Freesat from a sky dish?

08.05.2008, 18:41

housetrained

I have been receiving FTA broadcasts via a sky dish and a Fortec Star STB.
How can I make it 'see' Freesat? It does not 'see' Astra 2D. Can I force it
to?

08.05.2008, 18:47

Mark Carver

housetrained wrote:
> I have been receiving FTA broadcasts via a sky dish and a Fortec Star STB.
> How can I make it 'see' Freesat? It does not 'see' Astra 2D. Can I force it
> to?

I don't understand. What FTA channels can it receive ?

The FTA 'Freesat' channels are exactly the same streams that the Sky box
receives from 28E.

08.05.2008, 18:55

Michael Chare

"housetrained" <housetrained> wrote in message
news:6620
>I have been receiving FTA broadcasts via a sky dish and a Fortec Star STB.
> How can I make it 'see' Freesat? It does not 'see' Astra 2D. Can I force
> it
> to?

Freesat is an EPG that only Freesat receivers can interpret. The EPG
provides links and programmes schedule data to those existing FTA broadcasts
that have paid to join.

The main benefit to your Fortec is that there are more channels that are
FTA, Channel 4 being the most notable example.

08.05.2008, 18:57

Ron Lowe

"housetrained" <housetrained> wrote in message
news:6620
>I have been receiving FTA broadcasts via a sky dish and a Fortec Star STB.
> How can I make it 'see' Freesat? It does not 'see' Astra 2D. Can I force
> it
> to?
>> --
> John the West Ham fan C.E.T.
> housetrained
> <><

If the sky dish is a sky digital mini-dish ( as opposed to an old sky analog
dish ) then it's already looking at Astra2D ( 28.2 E )

In which case, what you are already getting FTA is pretty much freesat.

All the new freesat boxes offer over and above what you already have is a
7-day EPG. ( Also, you'll need an HD-capable box to get the HD channel(s) )

If the dish is an old sky analog dish, then it's probably pointing the wrong
way, ( 19.2E ) and you need to move it.

08.05.2008, 20:00

housetrained

Well, I guessed as much. When sifting thro' the multitude of channels the
FTA are what 'Freesat' advertised. Needed is the EPG so I can set up to
record from 'Freesat'. Is there a card for sale that would go in the Fortec
star to make it 'Freesat'?
Anyway, thanks for all your replies.

08.05.2008, 20:19

Michael Chare

"housetrained" <housetrained> wrote in message
news:3957
> Is there a card for sale that would go in the Fortec star to make it
> 'Freesat'?

Unfortunately not. Humax are known to be making a Freeat PVR but it is not
yet available. Maybe July?

08.05.2008, 20:25

Ron Lowe

"housetrained" <housetrained> wrote in message
news:3957
> Well, I guessed as much. When sifting thro' the multitude of channels the
> FTA are what 'Freesat' advertised. Needed is the EPG so I can set up to
> record from 'Freesat'. Is there a card for sale that would go in the
> Fortec star to make it 'Freesat'?

I doubt it.

Cards typically are to decrypt encrypted pay-to-view channels.
I don't think you'd be able to get a card that added EPG functionality.

I think your options are:

1) Live with what you have;

2) get a new freesat box and connect it to your existing dish.

It's not clear at the moment what 'freesat' badged boxes can be manually
tuned to FTV channels which are not part of the freeview EPG. That remains
to be seen. It appears that the Humax one can. This will all come out in
the wash over the next few weeks, I expect.

I, like others, am waiting for the freeview HD PVR from humax. Due in a
few months.

08.05.2008, 21:30

Peter Crosland

>> Well, I guessed as much. When sifting thro' the multitude of channels the
>
> I doubt it.
>
> Cards typically are to decrypt encrypted pay-to-view channels.
> I don't think you'd be able to get a card that added EPG functionality.
>
> I think your options are:
>
> 1) Live with what you have;
>
> 2) get a new freesat box and connect it to your existing dish.
>
> It's not clear at the moment what 'freesat' badged boxes can be manually
> tuned to FTV channels which are not part of the freeview EPG. That
> remains to be seen. It appears that the Humax one can. This will all
> come out in the wash over the next few weeks, I expect.

I got my Humax HD Freesat box today to replace my defuncy Sky box and it can
receive all the Sky FTA channels by manually tuning.

