Thoughts on Freesat (not from Sky)
 

Right now I'm using an old Humax 9200T which feeds me with Freeview
which as a rule is OK, all i watch on it are the usual BBC 1 & 2 ITV 1,
2, 3 & 4, Ch4 & Ch5 as well as the +1 on these sometimes and Quest
that's about it as a rule I was thinking of moving to Freesat (not Sky)
as this seems to offer me more +1 options, you see I'm very sad I like
to program the PVR for the whole week with what i want to watch and
having all the extra +1 stuff on Freesat would come in handy, but I was
wondering what people's thoughts were on Freesat as a service I presume
you get the same issues as you do with sky with snow/heavy rain (no
signal in another words), is there anything else i need to worry about
with Freesat?

I do have an old Sky mini dish on my roof but I'm not 100% if anyone
else is taking a feed of it, so if there not I presume the install guy
can just move it, otherwise I'll have to cough up for a dish as well as
his time.

Also I have found the Humax 9200T to be a first rate box (when the
firmware was update) and would like to stick to there brand or should I
be looking at another supplier.

Your thoughts and comments are welcome.

Thoughts on Freesat (not from Sky)
 

"Jim" wrote in message
b.com...

Right now I'm using an old Humax 9200T which feeds me with Freeview
which as a rule is OK, all i watch on it are the usual BBC 1 & 2 ITV 1,
2, 3 & 4, Ch4 & Ch5 as well as the +1 on these sometimes and Quest
that's about it as a rule I was thinking of moving to Freesat (not Sky)
as this seems to offer me more +1 options, you see I'm very sad I like
to program the PVR for the whole week with what i want to watch and
having all the extra +1 stuff on Freesat would come in handy, but I was
wondering what people's thoughts were on Freesat as a service I presume
you get the same issues as you do with sky with snow/heavy rain (no
signal in another words), is there anything else i need to worry about
with Freesat?

I do have an old Sky mini dish on my roof but I'm not 100% if anyone
else is taking a feed of it, so if there not I presume the install guy
can just move it, otherwise I'll have to cough up for a dish as well as
his time.

Also I have found the Humax 9200T to be a first rate box (when the
firmware was update) and would like to stick to there brand or should I
be looking at another supplier.

I got Freesat because it has BBC 1, BBC HD, ITV1 and CH4 in HD, I believe
Terrestrial digital has a spare slot for another HD program, I'm of course
assuming anyone changing equipment would go for HD rather than just SD.
Freesat appears to be failing in adding more HD channels.
If I were starting again I would go for terrestrial digital HD, or if not
investigate getting the "Free from Sky" package.
The dishes for both Sky and Freesat are the same satellites, Freesat is an
EPG system name. So your existing dish will be ok if it and its coax are
in good working order.
Have you no longer got your Sky box?
Regards
David

Thoughts on Freesat (not from Sky)
 

Jim wrote:
Right now I'm using an old Humax 9200T which feeds me with Freeview
which as a rule is OK, all i watch on it are the usual BBC 1 & 2 ITV 1,
2, 3 & 4, Ch4 & Ch5 as well as the +1 on these sometimes and Quest
that's about it as a rule I was thinking of moving to Freesat (not Sky)
as this seems to offer me more +1 options, you see I'm very sad I like
to program the PVR for the whole week with what i want to watch and
having all the extra +1 stuff on Freesat would come in handy, but I was
wondering what people's thoughts were on Freesat as a service I presume
you get the same issues as you do with sky with snow/heavy rain (no
signal in another words), is there anything else i need to worry about
with Freesat?

I do have an old Sky mini dish on my roof but I'm not 100% if anyone
else is taking a feed of it, so if there not I presume the install guy
can just move it, otherwise I'll have to cough up for a dish as well as
his time.

Also I have found the Humax 9200T to be a first rate box (when the
firmware was update) and would like to stick to there brand or should I
be looking at another supplier.

