[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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