just cant sell that particular model under the smart name in Uk or Ireland (no matter how much i plead ):)

Ooh, didn't know that about Smart and Triax boxes being from the same factory. Learn something new everyday! I've never heard of Smart Rapido before I noticed them on your site. None of the supplier used at work seem to offer them.

2Shae, just get a Sky quad LNB. They're not too dear anyway. Just check the sticky thread of online and bricks & mortar shops for prices.

watty

2Shae wrote:

should have just got a quad lnb back then. So all i need is a box and new lnb then.
How many channels would i get when its aimed at the normal sky satelite

Any satellite box works on a sky dish / LNB.

same as on your Sky box when you pull out card in Sky Interactive.

The Sky box does BBC Interactive and Digital text. None of the FTA boxes.

2Shae

im bidding on a lnb on ebay, hopefully i get it, ill get the lnb and get it all connected up first. ill sort out the box before christmas

stanley1

I am using 2 Smart Rapido's at home, very neat and reliable, just have to figure out how to update software by satellite.

Tony

stanley1 wrote:

I am using 2 Smart Rapido's at home, very neat and reliable, just have to figure out how to update software by satellite.

To be honest I'd avoid doing a software update unless its really necessary as the latest version has been around for quite a while and no updates are planned as far as I know. If you would like to check for new channels or transponders a network search is the easiest way to do this as it downloads transponder information from the satellite owner/broadcaster. Also bear in mind that the update transmission is on astra 1 at 19 east which you may not necessarily be pointing at.

stanley1

OK Tony, good advice, if it ain't broke etc, etc.

Tony

stanley1 wrote:

OK Tony, good advice, if it ain't broke etc, etc.

LOL exactly