tabetha

Please help,
I recently stayed at a place that had a TRIAX set top box, it picked up a range of freeview channels including MEN & MOTORS, perfectly though some had no sound(this one did).
The thing that intrugued me was it waa through a DISH and NOT a normal aerial, I thought freeview could not be obtained this way.
It picked up a lot of channels that my set top box doesn't, would this be down to my crappy aerial do you think, it was tuned to the ASTRA satellite the triax box, do these need setting up with a signal metre or anything, as thinking of getting a new set top box like the tiax etc and then of course a dish, my box has NO provision for a dish, ie LNB lead.
Please help unravel this mystery(to me anyway), thanks
tabetha

pani_k

iTrader: (1)

yes the aerial does play a factor in what it can receive as communal crappy aerials may not pick up the full range that it should.

about the dish thing though, I dont know.

Fil

astra @28degrees east where sky is, has quite a few clear channels, and afew encypted free ones, using a sky box and a free view? card at the cost of 20notes

You need a dish between 40 to 60cms, depending on where in the uk you are, an LNB some coax and a set top box, either a sky digi box or a diff make, serach technomate 1500ci thats what ive got , well one of the boxes

tabetha

Mine is supplied by my landlord but is not a communal one as live in a bungalow, but knowing him a 50p cheapy off a car boot sale!!
tabetha

pani_k

iTrader: (1)

a decent aerial will certainly help matters. I set up a box for my grandad on the normal aerial and it would only pick up half the channels. took the box back and the guy said what aerial you using and we said the normal communal feed and he said there's your problem. bought a decent aerial from john lewis about £15 odd I think and it works great!

tabetha

So I can pay £20 to receive more channels, is this a one off £20, I have a sky box but it is very unreliable, so would like to change anyway, any makes that you could recommend, other than the one you mention ?
thanks
tabetha

rssteve

can you reiceve men and motors through your ariel? if the answer is no then i guess tabetha needs a dish rather than ariel.

Also you should be using CT100 or the equivilent(sp) as older coax or cheap coax will not always allow the full range that digital uses.

pani_k

iTrader: (1)

to be honest mate I cant remember but I am 90% sure its in the channel bouquet.

Thrush

iTrader: (1)

Freeview, as in the branded terrestrial digital TV service, is only available via an aerial (RF type) and NOT through a sat dish.

However, there are a number of Satellite services for Free-To-Air channels that don't need subscription, available via a sat dish. Obviously there's Sky, typically a subscription service, but also "Freesat From Sky" which has most of the Freeview channels, plus some more channels not available on Freeview, and also launching this spring is "Freesat" - a joint effort from the BBC and ITV - 80 channels, some of which in HD, completely free, much in the same way Freeview is, just with a dish instead of an aerial. There are others but I am not entirely clued up on Sat services as yet as I've never had them. I am interested in the Freesat from the BCC/ITV tho, so will keep an eye on that...

The fact you mentioned that the box you were using had Men & Motors clarify's it's not Freeview, as this was removed from Freeview last year, or possibly even the year before.

tabetha

I only know it was tuned to ASTRA satellite as I did it, but know nothing more than that.
Interestingly/confusingly ITV4 had no sound, channel 4/5 was missing, but it had loads of movie channels as well all working.
So I suppose the best is to either wait for this new stuff metioned above or, use aerial AND dish, so still means a new box for me now.
Men & Motors was ace, especially Mean Streets.
Thanks for all the comments peeps
tabetha