Replacing Sat4free with Freesat?

sonic.trip

Hi all,

The parents got a satelite package down in wexford about a 2 years ago think it was sat4free or something like that. The channels that come with it are not great an mostly crap.

I was wondering would it be possible to use the satelite dish already there from this package for the Freesat package to avail of good channles like bbc, channel 4, and e4 etc?

I've been reading through the sat scetion and a site that caught my eye was tvtrade.ie selling a freesat package for 135 euro. In simple terms would replacing the sat4free box with a freesat work?

thanks in advance

Minstrel27

sonic.trip wrote: »

Hi all,

The parents got a satelite package down in wexford about a 2 years ago think it was sat4free or something like that. The channels that come with it are not great an mostly crap.

I was wondering would it be possible to use the satelite dish already there from this package for the Freesat package to avail of good channles like bbc, channel 4, and e4 etc?

I've been reading through the sat scetion and a site that caught my eye was tvtrade.ie selling a freesat package for 135 euro. In simple terms would replacing the sat4free box with a freesat work?

thanks in advance

Isn't Sat4Free a rebadged Freesat system with the only difference being the STB is locked to the Northern Ireland region?

sonic.trip

Minstrel27 wrote: »

Isn't Sat4Free a rebadged Freesat system with the only difference being the STB is locked to the Northern Ireland region?

Hi thanks for the quick reply, not 100% sure that it is sat4free, will post back later with exact details. Think it came with a technomate box are it comes with really crap channels, no bbc 3, itv 2 or any of the ones on freesat.

Would the dish be compatitable do you reckon or would the new dish need to be installed? as I dont know too much about installing sat but would be handy with cable equipment

St Senan

sonic.trip wrote: »

Hi thanks for the quick reply, not 100% sure that it is sat4free, will post back later with exact details. Think it came with a technomate box are it comes with really crap channels, no bbc 3, itv 2 or any of the ones on freesat.

Would the dish be compatitable do you reckon or would the new dish need to be installed? as I dont know too much about installing sat but would be handy with cable equipment

The technomate like all Free to air boxes needs to be retuned every couple of months. The crap channels can be deleted If it was installed 2 years ago then the box should have the channels you mentioned stored on it. Did the guy who installed it not tune the the box and did he not say anything about it needing to be retuned.

sonic.trip

scaller wrote: »

The technomate like all Free to air boxes needs to be retuned every couple of months. The crap channels can be deleted If it was installed 2 years ago then the box should have the channels you mentioned stored on it. Did the guy who installed it not tune the the box and did he not say anything about it needing to be retuned.

Why do most FTA boxes need to be returned, to update the firmware?

Will post back later exact details of the platform and system, basically they would like the freesat system as it offers better channels than they have at present and the cheapest way would be to use the satelite dish already there and purchase a freesat hd receiver online. So I wanted to check compatibilty first and ensure a new sat installation would not be required.

thanks for your help, appreciate it

St Senan

ALL free to air boxes are designed for free channels from various satellites. If you wanted european channels the Frequiencies are all ready on the box but your dish is pointed at the Astra 2 satellite for english channels.
Freesat boxes are set for the Astra 2 satellite. The technomate are 1 of the best boxes on the market plus it will have more channels on it compared to Freesat. The only differance is that the freesat box has a 7 day Guide and its self tuning.
All thats needed is for the technomate box to be retuned. The Installer should have said this when it was fitted. Where in Wexford is it i can PM you a Local Installer if you want he will retune it For a Call out Fee will and show you how to do it.

LordSutch

If its a Technomate box you have, then its a Free To Air box' (Not Sat4Free), all BBC's are available from BBC1 > BBC4 + all BBC regions + all ITV regions, + ITV2, ITV3, ITV3+1, ITV4+1 etc, etc, etc You need to do a 'rescan' on Astra 28.2 in order to capture the missing stations.

FTA is really great (if you can do without Discovery)!

Mountjoy Mugger

sonic.trip wrote: »

Why do most FTA boxes need to be returned, to update the firmware?

ReTUNed, not reTURNed.

pa990

sat channels regulary change freq's for various reason's.
A fta box needs to be retuned on a regular basis to keep up to date.
A freesat box will automaticaly do this for u.
But remember, not all free channels will appear on the freesat epg, ie sky news.

Having said that, freesat box's are brilliant for anyone interested in free sat tv without the inconveinace of regular retuning.

Freesat box's will also give a 7day epg.

To install a freesat box, just buy one (online) and plug it in using the existing cableing that is there for the current sat box

azzeretti

scaller wrote: »

The technomate like all Free to air boxes needs to be retuned every couple of months. The crap channels can be deleted If it was installed 2 years ago then the box should have the channels you mentioned stored on it. Did the guy who installed it not tune the the box and did he not say anything about it needing to be retuned.

Wouldn't it only need to be retuned if the transponders changes for the channel? Or are you suggesting doing a complete rescan every few months regardless?

azzeretti

sonic.trip wrote: »

Hi all,

The parents got a satelite package down in wexford about a 2 years ago think it was sat4free or something like that. The channels that come with it are not great an mostly crap.

I was wondering would it be possible to use the satelite dish already there from this package for the Freesat package to avail of good channles like bbc, channel 4, and e4 etc?

I've been reading through the sat scetion and a site that caught my eye was tvtrade.ie selling a freesat package for 135 euro. In simple terms would replacing the sat4free box with a freesat work?

thanks in advance

Don't forget the €135 has to have VAT added to it aswell!

St Senan

azzeretti wrote: »

Wouldn't it only need to be retuned if the transponders changes for the channel? Or are you suggesting doing a complete rescan every few months regardless?

I would do a complete Network or Blind scan every few months.
That way it would add on transponders. If a channel changes frequency like what happend when Channel 4, E4 and More 4 became free just doing a transponder scan did not bring back thoses channels. What i usally do is line up the popular channels starting on channel 1 and finishing say in the 60s delete all the crap after that and then when a new scan is needed all the crap can be deleted again and the popular channels stay where thy are but thats only on some makes of receivers.