Peter Crosland

08.05.2008, 21:51

David

"Peter Crosland" <g6jns> wrote in message n
>
> I got my Humax HD Freesat box today to replace my defuncy Sky box and it
> can receive all the Sky FTA channels by manually tuning.
>Do you think this feature will get taken off?
Thought Freesat was meant to limit number of stations receivable.
Others do not do this I understand.

#10

08.05.2008, 22:06

Peter Crosland

David wrote:
> "Peter Crosland" <g6jns> wrote in message n
>>
>> I got my Humax HD Freesat box today to replace my defuncy Sky box
>> and it can receive all the Sky FTA channels by manually tuning.
>>
>>
> Do you think this feature will get taken off?
> Thought Freesat was meant to limit number of stations receivable.
> Others do not do this I understand.

I don't see why it should. As others have said the raison d etre of Freesat
is really the EPG but the ability to add other FTV programs is a bonus.

Peter Crosland

#11

09.05.2008, 07:28

Dave Farrance

"Peter Crosland" <g6jns> wrote:

>David wrote:
>> "Peter Crosland" <g6jns> wrote
>>>
>>> I got my Humax HD Freesat box today to replace my defuncy Sky box
>>> and it can receive all the Sky FTA channels by manually tuning.
>>>
>> Do you think this feature will get taken off?
>> Thought Freesat was meant to limit number of stations receivable.
>> Others do not do this I understand.
>
>I don't see why it should. As others have said the raison d etre of Freesat
>is really the EPG but the ability to add other FTV programs is a bonus.

According to somebody on DigitalSpy, the Freesat licence requires that
Non-Freesat channels must not be included in the Freesat channel list.

I've looked at the Humax manual, and it seems that Humax have got around
this by allowing the box to be switched between "STB Modes" which are
"Freesat mode" and "Non-Freesat mode", with no mixing of the two, each
having its own channel list, list of favourite channels, etc. Am I
reading that correctly?

Humax manual and quick-start guide downloadable from this page:
http://www.humaxdigital.com/freesat/support_manual.asp

#12

09.05.2008, 08:46

Robert Wilson

Mark Carver wrote:
> housetrained wrote:
>> I have been receiving FTA broadcasts via a sky dish and a Fortec Star
>> STB.
>> How can I make it 'see' Freesat? It does not 'see' Astra 2D. Can I
>> force it
>> to?
>
> I don't understand. What FTA channels can it receive ?
>
> The FTA 'Freesat' channels are exactly the same streams that the Sky box
> receives from 28E.
>
That is not true. Channel 4 and E4/More 4 are on different transponder
to the Sky version.

Cheers,

Rob.

#13

09.05.2008, 09:32

Adrian

Robert Wilson wrote:
> Mark Carver wrote:
> That is not true. Channel 4 and E4/More 4 are on different
> transponder to the Sky version.
>
> Cheers,
>
> Rob.

E4/More 4 are *not* on a different transponder to the Sky version.

#14

09.05.2008, 10:02

Brian McIlwrath

Dave Farrance <DaveFarrance> wrote:

: I've looked at the Humax manual, and it seems that Humax have got around
: this by allowing the box to be switched between "STB Modes" which are
: "Freesat mode" and "Non-Freesat mode", with no mixing of the two, each
: having its own channel list, list of favourite channels, etc. Am I
: reading that correctly?

I believe so! The Alba originated Freesat STBs (Bush, Goodmans etc.) do
not appear to have any manual tuning.

#15

09.05.2008, 10:16

Michael Chare

"Dave Farrance" <DaveFarrance> wrote in message
news:mbnc
> "Peter Crosland" <g6jns> wrote:
>> I've looked at the Humax manual, and it seems that Humax have got around
> this by allowing the box to be switched between "STB Modes" which are
> "Freesat mode" and "Non-Freesat mode", with no mixing of the two, each
> having its own channel list, list of favourite channels, etc. Am I
> reading that correctly?
>
> Humax manual and quick-start guide downloadable from this page:
> [..]
>
> --
> Dave Farrance
>

Read the Humaxsupport posts in this thread

"Humax Foxsat manual"

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/forums/s...pport&pag e=2

In particular post #34 which tells you how to access the hidden menu.

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