What TV source to choose?

[Big Aura]

Hello all

I've recently bought a new house, but the vendor is suffering a bit of sour grapes (he now reckons he sold too cheaply) and, as a result, he's taking lots of things you'd expect to be included.
I expect to have to buy lightbulbs...
One thing he's taking is the sky dish, but he's leaving the aerial.
Currently, I have a freesat box (Humax Foxsat), so I'm going to need to spend some cash.
Options are:
1. Install a new dish and continue with Freesat. Does anyone have any idea (roughly) how much this will cost (in London). Downside is that I'll be stuck with Freesat's never-expanding platform.
2. Flog the Humax Foxsat on fleabay (possibly re-couping £85) and buy a Freeview HD box. Presume the standard roof aerial will suffice for that? There aren't any Freeview HD PVRs available yet - would be nice to wait for one of those. I've read (in WHF) that the HD signal on Freeview HD isn't quite as good as the Freesat... but does anyone know how much of a difference there is? This will give me more HD channels, and possibly is more likely to be added to over time... thoughts?
3. Virgin V+HD. More expensive, but as I can get a phone/broadband/telly (XL) bundle for £19 a month more than my current BT landline / O2 broadband solution, and the V+HD box is only £49, this is looking quite attractive. Does anyone know whether Sky1HD is likely to be added to this platform - the thought of Mr Bauer in HD would really sway Mrs Aura...!
4. Sky+HD (not allowed to spend £50 a month on this!!)
Views from the great and the good of WHF?!
Many thanks
BA

 

[daveh75]

Big Aura:Hello all

I've recently bought a new house, but the vendor is suffering a bit of sour grapes (he now reckons he sold too cheaply) and, as a result, he's taking lots of things you'd expect to be included.
I expect to have to buy lightbulbs...
One thing he's taking is the sky dish, but he's leaving the aerial.
Currently, I have a freesat box (Humax Foxsat), so I'm going to need to spend some cash.
Options are:
1. Install a new dish and continue with Freesat. Does anyone have any idea (roughly) how much this will cost (in London). Downside is that I'll be stuck with Freesat's never-expanding platform. maximum £80 for a single feed install and £110 for twin feed.
2. Flog the Humax Foxsat on fleabay (possibly re-couping £85) and buy a Freeview HD box. Presume the standard roof aerial will suffice for that?That will depend on the age/condition of the current aerial/cabling and the Freeview coverage in your area.There aren't any Freeview HD PVRs available yet -This will give me more HD channels, and possibly is more likely to be added to over time... thoughts?Freeview HD currently offers the same as Freesat, i.e 2 channels,with 4HD coming later in the year and who knows when/what will fill the 4th slot now Five has lost it. There wont be anymore than 4/5 HD channels, for a long time to come, because thats all Freeview has the bandwidth for....... If its HD content you want, as much as it pains me to say it- Sky is still the best option.

 

[Big Aura]

Ahh, didn't know that aerial condition may be a factor. It's South London (zone 2) so should be well within the catchment for the new HD service, but in any case - didn't know that there was a cap on the number of channels.

Looks like I'm now leaning to Virgin... Sky is by far the best option - but will mean £50+ a month, as opposed to £20 a month, and the mortgage is likely to be crippling for the first little while, with all of the other moving expenses.

thank Daveh75.

 

[Big Aura]

daveh75 - should I decide on the path of least resistance (and get another dish for freesat), what should I look out for - there appear to be two dish sizes (44 and 60cm?). I don't need a quad LNB, but for future-proofing, would I be wise to get one now?

Cheers

 

[daveh75]

Generally speaking, with satellite the bigger the dish the better. It will give a greater margin against "rain fade" i.e less chance of signal drop-out in extreme weather.

Having said that though a 45cm (zone 1) mini-dish will be adequate for your part of the world, simply because the further south you are the stronger the signals will be from Astra 2D, which with it's UK focused beams are strong anyway..

It's worth future proofing and adding a quad or even octo LNB now,yes. It will work out cheaper in the long run since fitting one when the dish is being fitted doesn't require any additional labour.So you'll just be paying the extra cost of the LNB itself.

 

[Big Aura]

daveh75, many thanks. (again!).