# Freesat from Astra



## bands (Sep 7, 2006)

Since moving house we have not had satellite, just the 5 analogue channels .. been trying to make up mind either freeview or satellite ..

Have just seen a complete Freesat kit .. Dish, box, remote etc .. in B & Q at 60 something quid by (I think) 'Sky Line' looks a reasonable way to go, but will my Tivo drive it?

Don't know the box make or model ..

Anybody any experience of it?

Thanks 

ps ..

looking around, I cant find for certain if Channels 4 & 5 are on Freesat

Anybody know?


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## 6022tivo (Oct 29, 2002)

Not sure if this unit will accept a FREESAT SKY card, I think CH4 and CH5 are scrambled.

There is a difference between FTA (Free to air), and FTV (Free to view), some are free but need a card and decoder.

Best to buy a second hand Sky box and freesat card from ebay, normally about £20


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## TCM2007 (Dec 25, 2006)

Definitely best either picking up a second had sky box or going for Freesat from Sky (http://www.freesatfromsky.com/). A new free satellite service is due to launch soon, but I haven't seen the details yet.


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## Pete77 (Aug 1, 2006)

TCM2007 said:


> Definitely best either picking up a second had sky box or going for Freesat from Sky (http://www.freesatfromsky.com/). A new free satellite service is due to launch soon, but I haven't seen the details yet.


You are better off still going for a regular Sky minimum package for one year and placing the order through www.quidco.co.uk and getting £50 cashback.

That way you get some pay channels for a year for less than Sky Freesat costs and you can then opt in and out of subscribing when you want after the year.

With www.freesatfromsky.co.uk you pay £150 and then if you ever want to subscribe even 3 years down the road Sky make you sign up for a 1 year minimum contract costing at least £15 per month. Ripoff or what!

Whereas the quidco option only costs net £130 and you get 2 Mixes thrown in. Better value still if you go for one of the Sky broadband options with it too.

The kit you have seen at your local DIY store can't get C4, Five, Five US, Five Life and Sky Three, which are all free with an ex subbed Sky box and a viewing card, but scrambled and undecodable to the kit you have seen.


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## blindlemon (May 12, 2002)

Pete77 said:


> The kit you have seen at your local DIY store can't get C4, Five, Five US, Five Life and Sky Three, which are all free with an ex subbed Sky box and a viewing card, but scrambled and undecodable to the kit you have seen.


....unless you buy a freesat viewing card for £20.


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## Pete77 (Aug 1, 2006)

blindlemon said:


> ....unless you buy a freesat viewing card for £20.


I wouldn't have thought so as the Freesat Viewing card is only any good with a box with a card slot and running the sofwtare to decrypt the encoded programs. I would imagine this is just a European Astra box with no card slot therefore a Freesat viewing card won't help you in the least.


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## mikerr (Jun 2, 2005)

I might have this wrong, but doesn't any cancelled sky sub turn into a freesat card?
If that's correct, you can just get an old card from a friend/neighbour who has cancelled.


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## Pete77 (Aug 1, 2006)

mikerr said:


> I might have this wrong, but doesn't any cancelled sky sub turn into a freesat card?
> 
> If that's correct, you can just get an old card from a friend/neighbour who has cancelled.


Yes correct assuming they didn't say to Sky that they were disposing of their box and dish too (in which case the card would get cancelled).

But the DIY store kit we are talking about is not a Sky Digibox and so it won't have a card slot and card reader capable of taking an NDIS card and decrypting the encrypted channels.

Its just a Euro FTA Astra box with no capacity to watch the encrypted channels.

This may perhaps become a non issue if C4 and Five manage to stop having their channel signals encrypted at some point in the next year or so (i.e. to tie up with the launch of BBC and ITV HD Freesat unless those boxes are going to have NDIS card slots and thd ability to decrypt Sky encrypted channels). But for the time being you won't be able to get and C4 or Five channels or Sky Three.


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## TCM2007 (Dec 25, 2006)

blindlemon said:


> ....unless you buy a freesat viewing card for £20.


Chances are this box won't even be able to access the EPG, let alone use a Videoguard card!


