A friend has just had his TV aerial upgraded and a satellite dish
installed for either Sky or FreeSat.

The man who came to install the TV aerial left it so that he had even
less Freeview channels than he had before! He had to call him back,
and following my suggestion to my friend, my mate insisted that the
aerial be put up much higher...problem resolved...now all DTT channels
received.

Unfortunately, this has made my friend very nervous about the quality
of the satellite dish installation, and he would like to test it
before the warranty period expires. Somebody has lent him an ancient
looking Sky decoder box and he duly plugged it all in and was getting
no signs of any sort of picture. He was using the UHF out port, but I
could find no way to tune his TV as the remote was totally dead and I
could find no way of achieving what I wanted with the buttons on the
side of the TV.

I then suggested that he use the SCART socket on the back of the Sky
Digibox to attach it to the telly as I would then not have to worry
about tuning. To my utter surprise when we looked at the back of the
Digibox there were two pieces of paper stuck to the back of the SCART
sockets stating that they did not work! Apparently, I have now found
out, the box was bought second hand from eBay.

I have never owned any Sky equipment so I do not know how it is meant
to work, but as there was no card inserted, were we wasting our time
trying to use that decoder to see if we could get any sort of signal.
I have the strongest feeling that the box would not do anything
without a card anyway...is that correct?

I have now been tasked to find a super cheap Freesat decoder simply to
test the quality of the satellite dish installation to his small block
of flats...but I doubt that I can find one for £30 or under!

Any other way to test whether the installation works?

His TV is pretty battered and he is going to buy a Freesat box and a
new TV in a few months, but he is not in a position to do so now, but
he just wants to test the system out.

John

On Fri, 14 Oct 2011 16:54:12 -0700 (PDT), John
wrote:

A friend has just had his TV aerial upgraded and a satellite dish
installed for either Sky or FreeSat.

The man who came to install the TV aerial left it so that he had even
less Freeview channels than he had before! He had to call him back,
and following my suggestion to my friend, my mate insisted that the
aerial be put up much higher...problem resolved...now all DTT channels
received.

Unfortunately, this has made my friend very nervous about the quality
of the satellite dish installation, and he would like to test it
before the warranty period expires. Somebody has lent him an ancient
looking Sky decoder box and he duly plugged it all in and was getting
no signs of any sort of picture. He was using the UHF out port, but I
could find no way to tune his TV as the remote was totally dead and I
could find no way of achieving what I wanted with the buttons on the
side of the TV.

I then suggested that he use the SCART socket on the back of the Sky
Digibox to attach it to the telly as I would then not have to worry
about tuning. To my utter surprise when we looked at the back of the
Digibox there were two pieces of paper stuck to the back of the SCART
sockets stating that they did not work! Apparently, I have now found
out, the box was bought second hand from eBay.

I have never owned any Sky equipment so I do not know how it is meant
to work, but as there was no card inserted, were we wasting our time
trying to use that decoder to see if we could get any sort of signal.
I have the strongest feeling that the box would not do anything
without a card anyway...is that correct?

No. Without the card it will have roughly the same functionality as a
Freesat box but if the SCARTs don't work then I would not assume
everything else does. Note that IIRC you have a choice of
RGB/composite on the SCART connection so it is not impossible that the
"fault" is actually an incorrect menu setting.

I have now been tasked to find a super cheap Freesat decoder simply to
test the quality of the satellite dish installation to his small block
of flats...but I doubt that I can find one for £30 or under!

Bush BFSAT02SD Freesat SD Digital Box, 29-99 from Argos.

Any other way to test whether the installation works?

His TV is pretty battered and he is going to buy a Freesat box and a
new TV in a few months, but he is not in a position to do so now, but
he just wants to test the system out.

John

On Sat, 15 Oct 2011 00:54:12 +0100, John wrote:

A friend has just had his TV aerial upgraded and a satellite dish
installed for either Sky or FreeSat.

snip
I have now been tasked to find a super cheap Freesat decoder simply to
test the quality of the satellite dish installation to his small block
of flats...but I doubt that I can find one for £30 or under!
snip
John

Slapping a dish on a block of flats shouldn't be done without the consent
of the freeholder.

If your friend rents the flat and went ahead without even asking his
landlord then he could be digging an even deeper hole for himself. It
sounds as if the installer is of a level of competence such that he could
have done more damage to the fabric of the property than even a "normal"
installer so your friend may, at best, find a big lump of his deposit lost.

jonphred

On Oct 15, 11:14*am, jonphred wrote:
On Sat, 15 Oct 2011 00:54:12 +0100, John wrote:
A friend has just had his TV aerial upgraded and a satellite dish
installed for either Sky or FreeSat.

snip
I have now been tasked to find a super cheap Freesat decoder simply to
test the quality of the satellite dish installation to his small block
of flats...but I doubt that I can find one for £30 or under!
snip
John

Slapping a dish on a block of flats shouldn't be done without the consent *
of the freeholder.

Agreed. He has a one-quarter stake in the freehold. The Secretary of
the committee running the management of the place organised the work
on behalf of the freeholders.

Whilst what you have written is not really relevant, you have reminded
me that when the installers went on the roof they found a Sky dish up
there. Following the cable from the LNB it was found to lead to the
block of flats next door. Nobody next door would admit to the
trespass onto the neighbour's roof, unsurprisingly. The offending
dish was taken down and nobody next door has yet complained. It was
well hidden.

