HELLLOOOOO - SATELLITE NUMPTY HERE!

[zebra]

Hi all,

I've just joined the site as it seems that there are loads of knowledgeable and helpful people here who seem to know everything there is to know about sat tv. I, on the other hand, despite being a comms engineer know nothing!!!!

So, I'm hoping you can all help me learn a bit about sat tv. I've started to get into it as I've just bought a motorhome with a sat dish on which, obviously, can be pointed anywhere and I've had the Dreambox 500 recommended to me. I hear rumors that it can do all sorts, but no one seems to want to spell it out to a dunce like me. I suppose my main questions are:

Is the Dreambox a good way to go?
What does it do that is so special? I'm told the big advantage to me is that I can just bung my Sky card in it, pair it up and hence take my Sky card away with me on holiday. But what else can it do? Loads I gather, such as tune to other sattellites and watch free to air channels - which would be really useful. I also gather that it can do lots of illegal stuff like be used to break encryption. Not that I'd want to (or have the nouse!) but is that the case?
Other advantages seem to be the fact that they can run on 12v, but I've not been able to work out if they have a co-ax out to go to the TV (as in the motorhome there isn't room to run a scart to the TV, just the existing co-ax). Hopefully you can enlighten me with that too.

Basically, I'd be grateful for any general advice as to how to start and what can be done with satellite receivers outside of the Sky area.

Many thanks in advance, hope the questions aren't toooooo dumb!

Regards.

Paul

[BGonaSTICK]

Hiya Paul

Great to have a potential 500 owner on the forum - we don't have too many 500 users, but we can help you out none the less!

Yeah, the Dreambox can do everything you mentioned except RF out, but you can buy a SCART to RF adaptor to get round that. In fact the Dreambox can do a lot more.

Running the Sky card is an unofficial and therefore unsupported (by Sky) option which could disappear at any time. There are rumours of a Sky card swap in the next few months which may well put paid to it. By then, we'll have you watching all kinds of other cool stuff, so you won't care!

We'll step you through how to do all the dodgy stuff too.

So what are you waiting for?! :clap: :clap: :clap:



STICK

[zebra]

Thanks for the info mate. Much appreciated.

So is there another version of the Dreambox I should be considering if not too many people are using the 500? Sounds like a Dreambox is for me, either way. I didn't know you could get a SCART to RF adaptor..... where's a good (ie cheap and reliable) place to get one. Where's a good place to buy a Dreambox too?

I'm not too worried about the Sky issue, as long as I can find some English language kids TV for my daughter - preferably Cbeebies or similar. It would be hell otherwise!

Thanks again.

Paul

[BGonaSTICK]

Cbeebies is Free To Air and therefore doesn't require a Sky card anyway.

Check our advertisers top right for the Dreambox, or you could also try satstore.co.uk

Beware, there are many cheap Chinese fake 'copies' of the 500 out there. Alsat.co.uk are selling 500's for only £100 ATM, which they claim are genuine. I have no reason to suspect they're not.

There's nothing wrong with the 500 - and if you want a small box that runs on 12V, then it's even more cool.

Try eBay for the adaptor, or just use an old VCR.

[Mikey B]

Hi, i have a 500 aswell, im thinking of getting a DM7020S, pulsat is a great place to buy Dreamboxes and items for all your satellite needs, i use it all the time.

Hope you dont mind me posting a link, im sure you'll be able to delete post though, if i'm not allowed can you please email me.

_http://www.pulsat.com

Mikey B