FreeSat Vs FreeView

[stoofa]

I'm going to be an Ex Sky Q customer within the next month or so. Looking at my Sky planner over the last few months, I find that I've recorded about two Sky Exclusive programs over that time - may as well just get a NowTV pass occasionally and binge.

Anyway - I have the Sky Q dish & LNB on the wall. I've been reading that was an issue with FreeSat, however the new Generation 3 boxes are fine and would literally just plug in as a direct replacement.
Is there actually much difference between FreeSat & FreeView?
In my mind, the satellite dish should give me a stronger signal than our aerial - saying that, when I have used FreeView directly through the TV in the past it hasn't been "bad"......
Quick check on the FreeView website and it tells me the most likely to be used transmitter is 69km away and doesn't offer great coverage - strangely the transmitter 42km away and offering what they say is "good coverage" is the last one on the list of alternative transmitters....

Just wondered if there was really much in it these days. Do you get the same number of channels on both services. Is the quality much of a muchness?

 

[theone8181]

Do you actually watch much TV or could you make do with streaming? I realise if you don't stream at all obviously it would be more expensive.

 

[Terminal_Boy]

If you’re going Freesat, try to get a Humax receiver as the latest generation Freesat boxes (Arris) have excellent HW, but they outsourced the OS and it’s very sluggish.

 

[MrRockliffe]

Anyway - I have the Sky Q dish & LNB on the wall. I've been reading that was an issue with FreeSat, however the new Generation 3 boxes are fine and would literally just plug in as a direct replacement.

You are correct, unless you change the LNB

 

[SexyGreyFox]

I've recently had a VU+ Uno4k STB with a GT-Sat unicable LNB.
This means we can record at least 8 channels at one time and we can also access the STB from 5 rooms with Fire Devices.
Just something to think about.

 

[throwaway4372]

Generally there's not much in it but freesat has a few more HD channels. Personally I only watch HD channels, SD can do one.

 

[TALON1973]

If your tv does freesat it will pick up literally HUNDREDS of more channel. Mostly regional differences. And as said more HD options.

 

[stoofa]

Thanks for the replies.
I don't watch that much live TV I'll be honest. I do watch a fair bit on terrestrial channels (looking at my Sky Planner right now there is just a single item from Sky Showcase, everything else right now is BBC & C4).
To be honest, I could probably more than survive with my AppleTV box - it has all of the catch-up services, I tend to always have a Netflix & Prime subscription and then periodically take out Disney/AppleTV subscriptions when I want to binge something (and I'll do the same with NowTV going forward).
Mainly for the wife to be honest as she will just settle down and watch something as it is being broadcast. I know the Gen3 FreeSat boxes aren't cheap, but again my thinking is initial outlay and then it'll just keep on working, no further costs etc.

 

[SexyGreyFox]

I know the Gen3 FreeSat boxes aren't cheap, but again my thinking is initial outlay and then it'll just keep on working, no further costs etc.

Hence my post #5
My wife has got rid of 3x PVRs and just uses the VU+ in 5 rooms.
It might be a dear outlay but well worth it.

 

[jaybee]

I've recently had a VU+ Uno4k STB with a GT-Sat unicable LNB.
This means we can record at least 8 channels at one time and we can also access the STB from 5 rooms with Fire Devices.
Just something to think about.

Tell me more, tell me more...

I have freesat on a few of our TVs because we don't have an arial for freeview for a couple of reasons I won't go into. The existing cabling is there linking to the satellite for a few of them but not all. I looked at doing some kind of local streaming setup as I run an unraid server all the time. I find the freesat guides on the TVs I have hooked them up to pretty poor. This is on an older Sony, an LG and a Hisense. I know the humax ones come recommended but you can't buy them anymore? What is the interface like on the Fire sticks? Is there any disadvantage to doing it that way over having direct connection to the satellite with say dual tuners?

 

[jaybee]

I'm going to be an Ex Sky Q customer within the next month or so. Looking at my Sky planner over the last few months, I find that I've recorded about two Sky Exclusive programs over that time - may as well just get a NowTV pass occasionally and binge.

