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Free To Air or Freesat

  • 09-08-2010 3:35pm
    #1
    bazzad
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4 ✭


    Guys

    Apologies in advance if this has been asked before or appears to be a silly question.

    1. What is the difference between Free To Air and Freesat.
    2. I have a satellite dish (Sky) in place but no box - what system (Free To Air or Freesat) is best and cheapest in this situation?
    3. Can Irish terrestrial channels be picked up on these - RTE, TV3, etc. or would I need an aerial?
    4. What equipment would I need to purchase?

    P.S. Not looking for High Definition, just standard.

    Thanks.


Comments

  • #2
    almighty1
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 1,183 ✭✭✭almighty1


    bazzadGuys wrote:

    Apologies in advance if this has been asked before or appears to be a silly question.

    1. What is the difference between Free To Air and Freesat.

    Free-to-air is the term for any channels thats transmits unencrypted on a satellite. For lay mans terms, any unencrypted channels on the 28.2 satellite, BBCs, UTVs, CH4s etc etc.

    Freesat is an alternative to the British "freeview". Generally is the same as FTA but it gives you a 7 day program guide. Its guided at a British public but you can get Freesat devices in the ROI.
    bazzadGuys wrote:
    2. I have a satellite dish (Sky) in place but no box - what system (Free To Air or Freesat) is best and cheapest in this situation?
    Depends what you want. Best Free-to-air box with excellent value for money is

    http://www.saortv.com/shop/Digital-TV-Receivers/Combo/Edision-Argus-mini-2-in-1-IP-Combo-HD-Satellite/DTT-Receiver/prod_72.html

    This will give you Now-Next program guide for all the channels listed here http://www.saortv.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=392.

    It can also allow you to record via a USB key and has a built in MPEG4 decoder (for digital RTEs, TNAG and eventually TV3)

    Alternatively for the Freesat route, one of these would suffice, the Humax will let you records to an built-in hard drive.

    http://www.saortv.com/shop/index.php?_a=viewCat&catId=21
    bazzadGuys wrote:
    3. Can Irish terrestrial channels be picked up on these - RTE, TV3, etc. or would I need an aerial?
    Absolutely. You'll need some sort of a UHF aerial (depending on your location) to feed into the Edison to get Irish terrestrial DTT
    bazzadGuys wrote:
    P.S. Not looking for High Definition, just standard.

    Your probably better off going HD now, the price difference is minimal to be honest. All the boxes above are HD.


  • #3
    mike65
    Closed Accounts Posts: 88,972 ✭✭✭✭mike65


    No Irish channels as they are locked into Sky (long story, hard to read).

    Freesat is a branded system with a 7 day EPG, FTA is just any old receiver pointed it the right direction (at Astra 2D) and is more flexible as you can pick and choose variations for BBC1 and 2 but thats hardly a big deal but it is much better for red button, Freesat only has one channel whereas an FTA set up can stream as many as the BBC shows handy when the sport calander is busy.

    I went FTA but using a SKY box which meant I kept a decent EGP rather than the basic "now/next".

    I'd say you might as well get a HD box if you are setting one up for the main viewing room.


  • #4
    evilivor
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,613 ✭✭✭evilivor


    mike65 wrote: »
    No Irish channels as they are locked into Sky (long story, hard to read).

    Freesat is a branded system with a 7 day EPG, FTA is just any old receiver pointed it the right direction (at Astra 2D) and is more flexible as you can pick and choose variations for BBC1 and 2 but thats hardly a big deal but it is much better for red button, Freesat only has one channel whereas an FTA set up can stream as many as the BBC shows handy when the sport calander is busy.

    You can pick and choose all the variations for BBC1 and 2 on Freesat receiver as well, and, switching a Freesat box into non-Freesat mode gives full access to all the BBC streams, just like a FTA receiver.


  • #5
    mike65
    Closed Accounts Posts: 88,972 ✭✭✭✭mike65


    Ah right, learn something new every day.


  • #6
    Speckydodge
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 666 ✭✭✭Speckydodge


    mike65 wrote: »
    No Irish channels as they are locked into Sky (long story, hard to read).

    Freesat is a branded system with a 7 day EPG, FTA is just any old receiver pointed it the right direction (at Astra 2D) and is more flexible as you can pick and choose variations for BBC1 and 2 but thats hardly a big deal but it is much better for red button, Freesat only has one channel whereas an FTA set up can stream as many as the BBC shows handy when the sport calander is busy.

    I went FTA but using a SKY box which meant I kept a decent EGP rather than the basic "now/next".

    I'd say you might as well get a HD box if you are setting one up for the main viewing room.


    I recently got rid of sky multiroomin the bedroom to bring down my costs thinking id still have quite a few channels FTA, like the channel 4's,bbc's etc. however only the bbc's are coming through and 1 or 2 other channels, i still have the sky box do i need to do anything in the settings or get a different card to get the rest of the channels??


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  • #7
    Mr McBoatface
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,579 ✭✭✭Mr McBoatface


    Speckydodge wrote: »
    I recently got rid of sky multiroomin the bedroom to bring down my costs thinking id still have quite a few channels FTA, like the channel 4's,bbc's etc. however only the bbc's are coming through and 1 or 2 other channels, i still have the sky box do i need to do anything in the settings or get a different card to get the rest of the channels??

    Power off the box at the mains , remove the sky card and power up. For adding additional channels see the sticky - http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055520627


  • #8
    Speckydodge
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 666 ✭✭✭Speckydodge


    jobyrne30 wrote: »
    Power off the box at the mains , remove the sky card and power up. For adding additional channels see the sticky - http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055520627


    Top man cheers


  • #9
    gerbo
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 121 ✭✭gerbo


    I have been considering getting rid of Sky. We currently have one feed in to the house from the dish which feeds a box in the living room . No sky plus or multiroom. We do watch television in the bedroom by means of the "magic eye".
    Will one of the freesat boxes linked above allow us to continue to use the eye in the bedroom in the same way the sky box does? Does it have an "out" to allow us to put the signal through the coaxial in the house?


  • #10
    almighty1
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 1,183 ✭✭✭almighty1


    gerbo wrote: »
    I have been considering getting rid of Sky. We currently have one feed in to the house from the dish which feeds a box in the living room . No sky plus or multiroom. We do watch television in the bedroom by means of the "magic eye".
    Will one of the freesat boxes linked above allow us to continue to use the eye in the bedroom in the same way the sky box does? Does it have an "out" to allow us to put the signal through the coaxial in the house?

    You can keep your Sky box as your FTA box. Only Sky boxes will work with the magic eye in your bedroom. You could get wireless remote senders for other boxes but the magic eyes are the most reliable.


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