Laggan Posted October 6, 2011 Share Posted October 6, 2011 Hi - this is my first post here. I tried to find the answer to my question on FAQ, but no joy. I am not technically minded, nor is my husband. Anyway - we have lived in 68 (near Basel) and we are Orange customers over three years. In 68 we have Bouquet Anglophone/Orange cine series and I was quite happy with that (I enjoy having the French channels, but would have preferred a little more of the English channels). this service is an ADSL non-satellite service.We have bought somewhere fairly close, in Lorraine (88) and when I went into the Orange shop she told me that I couldn't have the package we already have because it is satellite only in this area and you can't have Bouquet Anglophone. So we have a new Orange decodeur arriving tomorrow and the guy will also be installing a satellite dish. My question is - if I buy a freesat box can I use this interchangeably with my Orange decodeur (plug/unplug) so that I can have French and UK channels. Or is there any way that the Orange decodeur and satellite can be programmed to pick up English programmes?Thanks in advance for taking the time to help! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anton Redman Posted October 6, 2011 Share Posted October 6, 2011 If you TV has move than one SCART connection you should not need to plug and unplug. However as well as a freesat box you need either :A second dish aimed about 28.2 degrees East - say 10 degrees further East than the where the dish for Orange is aimed. orA second LNB mounted on a curved bracket offset from the main LNB. Unless your installer has done this before he or she would probably find a second dish far easier to set up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andyh4 Posted October 6, 2011 Share Posted October 6, 2011 One other thing to beware of /be aware of is that the Orange satellite service has to feed through your livebox as well as the decoder.If like us, your dish and TV are along way from the livebox (in fact in another building for us) this can be a right royal pain in the proverbial. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnOther Posted October 6, 2011 Share Posted October 6, 2011 My advice is the same as Antons, install second a dedicated dish for Freesat.The Orange decoder has an HD output so if your TV is so equipped you can use that and keep the SCART for Freesat. If it hasn't and only has a single SCART then you can get an external remote controlled SCART switch to easily swap between the two receivers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laggan Posted October 6, 2011 Author Share Posted October 6, 2011 Thanks for that. Horrible to need a second dish! what's an LNB? I wouldn't like to put another dish up - this installation is going to cost us €200-300!But good advice, We will think on it, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laggan Posted October 6, 2011 Author Share Posted October 6, 2011 Anton - thanks so much for your useful advice. I now know what an LNB is. Looked on Amazon.fr and have seen that a dual LNB (which I would guess is what we need) costs about €16.20. Since the guy who is installing is a professional working in this area (where lots of Germans, Dutch etc. live) I would suspect that he will know exactly what to do, especially if I print out the degree measurements you've given me and the stuff about the LNB I found on Amazon. By the way - does anyone have a recommended brand for Freesat box? We have seen one called a Manhattan (not HD, but my husband says that will be fine for Eastenders!) which is only €108. Our tv is a pretty up to the minute french model with all the SCART etc. others have said is necessary (and thanks for the heads-up!). We are fortunate that everything will be close to the Livebox, so not an issue. I feel rather cheerful now! Many thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pierre ZFP Posted October 6, 2011 Share Posted October 6, 2011 'Only' €108 !!!Have a look online or in one of the Brico sheds and pick up a box for €40 or less eghttp://www.cdiscount.com/high-tech/recepteurs-tnt-satellite/recepteurs-satellite/recepteurs-satellite-free-to-air/l-106720305.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anton Redman Posted October 6, 2011 Share Posted October 6, 2011 Sorry every dual LNB I have seen only has 6 degrees of separation. Which was fine for 13 degrees to 19 degrees East which is the most common pairing in Europe. You would need 9 degrees nominal which I have never seen for sale. See link below :http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/5150900.htm?CMPID=GS001&_$ja=tsid:11527%7Ccc:%7Cprd:5150900%7Ccat:home+entertainment+and+sat+nav+%2F+clearance+home+entertainment+and+sat+nav+%2F+television+and+audio+accessories+%2F#pdpFullProductInformation Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anton Redman Posted October 6, 2011 Share Posted October 6, 2011 Example of dish with suitable bracket below :http://www.satcure.co.uk/accs/page2.htmUnless I needed HD TV I would source a freesat box for £ 29 from Argos in UK. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laggan Posted October 6, 2011 Author Share Posted October 6, 2011 Hi and thanks - I imagined that I would have to buy a box dedicated to UK tv. The link that you've given is for the standard boxes in France. Would a standard TNT box in France (sorry if that's not exactly what it's called) pick up all the uk channels? - that's what we want, in an ideal world - all the UK channels and all the French channels (we are also quite fond of Orange cine series which we also have as orange customers)THANKS SO MUCH! for taking the time to help Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laggan Posted October 6, 2011 Author Share Posted October 6, 2011 So no DUAL LNB - because of degree of separation, you say, Anton? I want to avoid the cost of a second satellite dish (not to mention the look of it on our nice house). From your advice and our needs, seems like the best solution is, as you said originally, a SECOND LNB on a bracket, to get the degree of separation. I reckon our engineer can probably manage that himself. We don't go back to UK at all often, so prefer to buy in France.Sorry this is getting a little complicated (for me, anyway, although you guys obviously know exactly what you are doing! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnOther Posted October 6, 2011 Share Posted October 6, 2011 Some confusion with terminology I fear.A dual LNB is one with two separate outlets for feeding two Sky receivers or a Sky+ box for simultaneous viewing and recording.[img]http://www.parabolic.co.uk/catalog/images/INVERTO%20TWIN%20LNB.jpg[/img]For French TV you need a monoblock which is essentially 2 LNB's in a single package with 6deg of angular difference between them.There is only a single outlet for feeding one receiver.[img]http://www.smssat.biz/images/2009_08_12_18-21-29-LNB-ASTRABLOCK.jpg[/img]I wouldn't bank on your French installer having a clue about Astra2 and Sky at 28.5 deg nor having the bit's and pieces to fit an extra LNB to an Orange dish.I repeat my advice to go for a separate dish for Sky. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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