Anyway - I have the Sky Q dish & LNB on the wall. I've been reading that was an issue with FreeSat, however the new Generation 3 boxes are fine and would literally just plug in as a direct replacement.
Is there actually much difference between FreeSat & FreeView?
In my mind, the satellite dish should give me a stronger signal than our aerial - saying that, when I have used FreeView directly through the TV in the past it hasn't been "bad"......
Quick check on the FreeView website and it tells me the most likely to be used transmitter is 69km away and doesn't offer great coverage - strangely the transmitter 42km away and offering what they say is "good coverage" is the last one on the list of alternative transmitters....

Just wondered if there was really much in it these days. Do you get the same number of channels on both services. Is the quality much of a muchness?

For me it comes down to whether you can firstly easily run cabling for which of the types and what you already have existing. Do you particularly want to ditch your dish? That's first priority, unless you are running cables all new then it doesn't really matter. Bear in mind that Freesat you need the shotgun cable with two feeds for dual tuners so you can record and watch.
Freeview is less faff with that only needing one cable, and in my experience freeview tv guides built in tend to be more polished and work better. Often the freesat ones aren't real freesat guides and are just the ability to "find" random freesat channels which are assigned somewhat randomly among your channel numbering.

I think channe4 you used to not be able to get in HD on freesat not sure if that is still the case.

Freesat has a few advantages generally but is best experienced with a decent Humax dedicated box from what I can gather?

 

[Armageus]

If you’re going Freesat, try to get a Humax receiver as the latest generation Freesat boxes (Arris) have excellent HW, but they outsourced the OS and it’s very sluggish.

I've had an Arris box for almost 18 months, and have to say although it's took a while, following the last wave of updates they've done the performance is far better.

Having coming from a SkyQ box before that, I can't say I miss it (or the random issues the SkyQ hardware itself had).

I had looked into things like the Vu+, enigma boxes and the like and came to the conclusion they were still very much a diy/hands on type product, frequently needing EPG and plugin updates and the like, as opposed to actual Freesat products which just work as you'd expect

I think channel4 you used to not be able to get in HD on freesat not sure if that is still the case.

The dispute with Channel 4 (missing HD channels and other C4 brands like Box music channels and the like) has all been recently resolved and they have been relisted in the Freesat EPG

 

[SexyGreyFox]

Tell me more, tell me more...

I have freesat on a few of our TVs because we don't have an arial for freeview for a couple of reasons I won't go into. The existing cabling is there linking to the satellite for a few of them but not all. I looked at doing some kind of local streaming setup as I run an unraid server all the time. I find the freesat guides on the TVs I have hooked them up to pretty poor. This is on an older Sony, an LG and a Hisense. I know the humax ones come recommended but you can't buy them anymore? What is the interface like on the Fire sticks? Is there any disadvantage to doing it that way over having direct connection to the satellite with say dual tuners?

The Firestick Interface is an Enigma 2 Client in KODI and it works really well, even my 62 year old wife can do it.
The advantage with my system is because it's a Unicable STB which uses a Unicable LNB you can record at least 8 channels at a time or play channels.
You can even put IPTV on it.

So basically in the living room I have the VU+ Uno4k with one cable going to the Unicable LNB on my satellite dish.
It can be programmed via the original remote, any of the Firesticks (or any Android device), my phone but my preference is on a Web Browser using OpenWebIF.
I've also got it setup to find my NAS so we can watch stuff from there or I can even record to the NAS.

This is a genuine response to me on AVForums from a happy poster:

Thank you for this recommendation. I got an Enigma2 box (Vu+ Uno 4K SE) running OpenViX OS and a FBC Unicable2 LNB (GT-SAT dCSS) and just wish I had known this technology existed before I messed around with Humax or Arris boxes. I didn't think the enigma2 options sounded high quality from first impression reading on forums, but could not have been more wrong -- the quality of the Vu+ box is very high, and I'd say better quality than any Humax and the Arris. I don't understand why Freesat and Sky are messing around with "wideband" LNBs (4 simultaneous streams over 2 coaxial cables) when this FBC Unicable2 technology is so superior (up to 32 simultaneous streams over 1 coaxial cable).

