Can I move from Sky?

thenashlegend

Basically I'm wondering with this talk of Saorview and Freesat, can I leave my Sky subscription and just use the satellite dish to pick up the free channels with a Freesat box?

We joined Sky 2 years ago because our old aerial on the roof gave us an awful picture quality and with Sky it has been perfect ever since, but if I could make a once off payment for a Freesat box it doesn't make much sense to be paying Sky every month!

Any help would be appreciated!:)

Johnmb

thenashlegend wrote: »

Basically I'm wondering with this talk of Saorview and Freesat, can I leave my Sky subscription and just use the satellite dish to pick up the free channels with a Freesat box?

We joined Sky 2 years ago because our old aerial on the roof gave us an awful picture quality and with Sky it has been perfect ever since, but if I could make a once off payment for a Freesat box it doesn't make much sense to be paying Sky every month!

Any help would be appreciated!:)

Once the minimum contract has expired, yes you can leave Sky and use the dish (and box with limited functions, or Freesat box with full functions) to watch the UK FTA channels. For the Irish Saorview channels you'll need an aerial (rabbit ears might work depending on how strong the signal in your area is) and either a Saorview compatible TV or a STB for a non-compatible TV. A UK Freeview HD box/TV should be compatible with Saorview.

thenashlegend

Actually, if I get a Saorview box will it be getting the signal from the dish or the old aerial??
If its the aerial, wont the picture quality still be as bad as when we abandoned it to join Sky? Leaving us back where we started with an awful picture??

Doylers

Just to add freeview its crap. I have it in one room and I hate going in there because its 5 channels of the same thing most of the time.

thenashlegend

Doylers wrote: »

Just to add freeview its crap. I have it in one room and I hate going in there because its 5 channels of the same thing most of the time.

Off the top of my head I could name more than 5 channels....
http://www.freesat.ie/index.php?cat=What_is_Freesat_&ActinicSID=21530f88b6db17094570acd76d6a06a4

Aren't all these available??

Doylers

thenashlegend wrote: »

Off the top of my head I could name more than 5 channels....
http://www.freesat.ie/index.php?cat=What_is_Freesat_&ActinicSID=21530f88b6db17094570acd76d6a06a4

Aren't all these available??

No no theres more than 5 channels. But what im saying is often several channels show the same thing at the same time.

Johnmb

thenashlegend wrote: »

Actually, if I get a Saorview box will it be getting the signal from the dish or the old aerial??
If its the aerial, wont the picture quality still be as bad as when we abandoned it to join Sky? Leaving us back where we started with an awful picture??

Saorview is terrestrial, so it's the aerial. Saorview is digital, 2 years ago you were likely getting an analogue signal. Digital is much better quality than analogue. Freesat will be from the dish, you'll need both if you want the Irish and UK channels (unless you are near the border or certain parts of the east coast).

thenashlegend

With all the +1's Sky are throwing in its damn near the same thing, only have the basic pack too so there isnt a hell of a lot on for €23 a month!

Johnmb

thenashlegend wrote: »

With all the +1's Sky are throwing in its damn near the same thing, only have the basic pack too so there isnt a hell of a lot on for €23 a month!

Definitely switch so. If red/green button functionality is not too important to you, a combo box can take the signal from both the aerial and the dish to combine all the channels into a single epg.

thenashlegend

So this combo box will show the freesat and saorview channels??
Where could I track one down??

Johnmb

thenashlegend wrote: »

So this combo box will show the freesat and saorview channels??
Where could I track one down??

Yep, but some interactive services (mainly text) aren't supported on any as far as I am aware as none of them have the MHEG-5 standards, and probably won't have any time soon. Check out the Foreign Satellite forum:
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?f=622
and the Terrestrial forum:
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?f=56
This post in Terrestrial is a good starting point for a selection of cheaper combo boxes:
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056086354

rlogue

The Triax HD 537 does have MHEG 5 text on Satellite and Terrestrial and does support the BBC Interactive channels.

Not that user friendly to configure but a nice box that I happen to like.

The Cush

thenashlegend wrote: »

If its the aerial, wont the picture quality still be as bad as when we abandoned it to join Sky? Leaving us back where we started with an awful picture??

Generally with digital TV you either get good picture quality or no picture quality, weak analogue reception doesn't always mean weak digital reception.

