Basic advice needed

[fuiseog]

I have a Sony CRT TV that has built in digital, and a Panasonic DMR-ES10 DVD recorder. I cannot get a terrestrial digital signal and need to decide on a satellite option.

Looking at a neighbours Sky dish I should be able to get a clear line to the satellite. There is a 90cm satellite dish (maybe 10 years old or more) on the side of my house left by the previous owner but the cable has been cut. It appears to be pointing in the same direction as everybody elses dish. I am trying to discern what my satellite options are. We are not frequent enough viewers to justify paying a subscription to Sky.

1 Is there any benefit to getting a non-Sky box and renovating the existing dish and cabling? Can anyone recommend equipment options?

2 Alternatively I could get the Sky FTV non-subscription £150 package.

3 Dixons seems to be offering a Sky FTV package for only £75. Is this for real or is there a catch?

4 The DVD recorder is not the most intuitive to operate. Whatever the option, if I go for satellite what is the best digital recorder? Is there a recorder setup (not Sky+, I don't want a subscription) that can give the ease of use, functionality and capacity that a Humax or Topfield does for digital terrestrial?

As I live in a conservation area using the existing dish would avoid what could be difficulties with planning. A quick call to the planning department suggests that they will demand a planning application at c. £140 for a new dish.

Any comments appreciated.

[Robbo]

Hi,

If the dish is pointing at 28E degrees you would get all the free to air channels from that satellite:-
FlySat United Kingdom TV Channels

(just look at the 28.2 and 28.5 ones)

No channel 4 and 5 at the moment with a standard receiver.

A sky box and a FTV card will get you ch 4 and ch5 plus one or two others.

You might need to change the LNB on the old dish, they are very cheap.

You have two choices for receiver, either a Sky one with the £75 deal for example or go out and buy a FTA one like the TM5200 for example.

I imagine with the £75 deal they would probably put up a standard sky minidish.

With your exiisting dish, it may be possible to add a couple of extra LNB's to it, to pick up some other satellites as well, like 19E and 13E for example.

One advantage of using your own receiver is the possibility of viewing other satellites, also you can have the channels in whatever order you like in the EPG, not Sky's stupid order with gaps in it everywhere where the subscription channels are.

You may also wish to consider BBC freesat, which is supposed to be launching in May, the cost details are a bit thin on the ground at the moment.


There is o real catch with the Dixons/Argos etc deal, but You MUST remember to cancel it by the time it says, otherwise you end up subscribing.

Robbo

[fuiseog]

Robbo,
Many thanks for that very helpful advice.

Although not the cheapest option, I think keeping my current dish seems the best choice if it enables me to tune in to a number of satellites.

If I can hold off I may wait for Freesat to appear.

Regards

Fuiseog

[Robbo]

To get the other satellites, it can be motorised with a Diseqc motor fairly cheaply, or you may be able to add a special bracket to get some other satellites, with extra LNBs and a Diseqc switch.

Motorising is the best option for greatest choice.