[Butterflygirl]

Him indoors has finally settled for the Panasonic 32" full HD tv with freesat built in but was wondering what size satellite dish we need?

So far we have a choice of two sizes 43cm and 60cm.

We would prefer to get the smallest size so that it doesn't look too chavy on the front of the house but want to be sure that we get one big enough to support full HD.

Does anyone have any experience with these dishes, please?

He read somewhere that the 43cm is ok but only in good weather conditions.

(I can always pop out for some trackie bottoms and trainers if the larger size is what is needed )

Thanks.

[Nigel Goodwin]

Depends where you are, 43cm is fine until you get too far north, where 60cm is better.

Makes no difference at all if it's HD or not.

[niall campbell]

get a 60cm for HD and its not neddie

the wee one may do if you live far south

[Toxteth O'Grady]

The transmissions are exactly the same ones as used for those with a Sky branded box so just look around to see what your neighbours have

[Butterflygirl]

We do live 'dahn sarf' Essex/East London border, thanks for all your replies.

[TheBoingoBandit]

A larger dish can help to stop the picture breaking up during heavy rain.

[Nigel Goodwin]

Originally Posted by TheBoingoBandit

A larger dish can help to stop the picture breaking up during heavy rain.

The 43cm dish is sized so you should only lose pictures on a very small number of occasions per year - and only under exceptionally bad conditions (where you may well lose terrestrial as well).

[nancyboy]

If you want Freesat without the "I'm a half-wit Sky-Chav" connotations of a standard dish, there is a slightly less horrible thing called a sqish. I wonder if they work?

http://www.sqish.co.uk/

[tomconti]

Originally Posted by Nigel Goodwin

The 43cm dish is sized so you should only lose pictures on a very small number of occasions per year - and only under exceptionally bad conditions (where you may well lose terrestrial as well).

Unlikely to ever lose terrestrial signal due to rain.

The larger dish will ensure they should never lose the DSAT signal unless there is very heavy snow or extreme torrential rain like we sometimes get in the Summer

[Nigel Goodwin]

Originally Posted by tomconti

Unlikely to ever lose terrestrial signal due to rain.

You must live somewhere very sunny then

It holds up better than satellite, much higher power, much higher frequency, but still fades during exceptional weather conditions.

[tomconti]

Originally Posted by Nigel Goodwin

You must live somewhere very sunny then

It holds up better than satellite, much higher power, much higher frequency, but still fades during exceptional weather conditions.

I'm 46 - I had reception of adjoining ITV regions up until the 80's .

I've had DTT from the days of On Digital and I've never ever lost signal in rain.

I've had weird reception in the days when atmospherics used to bring in channels from abroad and from the other end of the country but I've never lost the signal due to any kind of weather.

Rain does not affect terrestrial signals in the same way that it affects satellite reception - and that is to be expected because sat signals come from 22000 miles away while terrestrial signals rarely do more than 50 miles

[Butterflygirl]

Thanks all.

Large dish duly installed and HD working - well, what little there actually is of it at present.

I feel like I've taken a step backwards. Having to rush out to the kitchen in the ad breaks instead of pausing programmes in a 'civilised' manner in the way I have become accustomed on either my digifusion or BT vision box.

What price progress?

[emptybox]

You can buy a Freesat PVR if you want to pause live telly.

[derek500]

Originally Posted by Butterflygirl

What price progress?

£299, I'm afraid!!

[Butterflygirl]

Originally Posted by emptybox

You can buy a Freesat PVR if you want to pause live telly.

We've already got a digifusion box and a BT vision box, I'm not sure there will be room in the cupboard for anything else!

[elcid123]

I live in Runcorn Cheshire and I have 2 43 cm dishes, I was advised i needed 60 cm

[c4rv]

Originally Posted by derek500

£299, I'm afraid!!

You can pick up HD freesat PVR boxes for under £200 I believe.

As for OP, I am not sure but you may be able to pause live TV if you use a USB storage device on your TV ?

[ProDave]

Originally Posted by tomconti

Unlikely to ever lose terrestrial signal due to rain.

The larger dish will ensure they should never lose the DSAT signal unless there is very heavy snow or extreme torrential rain like we sometimes get in the Summer

Originally Posted by Nigel Goodwin

You must live somewhere very sunny then

It holds up better than satellite, much higher power, much higher frequency, but still fades during exceptional weather conditions.

Where I am, the freeview signal is marginal. In heavy rain, freeview is the first to start breaking up, so I'm very glad to have satellite to rely on when freeview gets too unreliable.

[chrisjr]

errrr you are aware that this is a very nearly four year old thread?

[David (2)]

No issue with having to put up with ad breaks on my Freesat pvr (Humax). Live pause just like Sky+. Or record stuff.

Using a MK4 Sky mini dish for Freesat with Octo LNB fitted. Only had 1 example of signal (picture) breakup in 18months (due to rain). Even the rain this year has not resulted in any loss of signal (pic breakup). This is in Wiltshire so its only a standard "small" Mini dish as well.

Freeview (digital tv through an aerial) is a lot less forgiving. If the signal is a bit marginal to start with, then weather changes can degrade the signal to the point of picture breakup. Long term weather effects such as Lift conditions can also do this and this can last for long periods of time (days and weeks). This was how our freeview was prior to DSO on a distant mast, with giant aerial way up in the sky. With DSO the local relay mast went digital, so a much more modest aerial is fine for that and this is a lot more stable, but still not quite as perfect as satellite.

[call100]

True.....I think we moved on since 2009 when this thread was raised!!!!

[emptybox]

Yeah, I was just about to offer some sage advice, then noticed I'd given just that advice back in 2009.