Inbuilt Freesat and Sky setup

[CeeJay]

I am in the market for a new television and have my eye on one of the Panasonics with built-in Freesat tuner. I also have a subscription Sky set-up but do not want to pay the extra per month for HD broadcasts.

Therefore my idea is to keep the Sky set-up (wife likes 'Place in the sun' !!!) but switch across to HD from the television tuner when required. Would I need to have a dual LNB on the dish feeding two cables or can I use a splitter in the cable from the dish at a point before the Sky box going to both Sky box and television.

[Mr C]

The cheapest option is to replace the LNB on your Sky dish with one that will run two or more boxes - so yes, a dual (or quad, octo etc)

The two devices need to exclusively control the LNB, so unless you disconnect the sky box when you turn on the tv decoder, they will fight!!

You can pick up an LNB on eBay from about £5 or 5€...   I bought an eight-way LNB - ( to future proof!! ) - and had it delivered here all for around £12.

Best wishes

A

[Bob T]

I also watch "A place in the sun" on my Freesat box. I don't have sky.

[Jonzjob]

We live in "A place in the sun" so don't need a haunted fish tank (TV)!![:P][:P][6][kiss]

[Clarkkent]

[quote user="Ceejay"]
Therefore my idea is to keep the Sky set-up (wife likes 'Place in the sun' !!!) but switch across to HD from the television tuner when required. [/quote]

A Place in the Sun is a Channel 4 programme (channel 104 on FreeSat). All the Channel 4 family of tv channels - together with all BBC and ITV channels are on FreeSat. You will not need a Sky box.

 

[Baz]

I have had a Panasonic TV with Freesat built in and can confirm that are excellent sets. I should point out that with regards to HD on freesat that currently there are only  two channels operating. The BBC for about 8 hours a day and ITV with very limited transmissions although I suspect there will possibly be more over the next year.

Baz

[cooperlola]

I can understand anybody's wish to have fewer pieces of kit but personally I would avoid anything which does two jobs at once - simply because if one element goes bang, then you're stuck with replacing both. Also, you could find it's just cheaper to buy seperate TV and freesat box.  I too think Panasonic to be generally excellent.

[Bob T]

[quote user="cooperlola"]I can understand anybody's wish to have fewer pieces of kit but personally I would avoid anything which does two jobs at once - simply because if one element goes bang, then you're stuck with replacing both. Also, you could find it's just cheaper to buy seperate TV and freesat box.  I too think Panasonic to be generally excellent.[/quote]

Just like all those people who buy a combined printer/fax/scanner all in one. They are more trouble than they are worth.

[Quillan]

[quote user="Bob T"][quote user="cooperlola"]I can understand anybody's wish to have fewer pieces of kit but personally I would avoid anything which does two jobs at once - simply because if one element goes bang, then you're stuck with replacing both. Also, you could find it's just cheaper to buy seperate TV and freesat box.  I too think Panasonic to be generally excellent.[/quote]

Just like all those people who buy a combined printer/fax/scanner all in one. They are more trouble than they are worth.
[/quote]

No not really, I have had two, the last one lasted eight years and the new one has been OK for the past three. If you buy cheap you get cheap, nobody got sacked for buying HP (well it used to be said about IBM but the same is true about HP, Compaq and Toshiba) as they say.