Freeview

[Kazal]

Is it possible to view Freeview through the satellite dish if you do not have an aerial?

[bhg481]

No but you can get Freesat, which covers similar channels but not exactly the same ones.

[Hopkirk]

You need a satellite box with a satellite dish, either Sky or Freesat.

You can get a lot of channels free on Sky, without paying a monthly charge.

[Kazal]

How do you do that Hopkirk

[Hopkirk]

Just plug it in.

[bhg481]

You can also get TVs with a satellite tuner built in - just connect the coax from the dish as you would the coax from an aerial (it's usually a screw-connector for satellite, unlike the push-in for terrestrial TV).

[alavahalf]

Something like this will save a few quid if you dont want to buy a dedicated Freesat receiver. The connector needed is known as an F type connector.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/SKY-HD-BOX-PLUS-PVR-500GB-RECORDER-BEST-ON-EBAY-FREESAT-DRX890-1-YR-WARRANTY-UK-/322931951272

[Guilbert53]

You can get many channels that come down via the internet.

I don't have one of these so don't know the details but I believe Now TV, BT YouView, Netflix and so on all use this technology.

Some do have a cost but it can vary and can start very low.

Now TV web site

http://www.nowtv.com/

BT YouView web site

https://www.shop.bt.com/learnmore/bt-branded-products-and-services/bt-youview/

Netflix web site

https://www.netflix.com/gb/

[Guilbert53]

>>>How do you do that Hopkirk (free TV with Sky)

If you have a Sky box, but don't pay sky a monthly fee, then your Sky box reverts to a basic "Freesat" type box so can get many channels at no monthly cost.

I assume you can also buy a second hand Sky box as use that instead.

Note however if you use a "free" Sky box none of the "record" and "playback" type facilities will work on the Sky box.

[mikey4444]

Kazal....about 3 years ago, I cancelled my Sky subscription. The dish still works, although I get Sky's version of "Freeview"

[Buenchico]

Let's start at the beginning. Assuming that you're using a 'normal' TV set (i.e. not one specifically designed to be used with Freesat), you can't receive anything by simply connecting a satellite dish to its aerial socket. You need a set-top box to go between the two.

Such a box can either be a 'generic' satellite receiver or a designated Freesat one. (A Sky box without a valid subscription associated with it with it acts as a generic satellite receiver).

A generic satellite receiver will get you all of the channels listed here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_free-to-air_channels_at_28%C2%B0E

A Freesat receiver is actually configured to receive just a subset of that list of channels, as shown here:
https://www.freesat.co.uk/whats/full-channel-list/
(However if there's anything else from my first link which you wanted to receive via Freesat box you can manually configure it to do so). A Freesat box also gets you Freesat's electronic programme guide and easier access to 'red button' services.

Freeview is a separate system, owned and operated by the BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Sky and the transmitter owners, Arqiva. It's entirely terrestrial, so you can't get it (per se) via a satellite dish. However almost everything which is available on Freeview (plus more) is in my first link above anyway.

All of the foregoing assumes that your satellite dish is pointed at the Astra group of satellites, which is used by both Freesat and Sky. If, say, you've just moved into a house which was formerly occupied by a Polish family, they might have installed their satellite dish to point at one of the Hotbird satellites (so that they could watch Polish channels). You'd need to realign such a dish in order to receive the channels from my first link above.

[mikey4444]

Buenchico...how we would manage here on AB, without you I cannot even begin to wonder !