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## blindlemon (May 12, 2002)

Shame it's described as a "Freesat kit" then isn't it


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## Pete77 (Aug 1, 2006)

TCM2007 said:


> Chances are this box won't even be able to access the EPG, let alone use a Videoguard card!


Also I'm not sure that the Fresat cards are even sold on their own any more. There is no mention of the £20 deal these days at www.freesatfromsky.co.uk

And Sky have forced Ebay not to list reselling of Sky viewing cards as anyone selling one to someone else is breaching Sky's Terms and Conditions, as well as also potentially letting themselves in for a whopping financial liability if the new owner starts watching Sky Pay Per View movies.


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## TCM2007 (Dec 25, 2006)

Pete77 said:


> Also I'm not sure that the Fresat cards are even sold on their own any more. There is no mention of the £20 deal these days at www.freesatfromsky.co.uk.


What like this:



> I already have digital satellite equipment - what else do I need?
> All you need to get access to the free channels available on the digital satellite platform is a freesat viewing card which costs just £20.


http://www.freesatfromsky.co.uk/?pID=6

Sorry, couldn't resist.


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## Pete77 (Aug 1, 2006)

TCM2007 said:


> http://www.freesatfromsky.co.uk/?pID=6
> 
> Sorry, couldn't resist.


OK its still there but they have deliberately buried it.

It used to be much more up front on their website.


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## bands (Sep 7, 2006)

Ive still got my old sky box which I had in Wales (now in West Mids).. have not got a dish though .. been quoted around £100 to install one .. thats why the B&Q kit seemed a possible economic way of going.. 

My sky card is a £20 for 3years (maybe for ever) deal that was offered to those of us in the hills who couldnt get terrestrial analogue, and which gave us bbc, itv, 4 & 5 and all the radio channels and a good selection of other free channels. 

I dont really want to pay sky for channels I never watch, 

guess I'll keep investigating


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## mini__me (Jun 11, 2002)

If you are already willing to install a freesat kit yourself from B&Q, then why not just get a sky mini dish from ebay for £15 and stick that up and connect your old sky box.

If you leave the card in overnight on one of the encrypted channels (channel 4, five, etc) it will update itself. I found an old card that hadn't been used in a box since the change to the new cards and it updated fine overnight


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## Pete77 (Aug 1, 2006)

If this mysterious Astra kit and dish is actually installed for you at this price then can I suggest as follows-

1. Pay your money and let them come and install dish and box and tune

2. Let them depart

3. Detach the Astra box and replace with your old Sky box and viewing card

4. Leave attached overnight and find that FTA channels like C4, Five and Sky Three for which the active viewing card is needed become operational overnight

5. Advertise and sell Astra box on Ebay for anyone wanting to attach one to a satellite point in a flat out at their Spanish holiday home. Hopefully you should then get at least £25 to £30.

Result new dish installed for you for about £30.  :up: 

I still can't see why this store is offering this though as they are sure to get lots of pissed off customers when they find they can't get C4, Five, Five US, Five Life and Sky Three on the box. When they can get these on Freeview.

Its not Lidl by any chance is it as they seem to sell lots of German spec products in the UK without any modification whatsoever to make them attractive to the UK marketplace.

zey didn't get vere zey are today by being flexible now did zey.


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## mikerr (Jun 2, 2005)

Pete77 said:


> Its not Lidl by any chance is it as they seem to sell lots of German spec products in the UK .


Have you never heard of B & Q as mentioned a few times ? 
http://www.diy.com/


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## Pete77 (Aug 1, 2006)

mikerr said:


> Have you never heard of B & Q as mentioned a few times ?
> http://www.diy.com/


I didn't get where I am today by always patiently reading the entire thread. 

But I can't believe its called SkyLine while not actually being from Sky as with a company as large as B&Q I could imagine a law suit form Sky materialising almost immediately.

No sign of this product on the B&Q website under Sky, Astra or satellite.


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## TCM2007 (Dec 25, 2006)

It's the Skyline DSR4000, been discussed over on Digital Spy quite a bit. It's regular generic FTA satellite receiver.


