[mythtv-users] Freeview channels on UK Sky Dish. FTA vs FTV? CAM required?
Robert Longbottom
RobertCL at iname.com
Fri Dec 15 20:12:30 UTC 2006
Stroller wrote:
> Hi there,
>
> I'm wondering if there's anyone on the list who can advise me. I'm
> based in a part of England which doesn't have great Freeview
> reception, in a town with a particularly low-quality cable feed.
>
> It's my understanding that most of these channels (or a good
> selection of free junk-tv channels, at least) is available on the Sky
> satellites and that one doesn't need a full Sky subscription to
> access them.
>
>
> My understanding is that the BBC channels are "free to air" (FTA) and
> unencrypted and that these can be accessed using a Hauppage Nova-s
> DVB-S PCI card and Sky dish. I think that's what this chap <http://
> tinyurl.com/yza9yt> is doing.
>
>
I've got all the BBC and ITV channels FTA using a dish from Maplins and
their set top box - not gotten round to getting them to work in Myth yet
but my understanding it that it is possible. I can't also get the
interactive streams ("press the red button now"), except that I don't
have a "red" button so have to manually find the streams, which is a
little tedious, but maybe there is a way round this I've just not found yet.
> A greater number of channels are, however, "free to view" but
> nevertheless encrypted (FTV). As I understand it you can watch these
> with a purchase of a £20 "freesat viewing card" if you "already have
> a Sky box & dish". <http://www.freesatfromsky.co.uk/?pID=6>
>
> Does this sound correct so far? Anyone know?
>
>
I've heard of this too but not really looked into it. I think the main
things it gives you over FTA are channel 4, E4, more 4 and channel 5
(and probably some more). Oh, you can get Film4 on FTA.
> Now, as I understand it this "freesat viewing card" is of a standard
> CAM (common access module?) format. There's some mention of this in
> this posting <http://tinyurl.com/vrtlo>, but it's not clear to me if
> CAMs are compatible with MythTV, whether only certain models of CAM
> are, or what.
> <snip>
>
Don't know much about CAM's hopefully someone else will reply.
> Finally: is there any list of the FTA vs FTV services available on UK
> Sky Dish? Should I just accept that I don't need Men & Motors _that_
> badly (unavailability of the Home Shopping Channel would be a
> disappointment, tho' ;)
>
You can get details of the FTA channels at
http://www.lyngsat.com/28east.html . Takes a bit of digging to find
what you want but I think the info is basically there. (oh and I
currently get Men & Motors FTA ;-) )
Robert.
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