Television Reception

I don't have a rooftop aerial, using an indoor aerial to pick up the five channels on terrestrial TV. After 15 years, I am now thinking of getting a better solution.

Should I go for a rooftop aerial or a sattelite dish?

If I go for a sattelite dish, go for SKY or other type of dish?

We're not really that bothered about getting SKY subscription but would like the Freeview or Freesat channels.

Freesat, worth it for £80 quid or so. ( Fit yourself)
You get HD channels and loads of other stuff.

You don't get all the channels on freesat as you do on free view, Dave for example.

But of course, you get much more channels on freesat but nowhere near sky.

I have freeview and use a humax freeview plus recorder box and that's all I need.

I sometimes wish I had GOLD and home, but I won't paid for sky.

Get an ariel and get freeview, it's free forever and a STD digital box you can get as cheap as £20.

Ariels are cheap to buy, around £20 and if you ok on a ladder you can fit that yourself. Just point it in the same direction as everyone else's.

To add my TV has Freeview, fitted Freesat to get the others I wanted.
As above not into paying Sky, got bitten by cable many years ago, never again.

xr4x4 said:

if you ok on a ladder you can fit that yourself. Just point it in the same direction as everyone else's.

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May be ok hung in the loft, if you have one, if reception area is good.

Go on get Sky - Rupert needs the money more than you do.

I will try to split into groups to help.

1) Freeview uses standard aerial and only requires a box costing about £20 to convert old TV to be able to receive. It has about three channels not available to freesat users as already said Dave, UK History and Fiver US. but in total far less channels than Freesat.

2) Freesat starts at about £40 and although it loses about three channels to what Freeview has it gains about 40 useful channels. Many news channels plus Films of Men etc.

3) Both Freeview and Freesat also have more expensive boxes with Freesat these jump in price to around the £100 mark and for that extra money you get a 7 day program guide, HD channels, and ability to record programs to a USB stick. Also with some internet connection allowing you to watch BBC iPlayer etc using your internet connection. See this as an example.

4) Sky this has same program guide as expensive Freesat, It has nearly the same channels. There are one or two that Sky boxes will not get. There is one that broadcasts Elvis 24/7 but unlikely anyone would miss not getting the odd one or two Sky can't get. Plus you also get according to package extra programs like UK Gold, Dave, etc.

5) Many Sky packages also have duel receivers so you can record one and watch another this includes recording two and watching one received earlier. After a power cut it does not lose memory so will still record any programs selected once power returns. It also stores all program info with recordings. Down side you pay each month and even on stand-by it still uses around 20W 24/7 as LNB's are powered at all times.

Since when you up-grade your TV you will get Freeview it seems a lot of money to pay for a box that a few years down the line will end up in the bin. The cheap satellite receivers work well from Lidi, Screwfix etc. But the electronic program guide on the cheap units is useless. The TV mags seem to miss out loads of channels Films for Men and Films for Men 2 for example. So unless you never watch old films then I would say worth the extra to get 7 day guide. With HD costing so little extra with internet as well I would say if you can afford it the Technisat I have given link to is a good start point. The next is one with Hard Drive and excuse to pun but the Sky's the limit.

Check the line of sight for a sat dish before investing. We have a row of telephone poles aligned exactly towards the satellite from the house!
You can check using Google for maps which show the alignment.

ericmark said:

......... plus Films of Men etc.

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ricicle said:

ericmark said:

......... plus Films of Men etc.

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He's trying to tell us something.

Alarm said:

To add my TV has Freeview, fitted Freesat to get the others I wanted.
As above not into paying Sky, got bitten by cable many years ago, never again.

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I had Sky in 1991, when sat boxes had rotary dials for tuning in and Sky 1 and Eurosports were free, amongst others.

TKVP said:

I don't have a rooftop aerial, using an indoor aerial to pick up the five channels on terrestrial TV. After 15 years, I am now thinking of getting a better solution.

Should I go for a rooftop aerial or a sattelite dish?

If I go for a sattelite dish, go for SKY or other type of dish?

We're not really that bothered about getting SKY subscription but would like the Freeview or Freesat channels.

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I see you live in Birmingham. You're probably served by the Sutton Coldfield mast. This goes over to solely digital broadcast in September this year - at that time the digital power putput will be increased massively, so if you get good reception on the main five (analogue) channels now, you'll get perfect Freeview digital reception from that time onwards. Its generally reckoned that the post-switchover digital tv service provides better coverage than the old analogue service did.

This has been the experience in the areas which have switched over so far.

ricicle said:

ericmark said:

......... plus Films of Men etc.

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OK slipped up should be Movies4Men. Mainly old cowboy films. When I removed all the shopping channels and sex channels plus all extra regions then I would say around the 100 channels on free sat. Same with Freeview and around 25 channels. Use Sky with lowest package then up to about 125 channels however Sky does not allow one to remove channels from list so limited to what will fit on favourites.

In real terms I am sure we all watch far less channels. I would say Syfi, Hallmark, Gold, Universal, Watch, Alibi, ITV3, BBC1 and Dave would account for 90% of my viewing. And when you look one realises that about 70% of my viewing is channels which I need to pay a Sky subscription for.

For me although not interested is sport I still find it worth paying for TV. Does not matter how many channels it is what is shown that is important. If one likes watching Last of Summer Wine, No Ordinary Family, and Criminal Minds then you have to pay or down load from internet. Which of course you still pay for.

To find people who had Sky and have stopped paying for it because they don't watch paid for channels is rare. Many have decided to save money but few can say they while available never watched to paid for channels.

Before I had a car could not see why I would need one but once one has one getting rid is something else. Same with Sky. So may be best never to get Sky then you will not know what you are missing and will be satisfied with the Freeview.