Your thoughts and comments are welcome.

I've had the Foxsat since switching to freest in 2010 and the only
trouble I've had in that time was with my own dodgy cable joints -
surely there is a better system than f plugs? - and on occasion the end
of a recording being cut off due to ITV over-running but not adjusting
the timings. The Humax works well and - if you can be bothered - will
also allow you to acess the other non freest free to air satellite channels.

--
David Kennedy

http://www.anindianinexile.com

Thoughts on Freesat (not from Sky)
 

In message m, Jim
wrote


I'll have to cough up for a dish as well as his time.

A dish and quads LNB is around £20 on Ebay. It would probably cost more
to physically move it rather than just installing one from new.


--
Alan
news2009 {at} admac {dot} myzen {dot} co {dot} uk

Thoughts on Freesat (not from Sky)
 

On Sat, 07 Jan 2012 15:16:38 +0000, David Kennedy
wrote:

Jim wrote:
Right now I'm using an old Humax 9200T which feeds me with Freeview
which as a rule is OK, all i watch on it are the usual BBC 1 & 2 ITV 1,
2, 3 & 4, Ch4 & Ch5 as well as the +1 on these sometimes and Quest
that's about it as a rule I was thinking of moving to Freesat (not Sky)
as this seems to offer me more +1 options, you see I'm very sad I like
to program the PVR for the whole week with what i want to watch and
having all the extra +1 stuff on Freesat would come in handy, but I was
wondering what people's thoughts were on Freesat as a service I presume
you get the same issues as you do with sky with snow/heavy rain (no
signal in another words), is there anything else i need to worry about
with Freesat?

I do have an old Sky mini dish on my roof but I'm not 100% if anyone
else is taking a feed of it, so if there not I presume the install guy
can just move it, otherwise I'll have to cough up for a dish as well as
his time.

Also I have found the Humax 9200T to be a first rate box (when the
firmware was update) and would like to stick to there brand or should I
be looking at another supplier.

Your thoughts and comments are welcome.

I've had the Foxsat since switching to freest in 2010 and the only
trouble I've had in that time was with my own dodgy cable joints -
surely there is a better system than f plugs? - and on occasion the end
of a recording being cut off due to ITV over-running but not adjusting
the timings. The Humax works well and - if you can be bothered - will
also allow you to acess the other non freest free to air satellite channels.

That matches my experience, except that my F-plugs are fitted to the
cables OK.

A point to Jim. If you do get a Freesat box keep your Humax 9200T or
some other Freeview box because there are some channels such as Quest
that are not free to air satellite channels and therefore cannot be
accessede via a Freesat box.

--
Peter Duncanson
(in uk.tech.digital-tv)

Thoughts on Freesat (not from Sky)
 

"Jim" wrote in message
b.com...
Right now I'm using an old Humax 9200T which feeds me with Freeview which
as a rule is OK, all i watch on it are the usual BBC 1 & 2 ITV 1, 2, 3 &
4, Ch4 & Ch5 as well as the +1 on these sometimes and Quest that's about
it as a rule I was thinking of moving to Freesat (not Sky) as this seems
to offer me more +1 options, you see I'm very sad I like to program the
PVR for the whole week with what i want to watch and having all the extra
+1 stuff on Freesat would come in handy, but I was wondering what people's
thoughts were on Freesat as a service I presume you get the same issues as
you do with sky with snow/heavy rain (no signal in another words), is
there anything else i need to worry about with Freesat?

I do have an old Sky mini dish on my roof but I'm not 100% if anyone else
is taking a feed of it, so if there not I presume the install guy can just
move it, otherwise I'll have to cough up for a dish as well as his time.

Also I have found the Humax 9200T to be a first rate box (when the
firmware was update) and would like to stick to there brand or should I be
looking at another supplier.

Your thoughts and comments are welcome.

If the dish is O.K. then all you might need is a new LNB - so that if
someone else is using it but there isn't a quad LNB on it you could replcae
the LNB with a new quad LNB and share the use of the dish.

