Help Needed - Newbie - Techwatch Support Forums: Digital & Satellite TV, FTA, Cable, Computers, Mobile Phones, Apple and General Tech Forums

rupertBear · 08-01-07, 06:00 PM

Hi,

I am a real newbie to this, I thought I had it all sussed until I discovered I could not get freeview where I live. All I want is to be able to get all the free to air digital channels and be able to use a HD recorder to watch one and record another. Simple really, only one other thing - I do not want to pay Mr Murdoch £10.00 a moth to be allowed to record on equipment I have already bought.

If I get a HD recorder satelite box (non-sky), can I get channel 4 and 5, film 4 etc
Do I need a card of some type to get these channels and will all boxes take them?

I was going to buy a Topfield freeview box, because I liked all the features, do I stay with them for a satelite receiver/hdd box or is there a better solution?

Thanks in advance

Rupert

Jimdefruit · 08-01-07, 06:11 PM

Hi rupertbear, welcome to the forum.

I assume you are referring to a hard drive recorder rather than high definition.
If you have a sky digibox and a free to view card, you can record all of the free to air and free to view channels. BBC, ITV, 4, 5 plus a lot of others, without subscribing to the other rupert.

If you want to start searching the skies, there are lots of other free to air channels on other satellites. That however would require a more complex and dearer setup.

I would suggest you start with a basic sky digibox and a free to view card (about £20 for the card).

Nano beat me to it. The Dreambox he referred to is the more expensive option but you get a lot more for your outlay.

nanochickin · 08-01-07, 06:15 PM

You will probably need a dreambox mate. Its as far as i know the only receiver capable of using the Sky NDS card which you will need for CH4, CH5 and Sky 3. The 7000 Series will allow you to add a hard drive

Unfortunately they aren't the easiest of boxes to get to grips with

Hope this helps mate

Nano

Sorry Jim i accidently deleted my reply which is why its behind your reply and not in front of it ops:

Jimdefruit · 08-01-07, 06:28 PM

Thats ok Nano, I was going to mention the dreambox but felt it might be better to get to that slowly.

It is quite a jump from fta signals to the dreambox.

rupertBear · 09-01-07, 10:14 AM

Thanks for the help so far, but everything I have been told is that SKY+ only works to record one channel whist watching another if you pay £10.00 unless you buy 2 premium channels - which I don't want. Is this correct?

No worries on setting up something like dreambox for me, but for my wife, is it easy to use once set up (I also have a seven year old daughter)

Analoguesat · 09-01-07, 11:17 AM

Yes that is correct unless you have the premium packages (2 I think). Then you get it free.

Jimdefruit · 09-01-07, 11:49 AM

Just to expand on what we have already said, I have a sky digibox with a free to view card which on its own obviously does not record. In addition I have a Toshiba HD/DVD recorder on which I have the option of recording any of the ftv sky channels. The Toshie has an analogue receiver built in which will work for the near future (2012 in my case) so I can watch an analoge channel whilst the recorder is saving a sky programme. Alternatively, I can watch a sky programme whilst recording an analogue channel.

In addition to that lot, I have a Dreambox 7000s with a hard drive all attached to a motorised dish which can pick up and record all of the free to air channels on a multitude of satellites from 30 degrees east to 30 degrees west. More programmes than you can shake a stick at.

I note that you have a young daughter so with that system you would need to be careful because continental channels show a great deal of pornography even during the day. It is possible to block channels but things change and you may not keep up with channel changes.

There are a huge number of options with the Dreambox, the extent only limited by your imagination.

08-01-07, 06:00 PM	#1 (permalink)
rupertBear Junior Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 2 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Help Needed - Newbie Hi, I am a real newbie to this, I thought I had it all sussed until I discovered I could not get freeview where I live. All I want is to be able to get all the free to air digital channels and be able to use a HD recorder to watch one and record another. Simple really, only one other thing - I do not want to pay Mr Murdoch £10.00 a moth to be allowed to record on equipment I have already bought. If I get a HD recorder satelite box (non-sky), can I get channel 4 and 5, film 4 etc Do I need a card of some type to get these channels and will all boxes take them? I was going to buy a Topfield freeview box, because I liked all the features, do I stay with them for a satelite receiver/hdd box or is there a better solution? Thanks in advance Rupert

