PC DVB-S Cards

[MPlb]

Hi

I am living down in France and have just moved to a house that has a 90cms satellite dish already installed.

I was considering getting a digibox and an activated freeview (Sky series 2) card from Ebay or some other source but then came across these DVB-S devices for the PC. For example the AVerTV DVBs or the Hauppage WinTV-NOVA-usb-s box.

I'm now a little confused...

Will I be able to simply buy one of these cards, plug it into my PC and connect it to my dish (once correctly aligned) and hey presto I'll be able to receive BBC1, BBC2, ITV1, C4 & C5 (plus the other free digital channels in the UK)?

Do I really no longer need to have an activated Sky card (with a digibox) to receive these channels? I'm not at all interested in the pay channels on Sky.

If these devices do allow me to receive these channels is the quality any good and am I able to feed to signal from my PC via S-video to my TV?

Any advice would be gratefully received....

Matthew

 

[rolfw]

You will with the correct software, have the capability of receiving encrypted channels, but not those on Astra 28.2E, you still require a card and Sky digibox for that. Do a forum search for Freesat, there are a couple of threads concerning cards for ITV etc and the likelyhood of availability shortly. Do not spend big money on a card from eBay.

 

[MPlb]

Thanks RolfW, am Icorrect in thinking that BBC1, BBC2, C4 & C5 are not encrypted anymore on Astra 28.2E?

I could certainly live without having ITV has from what I see it's a heap of rubbish now.

 

[rolfw]

No, unfortunately ITV, Channel 4 and channel 5 are all encrypted, only the BBCs are in the clear.

 

[MPlb]

That's a shame, looks like I should wait for October and see if Sky release those Freesat cards.