All posts by Michael Perry
Below are all of Michael Perry's postings, with the most recent are at the bottom of the page.
Anne
A simple answer is no. Sky does not work in the same way as Freeview. Sky uses a dish to collect the signals whereas Freeview needs the use of an aerial mounted outside the roof or possibly in your loft and a different set top box to sort it out for you to view.
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David Mitchell
The Sky+ box has 2 inputs so that it can record while you are viewing.
Do you have 2 leads from you existing LNB on your dish? If you do then it will work as expected but you will need a Sky+ subscription so that they enable the recording/playback section of the box. If you only have a single lead then connect that to the LNB1 input. You can then use the box either for Sky with a subscription but not for recording, or else for Freesat.
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Briantist:
It was my understanding that broadcasters use a conversion system, originally pioneered by the BBC and later updated to be fully digital, to standards convert from 525/60 into 625/50 (frames of course) so that programmes are shown at normal speed, speech is at normal pitch and duration is as originally intended (apart from any subsequent editting).
Is that still the case?
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Cedric
It is possible you may have blown a fusible link, but to be more use it would help if you could tell us which box you have.
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Peter Scott:
You are receiving either the Sky free channels or FreeSat - both of which operate differently from Freeview. A Freeview PVR cannot receive any signals from a satellite, but a FreeSat PVR can. A Freeview PVR needs a terrestrial aerial to receive the Freeview multiplexes available in your area and cannot be connected to a dish.
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Paul
The Frome transmitter provides HD on Channel 28 at a power of just 2 Watts, so is likely to be a very local coverage service only, it being siituated close to North Parade and Willow Vale. Mendip provides HD on Channel 59 at 100 KiloWatts and is available over a much wider area.
Depending on the geography between you and Mendip you may be able to get full services from there unless you are 'hidden' from Mendip by the hill in the direction of Mendip at about 2km out from your location.
Trowbridge is widely served by Mendip and has few geographical problems.
Note that Mendip used Group C/D vertically polarised whereas Frome uses Group A aerials vertically polarised. So by looking at your aerial your should be able to tell which it is pointing at, if the cross rods are upright it is on Frome, if there are across then it is Mendip.
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Just to add to this debate, having worked for Philips I know the 'factory gate' price of the equipment represents only about 25-30% of the retail price (and that includes the manufacturer's profit margin). So the component prices don't really reflect the final price of the device, there are many other cost factors to consider in addition. On top of the 'factory gate' price you must factor in the wholesale and retail costs, distribution and delivery costs, advertising and marketing, cost of premises and associated taxes, staff costs, VAT and so on.
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Cedric Slowen
Having at last found a circuit, I'm afraid it shows there are irrepairable fusible links feeding power to the connections via some circuitry used to control the polarity, etc. It could be that one of those has failed.
You could carefully try measuring the voltage, if any, on the input connections if you have a voltmeter to hand. When working it should show between 5 and 18 volts. If it shows zero then the links have failed.
You might try a local repair service but they may not be able to help much, or be rather more expensive than getting a replacement box, some goo refurbished ones are around on the internet.
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MikeB
Of course retailers are under pressure, always appreciated that. The 'supply chain' is where most margins are added on.
As an example, a friend works for an electronics manufacturer and they sell out one of their products at just under £15 but by the time it reaches the retailer that has risen to £27.45 and retails, by some, at £29.95. So I know the retail margin is very tight but somewhere along the line is a 'comfortable living' being made.
But the real point was that just because the components needed are not that expensive, by the time it reaches the buying public the margins/costs all add up to extra cash being paid out over and above the materials costs.
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Monday 13 January 2014 8:26PM
Tracy
If you have a wall socket or two feeding the satellite signals, you could replace them with a new one or two. See Patch/Fly Lead 1.5M F Plug Satellite Extension Cable: Amazon.co.uk: Electronics as a possible source - other traders sell them as well.
The connectors at each end have a central 'pin' protruding a few mm from the end and the silver body screws onto the socket. If the centra pin is broken or bent then the signals will not get through to the box.