Hi Guys, I've been thinking about leaving sky and getting a Freesat+ box for a while now. The only thing thats holding me off is with sky+ I have the 2nd RF output going upstairs so we can watch whats recorded on the sky+ box in another room. From what I understand this is not possible on the Humax Freesat+ boxes, is there another brand of Freesat+ box that does, or does anyone have any info of when a new model with this capability might be due for release?

I've read bits of how to achieve this with extra boxes/amps etc, but we're short on space and I don't want anymore boxes than I need.

Thanks for any help.

Hi
Triax make Tri-Link Kit which has Scart in & Out RF in RF 1 Out &RF2 out and RF2 supports sky magic eye same as sky box. Try ebay for supplier.

kirit

Thanks very much for the info, but I'm looking for a PVR that has this built in like the sky+ box does.

I've just had a thought - sky do offer a freesat service, it says here -
http://www.sky.com/shop/freesat/home...hoose-freesat/
that sky have 240 channels as opposed to the 140 the general offering has. Has anyone any experience with this? Do I presume sky would charge extra for the recording facility and/or HD?

Thanks

Sky allow you to go subscription free using the equipment you purchased by way of their monthly fees after the minimum period. They disable the recording function unless you pay £10 (could be more now) a month and you have to arrange this in advance.

Your current viewing card will let you still watch the channels that are currently encrypted but "free to view" on Sky like FiveUSA.. I believe the free HD channels will also still work. Apart from those "Free to view" channels and (obviously) the encrypted pay channels, both Sky and Freesat boxes allow you to watch the same selections. The difference is that they use different "Electronic Programme Guides" and ways of accessing channels that are broadcast from the same satellites, are receivable but are not on the EPG.

Freesat boxes allow you to use equipment so you dish "sees" other satellites and receive FTA TV and radio from them. Sky boxes are "locked" to the satellite cluster at 28.2E

The Sky HD box offered with that is the new non PVR DRX595 which does NOT have an RF output. All other Sky boxes have RF outputs and HD+ boxes will give the same free HD channels as freesat plus Channel 5HD (with the £25 FreesatFromSky card - FSFS) which freesat does not have. Sky+ facilities (recording, live pause etc) are only available with minimum £19.50 per month subscription now. Sky will not install any different box for FSFS so you would need to purchase box elsewhere (new or second hand), arrange an independent installation and then order the FSFS card from Sky.

When did this change? Sound like Sky completely giving up against Freesat in the "higher end" of the FTA/FTV market.

Cheers,
David.

Sorry but they do not exist.

Not true. A Sky box connected to a dish on another satellite can be used in other channels mode but it's a PITA.

That used to be true but software updates have stopped many Sky boxes from actually viewing non 28 East channels when the network ID of 0002 for Astra 2 is missing - so in effect some Sky boxes are locked to 28 East.

Thanks for this info guys. Sounds like Sky Freesat is a no-go then.

Does anyone know when/if there is a new Freesat+ box due out with the extra RF out, so I can view the recordings in another room?

Hi
You have an option. Buy a sender. The chance of new freesat receivers with an analogue RF modulators are Nil. Since the Gov wants to sell the bandwidth. Also after 2012 manufacturers may stop making sets with analogue tuners. Already some manufacturers have started doing so on very large TV sets.

I read somewhere in a thread (perhaps not on ds) that while distribution over coax is mentioned in future specs - it will be a very different (existing standard) system where signals can be received and transmitted over a variety of means such as; via the electrical system / network / WiFi / coax. All receivers will need this support as well. As I understood it the signals will be dynamically spread over available routes thus providing bandwidth for several HD streams at the same time.

Considering it's been specifically added to the Freesat spec. this year, I doubt the chances are 'nil'


It's got nothing whatsoever to do with the bandwidth sell off, we're talking about RF modulators, not transmitters.

Perhaps you would care to mention these manufacturers who have supposedly stopped fitting analogue tuners? - I've never heard of any yet, particularly on large screen sets (there are a few crappy tiny portables digital only though).

Look very carefully at what was added to the spec.

I doubt Nigel has the spec, and anyone who does is bound by NDA.

Cheers,
David.

I certainly don't have access to the spec, and presumably you don't either?.

BUT, we were officially informed by Freesat that an RF modulated output was being added to the Freesat spec this year. It's one of Freesat's biggest failings, and has cost Freesat a considerable numbers of users.

However, no mention was made of 'magic eye' capability, which is another major failing.

I have been trying to find the interesting thread I saw either here or on av but without luck. (It was within the last two to three weeks and was quite lengthy - I will look for it again later today.

Nigel - Still not found the thread i saw - but found a new one with the following mention by davemurgatroyd2 on the freesat forum on AV forums

"......The upcoming second generation freesat spec does have provision within it for coax distribution and remote control but it will not be the obsolete analogue RF method. ....."

I will post a link to the post but guess the link.may be removed http://www.avforums.com/forums/15200847-post19.html

That's just a post of one persons opinion, with no details other than an imaginary 'improved' method - what else could be as simple. cheap, or effective?.

Taken from here http://www.joinfreesat.co.uk/index.p...-pvr-on-demand

Which says nothing about it, have you checked what Moca is?.

From what I can see it's basically just another system of home media networking, a more modern version of what Pace suggested years back, with a master PVR, and client boxes round the home.

Such a system would obviously be nice, but it's not cheap - which RF outputs and magic eyes are, and are all most people want.

As the article came from Wotsat it's reliability is fairly suspect as well

http://forums.digitalspy.co.uk/showthread.php?t=1509678 also is about RF output from Freesat.

MOCA it seems uses RG58 cable to send HD video over your old redundant RF cables (if they are the correct type) to various MOCA enabled devices in the home.

No inclusion of support for UHF modulator and I guess if the new Samsung Freeview+ box is anything to go by the scart will be next to go.

Automan.

The video from the Moca site shows RG6 network cable, and derived from a cable system.

You really need to watch it, it's so bad

Indeed Moca guy it is RG6

http://vimeo.com/16525295

I was thinking of old ethernet wiring

Automan.

It seems strange that YouView specs are in the public domain but those of freesat are not. While one may try and constuct a case of pre-release specs how can that also apply to specs in use for years?