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## Pete77 (Aug 1, 2006)

TCM2007 said:


> It's the Skyline DSR4000, been discussed over on Digital Spy quite a bit. It's regular generic FTA satellite receiver.


Do they also install the dish for this price then too?

I still can't believe Sky would let anyone get away with calling a generic Astra box Skyline without demanding a royalty on every single unit sold.


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## TCM2007 (Dec 25, 2006)

It's not an Astra box, it's generic satellite receiver. 

Trademark laws wouldn't give BSkyB that degree of control over things with the word "Sky" in unless they could prove it was "passing off" as being their brand.


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## Furball (Dec 6, 2001)

Right this I think is thread along the lines I need.

So I've gone and grabbed a generic free to air sat dish and decoder £60 ( looks like its a comaq/silvercrest unit or similar ) 
I've pointed the dish at the Astra Sat and I'm now recieving eleventy billion God channels with several hundered shopping channels  

So the question is :-
a) how do I get TiVo to Control the box ( cant seem to find a code ) 
b)Tell it I dont really want ITV northwest/Scotland/Midlands/Wales etc etc just the one region will be fine thank you  

The idea is for my dear old mother whos down in dorest and they are not getting digifreeview for atleast another 3 yrs  
She only wants it to get the extra itv channels and BBC3/4 really

Fur


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## 6022tivo (Oct 29, 2002)

Take it back and get a second hand Sky Unit for freesat from ebay.

Tivo channel numbers will line up with a Sky unit, but not with this piece of kit you have brought, don't know the software on that unit allows channel number sorting and changing to match the sky channel numbers tivo will send.


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## cwaring (Feb 12, 2002)

But don't forget that Sky's is an "open" system - _their words_ - except that you need a sky-specific receiver. So not exactly 'open' then. More the exact opposite


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## 6022tivo (Oct 29, 2002)

Who said Sky is a open system??? The Sky boxes for receiving are cheap, cheaper than any other digital boxes second hand. And new without subscription are still reasonable compared to other digital boxes.


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## Pete77 (Aug 1, 2006)

6022tivo said:


> Who said Sky is a open system??? The Sky boxes for receiving are cheap, cheaper than any other digital boxes second hand. And new without subscription are still reasonable compared to other digital boxes.


Because they offer less features and cover less frequencies than most other satellite boxes.

Their only special feature is the ability to decrypt encrypted Sky subscriptions channels with a Sky viewing card.


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## Furball (Dec 6, 2001)

6022tivo said:


> Take it back and get a second hand Sky Unit for freesat from ebay.
> 
> Tivo channel numbers will line up with a Sky unit, but not with this piece of kit you have brought, don't know the software on that unit allows channel number sorting and changing to match the sky channel numbers tivo will send.


Must admit it was a long shot and wasnt too sure if it was going to work 

I know should have come here first and posted 

Packing it up in the box now 

As a side note can anyone point us to a reputable Ebayer that flogs them, been bitten recently and have been scared off fleebay a bit 

Fur


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## Pete77 (Aug 1, 2006)

Furball said:


> As a side note can anyone point us to a reputable Ebayer that flogs them, been bitten recently and have been scared off fleebay a bit


Sign your Mum up for a one year contract with Sky on Two Mixes at £15 per month and take the £50 cashback by placing the order via the www.quidco.co.uk website.

Net result is a Sky dish and box installed for £130 and then cancel at end of Year one. Then if she wants to she can resubscribe for the odd month here and there.

This is a much better deal than www.freesatfromsky.co.uk, which forces you to pay £150 for an unsubbed box and dish and then makes you sign up for a 1 year contract for at least £180 on top if you ever want to view any Sky subscription channels.


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## Furball (Dec 6, 2001)

Pete77 said:


> Sign your Mum up for a one year contract with Sky on Two Mixes at £15 per month and take the £50 cashback by placing the order via the www.quidco.co.uk website.
> 
> Net result is a Sky dish and box installed for £130 and then cancel at end of Year one. Then if she wants to she can resubscribe for the odd month here and there.
> 
> This is a much better deal than www.freesatfromsky.co.uk, which forces you to pay £150 for an unsubbed box and dish and then makes you sign up for a 1 year contract for at least £180 on top if you ever want to view any Sky subscription channels.


