HD Freeview TV and a Skyplus box?

[mgallear]

Finally got myself a new HD TV with HD freeview built in and have a Sky Plus box and do not receive the movies and cannot afford SKY HD. I have found that I can receive the HD freeview channels through a scart connection between the TV and Sky plus box as there is no HDMI connection. Does look a bit better than through the Sky plus box but suspect not as good as if I had a box with HDMI.

What is going to be the cheapest way to taste the four free HD channels either through freesat or freeview without giving up the Sky channels? Do people who have gone through this already think I am getting a good enough signal through the scart not to bother?

Sorry for been a bit off topic.

[Scubbie]

Check out eBay. Apparently you can get 2nd had Sky+ HD STBs for around £30. Pairing a 2nd hand STB is a simple process provided that you had the STB plugged in and working in front of you, with the viewing card installed.

Do make sure that it isn't a Thomson model as these will not support any of the new services, such as Anytime+ with ITV Player and BBC iPlayer recently being added.

Alternatively log into the Sky website and check out your upgrade path prices to get a new Sky+ HD STB with a 12 month warranty.

Please note that the Sky website is having a software upgrade at the moment, so you won't be able to sign in until tomorrow when it should be completed.

[Isitme]

What is going to be the cheapest way to taste the four free HD channels either through freesat or freeview without giving up the Sky channels?

A digital external aerial connected direct to your TV is probably the cheapest way. I get very good results from mine on the freeveiw HD channels.. If your TV has a freesat HD tuner you could connect it to the dish using the Sky+ connections.

[Proppinupthebar]

A digital external aerial connected direct to your TV is probably the cheapest way. I get very good results from mine on the freeveiw HD channels.. If your TV has a freesat HD tuner you could connect it to the dish using the Sky+ connections.

Aaaaaaaaaarghhhhh!

There is no such thing as a digital aerial. I hate it that manufacturers are describing them as digital. All digital TV signals are on analogue carriers.

[Isitme]

I take your point, but how else should an aerial designed to receive digital TV be described?

[Scubbie]

It is a ploy used by all the TV Aerial manufacturers to encourage people to spend money when it isn't required.

A lot of people were experiencing reception issues when Freeview was first launched because the transmission signal was not actually at full power. The answer to this was to get an aerial that could pick up the weak signals.

For those areas that have been switched over, the transmission signals are now at full strength, so there should be no reception issues anymore.

[Proppinupthebar]

I take your point, but how else should an aerial designed to receive digital TV be described?

Tom, no worries. Its not your fault, its manufacturers cashing in. And me being grumpy! The old analogue frequencies in a particular area were 'grouped' together, and you needed a particular groups aerial to pick up the local analogue TV signals. When digits came about, they couldn't still keep all the signals frequencies within the majority of peoples existing aerials. They had to spread them out across the UHF spectrum. Therefore, the accurate descrption of the aerial required for most DTT is 'wideband'.

[mgallear]

Thanks everybody.

What would I need in terms of a convertor box and wires if I wished to split the Sky plus cable and have it go both into the Sky plus box and the back of the TV.
Is there a website that explains this?

Not sure about going the Sky HD box route, suspect taking HD TV for a year would be the best way to get one. Do they occasionally have offers? When my Sky Plus box goes this will be the way to go.

Also thinking about a Sony wireless adapter and getting BBC HD programmes from the internet.

Many thanks again.

[Scubbie]

You will need to run a separate coaxial cable, with F-Plug connectors at either end in order to connect the additional box.

As for the WiFi adaptor, check out the prices first. Alternatives range from a few pounds to run a length of Ethernet cable to around £35 for either a pair of HomePlugs or a generic adaptor to take a LAN port to WiFi from Netgear.