I had a TV in the far corner of the house with no signal, and another with very poor terrestrial signal, and was contemplating how to get a coaxial satellite cables to them. Now no need, as there is already an Ethernet/WiFi LAN throughout the house and now access the TV through the KODI Enigma2 client. Also, easily upgradeable storage options with user-replaceable hard disks and easy to access your recordings via PC, and can record/playback from any device with KODI in the house. Also, much less noisy than the Arris with my own hard disk as it auto-powers down with the live rewind/timeshift feature turned off.

The only reason not to get an Enigma2 setup is that the initial configuration process can be a bit complicated -- shouldn't be a problem if you are into technology and love fiddling to get it the way you want with a bit of research, but not for someone who wants to just plug it in and it to work out-of-the-box.

 

[SexyGreyFox]

frequently needing EPG and plugin updates and the like

Complete rubbish, my EPG updates automatically (every day at 6.45am) and has done on both devices for 10 years +.

Actually 7.13am

 

[jaybee]

@SexyGreyFox thanks for the info. I'm off to read up on this as it sounds awesome and a possible game changer. I am sure I will be back with more questions later...

 

[SexyGreyFox]

@SexyGreyFox thanks for the info. I'm off to read up on this as it sounds awesome and a possible game changer. I am sure I will be back with more questions later...

These are the two main parts:

https://www.world-of-satellite.co.u...eivers/vu-plus/vu-plus-uno-4k-se-fbc-dvb-s-s2
Gigablue are also OK but I'm a VU+ fanboy.

https://www.world-of-satellite.co.u...-lnb/gt-sat-gt-s1dcss24-unicable-lnb-1-legacy

This is a good guide on how to setup the 8 tuners - https://www.world-of-satellite.com/showthread.php?60640-GT-Sat-GT-dLNB1DY-and-tuner-configuration

A guide to using Unicable - https://www.world-of-satellite.com/showthread.php?59981-Guide-to-using-Unicable&highlight=unicable

It is straight forward to be honest but I'm always here.
I could also give you my image so you'd have nothing to setup.
You can even get a VU+ APP on your phone so when aligning the LNB/Dish you can see the signal strength.

And of course if you live near Stoke you can always come round.

 

[Terminal_Boy]

I've had an Arris box for almost 18 months, and have to say although it's took a while, following the last wave of updates they've done the performance is far better.

Having coming from a SkyQ box before that, I can't say I miss it (or the random issues the SkyQ hardware itself had).

I had looked into things like the Vu+, enigma boxes and the like and came to the conclusion they were still very much a diy/hands on type product, frequently needing EPG and plugin updates and the like, as opposed to actual Freesat products which just work as you'd expect




The dispute with Channel 4 (missing HD channels and other C4 brands like Box music channels and the like) has all been recently resolved and they have been relisted in the Freesat EPG

That’s good to know about the latest SW updates to the Arris boxes, thanks.

 

[dave28]

I used to run both until i moved about 7 years ago and now i have no Dish set up. FreeSat used to be the best since it had Eurosport and a discovery channel at the time i think. I might try to get a Dish again, if i point it around enough i might get some channels lol. Kidding

 

[SexyGreyFox]

I used to run both until i moved about 7 years ago and now i have no Dish set up. FreeSat used to be the best since it had Eurosport and a discovery channel at the time i think. I might try to get a Dish again, if i point it around enough i might get some channels lol. Kidding

Well there's still a lot of channels out there, I use this site to update the channels on the different satellites - https://www.vhannibal.net/enigma2.php

 

[Armageus]

Well there's still a lot of channels out there, I use this site to update the channels on the different satellites - https://www.vhannibal.net/enigma2.php

Sounds awfully like something you have to update on a regular basis as opposed to just working