Alternatively, get a new dish (if you get the next size up it will give you
a bit more signal) with a quad LNB for future expansion.

The best future resistant setup is a FreeSat dish and a good FreeView aerial
so whichever way the future goes you are covered.

--
No plan survives contact with the enemy.
[Not even bunny]

Helmuth von Moltke the Elder

(\__/)
(='.'=)
(")_(")

Thoughts on Freesat (not from Sky)
 

The best future resistant setup is a FreeSat dish and a good FreeView
aerial so whichever way the future goes you are covered.

pedant
....apart perhaps for all the video over IP ;)
/pedant


--
Robin
reply to address is (meant to be) valid

Thoughts on Freesat (not from Sky)
 

On 07/01/2012 14:31, Jim wrote:

I presume
you get the same issues as you do with sky with snow/heavy rain (no
signal in another words), is there anything else i need to worry about
with Freesat?

If you want to avoid signal loss in heavy rain just use a larger dish.

If you site the dish where you can get at with a pole, you can knock any
snow off should that be a problem.

Look at the Freesat+ forum on www.digitalspy.co.uk for discussions about
which is the best PVR.

A twin tuner PVR works best with two feed from the dish/LNB.

--
Michael Chare

Thoughts on Freesat (not from Sky)
 

In message , Robin wrote
The best future resistant setup is a FreeSat dish and a good FreeView
aerial so whichever way the future goes you are covered.

pedant
...apart perhaps for all the video over IP ;)
/pedant


And if the main distribution for all TV was video over IP it would be
unlikely to be "free" with ISPs charging per Gbyte downloaded.

--
Alan
news2009 {at} admac {dot} myzen {dot} co {dot} uk

Thoughts on Freesat (not from Sky)
 

"Jim" wrote in message
b.com...
Right now I'm using an old Humax 9200T which feeds me with Freeview which
as a rule is OK, all i watch on it are the usual BBC 1 & 2 ITV 1, 2, 3 &
4, Ch4 & Ch5 as well as the +1 on these sometimes and Quest that's about
it as a rule I was thinking of moving to Freesat (not Sky) as this seems
to offer me more +1 options, you see I'm very sad I like to program the
PVR for the whole week with what i want to watch and having all the extra
+1 stuff on Freesat would come in handy, but I was wondering what people's
thoughts were on Freesat as a service I presume you get the same issues as
you do with sky with snow/heavy rain (no signal in another words), is
there anything else i need to worry about with Freesat?

I do have an old Sky mini dish on my roof but I'm not 100% if anyone else
is taking a feed of it, so if there not I presume the install guy can just
move it, otherwise I'll have to cough up for a dish as well as his time.

Also I have found the Humax 9200T to be a first rate box (when the
firmware was update) and would like to stick to there brand or should I be
looking at another supplier.

Your thoughts and comments are welcome.

I lose my sat picture when it **** down with rain

YMMV

tim

Thoughts on Freesat (not from Sky)
 

If you are worried about signals in bad weather just fit a bigger dish than
normal. I know a number of people seem to have gone down this route and it
seems to work.

Brian

--
Brian Gaff -
Note:- In order to reduce spam, any email without 'Brian Gaff'
in the display name may be lost.
Blind user, so no pictures please!
"Jim" wrote in message
b.com...
Right now I'm using an old Humax 9200T which feeds me with Freeview which
as a rule is OK, all i watch on it are the usual BBC 1 & 2 ITV 1, 2, 3 &
4, Ch4 & Ch5 as well as the +1 on these sometimes and Quest that's about
it as a rule I was thinking of moving to Freesat (not Sky) as this seems
to offer me more +1 options, you see I'm very sad I like to program the
PVR for the whole week with what i want to watch and having all the extra
+1 stuff on Freesat would come in handy, but I was wondering what people's
thoughts were on Freesat as a service I presume you get the same issues as
you do with sky with snow/heavy rain (no signal in another words), is
there anything else i need to worry about with Freesat?

