Freesat or Sky?

billy143

Hi

I'm moving to France and I'm wondering what's the best option for me to get freesat there.

I currently have a skybox for an old contract I had with them but I'm thinking of selling it on Ebay and buy a freesat HD receiver incl recording feature.

I have a couple of questions in order to make up my mind:

• is there an image quality difference between sky/freesat and a freesat box?
• will I get more channels with a freesat box than with a sky/freesat?
• my sky viewing card works but I'm not getting C4, ITV and some othe channels (my viewing card is 3 yrs old) - if I go for the sky option, do I need to buy a £20 sky card? does it give me access to the same channels as a Freesat box?
• is the recording facility on a freesat box user friendly and works well? any box to recommend/avoid? I looked at the 2 solutions from Argos (any better company to buy from?)
• i understand freesat provides HD and not sky - so is freesat better in quality then?

sorry it probably sounds like a lot of questions but Sky option will cost me £20 but I have a feeling I'll get less channels, not the recording feature, not the HD
Freesat will cost me £150 minus anything I can get from my current sky box

I guess I can buy any standard satellite dish when I'm in france (since it's not supplied with the box)

Analoguesat

is there an image quality difference between sky/freesat and a freesat box?
Image quality a subjective thing

will I get more channels with a freesat box than with a sky/freesat?
You will get LESS channels on the Freesat epg at the moment - theres only about 100 channels available on the epg. The other fta stuff is available on a "non-freesat mode"

my sky viewing card works but I'm not getting C4, ITV and some othe channels (my viewing card is 3 yrs old) - if I go for the sky option, do I need to buy a £20 sky card? does it give me access to the same channels as a Freesat box?
Sounds like theres a fault somewhere (Is your sky box a Grundig by any chance?) - ITV & C4 are fta so should be received anyway. The only things the card will give you is the C5 family, Sky 3 and Setanta Sports News

is the recording facility on a freesat box user friendly and works well? any box to recommend/avoid? I looked at the 2 solutions from Argos (any better company to buy from?)
Freesat PVR's are not currently available - they should be out by the end of the year

i understand freesat provides HD and not sky - so is freesat better in quality then?
You get BBCHD and the very part time ITVHD. Thats it. Plus the pointless Luxe HD on non-freesat mode - Luxe isnt on the epg.

Analoguesat's message to the world Analogue forever!

Robbo

Hi,

A Sky box would give you a handful of FTV channels, including FIVE, Sky 3 and a few others extra, other than that, there is no real difference in what channels you can get.

If you want to record, then avoid Sky, as they charge you £10/month to use the recording facility, unless subscribed.

At the moment, there are no Freesat PVR models, but it is due for launch at the end of October apparently (Foxsat-HDR).

As an alternative you can use some standard satellite receivers and get all the FTA and FTV channels available on both Sky and Freesat , also with PVR ready.

The Technomate TM6800HD is an example, but there are a few others.

Your best bet is probably make do with the Sky box, and wait until the Freesat PVRs are actually on sale (November maybe?)

billy143

thanks for your answers
I got confused for some reasons on a freesat receiver model at argos thinking it was capable of recording.

It sound like my skybox (Pace 2600C1) which I have from an old contract with sky will do the job, and provide as many features as a new freesat box to the only exception of HD.
Do you reckon that I'm not getting all free channels due to my old and original viewing card? Would the solution simply be to purchase a £20 freesat from sky viewing card?
(+ a Sky/BBC Freesat Satellite Dish / LNB, 15m Cable / Kit)

will it be any problem if I order the card from sky not having the dish yet installed at my place (which I will do myself)? (note: I still live in the UK)

thanks

rolfw

Providing your card is one of the current generation (with a yellow house on it), it should update on its own once the receiver is connected to a dish and left on overnight.

Rolf If you enjoy our site, you can help support it by wearing our unique branded merchandise, you can do this by clicking on my baseball cap, making a direct donation with Paypal by clicking on the Donation button below, or using our site supporting advertisers, to do this, click on the central image below. Follow us on Twitter, click on the twitter image.

devonbrown

If this box has not been connected to a dish for a while it maybe stuck on old software. If this is the case then give it a few days and both your card and the software should update. If necessary you can force a software download.

nostromo52

I can record Freesat.

PaulR

Presumably on an external DVD, Videotape or Hard Disk recorder? If so it's really not a new idea. If not - tell us more please.

PaulR As I get older I find myself thinking about the hereafter - I go into a room and then wonder what I'm here after.

Whopity

Having set up a Sky system in France I would stick with that. It works perfectly with an 80cm dish from Bricodepot. I use it with no viewing card. My neighbors have Freesat and I would not change as they get less programs.

rolfw

You won't get less channels than a Sky digibox without a card, you just need to add some of them in the non-Freesat mode.

Rolf If you enjoy our site, you can help support it by wearing our unique branded merchandise, you can do this by clicking on my baseball cap, making a direct donation with Paypal by clicking on the Donation button below, or using our site supporting advertisers, to do this, click on the central image below. Follow us on Twitter, click on the twitter image.

Tivù

Less on the main EPG, but that isn't necessarily a bad thing ........ those using Sky Boxes for FTA have an awful lot of dross they can't get rid of on their EPG.

At least you can delete unwanted Channels from the EPG on a Freesat Box.

And rolfw has already referred to non-Freesat mode if there are other FTA Channels you really want.