Which sky box for free to air channels?

Cherrycola

im in the market for a second hand sky box, just to pick up the free channels, bbc etc, and was wondering is there any I shouldn't buy(or won't work)?
UK epg would be preferable, (I've read that newer ones don't revert to UK epg when the card is removed) but it's not a huge issue if we have to access some channels via Other Channels.

Also, will a second hand box work if you don't have a sky card inserted, it's for my parents and they've never had a sky sub so don't have a card, just a dish and really old box(they want a second for the kitchen-yes the dish has a quad lnb as far as I can remember)

It's a newer TV it will be connected to, which might only have HDMI connection, I'll have to double check, so are the older boxes Scart connection only?

Any recs would be greatly appreciated, as I don't want to buy them a dud!

Gerry Wicklow

If they only want UK free channels, the best choice would be to invest in a FreeSat box which will automatically update itself and wont be cluttered with channels they cant view. They are pretty much plug and play. When setting up initially it asks for a UK postcode to set which UK regions channels it shows. Dearer ones also record.

EDIT: be aware you wont get Irish TV for free on satellite

Cherrycola

Gerry Wicklow wrote: »

If they only want UK free channels, the best choice would be to invest in a FreeSat box which will automatically update itself and wont be cluttered with channels they cant view. They are pretty much plug and play. When setting up initially it asks for a UK postcode to set which UK regions channels it shows. Dearer ones also record.

EDIT: be aware you wont get Irish TV for free on satellite

Yeah they have saorview so they get the Irish channels already
They have a Sky dish so I was under the impression only a sky box would work with that??

Gerry Wicklow

FreeSat or Combi (FTA and Saorview) boxes all use the same satellite signals from 28 East. Of course Saorview comes via an conventional aerial.

Red Silurian

Maplin have a HD recordable freesat box, all the bells and whistles on the free channels, live pause/rewind/watch one channel while you record another etc for €180 I'm sure if you shop around you can get a non recordable box etc for €50 easily enough

Thurston?

Cherrycola wrote: »

It's a newer TV it will be connected to ...

Do you know the make & model of TV? Seems to be a fair few TVs out there with integrated satellite tuners that their owners aren't aware of. (LG in particular, though their current lineup probably aren't kitchen-friendly screen sizes.)

Would only be now-&-next on the guide for most makes though.

Cherrycola

Thurston? wrote: »

Do you know the make & model of TV? Seems to be a fair few TVs out there with integrated satellite tuners that their owners aren't aware of. (LG in particular, though their current lineup probably aren't kitchen-friendly screen sizes.)

Would only be now-&-next on the guide for most makes though.

No it's a a pretty basic Panasonic as far as I know.

They are not looking to spend a lot, €20/€30 on a second hand box, they don't want record/pause function, my mam just wants to be able to watch Strictly Come Dancing in the kitchen! Lol. Purely because Daniel O Donnell is in it this year! 😀

The Cush

Cherrycola wrote: »

They are not looking to spend a lot, €20/€30 on a second hand box, they don't want record/pause function, my mam just wants to be able to watch Strictly Come Dancing in the kitchen! Lol. Purely because Daniel O Donnell is in it this year! 😀

This is a basic cheap Freesat box and more user friendly than a Sky box for the free sat channels
http://powercity.ie/?par=10-24-340183
http://www.freetv.ie/freesat-hd.html

jca

Get any of the newer sky+HD boxes on dd and a UK card on adverts and they'll be sorted. Put the uk card in the box before you plug it in and they'll have the FTA UK channels. If you save the viewable channels to favourites they can scroll through using the blue button.

TAFKAlawhec

You've pretty much three choices on this...

(1) Use a second hand Sky receiver, wherever it is one of the old SD-only ones or a HD version. Personally I think the Sky+HD would look a bit big for most kitchens, but you could hide it out of the way and use a magic eye for remote control use - just make sure the receiver is somewhere with ventilation and isn't at risk of getting liquids spilt on it. One little note is that for the later Sky+ HD receivers, if you tune in something in the Other Channels section, it requires a Sky card to be inserted into the viewing card slot.

(2) Freesat receiver. Perhaps the option with the least hassle as you don't have to worry about viewing cards and after initial set up is pretty much fool-proof in updating the EPG itself for new channels or those that move frequency (the same way as the Sky EPG does). Would be my recommendation; you might find some receivers being sold second hand, otherwise if you're heading up north any time soon, you could pop in to the likes of Argos and pick up a receiver - this Bush model is £50. Other stores like Asda, Tesco etc. should also have stocks at varying prices but southern branches are unlikely to have such receivers available as they're not intended for use (though little to stop it) or sale outside of the UK. If getting a receiver, make sure it is branded Freesat and not Freeview - the latter is for a terrestrial based service in the UK similar to Saorview.

(3) Standard DVB-S(2) satellite receiver. You might pick up a second hand one for pennies, especially older OpenBox or SkyBox receivers or Silvercrest models sold be Lidl etc. They'll tune in to free-to-air services from the BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5 and others perfectly fine with some caveats - first being that if a channel moves frequency then you will have to retune the receiver. This does happen occasionally especially with more of the 'minor' channels but most of the main stations stay put as it were (ITV is the only major one that seems to shift a couple of its channels on odd occasions). Secondly, the EPG will be limited to Now & Next info on basic boxes. Finally, there's no red button option if a channel broadcasts it, though you can tune-in to the likes of the BBC Red Button service as its own channel. For a kitchen receiver, it'll likely be fine.