I do have an old Sky mini dish on my roof but I'm not 100% if anyone else
is taking a feed of it, so if there not I presume the install guy can just
move it, otherwise I'll have to cough up for a dish as well as his time.

Also I have found the Humax 9200T to be a first rate box (when the
firmware was update) and would like to stick to there brand or should I be
looking at another supplier.

Your thoughts and comments are welcome.

Thoughts on Freesat (not from Sky)
 

On Sunday, January 8th, 2012, at 09:31:08h +0000, Brian Gaff wrote:

If you are worried about signals in bad weather just fit a bigger dish
than normal.

But do not forget that a larger dish needs better support,
especially in times of strong winds.

Thoughts on Freesat (not from Sky)
 

On Jan 7, 7:25*pm, "tim...." wrote:
"Jim" wrote in message

b.com...

Right now I'm using an old Humax 9200T which feeds me with Freeview which
as a rule is OK, all i watch on it are the usual BBC 1 & 2 ITV 1, 2, 3 &
4, Ch4 & Ch5 as well as the +1 on these sometimes and Quest that's about
it as a rule I was thinking of moving to Freesat (not Sky) as this seems
to offer me more +1 options, you see I'm very sad I like to program the
PVR for the whole week with what i want to watch and having all the extra
+1 stuff on Freesat would come in handy, but I was wondering what people's
thoughts were on Freesat as a service I presume you get the same issues as
you do with sky with snow/heavy rain (no signal in another words), is
there anything else i need to worry about with Freesat?

I do have an old Sky mini dish on my roof but I'm not 100% if anyone else
is taking a feed of it, so if there not I presume the install guy can just
move it, otherwise I'll have to cough up for a dish as well as his time..

Also I have found the Humax 9200T to be a first rate box (when the
firmware was update) and would like to stick to there brand or should I be
looking at another supplier.

Your thoughts and comments are welcome.

I lose my sat picture when it **** down with rain

I don't - and we certainly had enough rain recently.

I used a Zone 2 dish in Yorkshire, where apparently a zone 1 dish is
sufficient. It looks stupid though because it's larger than everyone
else's (obviously so).

What did cause a detectable change in signal strength (though no loss
of picture) was the horrendously strong wind last week, which blew all
the bins over and visibly wobbled the dish. This blew a neighbours
dish right around, so I'm guessing he did suffer loss of picture.

The dish can be reached to knock snow off when needed, but it wasn't
necessary last year (when it was 1/3rd covered).


Freeview (even in "good" reception areas) suffers from lifts (i.e.
distant signals coming in as if they're next door and playing havoc
with reception, typically in hot weather) - and the joys of LTE are
coming (mobile phones using the "sold off" frequencies at the top of
the UHF TV band = STBs, aerial amplifiers etc overloading). There's
also the nuisance of multiple switch-over-related retunes in many
areas.

However, Quest, Challenge, Dave etc are only FTA on Freeview - you
won't find them on Freesat.

The SD picture quality is generally better on Freesat than Freeview.
If you connect them to the net, HD Freesat STBs also include BBC
iPlayer and some include ITVplayer.

There are worthy Freesat PVRs from Humax, Echostar, Samsung etc.
Plenty of threads on Digital Spy to help you decide between them.

Cheers,
David.

Thoughts on Freesat (not from Sky)
 

On Tue, 10 Jan 2012 02:17:11 -0800 (PST),
wrote:

I lose my sat picture when it **** down with rain

I don't - and we certainly had enough rain recently.

I used a Zone 2 dish in Yorkshire, where apparently a zone 1 dish is
sufficient. It looks stupid though because it's larger than everyone
else's (obviously so).

Same here - all of the other dishes are Sky-sized and mine is not only 65cm
but cream-coloured and solid. Fortunately, although it's on the front of the
house, it's about 18m from the road.