Digital reception with the existing aerial will depend on your location, transmitter and aerial type. Not all analogue transmitters will be upgraded for DTT (only 51 of approx 170), in some cases an existing aerial will have to be realigned or replaced. Digital TV requires a UHF aerial, some analogue transmitters required VHF roof aerials for RTÉ1 & 2.

Before you went the Sky route did you receive analogue TV3 with the aerial?

http://www.rtenl.ie/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/Saorview-DTT-October2010.pdf
http://www.rtenl.ie/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/RTÉNL-SAORVIEW-FAQs-May-2011-Rev-3-0.pdf

thenashlegend

The Cush wrote: »

Before you went the Sky route did you receive analogue TV3 with the aerial?

Yeah we had the basic RTE 1 & 2, TG4, BBC 1 & 2, ITV, C4 and TV3... The picture quality was pretty bad at times but the engineer that did our work reckoned it was because we had trees around our house which were blocking the signal. If this is true or not?

The Cush

thenashlegend wrote: »

Yeah we had the basic RTE 1 & 2, TG4, BBC 1 & 2, ITV, C4 and TV3... The picture quality was pretty bad at times but the engineer that did our work reckoned it was because we had trees around our house which were blocking the signal. If this is true or not?

Don't know, haven't seen the trees around your house but possible.

Do you have two aerials for the Irish and UK channels? Post a picture if possible.

Where are you located and what transmitters were your aerial(s) pointing at?

Use the Saorview coverage checker to find the recommended Saorview transmitter for your area.

thenashlegend

The Cush wrote: »

Don't know, haven't seen the trees around your house but possible.

Do you have two aerials for the Irish and UK channels? Post a picture if possible.

Where are you located and what transmitters were your aerial(s) pointing at?

We have one rectangular wire mesh type on a vertical pole facing east and then a horizontal aerial, approx. 2 feet long facing north.
I'm in Mayo, just outside Ballyhaunis. Checked that map with RTE and they say I'll be getting the signal from somewhere up north!

Limerick Rebel

Just bought the Triax-HD-537 and it works really well. I am using a standard sky dish and a regular UHF aerial (TV3 aeriel). I have attached a photo showing both. The aerial needed is the lower one of the two.
The Triax is very impressive and easy to configure and works pretty much straight out of the box. I now have a list of channels that incluses both saorview channels and free to air satellite channels and can change seamlessly between them. I can also arrange them in any order I like. It has teletext and a recording function. I cannot recommend this highly enough.

Limerick Rebel

Limerick Rebel wrote: »

Just bought the Triax-HD-537 and it works really well. I am using a standard sky dish and a regular UHF aerial (TV3 aeriel). I have attached a photo showing both. The aerial needed is the lower one of the two.
The Triax is very impressive and easy to configure and works pretty much straight out of the box. I now have a list of channels that incluses both saorview channels and free to air satellite channels and can change seamlessly between them. I can also arrange them in any order I like. It has teletext and a recording function. I cannot recommend this highly enough.

I meant to add that I bought it for €159 in DID Electrical

The Cush

thenashlegend wrote: »

We have one rectangular wire mesh type on a vertical pole facing east and then a horizontal aerial, approx. 2 feet long facing north.
I'm in Mayo, just outside Ballyhaunis. Checked that map with RTE and they say I'll be getting the signal from somewhere up north!

Is your rectangular wire mesh aerial like this Grid aerial? Probably pointing to Cairn Hill for analogue RTÉ/TV3/TG4.

You say the coverage checker indicates a transmitter somewhere up north for the Saorview, that would be Truskmore in Sligo. UHF channel 53 which requires either a Group C/D aerial (green tip) or if the other aerial is a grid (Group W) wideband could do if you spin it around pointing in a NE direction.

The other one pointing north for the UK channels probably. Not sure how good aerial reception from NI is in that part of Mayo. Maybe someone in the area could say. If this was for Brougher Mt it could be a Group A (red tip) aerial which would not be suitable for Saorview from Truskmore.

Freesat and satellite dish is probably the better option now for the UK channels.

I would probably remove the existing aerials (and combiner?) and replace them with a Group C/D for the Truskmore transmitter for the Saorview DTT service. Depending on the age of the aerial installations I'd also look at replacing the co-ax with good quality satellite grade cable (not the brown cable) which would help in difficult signal signal areas.

A masthead amp is also an option if the Saorview signal is still weak but would this a last option after doing the above.