Anyone got FreeSat? Opinions Please Vs Sky...

[ChrisPackit]

I'm looking at upgrading from basic Freeview TV to something better, but due to location we can't get any cable based TV, so am left with Sky or FreeSat (excluding BT Vision which looks, well, pony!)

Had a fallout with Sky a few years ago so not keen on going back, so wondering whether anyone has FreeSat and opinions on it from a quality of programmes, picture / sound quality etc. What PVR have you got, and is it worth buying?

Any advice gladly accepted....

[Ignis Fatuus]

Not specific but an overview: the actual signal is the same for a given channel on Freesat or Sky, though obviously your experience may differ with different decoders.

At bottom, Freesat is the name of an Electronic Programme Guide (EPG), from which you access individual channels. Sky likewise gives you an EPG, and optionally some decoding to let you view encrypted channels, depending on what you pay them.

You may use a Sky decoder without a Sky card, to get more or less the same as you get on a Freesat decoder, but via the Sky EPG rather than the Freesat EPG. That way you pay no Sky subscription.

[doodab]

You may use a Sky decoder without a Sky card, to get more or less the same as you get on a Freesat decoder, but via the Sky EPG rather than the Freesat EPG. That way you pay no Sky subscription.

Bear in mind that if you want the PVR functionality on the sky box to work you have to subscribe.

There are more channels on freesat than freeview but they are mostly of the pointless filler variety (or 1 hour delayed). Freesat theoretically has higher bandwidth, in practice this translates as more crap rather than better quality. If you struggle with freeview reception then freesat will be an improvement in that sense.

SKy has movies and sport and sky one has quite a bit of good stuff on, or used to, if you want those then it's the only game in town.

[d000hg]

I wouldn't particularly say Freesat is any better than Freeview, they're rather comparable... both offer HD channels, both have the same core set of (30 or so) channels.

If you go freesat, Humax was the top PVR when we got ours... no TV reception so not much option.

[ChrisPackit]

Bear in mind that if you want the PVR functionality on the sky box to work you have to subscribe.

There are a fair number of PVR's out there without going with a Sky one. For a couple of hundred quid, I beleive you can get a 1TB PVR of reasonable quality....

[zeitghost]

One of the great advantages of Freesat is that you get all the BBC channels.

And I mean all.

There's Heinz 57 varieties of BBC1, and 4 varieties of BBC2, which means you can avoid the tedious crap that the local yokels deem that you should watch, and watch BBC1 London (or whereever) instead.

Great for avoiding tedious rugby matches on Fridays.

[TheFaQQer]

I wouldn't particularly say Freesat is any better than Freeview, they're rather comparable... both offer HD channels, both have the same core set of (30 or so) channels.

If you go freesat, Humax was the top PVR when we got ours... no TV reception so not much option.

WHS.

My sister has one for her house in France so they can still get British TV (you can't possibly go away and miss the important goings on in Coronation Street for a while )

[DiscoStu]

Apparently you can't get Babestation on Freesat, so I'm out

[doodab]

There are a fair number of PVR's out there without going with a Sky one. For a couple of hundred quid, I beleive you can get a 1TB PVR of reasonable quality....

I was pointing out a specific limitation of the sky ones which someone else had suggested could be used.

[Waldorf]

I have a sky box, not greatly happy with it, often freezes and needs rebooting, much happier when I had a Humax...