I can clear it easily and also adjust it from a stepladder whilst watching
the bars on the TV via a mirror.
--
Peter.
The gods will stay away
whilst religions hold sway

Thoughts on Freesat (not from Sky)
 

On 08/01/2012 09:31, Brian Gaff wrote:
If you are worried about signals in bad weather just fit a bigger dish than
normal. I know a number of people seem to have gone down this route and it
seems to work.

Brian

Well thanks everybody for your replies, I've learnt a fair bit didn't
know for example that the signal could come from my old sky dish, it
does have a quad LNB on it right now but i have no idea if the
neighbours have a feed from it or not so i'll check that out later, I do
like the look of Humax, I will not be able to gain access to the dish
myself so if work is needed it will have to be a install guy, i'd like
to hang on to my 9200T in the living room as well but i have no idea if
both units will sit together in the same room or will one remote control
the other which would be a bit of a nightmare.

Jim

Thoughts on Freesat (not from Sky)
 

On Tue, 10 Jan 2012 20:47:33 +0000, Jim
wrote:

On 08/01/2012 09:31, Brian Gaff wrote:
If you are worried about signals in bad weather just fit a bigger dish than
normal. I know a number of people seem to have gone down this route and it
seems to work.

Brian

Well thanks everybody for your replies, I've learnt a fair bit didn't
know for example that the signal could come from my old sky dish, it
does have a quad LNB on it right now but i have no idea if the
neighbours have a feed from it or not so i'll check that out later, I do
like the look of Humax, I will not be able to gain access to the dish
myself so if work is needed it will have to be a install guy, i'd like
to hang on to my 9200T in the living room as well but i have no idea if
both units will sit together in the same room or will one remote control
the other which would be a bit of a nightmare.

I have a Humax 9200T (Freeview) on a shelf beneath a Humax Foxsat
(Freesat) without any problems. They do not respond to each other's
remote control.

In another room I have a Humax HDR-FX T2 (Freeview) and a Humax Foxsat
(Freesat). As supplied those do respond to the same remote but there is
a means of changing the "remote mode" for one of them and its remote to
prevent that.

--
Peter Duncanson
(in uk.tech.digital-tv)

Thoughts on Freesat (not from Sky)
 

On 10/01/2012 22:18, Peter Duncanson wrote:
On Tue, 10 Jan 2012 20:47:33 +0000,
wrote:

On 08/01/2012 09:31, Brian Gaff wrote:
If you are worried about signals in bad weather just fit a bigger dish than
normal. I know a number of people seem to have gone down this route and it
seems to work.

Brian

Well thanks everybody for your replies, I've learnt a fair bit didn't
know for example that the signal could come from my old sky dish, it
does have a quad LNB on it right now but i have no idea if the
neighbours have a feed from it or not so i'll check that out later, I do
like the look of Humax, I will not be able to gain access to the dish
myself so if work is needed it will have to be a install guy, i'd like
to hang on to my 9200T in the living room as well but i have no idea if
both units will sit together in the same room or will one remote control
the other which would be a bit of a nightmare.

I have a Humax 9200T (Freeview) on a shelf beneath a Humax Foxsat
(Freesat) without any problems. They do not respond to each other's
remote control.

In another room I have a Humax HDR-FX T2 (Freeview) and a Humax Foxsat
(Freesat). As supplied those do respond to the same remote but there is
a means of changing the "remote mode" for one of them and its remote to
prevent that.

Peter sorry to sound like a bone head, but we are talking about the
9200T and the Foxsat PVR version (FoxSat- HDR) not just the receiver,
sorry i just wanted to be 100% clear.

Jim

Thoughts on Freesat (not from Sky)
 

On Wed, 11 Jan 2012 00:57:43 +0000, Jim
wrote:

On 10/01/2012 22:18, Peter Duncanson wrote:
On Tue, 10 Jan 2012 20:47:33 +0000,
wrote:

On 08/01/2012 09:31, Brian Gaff wrote:
If you are worried about signals in bad weather just fit a bigger dish than
normal. I know a number of people seem to have gone down this route and it
seems to work.

