All posts by jb38
Below are all of jb38's postings, with the most recent are at the bottom of the page.
pat williamson: If I am understanding you correctly are you actually saying that your Sky box cannot receive ITV3? as ITV3 is on channel 119 on a Sky box and is NOT encrypted, meaning that you do not require a card inserted to receive it.
As a matter of fact you do not really require a card inserted for most channels except Sony TV on 157, as although its a free channel it is encrypted so that it cant (without difficulty anyway) be viewed outside of the UK.
Try punching in 119 on your Sky box, and if the channel is still not there then remove the mains supply plug from the box and after about a minute or so reconnect it again, then once you find that the box is responding to the remote control again by taking it out of standby, just let it go through its usual "searching for listings" procedure and carry out a further check on 119, ITV3+1 on 180.
By the way a Sky free to view card used to be £20.00 but I believe its went up to £25.00 now, although to be quite frank about it considering the extra channels you get by having it its not worth the bother, and of course its unnecessary anyway as your Sky subscription card reverts to being a "free to view" card when the subscription is cancelled.
| link to this comment |
Mags: By rights no! as a card has to be permanently installed in the box to allow the recording / playback side of it to operate because the access codes necessary to allow this operation are on the card, and unless anything has been changed in recent times the card from the main box cannot be used in the proposed second one either as serial numbers are involved.
| link to this comment |
Mick Allsop: Provided the identification plate on the old LNB is seen to state 9.75 - 10.6 Ghz then its perfectly OK for what you wish to do, although watch that its fixing collar its cracked or split and caused by the plastic having turned brittle through age.
By the way LNB's, just like normal aerials arent digital or analogue specific, albeit some advertisers might make it appear that way.
| link to this comment |
Billy: Your problem can be caused by two entirely different reasons, one being connected with the way you have the scart lead from the Freeview box connected into your TV, and the second concerned with whether or not you have the aerial passing though the Sky box because you are using the Sky boxes RF output to feed Sky programmes to a remotely positioned TV.
If the latter does not apply then does your TV have one or two scart sockets?
| link to this comment |
charlotte: The dish is 100% compatible with both Sky and Freesat, and so you can just couple the lead from the dish straight into your Freesat box.
| link to this comment |
Billy: Unfortunately even although you have fully described your set up the problem you have can still be caused by two different reasons. However first of all try connecting your aerial straight into the Freeview box and see if that allows you to pick up the channels on an auto-tune, as if it does then that suggests that its the Sky boxes RF modulator that is causing the problem, and so make sure the modulators output is set to somewhere between 62 - 69 as that keeps it well away from any possible clashes with Belmont or Emley Moor, as I am unaware which of the two you receive from.
By the way to alter the RF channel used by the modulator press : services - 4 (system set up) this followed by "0 - 1 - select" and the installers menu will appear, select 4 and alter the channel number. (Note if its a Sky HD box then "system set up" might be 1 rather than 4)
The other point I am not sure about is whether or not when the Sky+ box is activated and it captures the TV that you have countered this by pressing the TV's input selector menu button and selected either AV1 or AV2 scart that the Freeview box is connected into? as that's what you generally have to do on all devices that offers a range of input facilities, and why the input selector button is conveniently placed on the remote control.
Of course if you use the TV's HDMI (2) input for your Sky box then the TV should not auto-switch when the Sky box is taken out of standby, as auto-switching is usually only operable on No1 HDMI input, but if this is done then you have to use the input selector button drop down menu to select HDMI (2) to view the Sky box again.
| link to this comment |
karen: Can you get access to the Sky boxes menu? if so press "services" on your Sky remote control then use the up/down arrows to highlight "system setup" and press select, then use the up/down arrows to scroll down to "signal test" then press select.
Do you see anything indicated as far as strength / quality is concerned? if not then although this is unlikely to apply check that the LNB settings are OK.
The procedure is /
1:- Press Services.
2:- Highlight System Setup (4) and press select.
3:- Press "0 - 1 - select" and you should now see the installers menu, scroll to and press on LNB set up and check if what's seen indicated matches up with the under mentioned.
Low frequency - 9.75
High Frequency - 10.60
The LNB power supply should always be set to on.
The 22KHz Command should always be set to on.
If anything doesnt then press the red button to re-set the default settings, then using the up/down arrows, highlight "save new settings" and press select. (press the red button anyway even if they are seen to match up)
If after doing this you still cannot receive anything then the dish could be out of alignment or the cable / "F" connector at the dish end could be waterlogged, the only other thing left being the possibility of the box itself having failed, not exactly unheard of!
| link to this comment |
Billy: Sorry about that mix up, (trying to do two things at the same time!) as I really meant to say try it with the aerial being connected straight into the TV and not through the Sky box, this test verifying (or not!) if its the Sky boxes RF modulator that is causing the problem, although everything else I mentioned regarding the RF socket etc still applies.
The only thing I am curious about is why you are using the Sky boxes "analogue" RF output? is it to feed the Sky programme being viewed to a second TV located in another room? as that's all this facility is ever used for other than maybe a person with a Sky box using it with an old analogue TV, or one without a scart socket, if though the former does not apply (as obviously the latter certainly would not) then the aerial should not be going through the Sky box.
Regarding your PIP, what model of TV do you have?
| link to this comment |
Vin Roberts: Yes, you are quite correct in what you have said, insomuch that a Freesat PVR will simply use the two feeds from the dish that are presently used by the Sky+ box and with no modifications whatsoever being required, as Sky a Freesat are 100% compatible with each other in this respect.
As far as glitch free reception is concerned, nothing can really beat reception via satellite as its about on par with the best of cable TV, because as you will no doubt already know (by having been a Sky user) that about the only time a problem is ever experienced is usually during a very heavy thundery down pour, ironically Freeview being relatively unaffected by this type of situation, one of the few it isn't though!
I would think along the lines of having a look at the Humax range of Freesat PVR's, as although admittedly they are slightly more expensive you basically get what you pay for, plus they have excellent back up facilities via the web.
| link to this comment |
Thursday 16 August 2012 8:40PM
tom: Well in that case (if checked correctly) then it only really leaves the possibility of the dish being out of alignment, as setting up a Sky dish requires the utmost of precision in its alignment as if its the merest fraction out it will kill the signal, although the usual mistake made by many if using one of these small sat finders is to set it up on the wrong satellite such as 19.2, as although that seems to be quite far away from 28.2 on one of these meters referred to it only represents the slightest of movement.
What do you see indicated strength / quality wise on the signal level check screen when you press "services - 4 - 6"