Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie
Hi there,
There is an issue with role permissions that is being worked on at the moment.
If you are having trouble with access or permissions on regional forums please post here to get access: https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058365403/you-do-not-have-permission-for-that#latest

FTA, difficult?

  • 02-03-2008 1:21am
    #1
    dulpit
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 12,386 ✭✭✭✭


    Hey, my sister is currently on Chorus, her contract runs out soon (i think at end of march) and she is cancelling it... As she doesn't watch tons of channels, and mainly sticks to the BBCs and stuff, she is thinking of getting a FTA setup...


    I have volunteered to have a look, i don't know a whole lot about the thing but i reckon i can figure it out... There is currently a sky dish on the house from the last people living there, have no idea if there are any cables or anything hooked up to it, but i presume that i should be able to use that dish and hook a box up to it instead of buying another dish?

    Is it a difficult job to hook up from dish to box? Especially if there are wires and stuff missing... Also, what would be the best box to get? (By best i mean cheapest that would be reliable & easy to use)

    Would it be better to get someone in to do it or is it easy enough to do it myself?

    Any help/pointers would be great...


Comments

  • #2
    TheDriver
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 12,688 ✭✭✭✭TheDriver


    Find the wire coming from the dish and see where it ends up, should be into the sitting room somewhere. Pick up a FTA box (maybe wait til Freesat boxes come out soon if you can wait a month or two) and connect up and all done! Put in a tv aerial for irish channels and she has them all. Easily done!


  • #3
    dulpit
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 12,386 ✭✭✭✭dulpit


    What's the benefit of these Freesat boxes that you mention?


  • #4
    Gadgie
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,079 ✭✭✭Gadgie


    The dish should be suitable but bear in mind that it might have been moved (by strong winds, for example) since it was last in use and may need to be realigned.

    If there is no existing wire from dish to TV room then you will need CT100 or H109F grade cable, good electronics stores should stock this. Don't buy cheap "satellite cable" from DIY stores. One single length of cable from dish to receiver with no joins is best.

    I would recommend you get a used Sky digibox from eBay. This will give 7 day TV listings and interactive & text services which you won't get on a standard FTA receiver. Plus if you get card from UK you will get C4 and Five. If you can wait a few months Freesat receivers will have 7 day listings and interactive but no C4 (although they will probably join later in the year) or Five.


  • #5
    byte
    Moderators, Regional North West Moderators Posts: 19,159 Mod ✭✭✭✭byte
    byte


    Freesat boxes will be able to show digital text services, and have interactive menus, etc. unlike standard FTA boxes. I'd imagine that like Sky boxes, they'll also be able to auto-tune in new channels as they appear (though not sure on that). I'd imagine that it would be likely though, and I'd also expect it not to list all the channels you can't receive on it, like Sky channels, etc. (downside of using a Skybox as a FTA box)

    Freesat was supposed to launch in the Spring according to their website, but details on hardware etc are still thin on the ground.


Advertisement