Help satellite package newbie

[TECHSPAWN]

Hi all
I am a satellite newbie
I've had sky for years but I have had enough......... the staff are zombies for £42 pcm .
So I'm looking at to setup a Satellite Package but when I google it I had a brain meltdown on Installation accessories, Satellite dishes, Receivers, All satellite equipment ahhhhh so many options???????????????

So can someone recommend all the equipment I will need to get watching and any info I need to read up on plz

A must for me is football Premier League and my wife needs U.S SHOWS LIKE 'Greys' Criminal Minds' 'Dexter' 'Private Practice' 'Law & Order (All)' The Mentalist, Supernatural', 'The Good Wife'

I know I want a HD recorder receiver with at least 500gb...but the rest I am completely blank.
Any help much appreciated, Cheers.
p.s i don't really what to spend more then £300
thank you all

[radtv]

Keep with Sky you won't get what you want otherwise. £300 is not alot, a decent receiver with 500GB HDD will be more than £400 alone!!

[TECHSPAWN]

thank you ok
what would i need to spend to get what i what ??? can i get a cheaper receiver now and upgrade later?

[Mickha]

I always advise that anyone interested in satellite first thinks of the dish, and motor, if that's what they require, and consider where you need to site the dish.
It is always easier to install, and maintain, a ground mounted system, that is if you're lucky enough to have an open south facing garden, check with dishpointer.com where you can best site a motorized dish that will at least get you 42E to 30W.
Many of us have changed, or upgraded, our receivers, over the years, but kept the same dish.

[TECHSPAWN]

Thank for your help
I checked dish pointer showing Azimuth (true): 90.8° Azimuth (magn.): 92.2 . i think this is were the dish should be pointing if so its the garden .. my sky dish is up high i guess i put it there ? because i have a tree in the middle

about the motorized dish i take it you want to be near to the white dot ?
28.2E ASTRA 2A,B,C,D, EUROBIRD 1 – Europe AST02DKB 52 50 DISH SIZE
is there anything else i should be looking for in a dish ?..
were do i go from here?

[Mickha]

If you go back to dishpointer, enter your postcode, then zoom in, using the + option on the left hand side you can place the green balloon where your house is located.
Also look for your latitude, and longitude readings, your longitude gives you your true south location, negative readings = West, positive = East.
Yo then select the satellite, from the drop down list, that is closest to your true sout reading, for most in England this is Thor, 1W.You can then check where you will need to site your dish in order to get at leat 39E to 30W, which will give you a lot of satellites to view.

As for a dish you are allowed up to a 1 Metre dish, in most of the UK, without needing planning permission, but check if your council has any restrictions, green belt area, historic/listed building, etc.

Also if you tick the show obstacle (Line of sight checker) option you can move the red balloon and see if there are any obstacles in your path.

You can always contact a professional installer and ask for a quote for fitting a motorized dish.