Freeview boxes

[andsome]

We have come to the conclusion that at least 99% of the TV that we watch is available on Freeview, and we are wasting our mony paying a Sky subscription. I have been looking at Freeview boxes, but there is a hell of a price range. I have decided that I would like a hard drive to record one programme while we watch another. If it is not going to cost the earth, I would also consider a box that will produce DVD's as well as having it's own hard drive, so that I can save stuff that I may want to keep. Any recommendations will be gratefully received.

[AlanHo]

I have had a Panasonic DVD recorder with 160 GB hard drive for more than 3 years I have been very pleased with. I bought Panasonic for various reasons.

It will record to DVD-RAM as well as DVD-R/RW etc

I had a Panasonic TV which communicates with the DVD recorder through a scart link - thus simplifying operations.

It had a front connection for my video camera.

It has the time slip function you are looking for

My 3 year old recorder lacks a freeview tuner - but all current models have these included.

You might want to buy a recorder of the same brand as your TV to enable the two to talk to each other and

reduce the need to use two remotes. My Panasonic remote could be used for both units for all main purposes - switching on the DVD automatically activates the TV etc.

I recently bought a Toshiba LCD TV which my Panasonic DVD Recorder will not recognise for auto operation - hence I have to use both remotes. I have my TV, DVD, Cable box and HiFi all linked together and it is a pain having to use 4 remotes - hence I am currently looking at buying a Logitech Harmony universal remote so they are all activated automatically to suit whether I am just watching TV, recording onto DVD, using cable TV or just music etc. Life can get complicated can't it.

I assume you are confident that freeview can be received in your exact location without problems. Where I live one end of our short road get perfect reception and 200 yards away others cannot get it reliably. You might consider borrowing a friends freeview box to check it out before you take the plunge.

Best of luck in your search.

[andsome]

Thanks Alan. A friend two doors away has perfect reception. We can actually see the Sutton Coldfield transmitter from the back bedroom window, so there should be no problems from the reception point of view. We have a Sony TV, so I will look at Sony products, but I wonder if they will be high priced. The TV when we bought it was on special offer.

[dadyassa]

We have cable at the mo, but we also have our old Sky setup using our old card. We dont pay any sub but get about 65 channels including all BBC, ITV, Sky 3, Sky news, news24, CNN, and 5 movie channels with the Sky setup.

[doug]

I can very favourably report on the Digifusion box we bought last year £169 from the Co-op. It has 2 Freeview tuners and an 80 G HDD, which will store 40 hours of recording or even 80 if you faff on with compression methods.. So these are the advantages that we find:-

1) we can record any 2 channels while at the same time play back anything we have already recorded.

2) and a very big plus is that from switch on it will continuously record up to 30 mins of whatever channel's we are currently watching, so

a) if we have to go off for a comfort break we just press the pause button then on return press the play button - just like a DVD player and

B) we can go back for up to 30 mins and replay something we want to see again.

3) fast forward/back can go up in increments up to 64x. Also slow forward/back down as low as 0.25x or even stop. The screen output is continuous and fast. Nothing like that from a VHS recording. Sound is blanked off during this exercise.

4) The library of recordings is very easy to use because the Titles, run time and dates of recordings are listed. All the Freeview options are available.

5) if you are watching a program and decide that you want to record it, you just press the record button and it will start the recording - including the "up to 30 mins" that have already gone on.

Only drawback has been that you cannot make a removable copy, as such. However, I have found that it is possible to remove the SCART lead from the TV, plug that into a VHS recorder and copy to that.

:D

[AlanHo]

One of my friends had his Digifusion box fail a few weeks ago and he went looking for a replacement. He was not able to find a new twin tuner model for sale - only refurbished ones. Just phoned him - the only new Digifusion boxes he found for sale were single tuner models - so he eventually bought a Toshiba DVD recorder

Have they gone out of production ?

[andsome]

Someone from 'The other place', suggested that I look at 'Freesat. and then buy a DVD recorder with the money saved, or alternatively pocket the money saved. I have since then spoken to Sky. It appears from Google that they do not advertise this facility as they are still pushing their paid for subscriptions. There is a one off payment of £10 for a Freesat card. This replaces the original card, and the paid for subscriptions is cancelled. the card will pick up all the Freeview channels, plus a few more.

[CurlyWhirly]

We have come to the conclusion that at least 99% of the TV that we watch is available on Freeview, and we are wasting our mony paying a Sky subscription. I have been looking at Freeview boxes, but there is a hell of a price range. I have decided that I would like a hard drive to record one programme while we watch another. If it is not going to cost the earth, I would also consider a box that will produce DVD's as well as having it's own hard drive, so that I can save stuff that I may want to keep. Any recommendations will be gratefully received.

