Freesat question
 

If you already have a Sky dish in operation, does Freesat require its own cable which runs to the TV from the dish?

Re: Freesat question
 

Do you wish to continue using your existing Sky box as well as a new Freesat box? If so, then yes, you need an additional cable - you will also need a new widget to sit on the arm attached to your dish. The widget is called an LNB (low-noise blocker) but to run two set-top boxes you will need a 'dual LNB' that is capable of feeding two different boxes simultaneously.

Every satellite set-top-box requires its own connection to the dish, as the box needs to send tuning instructions to the LNB attached to the dish as well as receiving signals from it.

Re: Freesat question
 

Thanks for that Chris.
We will be staying with Sky but I was thinking about adding Freesat to the other 2 tv's in the house. Looks like a no no then for Freesat or my house and loft will be like spaghetti junction:D

Re: Freesat question
 

We recently had a satellite dish fitted cause we had a new TV with freesat built in. Then a week later decided we wanted freesat in our bedrooms, but we needed a couple of extra wires fitting to the dish, so we havnt bothered with it yet

Re: Freesat question
 

Ooooh have you got the Panasonic? I so want one of those - is it any good?

Re: Freesat question
 

Its awesome

Re: Freesat question
 

So if you've not got a $ky box can you use the same LNB and cables for the freestat box?

Re: Freesat question
 

Yes :)

Here is the Panasonic we have: Link

It has a socket for LNB on the back and one for a normal aerial. There is also a Ethernet port for future use, no idea what the use is.

Re: Freesat question
 

That future proofs me a bit then in case I fall out with VM ;)

Nice looking tele. What's the normal aerial point for? Is it freeview as well as freesat or is just to receive analogue signals while it can?:confused:

Re: Freesat question
 

All 3, DVB (Freeview), Freesat and analogue

Re: Freesat question
 

Very good. That is future proofing. ;)

Re: Freesat question
 

Ethernet is Freesat's master stroke. They have insisted on an ethernet connection as part of the spec for all equipment that carries the Freesat logo. Its purpose is to allow broadcasters to design interactive content that can take advantage of a broadband return path over the internet.

The BBC are working on a version of the iPlayer that will load into the STB (or the TV itself, if its Freesat integrated like your Panny) and let you download, and possibly stream, the same content you currently access on the iPlayer via your PC.

Re: Freesat question
 

Freesat is starting to look more and more attractive. I'm just waiting for more HD content to become available to justify ditching my 1 year old freeview PVR, and having a wok installed :)

Re: Freesat question
 

:D Quite apt at the Chinese New Year.

Re: Freesat question
 

Sounds pretty cool, hopefully they will do this.

The only problem at the moment is that some of the channels available on freeview arent on freesat and vice versa. Its ok if you have both cause you can just change from one to the other for certain channels. But apparently most of the freeview channels will soon be on freesat.

Re: Freesat question
 

Right familiar with cable not so with satellite so bear with me.:dunce:.....if you wanted the equivalent PVR functionality to a V+ box you would need a triple LNB and three cables ? Assuming Humax or whoever make a triple tuner box, excluding a connection to the TV.

If I understand correctly on a satellite installation the "tuner" is in the LNB and the cable only carries the tuned signal not the full "bandwidth"?

Re: Freesat question
 

For each tuner you need an LNB, so three tuners you;d need a triple LNB (a quad one is probably cheaper as sky uses them..)

As for the tuner well NO, an LNB converts the signal from somewhere in the region of 10-11Ghz down to a more reasonable figure that can be carried down Co-ax without to much attenuation..(roughly about 900-1100Mhz), the tuners inside of the sat reciever handle the lower signal..

Re: Freesat question
 

The Humax is a dual-tuner box, same as a Sky+ box. It requires two feeds from the dish, so you need a dual-LNB. You can watch one/record one, or record two/watch a previous recording.

The LNB is not the tuner, but a satellite tuner needs to be able to control an LNB to tell it whether the station the tuner requires is broadcast with horizontal or vertical polarization.

For a + box to work fully, it has to allow for the possibility that one tuner will want to tune in to a horizontally polarized signal at the same time as the other tuner will want to receive a vertically polarized signal. The only way to ensure this full flexibility is to give each tuner its own LNB (or rather, install multiple LNBs within a single casing, which is what a dual, quad or octo-LNB is).