Can anybody tell me anything about this FTA provider?

WHIP IT!

Got a leaflet in the door from www.billfreetv.ie today, advertising their service for a once-off €289... anybody know anything about them or used them before? Prices is good and the list of channels is satisfactory for me.

Thanks

NIMAN

The channels look like those on Freesat, so I would say they put you up a satellite dish and give you a Freeasat satellite receiver, and away you go.

Edit: just seen the Saorview channels too.

iba

WHIP IT! wrote: »

Got a leaflet in the door from www.billfreetv.ie today, advertising their service for a once-off €289... anybody know anything about them or used them before? Prices is good and the list of channels is satisfactory for me.

Thanks

It is possible to do this by yourself for less than €100

However, if you go down the route of getting installer in check out a few of them for prices eg www.satellite.ie or sat-planet.ie

I would check which Set Top box comes with the system, which type of LNB. Also how will the terrestrial stations like RTE be received, is it via an aerial or with a KA LNB.

You may also want to consider whether you just want the stations listed on that web-site or whether, as you get more into satelites, if you would like your system to pick up additional sats and stations - the world will be your oyster.

Regards

hju6

iba wrote: »

It is possible to do this by yourself for less than €100

[

Hi, could you explain how as I'd be very interested to try this myself,
Thanks

WHIP IT!

hju6 wrote: »

Hi, could you explain how as I'd be very interested to try this myself,
Thanks

Same!

iba

Hi

Okay Im not saying this guy is this cheapest or anything but this shops you what you need:

http://sat-planet.ie/digital_tv_kit/Combo_box

Now Ive seen a guy on ebay in Tallaght, but I went seraching a bit now and couldnt find him, who sells a dish, LNBs, and connectors etc for about €30 and then all you nee is an aerial which costs around €15 or a set of rabbits ears from Lidl for €10 and a Combi Box like the Ariva 120 which can probably be bought now for around €50 on ebay or www.satskelp.pl

You can also buy the Lidl kit which I think costs around €70 (I think)

So I hope that gives you an idea of the basics of what you need and then you can write back and say exactly what you want your system to do and Ill try to help.

Have a search for things like Sat TV Kit for Ireland on ebay and Google - if its cheap u want, you can buy a bit from here and there, if its ease you want, just buy a kit and really if you are anyway DIY inclined and interested in Technology, you will enjoy doing it yourself and its not hard - there are many people on Boards that will help you.

Any Qs get back to me

Regards

iba

hju6 wrote: »

Hi, could you explain how as I'd be very interested to try this myself,
Thanks

WHIP IT! wrote: »

Same!

WHIP IT! wrote: »

Got a leaflet in the door from www.billfreetv.ie today, advertising their service for a once-off €289... anybody know anything about them or used them before? Prices is good and the list of channels is satisfactory for me.

Thanks

I just want to mention that this company is not a provider per say, they are just installers - the provider is I guess a Satelitte calle Astra 28.2

iba

Hi Guys,

I had a bit more time to serach for that guy I mentioned in Tallaght on Ebay - not sure if I was correct in saying Tallaght but I found his site which is:


http://www.auctiva.com/stores/viewstore2.aspx?id=1716548&styleid=12&siteid=0

and he is doing the kit for €160 see here:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=260919535485&refid=store

So that would save you OP €120 if you do it urself.

Hope this helps.

Johnboy1951

iba wrote: »

It is possible to do this by yourself for less than €100

However, if you go down the route of getting installer in check out a few of them for prices eg www.satellite.ie or satplanet.ie

I would check which Set Top box comes with the system, which type of LNB. Also how will the terrestrial stations like RTE be received, is it via an aerial or with a KA LNB.

You may also want to consider whether you just want the stations listed on that web-site or whether, as you get more into satelites, if you would like your system to pick up additional sats and stations - the world will be your oyster.

Regards

It must use an aerial, IIUC, as it shows the full range of terrestrial channels included.

Peter Rhea

Johnboy1951 wrote: »

It must use an aerial, IIUC, as it shows the full range of terrestrial channels included.

The Billfree tv setup? This quote from the site:

Over 140 stations, including all the main Irish and UK channels, through our new HD Digital Combo Boxes.

donaghs

An elderly neighbour of mine got them in to replace his Sky service. Afterwards he found their box and menus, and their after-sales support not great. He had chatted to them at their stall at some Home exhibition in the RDS or something like that.

Certainly handy to get someone if to do the installation/setup if you don't have the expertise or time.

He asked me to have a look and I was able to figure out the basic menus and explain it to him, and write it down. The manual that came with the box was from the manufacturer, not customized for the service.

The neighbour particularly wanted the BBC4 channel, which I know is available on services like this (and is on their website channel list). There's certainly an enormous amount of channels available.

All the satellite channels were listed in Alphabetical order, rather than by category. This leads to strange juxtopositions like "GayXexchange" being near "Islam TV", and "Babestation" being near Cbeebies and CBBC. "Essex Babes" and "Euronews", and so on.

I didn't have all day to figure it out, and couldn't find BBC4. All the other BBC channels were there though. I did figure out how to delete channels though. I was asked to do this for the plethora of Adult ones, particularly as young grandchildren would be visiting the house.

Eventually I just decided to phone them, and ask about the availability of BBC4, and also what could be done about re-ordering and re-categorising the channel. The responses weren't impressive. In relation to BBC4, the guy who answered said "it should be there, dont know why its not". He couldnt provide any ideas of how to get it.

In relation to why the Adult channels come as default, and the alphabetical channel list. He couldnt provide any reason for this, except that "some people want them, you know". No ideas on how to re-categorise the channels either.

Basically the impression I got from them was that they had done their job installing it, had gotten paid, and weren't interested afterwards. Just my two cents anyway. Best to do as much research as you can in advance.

STB

This is the problem with people who install and leg it.

For older/or less technical people there will a requirement to have someone do this manually for them or learn how to do it. The latter isnt always a possibility.

Yes Combo boxes allow categories or favourite channel lists to set up. They also allow for parental control pin numbers.

Your BBC4 problem for example. Scan the BBC4 transponder manually after 7pm when the channel comes on air and it will be added to the master list of 28.2. You can then add it to your favourites channel list. Have you looked through the alphabetical list for BBC FOUR, rather than expecting BBC4). If its not there now do the former, ie scan after 7pm. A once off issue.

The transponder frequency is 10773 H DVB-S 22000. The Station ID is BBC Four (rather than BBC4).