I don't know about 99% of the TV being available on Freeview but I agree that there are a lot of programs that you can watch for nothing.

I also think that there are a lot of repeats on Sky but it is worthwhile subscribing to Sky if you are into sport.

I would have stayed with Sky had they let me pay £10 for the recording facilities of the Sky+ digibox but they wouldn't let me do that and so I cancelled and I now have a Freeview DVD recorder instead.

I would never go back to Sky despite receiving numerous offers like come back to Sky for 6 months with free installation, etc.

Someone from 'The other place', suggested that I look at 'Freesat. and then buy a DVD recorder with the money saved, or alternatively pocket the money saved. I have since then spoken to Sky. It appears from Google that they do not advertise this facility as they are still pushing their paid for subscriptions. There is a one off payment of £10 for a Freesat card. This replaces the original card, and the paid for subscriptions is cancelled. the card will pick up all the Freeview channels, plus a few more.

I think it's going to cost you more than a one-off payment of £10 for the Freesat card as I am led to believe that you have to pay £150 to start with and renew the subscription every year at a cost of a £10 annual payment?

This is what I read on the DigitalSpy website

I think I'm right about the £150 payment though

http://www.freesatfromsky.co.uk/?pID=2

A new way to get free digital satellite TV for a simple one off payment of £150.

p.s. you used to be able to cancel Sky after 12 months and still receive the free channels, Channel 4, Five, etc but I think they have stopped this now to get more people to sign up with Freesat?

[dadyassa]

Someone from 'The other place', suggested that I look at 'Freesat. and then buy a DVD recorder with the money saved, or alternatively pocket the money saved. I have since then spoken to Sky. It appears from Google that they do not advertise this facility as they are still pushing their paid for subscriptions. There is a one off payment of £10 for a Freesat card. This replaces the original card, and the paid for subscriptions is cancelled. the card will pick up all the Freeview channels, plus a few more.

Eeeeerm what did I say..... just use your original card and save a tenner.

[andsome]

Curlywhirly, if you look closer at the wording on your link, you will see that the £150 is for installation and supply of a dish and box. I have now talked again with Sky, and it seems that the first person I spoke to misunderstood, and there is in fact NO initial £10 fee. My Sky box and dish do in fact belong to me, as I have subscribed for over twelve months. My last payment will be made next week, and my subscribed for package will cease to function 28 days later. I will then only be able to access the Freeview channels on my Sky box.

Also, if you look closer at my post, you will see that I did not claim that 99% of programmes were available on Freeview, I said instead that probably 99% of what we actually watch is available on Freeview.

For those who don't watch a lot of sport, it would appear that having been a Sky subscriber, the Freesat path is the way to go, without the cost of a new Freeview box.

Many thanks again to all those who replied.

[Thos]

Curlywhirly, if you look closer at the wording on your link, you will see that the £150 is for installation and supply of a dish and box. I have now talked again with Sky, and it seems that the first person I spoke to misunderstood, and there is in fact NO initial £10 fee. My Sky box and dish do in fact belong to me, as I have subscribed for over twelve months. My last payment will be made next week, and my subscribed for package will cease to function 28 days later. I will then only be able to access the Freeview channels on my Sky box.

What you say above is also my understanding. I like the Sport and am content to keep going with my subs for that. And if the Broadband goes well, that'll be a bonus.

Thos.

[CurlyWhirly]

My last payment will be made next week, and my subscribed for package will cease to function 28 days later. I will then only be able to access the Freeview channels on my Sky box.

Not having had Sky since January last year, I am not sure how the TV service operates now.

I find it surprising news that Sky will let you cancel your paid subscription after 12 months and then let you continue to watch the Freeview channels on your Sky box.

The reason for this is that their own version (Free Sat) is in direct competition!

I have a neighbour across the road and she said that when she cancelled her Sky subscription, she was no longer able to receive any channels

I hope it all works out for you though :)

[andsome]

When you subscribe for the minimum of twelve months with Sky, the box actually belongs to you.

Existing Sky Subscriber - Changing Subscription to Freesat

You can cancel your existing Sky TV subscription and purchase Sky Freesat by calling 0870 240 5651. Your Sky subscription will then be changed (downgraded) so that you can only receive the 120 free digital TV channels available on Sky Freesat. As an existing Sky TV subscriber, to make this change you will only need to make a one off payment (currently £20) for a Freesat viewing card.

If you mainly watch the free digital TV channels on Sky and want to cancel your monthly Sky subscription for the Sky TV premium channels like Sky Movies and Sky Sports, then this option will be attractive.

The above is FROM HERE, but I was told by Sky that it is no longer necessary to pay the £20.

