Where now?

Nebulous

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Hi folks

another newbie here. i've never really been into the latest technology and have never had Sky. Just after Christmas I bought a satellite dish and Silvercrest box from Lidl for £20. I managed to set it up on Astra and get about 350 channels of mostly rubbish - which I thought was a spectacular deal - Film 4 was particularly worthwhile. No channel 5 though, which I cannot get with my loft aerial.

I still had an old square TV but a month or so ago I took a mad turn in John Lewis and bought a Sony 40" TV and Bluray player. Now I'm hungry for more, but don't know where to go next - I would particularly like HD broadcasts.

So in order of picture quality from poorest to best I have:-

4 analogue channels
about 350 SD channels on a Lidl box.
19 freeview channels - including 2 radio ones.

Options would be -
1. buy an external aerial for more freeview
2. buy an HD box - Freesat or generic receiver?
3. If 2. follow this with a motorised dish (would that suggest a standard HD receiver rather than a specific Freesat one?)

Incidentally on having a quick look at HD boxes the highest output I have seen on most of them seems to be 1080i. Do boxes/transmissions come in 1080p?

Sorry for such a long initial post - but please let me have your thoughts, suggestions for where I go from here.
 

satelliteman

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Welcome,

A route you could go down is replace your Silvercrest box for a HD freesat receiver Or any HD satellite receiver. This will enable you to pick up all the fta SD and HD channels out now any new HD content in the future. You will of course require a screen that is HD ready 720 Or 1080 of which you have already:D The dish wouldn't need to be touched unless you decide to go motorised.

Hope this helps:)
 

Nebulous

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Thanks satelliteman

I have begun researching HD boxes. There certainly seems to be a lot of different options out there. I never knew what I was opening myself up to when I forked out £20 at Lidl!
 

Robbo

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The Humax Foxsat HD Freesat receiver can by all accounts be used with a motor, but is a bit 'clunky' in FTA mode. One of the other HD offerings may be a better choice for use with a motor. Quite a few of them now can now get the ITV HD channel, includiding the Darkbox HD,the TM6800/6900, plus a couple of others.

Robbo:)
 
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