Hope there are some Freeview experts out there! I have just moved house and have been trying to connect up Freeview on an older model TV. I have done all the right connections but I keep getting the "no signal" message on screen. I think the dish on the roof here was used for Sky so is that why it won't work on Freeview? I have looked at all the Freeview videos about set up and seem to have done it all right but still no joy. Could anybody give me some ideas? I can't use my other TV which doesn't need the dish because there is no aerial here for it. Thanks.
xs1100,
Sep 28, 8:21am
of course SKY will code it to only accept their gear but you can get all the free to air channels from sky for $18.00 a month
xs1100,
Sep 28, 8:21am
and after 6 months you get 2 free random sky channels a month
rubyl,
Sep 28, 8:24am
x1
Ahoy there, fellow DIY-enthusiast! Are you thinking about ditching the cable company and getting your TV fix with Freeview? Well, I've got some good news for you - you might be able to use your existing Sky dish to get Freeview channels!
Here's the deal: Freeview is a digital TV service that broadcasts over the airwaves using a network of transmitters. If you've got a TV with a built-in Freeview tuner, or a separate Freeview box, you can pick up the Freeview signal using a regular TV aerial. However, if you're in an area with poor reception, or you're just too far away from a transmitter, you might need a bit of extra help to pick up the signal.
This is where your Sky dish comes in. If you've got an old Sky dish lying around, you can repurpose it to pick up the Freeview signal. You'll need to get a Freeview receiver that's designed to work with satellite dishes, like the Manhattan SX Freesat HD receiver. This receiver will connect to your Sky dish and pick up the Freeview signal, giving you access to all the channels that are available in your area.
But there are a couple of things to keep in mind before you go ahead and start repurposing your Sky dish. Firstly, you'll need to make sure your Sky dish is pointing in the right direction. Freeview signals are broadcast from a different set of transmitters to Sky signals, so you'll need to reposition your dish to pick up the Freeview signal. You can use a satellite signal finder to help you with this.
Secondly, not all Freeview channels are available on satellite. Some channels, like the BBC and ITV, are available on both Freeview and satellite, but others, like Channel 4 and Channel 5, are only available on Freeview. So you might not be able to get all the channels you want using your Sky dish.
All in all, using a Sky dish for Freeview is definitely doable, but it might not be the best option for everyone. If you're in an area with good reception, a regular TV aerial should do the trick. But if you're struggling to pick up the Freeview signal, repurposing your Sky dish could be a great solution. Just make sure you do your research and get the right equipment to make it work!
slimdog,
Sep 28, 8:36am
It should work fine. I have always used Sky dishes for freeview.
rubyl,
Sep 28, 8:38am
I wonder what I am doing wrong then?
-bookzone-,
Sep 28, 8:53am
Should work fine, as long as all the cabling is in place and the dish has no faults. Just check all connections, cables, etc, and make sure you're doing the tuning correctly. Other than that, there's not much we can do.
oh_hunnihunni,
Sep 28, 8:58am
Unless your freeview is UHF not satelite? Mine is.
captaingraham,
Sep 28, 9:28am
Are you using a satellite decoder set top box?
harrislucinda,
Sep 28, 9:45am
we have a satellite dish for freeview it was extra we had for the campervan
johotech,
Sep 28, 9:54am
You might have to change the LNB frequency on your decoder. The two usual settings are 11300MHz or 10750MHz. Whichever one it is set to, try the other one and see if that works.
rojill,
Sep 28, 10:29am
Or is the freeview decoder built into the TV ? If you are using a separate Freeview set top box, have you selected (on the TV) the input connection that you have plugged the output of the set top box into (could be AV1, AV2, AV3, and HDMI1, HDMI2 ) depending on how modern your TV is.? Check by looking through the TV Menu
rubyl,
Sep 28, 6:53pm
Thanks for all the info everyone. I am using a Transonic freeview box and the TV is a real oldie because I can't get my better TV to work here as there is no aerial for it. How do you change the LNB frequency johotech?
-bookzone-,
Sep 28, 7:10pm
LNB setting changes are done via the box, itself. There will be a specific screen that will allow this when you are going through the box set-up procedures.
rubyl,
Sep 28, 7:32pm
OK many thanks
fordcrzy,
Sep 29, 5:13am
i bet your using a uhf (DVBT) box with a satellite (DVB-S) which wont work. look where you plug in the arial. it will prob sat DVB-t or DVB-S on it.
johotech,
Sep 29, 5:31am
There will be settings on the menu for dish setup.
But how are you connecting the freeview box to the old TV? If you're using an aerial cable, maybe the TV isn't tuned to the box?
You would be better off to use video and audio at least (yellow, red & white). And there shouldn't be any reason why you can't connect the box to your newer TV. It might even have HDMI?
What's the model number of the Transonic box?
rubyl,
Sep 29, 10:49pm
Got it sorted by changing the lnb frequency . thanks for the great advice everyone
anne1955,
Sep 30, 7:46pm
Also the old sky dishes that are still around have LBN's that don't pick up freeview, I have been through this sadly :) Cost 80.00 from Vision for new LBN easy to put in to dish but must have correct box for correct areil and I can tell you some place will sell you things and they are not correct for what they might say. Jaycars sold a friend a areal for her to get freeview in a satellite only area at great expense. Useless ! Also in areas that require Sat Dishes to work on / for TV's that have built in freeview in their TV's still need a sat box. And in Dn sat 's and sat boxes won't get Dn TV And of course as the law of averages goes when I moved a few weeks ago, I moved to a place with a UHF areal lol so new box required. And if your trying to do sat box ones self worth getting a sat finder they are quite cheap. Again here I had issues with Jaycars had one that was brought out of another city from them and was actually broken and even with receipt they wouldn't honour it, as they said all branches are owner operated. They may have a million and one things but sadly they are not my first choice in places to shop. And should add regarding UHF if you have built in freeview no need for a uhf box. Wish I had known this 3 years ago and hundreds of dollars ago.
anne1955,
Sep 30, 7:49pm
I wish I'd had you as a neighbour lol A very useful contributor to TM boards :)
jeremy_74,
Sep 30, 8:10pm
all Sky LNB's can pickup Freeview as the transponders are on the same satellite. Faulty LNB's are quite common and that would have been the problem with your dish.
underconstructy,
Oct 1, 12:06am
What a load of crap.
johotech,
Sep 15, 2:51pm
Thanks Anne.
Since the public registrations are closed, you must have an invite from a current member to be able to register and post in this thread.
Have an account? Login here.