[CurlyWhirly]

Thanks for the info andsome :)

[andsome]

I have just spoken to yet another office at Sky for clarification, having received an assurance that this was indeed the correct office. I have now been told that as soon as my subscription channels are stopped, I will receive Freesat automatically at NO cost. However after a while, which is not predetermined, it may be several months or maybe a year or so, Channels four and five will become inoperative, and at that time I will be given the opportunity to purchase a card to a cost of £20. All very woolly and in the air. I have just finished typing a letter to them asking for clarification. WHY is nothing simple these days?

[dadyassa]

I have just spoken to yet another office at Sky for clarification, having received an assurance that this was indeed the correct office. I have now been told that as soon as my subscription channels are stopped, I will receive Freesat automatically at NO cost. However after a while, which is not predetermined, it may be several months or maybe a year or so, Channels four and five will become inoperative, and at that time I will be given the opportunity to purchase a card to a cost of £20. All very woolly and in the air. I have just finished typing a letter to them asking for clarification. WHY is nothing simple these days?

We gave up subs over 3 years ago and still get 4 and 5 ;) ;)

[andsome]

I have just spoken to yet another office at Sky for clarification, having received an assurance that this was indeed the correct office. I have now been told that as soon as my subscription channels are stopped, I will receive Freesat automatically at NO cost. However after a while, which is not predetermined, it may be several months or maybe a year or so, Channels four and five will become inoperative, and at that time I will be given the opportunity to purchase a card to a cost of £20. All very woolly and in the air. I have just finished typing a letter to them asking for clarification. WHY is nothing simple these days?

We gave up subs over 3 years ago and still get 4 and 5 ;) ;)

As I said, she could not offer any time. It seems that it is in the lap of the gods. What a way to run a business.

[andsome]

Our subscription finished several days ago. We still get all the main channels on Freesat. There are five of the freeview channels that we cannot get, none of which we would watch in any case. Sky tell me that the reason for this is that Freesat is a different package to that offered by Freeview, and that although we cannot get these channels that we don't want in any case, we can in fact access many more channels than are not available to Freeview viewers. This is true, we must still have access to well over a hundred channels, most of which we would have NO interest in whatsoever. So all in all we are saving £24 or so per month.

[CurlyWhirly]

So all in all we are saving £24 or so per month.

Same here.

I don't watch enough TV to justify the subscription and what channels I can get on Freeview are enough for my needs.

I keep getting asked to come back to Sky either by mail or phone so I requested that my Sky account be closed as I owe nothing (and am in fact a few pence in credit with it) and this should end this hassle.

It's most inconvenient sometimes like for example a few weeks ago when I was getting ready for my afternoon shift and I had a phonecall, when I picked it up it was a Sky rep offering me 3 months at half price if I went back to Sky!

He said that as Christmas isn't far away, there's never been a better time to go back

[catgate]

We have saved over £75 this year, by not signing up to several schemes. We have managed all this time without, but have decided to make a really big saving next year. Probably several hundreds, by not buying anything to watch them on.

This year we have already saved £10,000 by not going on two very expensive holidays. :)

[jason.b.c]

Well that sucks.! Freeview only works in the UK..? What good is that..??

What about this Freevo .? , Has anyone tried that.?

[andsome]

Having watched Freesat for several weeks, our Sky box started to play up needing regular rebooting. I decided to keep as much of my money as possible in my pocket, as we still have a perfectly good VHS recorder, and have bought a very reasonably priced Freeview box. I avoided the very cheap models and have bought a LOGIK LDR 1A. So far so good, it does all that we want for thirty odd pounds.

[truscotsman72]

Unfortunatly I cant get freeview, even though I sent my postcode via SMS text message to find out if I could recieve it, and the reply was, no I cant. I cant get sky either as my house is surrounded by forestry, the last sky installer drove into the stree, never even got out his van, chuckled and replied 'no chance mate'. So Im stuck with telewest, Im not dissapointed with their tv service, its just that I have the minimum package, which I have to pay for and freeview get MORE channels for free than what Im paying for. I would ditch telewest tv service in a second if I could, for freeview

[catgate]

Well that sucks.!

What a strange expression. I understand it is an American originated derogatory thing, but I have never understood what it meant, nor its derivation. What does it mean?

Yes, I know this has nothing to do with the topic, but I found it a good opportunity to ask.

[jason.b.c]

Well that sucks.!

What a strange expression. I understand it is an American originated derogatory thing, but I have never understood what it meant, nor its derivation. What does it mean?

Yes, I know this has nothing to do with the topic, but I found it a good opportunity to ask.

Um ..? , You're kidding right..?? ( jason scratches his head )

It means well.? , "That sucks..!" That i can't get Freeview here in the U.S...