Finally, if you're looking to hook it up to the Sky dish and there's no downlead available, you'll need some coaxial cable - ideally WF100 standard cable though in practice if it's not a long run (<10-15m) from the dish LNB to receiver you'll almost certainly get away with most RG6 standard cable as long as it has a copper or aluminium foil shield underneath the braid. Also if there is no pull-down cover on the LNB you'll need either a short length of self-amalgamating tape or rubber boot to protect the connection between LNB and coax cable, and two F-connector plugs (the screw-on, non crimping types will be fine). Don't connect the downlead to the receiver while the receiver is switched on at the power point - only switch it on once it is all connected up.

NIMAN

If its for parents who aren't too tech savvy, I'd got for an official Freesat branded box.

icdg

Just to say that it is possible to pick up official Freesat receivers in Maplin, at least in Blanchardstown.

Cherrycola

Great advice, thanks for all your help!

kooga

manhatten hd s2 freesat box, absolute cracker and great second box.

The Cush

icdg wrote: »

Just to say that it is possible to pick up official Freesat receivers in Maplin, at least in Blanchardstown.

I always found Maplins to be expensive for Freesat products.

Cherrycola

Another quick question, if I go for a second hand sky box, do the new ones (hd and +hd) work for receiving free channels if there is no viewing card in the box?
I'm reading about not being able to access Other Channels without a card, expired or otherwise, being inserted in the box??

Also, the standard box sky supply with a multi room sub, would that work as a standalone box for receiving free channels? Again, without a card inserted or a sub.

Akrasia

We're using an old sky box, white one, standard definition, non recordable



It works fine, no messing around with cards. If there's no viewing card in, it automatically reverts to the UK Epg

muffler

Cherrycola wrote: »

Another quick question, if I go for a second hand sky box, do the new ones (hd and +hd) work for receiving free channels if there is no viewing card in the box?
I'm reading about not being able to access Other Channels without a card, expired or otherwise, being inserted in the box??

Also, the standard box sky supply with a multi room sub, would that work as a standalone box for receiving free channels? Again, without a card inserted or a sub.

If you have/get a Sky box (Hd or +HD) that's less than about 5 years old then they will revert to the Irish EPG when a Sky sub is cancelled but you cant obviously view the Irish channels then as they are encrypted. You will also find that they wont display the ITV and "5" channels etc

So to unblock that and get the full set of UK FTA channels get yourself a card for a couple of euro here and bob's your uncle

ftakeith

muffler wrote: »

If you have/get a Sky box (Hd or +HD) that's less than about 5 years old then they will revert to the Irish EPG when a Sky sub is cancelled but you cant obviously view the Irish channels then as they are encrypted. You will also find that they wont display the ITV and "5" channels etc

So to unblock that and get the full set of UK FTA channels get yourself a card for a couple of euro here and bob's your uncle

just buy a humax freesat freetime from satbuyer and you can record like sky+ for free and the ITV player works on these boxes

muffler

ftakeith wrote: »

just buy a humax freesat freetime from satbuyer and you can record like sky+ for free and the ITV player works on these boxes

Cost?

Oh and just to note the OP only wanted a box that would enable viewing and not recording.

adox

ftakeith wrote: »

just buy a humax freesat freetime from satbuyer and you can record like sky+ for free and the ITV player works on these boxes

Is there an option to change DNS settings on these boxes?

Cherrycola

muffler wrote: »

If you have/get a Sky box (Hd or +HD) that's less than about 5 years old then they will revert to the Irish EPG when a Sky sub is cancelled but you cant obviously view the Irish channels then as they are encrypted. You will also find that they wont display the ITV and "5" channels etc

So to unblock that and get the full set of UK FTA channels get yourself a card for a couple of euro here and bob's your uncle

Yeah the Irish channels is not the issue, only want the free uk ones, bbc, ITV, so the Irish epg is fine as long as I can access the Other Channels tab, if that makes sense? If I can tune them in their then that's fine. But I'm not sure if that's possible with the newer boxes.

Cherrycola

Akrasia wrote: »

We're using an old sky box, white one, standard definition, non recordable



It works fine, no messing around with cards. If there's no viewing card in, it automatically reverts to the UK Epg

This would be perfect but I think it's scart connection only and the TV I'm connecting to had hdmi connection only, I think, have to check that.

It's an awkward one for that reason, old boxes don't have hdmi, but newer ones may or maynot block Other Channels without a viewing card.

I'd like to stick with the sky box as it's what my parents are used to, and my mother can just about work that! Lol

muffler

Cherrycola wrote: »

Yeah the Irish channels is not the issue, only want the free uk ones, bbc, ITV, so the Irish epg is fine as long as I can access the Other Channels tab, if that makes sense? If I can tune them in their then that's fine. But I'm not sure if that's possible with the newer boxes.

Follow the link I posted and get a freesat card (and Sky box if you dont have one) and the channels will appear automatically on a UK EPG.

Clicking on the link to the ad on Adverts will also show you the full range of available channels

icdg

We might not discuss the sale of Sky cards here - yes, I know the site in question is a sister site to Boards, that doesn't negate the fact that the seller is selling something that they don't own

Cherrycola

Can anyone tell me the correct cable I need to run from the dish to the box?
I know I bought one online from someone recommended here when I set up my parents original sky box, but can't remember who or what type of cable it was.

The Cush

CT100 spec cable

http://www.satellite.ie/acatalog/Cables__Switches_and_Tools.html
http://www.freetv.ie/cables/satellite-aerial/ct100.html
http://www.satworld.ie/cables-and-leads/satellite-and-aerial-cable/