Ouch £130  thats still way over the odds, I had hoped for something along the lines £60-80 !!!
The Free Sat thing I have currently does work well, no doubts and it picks up pretty much everything she will want and cost me £60 
£130 is a non starter I'm afraid :down:

Fur


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## Furball (Dec 6, 2001)

Ok so if I was to go for a Sat dish etc from the bay of E , is there anyone that I should avoid or something like
THIS DO as it seems cheap enough ??

Or is there better ones which Tivo will understand

Fur


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## cwaring (Feb 12, 2002)

6022tivo said:


> Who said Sky is a open system???


As I said, that is how SKy described their system in one of their "anti-VM" press releases; dated Feb 27th 2007 - "Sky responds to comments by NTL/Virgin on carriage negotiations".

Here's the relevant paragraph...



> *Unlike the open satellite platform*, NTL/Virgins cable network is closed. The only way Skys channels can be available to cable viewers is if NTL/Virgin chooses to carry them.


Well okay, I remember incorrectly. They say the "open satellite platform". However, they were still wrong


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## 6022tivo (Oct 29, 2002)

Furball said:


> Ok so if I was to go for a Sat dish etc from the bay of E , is there anyone that I should avoid or something like
> THIS DO as it seems cheap enough ??
> 
> Or is there better ones which Tivo will understand
> ...


Carry on looking, a collection local to you would save you about £20 delivery, with this auction you would also need a freesat card (£20), other auctions you don't.

I would look for a reliable private seller who has maybe just upgraded to sky+ or something??.


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## Pete77 (Aug 1, 2006)

Furball said:


> Ok so if I was to go for a Sat dish etc from the bay of E , is there anyone that I should avoid or something like
> THIS DO as it seems cheap enough ??


Amstrad DRX 100 is a 7/8 year old Mark 1 Sky Digital box. My sister has one but as she has no interest in technical matters it has never occurred to her to upgrade.

Basically the DRX100 is very slow on teletext and the program guide etc and more to the point may die sooner due to its already extreme age.

Panasonic TU-DSB 50, Pace 2600C1 and Pace DS430N are three of the best later model boxes.

You must get one with a valid viewing card that works or otherwise no C4, C5, Sky Three, Five US and Five Life. Mention of viewing card is never in the headline advert for the box but in the small print as Sky has made Ebay promise to delete boxes that also sell the viewing card as its against Sky's terms and conditions to resell them.

Alternatively you can get a Freesat viewing card separately for £20 from www.freesatfromsky.co.uk

Don't forget a Sky box is a lot better than a Freeview box in that it updates its software and adds and deletes channels automatically without end user intervention being required.


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## TCM2007 (Dec 25, 2006)

Pete77 said:


> Don't forget a Sky box is a lot better than a Freeview box in that it updates its software and adds and deletes channels automatically without end user intervention being required.


My Freeview box does both those things?


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## Pete77 (Aug 1, 2006)

TCM2007 said:


> My Freeview box does both those things?


I bet it doesn't do it seemlessly in the background without requiring a user entered OK to carry on, or at least certainly not for the software upgrade side of things?


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## ericd121 (Dec 12, 2002)

Pete77 said:


> I bet it doesn't do it seemlessly in the background without requiring a user entered OK to carry on, or at least certainly not for the software upgrade side of things?


You lose.

I haven't touched my FreeView boxes for years; they work and they have an up to date channel list.


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## RichardJH (Oct 7, 2002)

As do my 3


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## TCM2007 (Dec 25, 2006)

Pete77 said:


> I bet it doesn't do it seemlessly in the background without requiring a user entered OK to carry on, or at least certainly not for the software upgrade side of things?


Yes, it does.

Actually I've only had one box which required an OK on upgrading software (the original Pace DTV adapter).

Anyway you can tell a Sky box which has had a software update - it's locked up and waiting for apower cyle not an OK!


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