08-01-07, 06:11 PM	#2 (permalink)
Jimdefruit Super Moderator Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 2,858 Thanks: 20 Thanked 221 Times in 187 Posts	Re: Help Needed - Newbie Hi rupertbear, welcome to the forum. I assume you are referring to a hard drive recorder rather than high definition. If you have a sky digibox and a free to view card, you can record all of the free to air and free to view channels. BBC, ITV, 4, 5 plus a lot of others, without subscribing to the other rupert. If you want to start searching the skies, there are lots of other free to air channels on other satellites. That however would require a more complex and dearer setup. I would suggest you start with a basic sky digibox and a free to view card (about £20 for the card). Nano beat me to it. The Dreambox he referred to is the more expensive option but you get a lot more for your outlay. __________________ Dreambox 800 HD; Dreambox 7000s + VBox + Channel Master 1.2 with 36v actuator CM120 feedhorn and Invacom .3 LNB Skystar 2 PCI card with links to my Dreamboxes If you like what you see here, tell your friends.

08-01-07, 06:15 PM	#3 (permalink)
nanochickin Retired Mod & Sat Guru Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Wolverhampton Posts: 3,825 Thanks: 46 Thanked 338 Times in 270 Posts	Re: Help Needed - Newbie You will probably need a dreambox mate. Its as far as i know the only receiver capable of using the Sky NDS card which you will need for CH4, CH5 and Sky 3. The 7000 Series will allow you to add a hard drive Unfortunately they aren't the easiest of boxes to get to grips with Hope this helps mate Nano Sorry Jim i accidently deleted my reply which is why its behind your reply and not in front of it ops: __________________ Sanity is nothing more than an excuse to be boring

08-01-07, 06:28 PM	#4 (permalink)
Jimdefruit Super Moderator Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 2,858 Thanks: 20 Thanked 221 Times in 187 Posts	Re: Help Needed - Newbie Thats ok Nano, I was going to mention the dreambox but felt it might be better to get to that slowly. It is quite a jump from fta signals to the dreambox. __________________ Dreambox 800 HD; Dreambox 7000s + VBox + Channel Master 1.2 with 36v actuator CM120 feedhorn and Invacom .3 LNB Skystar 2 PCI card with links to my Dreamboxes If you like what you see here, tell your friends.

09-01-07, 10:14 AM	#5 (permalink)
rupertBear Junior Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 2 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Help Needed - Newbie Thanks for the help so far, but everything I have been told is that SKY+ only works to record one channel whist watching another if you pay £10.00 unless you buy 2 premium channels - which I don't want. Is this correct? No worries on setting up something like dreambox for me, but for my wife, is it easy to use once set up (I also have a seven year old daughter)

09-01-07, 11:17 AM	#6 (permalink)
Analoguesat manic midlander retired mod Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Scottish Borders Posts: 11,668 Thanks: 21 Thanked 1,339 Times in 990 Posts	Re: Help Needed - Newbie Yes that is correct unless you have the premium packages (2 I think). Then you get it free. __________________ Basic forum rules for both satellite & cable: no keys no patches no offering or asking for card shares Anyone pm'ing me for details of card sharing or anything to do with hacking cable will be banned immediately Analogue forever!!

09-01-07, 11:49 AM	#7 (permalink)
Jimdefruit Super Moderator Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 2,858 Thanks: 20 Thanked 221 Times in 187 Posts	Re: Help Needed - Newbie Just to expand on what we have already said, I have a sky digibox with a free to view card which on its own obviously does not record. In addition I have a Toshiba HD/DVD recorder on which I have the option of recording any of the ftv sky channels. The Toshie has an analogue receiver built in which will work for the near future (2012 in my case) so I can watch an analoge channel whilst the recorder is saving a sky programme. Alternatively, I can watch a sky programme whilst recording an analogue channel. In addition to that lot, I have a Dreambox 7000s with a hard drive all attached to a motorised dish which can pick up and record all of the free to air channels on a multitude of satellites from 30 degrees east to 30 degrees west. More programmes than you can shake a stick at. I note that you have a young daughter so with that system you would need to be careful because continental channels show a great deal of pornography even during the day. It is possible to block channels but things change and you may not keep up with channel changes. There are a huge number of options with the Dreambox, the extent only limited by your imagination. __________________ Dreambox 800 HD; Dreambox 7000s + VBox + Channel Master 1.2 with 36v actuator CM120 feedhorn and Invacom .3 LNB Skystar 2 PCI card with links to my Dreamboxes If you like what you see here, tell your friends.