How future proof is ART SPORT

[linsladeboy]

Hi everyone, I have been considering getting a non Sky system for ages(I can't bear the thought of Rupert Murdoch touching my money) to watch Premiership, Serie A and formula 1 etc... and it seems that the ART sport and ALJEZEERA package is finally my dream come true!!!
BUT how future proof is it? I have scanned the internet and general concensus is that they have exclusivity until 2008! Is this correct and what will happen after? I don't want to splash out on a system that is going to be redundant in a couple of years!!!!
I have a budget of up to £400(without card) and would greatly appreciate any advice for a top notch motorised system with a transparent dish and future proof receiver to pick up Astra 1 and Hotbird(I live in Befordshire by the way - somebody has to!)

[BGonaSTICK]

Hello mate, and welcome to the forum.

I'm afraid that if you want guarantees, then Rupert is going to be fondling your spondooliks for a while yet.

Yes, 2008 for ART I believe, and I think it will probably go the distance.

If you'd have asked me a few weeks back, I would have said that you were quite safe with ART, but with DigitALB seemingly got-at by the Evil One, now I wouldn't be quite so confident. I think ART are in a much more powerful situation than DigitALB, what with all that lovely Arabic cash slopping around behind the scenes

If you think though, that Sky want well over £400 a year to watch less footie than you can get on the ART/Al-Jaz card (and that's not even mentioning the live 3pm kickoff issue...), and when you bear in mind that with the right CAM/card etc. you could have other channels showing football/movies etc. too, then it's not such a lot of cash.

[Jimdefruit]

Hi linsladeboy, welcome to the forum. Bedfordshire is a nice place to live. Wouldn't want to myself of course.

Art sports is not the only provider for footy and other sports. If they go then someone else will take their place. With a motorised dish and a box like the dreambox, you would be pretty futureproof.

You could get a dreambox 7020 for about £330 and a motorised dish, depending on your diy abilities within the overall £400 budget. There is plenty of help available for you to set the system up and I dont think you would be disappointed.

[satsid]

hi m8 iv seen many cards over the years on offical 1s.with art or alb cards as said you take a chance.iv seen tricks in the past where the channels are on 1 satellite that you can pick up.then out of the blue it moves to a satellite that your dish wont see.somtimes thay just fold up & go.of late seem better than past.but i know whats gone on with alb & people have not been happy.so in the end you make your own mind up.
sid

[linsladeboy]

Many thanks everyone for your advice it is much appreciated(it's nice to get help without being patronised for a change) I think I will take the plunge very soon and get a system installed.Incidentally, apologies for not introducing myself in my first post!
Another basic question, what's the bandwith of a motorised dish? for example would it pick up Sky on Astra 2 at 28.2 degrees as well (my girls want MTV) by fitting a Sky card or would I have to get a second dish installed?

[Analoguesat]

You are far better off keeping a completely seperate dish for Sky.

BTW welcome to our happy band

[Mickha]

Hi linsladeboy,
a dreambox can emulate a S*y digibox, I believe, even picking up the stay alive signal for your card, I'm sure Jimdefruit can give more details on this.
A Dragon Cam can work with a S*Y card but cannot receive the stay alive signal so the card has to be periodically put into a digibox.
But most members opt to keep both the digibox, for the family, and the motorised set up for the more discerning viewer, after all you don't want the kids pestering to watch S*y when you want to watch the football or other more interesting programmes !!!!!!!!!
Best wishes
Mickha

[Jimdefruit]

If you already have a Sly Digibox and dish, then keep it because it will give you that extra option. If you dont have a digibox then a dreambox will get all of the channels in the sky with the right cards and a bit of help.

[linsladeboy]

Thanks again everyone, what a nice and decent bunch of people you all are!!!!!
Finally, I want to instal system in my son's bedroom so we can watch sport in peace (I don't want repeat of aggro with wife and two girls during the world cup) and add avideosender to beam back downstairs on main telly. Is that a viable option or can you advise differently?

[BGonaSTICK]

There are loads of options available to you. I think you'd need to make a few decisions on dishes and receivers in general to narrow that list down a bit.

A videosender is a good general-purpose method of getting a TV link remotely, but they do pretty much require line of sight, or at least be fairly close with not much in between.

I bought a really good quality one from Argos recently, but it wouldn't go through two paper-thin walls to my son's room so it had to go back.

You don't actually say if you have Sky (or a digibox/dish etc.) at the moment, or what sort of things the rest of the family want to watch (or continue to watch).

Give us a bit more detail on what arrangement you currently have (and what RF cabling etc is available to you to use/reuse) and we'll give you some pointers.

STICK