JustMefornow
Established Member
Hi all
I'm sure this is a common theme in the FreeSat Forum. After 21 years we've had enough of paying so much to Sky, especially after the realisation over the past year of how little we use any of their services, and how much we rely on Streaming from Netflix, Amazon Prime, iPlayer, etc.
We've cancelled and are looking to move to either FreeSat or Freeview. This is where I need recommendations.
Our current setup has the Sky HD+ box in the living room with the dish on the wall directly outside the room. We have a "media room" where we have an LG C9 and actually do most of our watching. Unfortunately it's 25m around the house from the living room. For the past 11 years we've been supplying Sky HD via Cat 5 over Ethernet, which has worked flawlessly throughout. We don't have an aerial good enough to get a decent Freeview reception, so to get Freeview we would need either to change the aerial or get a booster. Also the aerial socket in the media room has never really worked for some reason.
For all these reasons the simplest way of moving to a Free service would seem to be FreeSat. In theory we could just replace the Sky box with a FreeSat box and that's it, much as I'd love to get rid to the satellite dish (the Sky installer installed in a terrible place originally).
Does anyone know if FreeSat boxes can be remote controlled via an of the inputs on the back of the box. Currently we have a Magic Eye controlling our Sky box and it's essential.
Now our C9 can take direct inputs from the Satellite dish and FreeSat, and it can record. However the dish is 25m+ away and that would involve 1 or 2 very long coaxial cable runs and a decent amount of work. Is that a viable option? It would certainly be cheaper and nicer to get it all working directly on the TV?
Is I need to go for a recordable FreeSat box, is my only choice the new Arris 4K one? I've read a little about custom firmware on Foxsat boxes. Are they still available and worth considering?
All advice is VERY gratefully received. It's all new to me after so long on Sky (and I can't wait to leave!).
I'm sure this is a common theme in the FreeSat Forum. After 21 years we've had enough of paying so much to Sky, especially after the realisation over the past year of how little we use any of their services, and how much we rely on Streaming from Netflix, Amazon Prime, iPlayer, etc.
We've cancelled and are looking to move to either FreeSat or Freeview. This is where I need recommendations.
Our current setup has the Sky HD+ box in the living room with the dish on the wall directly outside the room. We have a "media room" where we have an LG C9 and actually do most of our watching. Unfortunately it's 25m around the house from the living room. For the past 11 years we've been supplying Sky HD via Cat 5 over Ethernet, which has worked flawlessly throughout. We don't have an aerial good enough to get a decent Freeview reception, so to get Freeview we would need either to change the aerial or get a booster. Also the aerial socket in the media room has never really worked for some reason.
For all these reasons the simplest way of moving to a Free service would seem to be FreeSat. In theory we could just replace the Sky box with a FreeSat box and that's it, much as I'd love to get rid to the satellite dish (the Sky installer installed in a terrible place originally).
Does anyone know if FreeSat boxes can be remote controlled via an of the inputs on the back of the box. Currently we have a Magic Eye controlling our Sky box and it's essential.
Now our C9 can take direct inputs from the Satellite dish and FreeSat, and it can record. However the dish is 25m+ away and that would involve 1 or 2 very long coaxial cable runs and a decent amount of work. Is that a viable option? It would certainly be cheaper and nicer to get it all working directly on the TV?
Is I need to go for a recordable FreeSat box, is my only choice the new Arris 4K one? I've read a little about custom firmware on Foxsat boxes. Are they still available and worth considering?
All advice is VERY gratefully received. It's all new to me after so long on Sky (and I can't wait to leave!).