Sky Freeview/HD losing channels issue

Forestboy

Hi

We're not huge TV watchers and am pretty tech ignorant so have ignored this for a while but it's getting worse.

Have an old Skybox (2006) and only had the free channels. Got a message late last year stating that we will soon lose all BBCs as it was going HD and we were not equipped etc - TV was fairly old so got a new one this year, should be totally up to date, HD etc but we still can't get these channels. Now more channels are gradually disappearing.

So I suppose that the problem is the old Skybox?

Does anyone know what we need to do here?

Thanks

swoofer

Say the make and model of tv it may have a sat tuner, I take it it does have saorview. You can get a sky hd box but needs a UK card so fiddly. You can get a combo receiver, cheap but again fiddly and you wont get full epg. Its a pain.

In the end its down to budget but lets get tv sorted first.

Forestboy

Thanks! So it's Hisense 32A4KTUK if that means anything?

Forestboy

Sorry, should add - no Saorview. Very close to border and we had the UK version of Free (Freeview or whatever)

swoofer

Well that TV has a SAORVIEW/FREEVIEW tuner and… a sat tuner. Here is a pic and can you look at the rear to confirm you can see the 2 inputs.

IMG_7324.PNG

This means you can pick up the RTE channels and the UK ones plus you can get the FREE TO AIR(FTA) on satellite.

Jim_Hodge

A lot of channels have changed frequencies. Do a scan.

Forestboy

You mean without having to buy anything? Sounds great!

L1011

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122730886#Comment_122730886

Not applicable on a Sky SD box, the stuff that's gone is gone.

It appears the OP can put the sat cable directly to the TV they've specified though.

Forestboy

Oh and another thing to add - no aerial ( which is why we got the box in the first place when we moved in) but I guess that doesn't matter . . .

The Cush

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122730773#Comment_122730773

Does Hisense use the satcodx channel list format? If it does I have an uploadable list

dublinman1990

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122731036#Comment_122731036

Oh no the aerial does matter in this case. You need an aerial to get the Irish channels for free on Saorview. You can't get TV stations like RTÉ/TG4 on FTA satellite because the only way you can watch them through the dish is to pay for a Sky subscription to access them on an up to date Sky box connected to your TV.

Where do you live near the border counties. Is your house in the ROI or NI?

emaherx

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122731804#Comment_122731804

It only matters if they want the Irish channels, but it sounds like they didn't have them to start with. All of the Free channels which disappeared from the old Sky box can be picked up by connecting the TV's existing satellite tuner.

Technically RTÉ and TG4 channels are available FTA on satellite via SaorSat, just not on the existing Sky dish. An Aerial would still be needed for Virgin media channels, so its still the simplest and best option if in range of a Saorview Mast.

Forestboy

Yes correct, didn't have the Irish channels in the first place. Living in ROI but original box bought in NI and so it's the UK version of free channels we had been receiving.

emaherx

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122733309#Comment_122733309

Doesn't matter where you bought the box, for satellite you are under the same patch of Sky. But UK and Irish FTA satellite channels are on 2 completely different Satellite Clusters and use a slightly different LNB.

Usually if someone wants both they use an aerial and satellite dish. Occasionally if the terrestrial coverage is bad for Irish channels they use 2 different Satellite dishes (or one big one with 2 LNB's).

LNB is the part of the dish that receives the signal.

Although none of that matters if you are just trying to get the stations you had back. Just connected cable and tune in the channels. You may need to tune some manually but I'd try the auto scan first.

Jim_Hodge

As suggested. First things first. Connect up and do a scan.

Forestboy

Thanks all for the input! Will have a look at this later this evening or over the weekend. A bit clueless as you can guess. Would be a big result if it's as simple as plugging sat cable directly into tv

Forestboy

Right, not having any luck here. Tried connecting dish cable directly to TV and tried scanning a couple of times and nothing found. See pics for available connections on TV

20241019_201909.jpg

20241019_201854.jpg

and existing dish cable connector. Any suggestions please?

L1011

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122738315#Comment_122738315

Ant2 DVB-S/S2 is where that should go - its the only one it fits on too so I presume that's where you fit it

What scan settings did you use? Does it ask you to pick a satellite?

Forestboy

Thanks yes tried ant 2 only connection that fits. Yes it asks Satellite then single or DiseQC and Unicable. Picked single then satellite auto detect, found nothing. Maybe should have chosen something else?

L1011

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122738337#Comment_122738337

Single, and then if it gives a satellite list look for Astra2/Astra28. Blind scans aren't great on most consumer satellite boxes let alone TVs.

Forestboy

Hi all - late coming back to this and only resumed recently. Success! Thanks to all for the input.

Just one mildly annoying issue though, for many channels 'information not available' so can't see what's on or browse to see what's coming up without selecting the channel. Does repetitive use correct this in time maybe?