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Upgrading from Sky to Freesat

It takes less than five minutes to replace an existing satellite box with a Freesat one.

^{Published on 8th May 2008 at 14:31 by Brian Butterworth on UK Free TV}

If you have an existing Sky or fSfS (Freesat from Sky) installation and want to go to upgrade to Freesat, it is a simple process.

First, buy the Freesat box from a Argos, Curry.digital, Comet, John Lewes or your local independent shop:

In the box you will find the Freesat box:

Also included will be a remote control, and this model also comes with a SCART cable, a HDMI cable and a stereo-with-composite cable. Unpack the ones you need:

You old Sky box looks like this:

Unplug the mains first from the Sky box, then pull out the SCART (or SCARTs) and then unscrew the connection to the satellite dish.

Remove the Sky box and fit the Freesat box. Reconnect the satellite cable (take care as to not damage the connection) and then the SCART and finally connect the mains power:

The box will look like this:

The box also contains the manual, which has full installation instructions. Finally fit the batteries into the remote control.

The TV screen first displays the box's logo

The first set-up screen allows you to select the TV type, widescreen mode and resolution:

Next the box checks for the satellite signal:

Then there is a check for updated software:

Then you enter your postcode and the box checks it:

The next step is a scan for channels. This takes about 30 seconds:

And that's it. You can now view channels, like 108 for BBC HD:

Or press the GUIDE button for the EPG:

(Apologies for the photos not being of the top quality)

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D.V.Treadgold
Thursday 7 August 2008 12:34PM Swansea

My wife and I are nearly deaf,can we tape one freesat program with sub-titles whist watching another program also with its sub-titles?

1 post

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Mark Aberfan Aerials
Thursday 7 August 2008 4:45PM

Hi D.V.Treadgold, This should be possible later in the year when freesat pvr's become available. Mark Aberfan Aerials.

1,060 posts gold

Chrislayeruk
Saturday 9 August 2008 10:47AM

Hi, My Phillips TV has Digital audio out.
The Foxsat HD box Mutes this on all channels most of the time.

I did have Digital audio out Via BBC HD last night.
I know this is a HDCP issue but I would have thought it would have been ok on non HD channels or would at least pass through a stereo down mix all the time.

Plenty of people will be running out of appropriate digital inputs soon, or am I the only one?

Any thoughts welcome, Thanks, Chris.

9 posts

Briantist
Saturday 9 August 2008 12:15PM

D.V.Treadgold: Subtitles on digital television are not carried as part of the main picture,
but as a separate associated data. This means that if you store the programme digitally in
an integrated recorder, such as Sky+ or Freesat+ you can recall the subtitles when the
recording is replayed.
However, if you have an external digital TV recorder, the only option is to make recordings of the
picture with the subtitles on.
Whilst this is a perfectly reasonable thing to do, you may like to wait a few months and get a Freesat+ box,
as this will automatically record the subtitles regardless.

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