John

jonphred

No. Without the card it will have roughly the same functionality as a
Freesat box

This is good to hear, but I am confused. Why then does Sky sell cards
for £20 to allow people to see FTA channels if they can be seen
WITHOUT a card? Am I missing something?


but if the SCARTs don't work then I would not assume
everything else does. Note that IIRC you have a choice of
RGB/composite on the SCART connection so it is not impossible that the
"fault" is actually an incorrect menu setting.

You could well be right!



I have now been tasked to find a super cheap Freesat decoder simply to
test the quality of the satellite dish installation to his small block
of flats...but I doubt that I can find one for 30 or under!

Bush BFSAT02SD Freesat SD Digital Box, 29-99 from Argos.


There is an Argos not too far from me. I shall ask hiim if he wants
me to get it, at his risk.

John

"John" wrote in message
...

No. Without the card it will have roughly the same
functionality as a
Freesat box

This is good to hear, but I am confused. Why then does Sky sell
cards
for £20 to allow people to see FTA channels if they can be seen
WITHOUT a card? Am I missing something?


but if the SCARTs don't work then I would not assume
everything else does. Note that IIRC you have a choice of
RGB/composite on the SCART connection so it is not impossible
that the
"fault" is actually an incorrect menu setting.

You could well be right!



I have now been tasked to find a super cheap Freesat decoder
simply to
test the quality of the satellite dish installation to his
small block
of flats...but I doubt that I can find one for 30 or under!

Bush BFSAT02SD Freesat SD Digital Box, 29-99 from Argos.


There is an Argos not too far from me. I shall ask hiim if he
wants
me to get it, at his risk.

John



Without a card you will get BBC1 London, ITV Central West, and
not be able to watch a number of encrypted channels including
five and all its sibblings. With a card you will be able to see
all FTA and FTV channels and get the right local TV region in the
right place.

If you feel so warped, with a Freesat box you can watch any TV
region you like simply by entering a postcode for that area.
Agreed you can watch any of the BBC regions on a Sky box by
channel number but if you want to watch another ITV region you
have to 'add channel' for which you need to know which
transponder it is on so as to set the frequency, the polarity and
the data rates. Then to watch it you have to go through the menu
system.

For me, £25 for the card is a gift!


--
Woody

harrogate three at ntlworld dot com

On Sat, 15 Oct 2011 19:26:35 +0100, "Woody"
wrote:

"John" wrote in message
...

No. Without the card it will have roughly the same
functionality as a
Freesat box

This is good to hear, but I am confused. Why then does Sky sell
cards
for £20 to allow people to see FTA channels if they can be seen
WITHOUT a card? Am I missing something?


but if the SCARTs don't work then I would not assume
everything else does. Note that IIRC you have a choice of
RGB/composite on the SCART connection so it is not impossible
that the
"fault" is actually an incorrect menu setting.

You could well be right!



I have now been tasked to find a super cheap Freesat decoder
simply to
test the quality of the satellite dish installation to his
small block
of flats...but I doubt that I can find one for 30 or under!

Bush BFSAT02SD Freesat SD Digital Box, 29-99 from Argos.


There is an Argos not too far from me. I shall ask hiim if he
wants
me to get it, at his risk.

John



Without a card you will get BBC1 London, ITV Central West, and
not be able to watch a number of encrypted channels including
five and all its sibblings. With a card you will be able to see
all FTA and FTV channels and get the right local TV region in the
right place.

If you feel so warped, with a Freesat box you can watch any TV
region you like simply by entering a postcode for that area.

Agreed you can watch any of the BBC regions on a Sky box by
channel number but if you want to watch another ITV region you
have to 'add channel' for which you need to know which
transponder it is on so as to set the frequency, the polarity and
the data rates. Then to watch it you have to go through the menu
system.

Using any postcode setting other than London or nearby will give you
two ITV1 channels (or STV/UTV and ITV1) rather than just one; ITV1
London will be on 977 (as that has the audio description on it) while
the version matched to the postcode will be on 103. If you set a Welsh
postcode you will still have C4 and C4+1 on 974 and 975.

For me, £25 for the card is a gift!

On Sat, 15 Oct 2011 05:28:25 -0700 (PDT), John
wrote:

This is good to hear, but I am confused. Why then does Sky sell cards
for £20 to allow people to see FTA channels if they can be seen
WITHOUT a card? Am I missing something?

The £20 card is for channels which are Free-To-View (e.g. Pick TV,
Viva, LFC, Channel 5 HD, and so on). Those channels are free, but
encrypted, so can't be picked up by a plain Freesat box, or by a Sky
box without a card.

You don't need a card for the FTA channels, under any circumstances.

--

"Zero Tolerance" wrote in message ...
On Sat, 15 Oct 2011 05:28:25 -0700 (PDT), John
wrote:

This is good to hear, but I am confused. Why then does Sky sell cards
for £20 to allow people to see FTA channels if they can be seen
WITHOUT a card? Am I missing something?

The £20 card is for channels which are Free-To-View (e.g. Pick TV,
Viva, LFC, Channel 5 HD, and so on). Those channels are free, but
encrypted, so can't be picked up by a plain Freesat box, or by a Sky
box without a card.

You don't need a card for the FTA channels, under any circumstances.

--


The card also sets your local region - no, sorry, what Sky thinks is your local region - to 101 and 103, otherwise you get BBC1 London and ITV Central West. BBC1 is not such a problem as all BBC regions are selectable around channel 970-ish, but to get a different ITV region is a right ball-ache, believe me!


--
Woody

harrogate three at ntlworld dot com