Brian

Well thanks everybody for your replies, I've learnt a fair bit didn't
know for example that the signal could come from my old sky dish, it
does have a quad LNB on it right now but i have no idea if the
neighbours have a feed from it or not so i'll check that out later, I do
like the look of Humax, I will not be able to gain access to the dish
myself so if work is needed it will have to be a install guy, i'd like
to hang on to my 9200T in the living room as well but i have no idea if
both units will sit together in the same room or will one remote control
the other which would be a bit of a nightmare.

I have a Humax 9200T (Freeview) on a shelf beneath a Humax Foxsat
(Freesat) without any problems. They do not respond to each other's
remote control.

In another room I have a Humax HDR-FX T2 (Freeview) and a Humax Foxsat
(Freesat). As supplied those do respond to the same remote but there is
a means of changing the "remote mode" for one of them and its remote to
prevent that.

Peter sorry to sound like a bone head, but we are talking about the
9200T and the Foxsat PVR version (FoxSat- HDR) not just the receiver,
sorry i just wanted to be 100% clear.

No boneheadness!

The Humax Foxsat receiver-only and PVR boxes are just the same in this
respect.

A quote from an email from Humax Support:

The remote controls for our Foxsat HDR, Foxsat HD, Freeview HD-FOX
T2, Freeview HDR-FOX T2, will all conflict with each unit if you
have any of these.

It then goes on to explain how to change the remote control mode for one
box and its remote control to avoid conflict with another box.


--
Peter Duncanson
(in uk.tech.digital-tv)

Thoughts on Freesat (not from Sky)
 

On 11/01/2012 11:46, Peter Duncanson wrote:
On Wed, 11 Jan 2012 00:57:43 +0000,
wrote:

On 10/01/2012 22:18, Peter Duncanson wrote:
On Tue, 10 Jan 2012 20:47:33 +0000,
wrote:

On 08/01/2012 09:31, Brian Gaff wrote:
If you are worried about signals in bad weather just fit a bigger dish than
normal. I know a number of people seem to have gone down this route and it
seems to work.

Brian

Well thanks everybody for your replies, I've learnt a fair bit didn't
know for example that the signal could come from my old sky dish, it
does have a quad LNB on it right now but i have no idea if the
neighbours have a feed from it or not so i'll check that out later, I do
like the look of Humax, I will not be able to gain access to the dish
myself so if work is needed it will have to be a install guy, i'd like
to hang on to my 9200T in the living room as well but i have no idea if
both units will sit together in the same room or will one remote control
the other which would be a bit of a nightmare.

I have a Humax 9200T (Freeview) on a shelf beneath a Humax Foxsat
(Freesat) without any problems. They do not respond to each other's
remote control.

In another room I have a Humax HDR-FX T2 (Freeview) and a Humax Foxsat
(Freesat). As supplied those do respond to the same remote but there is
a means of changing the "remote mode" for one of them and its remote to
prevent that.

Peter sorry to sound like a bone head, but we are talking about the
9200T and the Foxsat PVR version (FoxSat- HDR) not just the receiver,
sorry i just wanted to be 100% clear.

No boneheadness!

The Humax Foxsat receiver-only and PVR boxes are just the same in this
respect.

A quote from an email from Humax Support:

The remote controls for our Foxsat HDR, Foxsat HD, Freeview HD-FOX
T2, Freeview HDR-FOX T2, will all conflict with each unit if you
have any of these.

It then goes on to explain how to change the remote control mode for one
box and its remote control to avoid conflict with another box.


That's perfect from my point of view then, thanks for that Peter, now
just need to find out from neighbours if they take there feed from this
dish, AFAIK there is 2 other people and me who take a feed so should be
i going spare ;)

Jim