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Oh feck! No Freesat reception at my house!


Ari
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So having spent an extra few hundred quid to get the latest Freesat version of my TV, the little man comes up to install the dish only to tell me I can't get reception here! I live on a steep hill with woods surrounding the back and side of the house up the hill, and the combination of hill and very tall trees means that even from the apex of the roof, a dish can't see over them to the satellite! Bloody brilliant!

The only good news is that HD is coming to Freeview Digital, so I will be able to get it that way.

The bad news is that it would appear (from the Freeview web site) that the digital receiver will need to be upgraded. Of course mines built in to the TV so presumably therefore it won't be able to pick up HD Freeview Digital. Is that correct?

So effectively non of the receivers in the TV (analogue, Freeview and Freesat) are actually worth anything and the thing really is just a screen for external inputs. Good, eh?

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i have a free view device built into one of my Panny's.. and it updates periodically.. it just comes up with a message on the screen asking if you want to proceed..

takes about 5 to 10 mins normally.

Does that mean you can't get sky?

Yup, no Sky (and no cable in the road before anyone asks).

I wonder whether Freeview receiver will be able to update to receive HD, or whether it requires different software?

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Who came to install the dish?

Unless it was anyway, get a good independent technician round to have a look, I used to install for an independent company and they are much more willing to try and get a result than your average sky/freesat installer, who basically just want the easiest job possible.

Do you have a chimney above the apex of the roof? it's possible to mount a dish on a fecking huge pole from a chimney, although it will be more susceptible to weather/wind, and the chimney brickwork has to be 100% sound due to the leverage effects of the dish in wind. I had to have one like that on my old house, worked fine.

Alternatively, our dish in the current house is right at the end of the garden, as it gives better clearance over the trees than it would mounted on the house, it's a very long garden though.

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Who came to install the dish?

Unless it was anyway, get a good independent technician round to have a look, I used to install for an independent company and they are much more willing to try and get a result than your average sky/freesat installer, who basically just want the easiest job possible.

Do you have a chimney above the apex of the roof? it's possible to mount a dish on a fecking huge pole from a chimney, although it will be more susceptible to weather/wind, and the chimney brickwork has to be 100% sound due to the leverage effects of the dish in wind. I had to have one like that on my old house, worked fine.

Alternatively, our dish in the current house is right at the end of the garden, as it gives better clearance over the trees than it would mounted on the house, it's a very long garden though.

Yes it was an independent chap, who was highly recommended by a mate of mine in the AV trade. They actually went up on the roof right to the top with a dish to try, despite being pretty sure to begin with that it was a no hoper.

Tried the garden also, but that runs toward the woods and is lower so even worse.

I have a chimney but it's half way down the roof (if you see what I mean) rather than from the apex so on its own, no higher than the top of the roof. Have thought about a pole but because of the hill we're very exposed to westerly gales and more than a tad concerned about the effects of leverage.

I have wondered whether anyone would notice if we cleared a dead straight line of trees through the woods in line of my roof and the satellite. I fear they might though! :D

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What do neighbours do? I can't believe no one else in your street has freesat or Sky either - maybe they can recommend someone who can install an aerial that picks up the signals?

Otherwise there is always i player.....+++:grin:

About four houses down they're far enough away from the woods to get it, and oddly across the road they can get it (although taller houses so maybe that's why).

So it's really just the top three or four houses on my side that can't. And no one else has a dish although I don't know if they've tried and failed or just not bothered. Probably the latter.

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About four houses down they're far enough away from the woods to get it, and oddly across the road they can get it (although taller houses so maybe that's why).

So it's really just the top three or four houses on my side that can't. And no one else has a dish although I don't know if they've tried and failed or just not bothered. Probably the latter.

In the asylum we had ducted Sky from a central dish as it was Listed and no dishes on the houses...maybe you could arrange with a neighbour to use their dish? Would need some cabling though I guess, but can't be impossible......:confused:

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Have thought about a pole but because of the hill we're very exposed to westerly gales and more than a tad concerned about the effects of leverage.

If it's mounted properly, it shouldn't be a problem, most dishes are perforated so the wind doesn't push them to badly anyway.

Once winter arrives properly, and all the leaves fall off the trees you might be able to get a signal, no use for you in summer though:rolleyes:

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I think I'm going to look into the idea of a pole mount, it seems to be the only possible option.

And yes, it did occur to me that if the signal is non existent now, it could only possibly be worse in summer when the leaves are on the trees.

I suppose I could always phone NASA and ask them if they could hook the satellite up a bit higher in the sky. If the whole of Europe has to re-adjust their dishes upward a few degrees it means they agreed! :lol:

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Reading this, does this mean Freeview HD will be available WITHOUT the need for the Freesat dish and box?

Obviously a new box will be needed, but no dish.

When the digital switchover takes place and we get rid of all the uncompressed analogue signal, there will be space for several HD channels available via Freeview via your aerial. You'll still need decent reception though.

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Freeview HD will need a new box.

Freeview reception will improve dramatically as soon as they turn off analogue - where I am they are going to increase the power by 100 times!

I have not read anything about any boxes that will be compatible (which is why I still have my single tuner box). That is why I feel (slightly) sorry for these people buying a nice new TV with integrated freeview which wont actually receive HD freeview!

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Freeview HD will need a new box.

Freeview reception will improve dramatically as soon as they turn off analogue - where I am they are going to increase the power by 100 times!

I have not read anything about any boxes that will be compatible (which is why I still have my single tuner box). That is why I feel (slightly) sorry for these people buying a nice new TV with integrated freeview which wont actually receive HD freeview!

Precisely. Current Freeview set top boxes will not decode HD signals. When the Freeview HD trail was running, I could see the Freeview HD channels on the planner but could not access them.

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That is why I never buy an all-in-one TV, and why I said buy the 46" without the Freesat and save £300.

I know having an extra box is annoying, but better to upgrade a box for £100 when something better arrives than to upgrade a TV for £1000.

Will your supplier let you swap over to the 46PZ80 and have a credit for the difference??

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That is why I never buy an all-in-one TV, and why I said buy the 46" without the Freesat and save £300.

I know having an extra box is annoying, but better to upgrade a box for £100 when something better arrives than to upgrade a TV for £1000.

Will your supplier let you swap over to the 46PZ80 and have a credit for the difference??

You are also fecked if it goes wrong. Too many shared components/power modules

When we used to sell TV/Vidoe units, they were forever going wrong and being repaired. So I won't buy an all-in-one box.

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