Going fta, some advice

Fresh Pots

Hi, planning on going fta soon and just want to be sure i'm buying the right equipment. There seems to be a fairly knowledgeable bunch in here so here goes, I want 4 boxes linked up to the dish, with two to be recorders.

Room 1: Humax Foxsat-HD Freesat Receiver - Will this give me an epg for both fta channels and the Irish ones?

Room 2: Got a saorview compatible television so I would only need a fta HD recorder box, with epg. Any recommendations?

Rooms 3+4 Basic fta boxes (no recorder function)with epg.

The satellite dish: Which is better? 20cm or 60cm. Also would I need an 6way lnb for this set up?

NIMAN

Right, if you want 4 receivers, and 2 must be recorders, then you need 6 cables coming in from your dish, so thats an octo output LNB for starters.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_0_19?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=freesat+hd+recorder&x=0&y=0&sprefix=freesat+hd+recorder#/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=octo+lnb&rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3Aocto+lnb

Humax is meant to be a good box according to the reviews. Its a Freesat branded box, which is basically a form of software/EPG to show the channels on the Freesat platform, so your Irish channels will not be on the EPG I'm afraid.

Your Room2 question puzzles me slightly. Surely if you want a box to record then it will have to be something like another Humax, or one of the cheaper brands like Sagem or Grundig?

For rooms 3 & 4 there are plenty of Freesat boxes out there. Here's a list for all your questions
http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_0_19?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=freesat+hd+recorder&x=0&y=0&sprefix=freesat+hd+recorder#/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=freesat+&rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3Afreesat+


You don't say if these can be SD or if you want them to be HD too.

As for dish, didn't know they came as small as 20cm. Forget that if they do, the bigger the better for Ireland. Go 60cm.

Fresh Pots

Thanks for the info niman, yes I should have been more clear, I don't need hd in the third and forth rooms. I'll have a look at them links now.

As for the dish, your right they don't come that small was getting mixed up with something else.

Thanks again.

NIMAN

If you are looking for a couple of cheapo SD boxes, try this link
http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/5321557/Trail/searchtext%3EFREESAT+SD.htm

It is however to the UK Argos as the Irish one doesn't stock Freesat branded items as its a UK based system.

If you know someone in the North, perhaps they could help you out. I could if my local stores had them in stock.

Edit: just checked and 2 local stores have some in stock.

Fresh Pots

Thanks for the offer niman. Think I'll just buy them off amazon, it would probably work out similar enough in price after postage anyway.

scan16c

Hello, sorry if i am butting in, usual story new to this stuff, I am attempting to setup a FTA system which will pick up atlantic bird 1, I am in mid west is it.possible to pick up this satellite and if so what equipment will I need to achieve, any help/info would be greatly appreciated .
regards
scan