Can you use a sky dish as an aerial for tv or freeview ???
Justmadeit
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can a sky dish be used just as a normal aerial on a tv to get the 5 terrestrial channels ??
what about using a dish instead of an aerial to get freeview ?
what about using a dish instead of an aerial to get freeview ?
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no, it isnt a wind up. most of my threads/posts are in the general discussion part of digital spy. i was just curious to know whether a sky dish could be used as an aerial
well sure it won't work that's if anyoner still hasone.
When a young lad, we lived so close to the Mendip transmitter we could pick up the three analogue channels without connecting the aerial.
A dish is another kettle of fish though.
I'm confident you are well aware of the 0% chance of success involved in such a test.
Freeview uses DVB-T - it uses the current RF radio frequencies to tune in multiplexes along the Digital terrestrial TV spectrum.
Satellite uses DVB-S - kind of the same idea, by tuning the RF frequencies from transponders along the Digital satellite spectrum available on multiple satellites. If ou plug a Freeview box into a satellite dish (you'll need a coaxial to F-Type converter first) it wont find anything, because the Freeview box is looking at the wrong frequency spectrum, as well as having the wrong broadcast platform standard.
Cable uses DVB-C which tunes in the RF channels associated with the transponder frequencies, much like DVB-S, but again uses a totally different spectrum and frequency range.
You can, if your television suports CB/HB hyperband tuning, tune into the analogue channels hosted on Cable - this is because NTL/Telewest still allows those few analogue channels for people who still have an analogue cable box. You wont be able to watch any encrypted channels, unless you have an analogue cable decoder box (even though some "premium" channels can appear and disappear randomly).
If you have a Satellite dish that is pointing towards your local transmitter, it may well have enough gain to pull in a freeview multiplex or two, as it would be acting as an aerial, but dont expect to tune any Satellite channels in on your Freeview box, or expect to get all the Freeview multiplexes, as it isn't intended as an aerial, and you'll probably be beter off using an indoor aerial o pick up Freeview channels than a Sky dish.
HTH
Same channels, just received via satellite through a satellite box.
There are separable things here. First the parabolic dish. This will focus EM waves at the focal point largely irrespective of frequency, so this bit will work at 400-600MHz ( Freeview) or at n GHz (Sat). At the focal point a Sat dish will have a head-end unit which includes an aerial and a down converter. This will absolutely not work for Freeview. If you change the head end unit ( get rid of it altogether) and replace it with a dipole off of an old TV aerial (correct Group or wideband) and wire it up as a normal aerial then the whole thing will work, to a greater of lesser extent, e.g. the gain of a parabolic dish is inversely proportional to the wavelength squared ( for a given size) and so, because Freeview is transmitted on a much lower frequency ( much longer wavelength), the gain will will be vastly reduced and you'd certainly be better off using an ordinary Yagi ( standard TV ant) or alternatively get a really big dish!
That's the problem with internet forums...short of using the rolling eyes smiley, it's difficult to get across the tone of a post!
John
It's perfectly possible to have an antenna that isn't based on a parabolic reflector to receive satellite signals, however these antennas are more commonly used for non geostationary satellites, lower frequency satellites and satellites using circular polarisation.
There were just 5 frequencies allocated to each country and ten available on the receiver.
DMAC or D2MAC were TV broadcast standards which
1. had digital sound, 14 bits so between Nicam and CD quality.
2. separated the video components (luma and chroma) by time (Multiplexed Analogue Components).
As far as dish polarisation goes, a small metal bar between the feedhorn and the LNB is enough to add circular polarisation capability to the system along with vertical and horizontal.
All terrestrial TV broadcasts are vertical or horizontal polarised, generally horizontal from main transmitters and vertical from fill-in relays.
When we moved, nearly 2 years ago, we asked NTL to transfer our analogue service to our new house.
When their installer had left I noticed that is exactly what he had done.
Curious, I did a scan on my STB and got............................................bugger all!
StereRowe
Go on, encourage them, you know they love it