Ris Posted November 11, 2009 Share Posted November 11, 2009 Am looking for advice and answers to some questions. I have heard of Free to Air via a satelite system but need some information. We currently have an Oyster system with a Pace digibox. Up till now have used Sky card from home system when away from home and especially when on the Continent. New Sky card in motorhome system does not appear to funtion as old one did. Our Sky package is limited, no sport or films, in reality we watch the main stream channels plus BBC Radio 4 & 5, which we can get at home via Freeview. If we cancel our Sky contract, saving £20 per month can we get Free to Air via the Oyster Sytem. Questions 1,Will we need a new Digibox? 2, Do we need a special card? 3, if so where does one get one and is there a cost involved. Hope someone has some information. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Madmaggott Posted November 11, 2009 Share Posted November 11, 2009 We watch freesat via a 'maxview' dish and receiver box; but haven't tried it abroad yet. In uk so far reception is fine but can be a bit fiddly to set up. Need to park away from tall trees though! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Way2Go Posted November 11, 2009 Share Posted November 11, 2009 There's a lot of information here http://www.radioandtelly.co.uk/satellitetv.html. . . . and a list of what's available on Sky without a subscription here http://packages.sky.com/see/FreeAirChannels.aspx?affiliate=true&CMP=AFC-UKesalesAffiliates&P36=H875KB&PURL=skytv.at/consumerdealsW2G Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hallii Posted November 11, 2009 Share Posted November 11, 2009 Sky only has a monopoly on the Sky channels it encrypts, Sky is just one of a lot of companies using the Astra group of satellites to transmit to the U.K. The beam carrying BBC BBC HD ITV and loads of others is free to air and can be received with modest equipment as far as northern Spain. Beyond that you have to tune to the South beam and there are only the news stations BBC CNN etc. unless you speak French, Spanish etc. So, ANY satellite receiver box ( you can buy one for about £40 that will do the job) will receive the free to air programming, but to get Sky (apart from Sky news and a couple of rubbish channels) you will need a Sky box, and you will pay subscriptions. I am informed (but have never tried it) that the Sky box will still work for the free to air channels even if the subscription is allowed to lapse. Maplin do a complete set up in a box, and Lidl have it as well from time to time for as low as £50 with dish LNB box in fact everything to get going. Geoff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smifee Posted November 11, 2009 Share Posted November 11, 2009 Hi Ris Switch the oyster system on but not the pace box. My Oyster receiver is tuned to Sky News on Astra 2 at start up. Go through the TV & Radio channels to see if all you want is there. If not don't forget there are other satellites. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
derek500 Posted November 11, 2009 Share Posted November 11, 2009 Ris - 2009-11-11 1:02 PM If we cancel our Sky contract, saving £20 per month can we get Free to Air via the Oyster Sytem. Questions 1,Will we need a new Digibox? 2, Do we need a special card? 3, if so where does one get one and is there a cost involved. Hope someone has some information. Have you got one of the new white cards? If you have and you cancel your subscription, you will still be able to receive all the free channels, even the encrypted ones like Fiver and Five US. If you travel abroad the Pace box will give you more options for receiving the main UK channels than a FTA box. The main ITV/BBC channels are not broadcast on the north beam. They're on a separate satellite, Astra 2D whose beam is focussed over the UK but can be received in other European countries quite easily. There are currently three other satellites, 2a, 2b and Eurobird that are picked up from the same position as 2d. 2a and 2b have both north and south beams. ITV, C4 and C5 pay Sky to encrypt various regional variations (as there is not enough space on 2d) and because they're not FTA (Free to Air) and only deciphered by a Sky box with card, they can be broadcast on 2a and 2b, which have larger footprints than 2d. The 'Sky' ITV1's are on 2b north, C5's are on 2b south and the C4's are on 2a north. As for reception, I need a 1.9m dish here in Valencia to get 2d, but last week I tested the Sky versions and they were all available with my 66cm Maxview Crankup. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lennyhb Posted November 12, 2009 Share Posted November 12, 2009 If you have updated to the latest firmware on your Oyster receiver you can now get Channel 4, More 4 & Film Four but not channel 5. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ris Posted November 12, 2009 Author Share Posted November 12, 2009 Thanks to all that responded, most helpful. Am off to France for a long weekend early December so will try then without Sky card- the new white one. Would "lennyhb" explain just what he means by "latest firmware on Oyster receiver". Our system is now 4 years old. Ris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lennyhb Posted November 12, 2009 Share Posted November 12, 2009 Latest firmware is 'th_5000_200209' which is February 2009. With the Oyster the only way of updating the channels is by updating the firmware, this done via the serial port, you can do it via Hyper-terminal or there is an easy to use program 'TV Edit' that comes with the download from Oyster The download is only on the German section of their site but comes with good English instructions and only takes a couple of minutes. http://www.ten-haaft.com/d/receiverupdate.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ris Posted November 12, 2009 Author Share Posted November 12, 2009 Thanks lennyhb, will check to see what receiver was installed by Transleisure. Ris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
derek500 Posted November 12, 2009 Share Posted November 12, 2009 lennyhb - 2009-11-12 4:05 PM If you have updated to the latest firmware on your Oyster receiver you can now get Channel 4, More 4 & Film Four but not channel 5. Channel 5 has been broadcasting FTA for over a year now. Wonder why they're so slow updating their firmware. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike88 Posted November 12, 2009 Share Posted November 12, 2009 My free to air box programme guide lists Channel 5 as BBC News 24. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
derek500 Posted November 12, 2009 Share Posted November 12, 2009 Mike88 - 2009-11-12 6:19 PM My free to air box programme guide lists Channel 5 as BBC News 24. It will do, if you haven't done a re-scan. BBC News moved from Astra 2d to Astra 2B south to make way for C5 for the benefit of Freesat viewers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smifee Posted November 13, 2009 Share Posted November 13, 2009 Hi Ris If in north east France it's not too far to the Ten Haaft factory (^) Last time I called in there they updated my receiver firmware FOC. They always give me fresh rolls for breakfast too. :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ris Posted November 13, 2009 Author Share Posted November 13, 2009 Thanks smifee, will look into what you said. Ris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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