FTA/FTV Sky digital set up question

[afcmoordown]

I am a bit confused and would like a few tips please. I would like to get a non contract Sky Digibox purely and simply to get FTA/FTV TV. I have read that you can also add channels and wondered if I could add FTA channels from astra @ 19.2 degrees? Is this possible?

If it is, I’m assuming that I’d need an LNB switcher thing as all digboxes I’ve ever seen have just the one lnb input. Also, could Astra 28.2 and Astra 19.2 be received on the same 80cm dish with 2 offset LNB's? I’m near London.

And finally (Esther), are Sky boxes all bog standard, or are some superior to others...any recommendations?

Sorry if these are obvious questions…they’re not obvious to me …that’s all !

 

[rolfw]

[updated:LAST EDITED ON 21-Jul-02 AT 09:17 PM (GMT)]No problem doing what you propose, a 60cm dish with two LNBs would suffice. The biggest problem with the digibox is that it is not user friendly with regard to storing non-Sky channels and has the tendency to lose them.

I'm not too far away from London with a 60cm dish, prime focus is 19.2 secondary focus 28.2, but I use a Hyundai for the 19.2 channels.

With regard to the difference in Digiboxes, I have found little or no difference in performance when related to UK reception, but some do have added performance with regard to audio output. I believe the Sony and Grundig have digital outputs, I'm sure the anoraks ;) will correct me if I'm wrong.

Rolf

 

[jimbo]

Rolf

I think you are right about the digital outputs but somewhere in the back of my mind I believe the "great god in the SKY" ordered the companies to disable them internally.

Jimbo

 

[rolfw]

LOL Jimbo, why doesn't that surprise me.

Rolf

 

[jimbo]

Yep...(it's official) this is what satellite online said a while back.

"We understand from wholesalers that the new Sony Digiboxes have had the Digital output port disabled. This is bad news for all you digital HIFI people, we have yet to open one of these to see if it can be easily reconnected".

Jimbo

 

[PoloMint]

Actually the Sony 760 does have optical audio out enabled, what people moan about is that unlike Sky+ it is not DD5.1. The people who believe that Sky are evil gods say that Sky disabled 5.1 in the s/w to push people who want it into getting Sky+, others say it is a hardware issue and it could never support it even if Sky wanted it to. There is also the issue of licensing, to have DD5.1 all the receivers would need to have the Dolby logo on them and as they don’t, they can’t legally use it even if the hardware and software support it. Whatever you chose to believe it looks like the current Sony’s are never going to have 5.1

The boxes that are generally considered the best are the Panasonic’s 30/31/35 – they have the fastest menus/EPG of all of them and the 30 has the best reputation for use in fringe areas, unfortunately that model is no longer made.

The current Grundig is supposed to be good, better tuner than previous models.

The Amstrad 200/300 far, far better than the ill fated 100 and when they aren’t melting or crashing they perform quite well.

Ones to steer clear of are all first generation ones, (Pace 2200, Ams-100, Pani-20, Grundig 200, S-750?) these are the slowest and as they are the oldest more likely to develop faults now rather than later.

Good places to pick them up cheap, beside car boot sales and small ads are www.digiboxes.net and of course e-bay. Also be warned that Sky have a stolen list and any box reported stolen frantically tries to call out, AFAIK for some reason they have never deactivated a stolen box, just tried to keep it calling home so no phone connection makes that a little harder ;)