Do I need new Equipment

richardinalex

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Just seen the announcement about FreeSat

I live in the middle of nowhere (according to Digital signal land) and can only pick BBC3 / 4 ITV2 etc via SKY

I understand that you need a receiver to pick up the signal - but would it be a simple case of unplugging my SKY Box and plugging in a new FreeSat receiver?

If Yes - do I need to buy a new FreeSat box when:-

a) My tv (Samsung LE26 R4) has an inbuilt digital receiver; and

:cool: I have an old Echostar D2500IP sat receiver laying around in the garage

Will either of these negate the need for a FreeSat receiver?

Apologies if this seems a dum question - I'm still jumping at the bottom branches of the Sat Tree.

Richard
 

rolfw

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Your sky receiver should pick up what is available at the moment, no need to swap out the receiver.

Your TV's digital tuner is for Terrestrial reception.
 

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Hi,

Do you have a Sky Digibox and satellite dish?

if so, then you can get vitually every Freesat channel anyway, you don't need a Freesat box.

a), No, the TV is no good, it is for integrated digital TV through an aerial.

:cool: If the echostar is a digital satellite rceiver, then yes, you should be able to get virtually every freesat channel on it, if you connect it to a dish pointing at 28E.

Robbo:)
 

rolfw

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Yes and for ITV HD, it may need to be a Freesat box, although I'm sure that someone on the forum will work out a way to find it without a Freesat receiver. :)
 

PaulR

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martinw01908

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Lets get this clear then. I've been out of it for a while. I'm being asked questions by people at work who have sky and are interested on freesat because:

1. they have skyplus subscriptions and want to cut back on the expenditure in these tough times
2. they have flat screen and want HD channels to get the benefit or want to cancel their sky HD sub to save money again
3. they are just curious about having any 'new technology'

So unless they want HD channels they are better off getting with the skyfreesat because it has channel 5 and sky 3?

If they want HD for free specially they are better off witrh a freesat reciever?

Will freesat give all the channels on freeview ie: Virgin 1 , the hits etc?

And a non 'freesat' FTA HD reciever won't get ITV HD because its encrypted?

Is this right, cheers
 

rolfw

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Virgin 1 is a subscription channel, so it is unlikely to be on FREESAT, as with any other subscription channels.

As per the sticky thread on HD receivers at the top of this section, people ore looking at workarounds for receiving ITV HD on various non-FREESAT HD receivers.
 

Topper

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rolfw said:
Virgin 1 is a subscription channel, so it is unlikely to be on FREESAT, as with any other subscription channels.

Virgin 1 is however FTA on FREEVIEW so why should it not be on FREESAT?
 

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Topper said:
Virgin 1 is however FTA on FREEVIEW so why should it not be on FREESAT?

Different transmission format, different encryption arrangements.

Virgin 1 was basically just a major rebrand for one of the existing channels (cant remember off the top of my head which one it was) but it would be covered by the original channels encryption agreement
 

rolfw

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It would also suffer major problems with copyright, unless it moved to 2D, as it is filled with American series.
 
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