I know its not England, but it is the UK. Wales get more or less exactly the same output from the BBC and ITV, even though it's fed through Cardiff. If viewers in Scotland and NI can get Channel 4, why can't viewers in Wales get it instead of a channel which most of the time speaks a language that a huge chunk of the population can't understand
He said he didn't want DSat, although I agree it would answer the basic problem. You don't need to subscribe to Sky to get the basic 5 channels, just buy a second-hand Sky box and dish, install yourself and acquire a freesat card (I believe Sky will sell you one for £25). That way you'll be able to receive all the channels you need.
Oh fantastic. Please tell me more or where I can find more information about this.
I already have digital satellite equipment - what else do I need?
All you need to get access to the free channels available on the digital satellite platform is a freesat viewing card which costs just £20.
So it's £20 rather than £25, bonus
Anyway a Sky box can be had on ebay for around £30 second-hand. If you have two houses you go to regularly, all you would need is one box, and two dishes installed either by yourself or I am sure there will be folks near you who are handy enough to do this for you. It isn't hard, just a case of hooking the bracket to the wall and aligning the dish correctly. I did mine in an hour the first time I did it. Dishes can be bought for £10-20, and if you need a meter, they're another tenner, all on ebay.
Examples here (usual disclaimer about don't blame me if these specific items are faulty etc lol):
He said he didn't want DSat, although I agree it would answer the basic problem. You don't need to subscribe to Sky to get the basic 5 channels, just buy a second-hand Sky box and dish, install yourself and acquire a freesat card (I believe Sky will sell you one for £25). That way you'll be able to receive all the channels you need.
Oh fantastic. Please tell me more or where I can find more information about this.
In addition to the post above, if you would rather not buy a second hand box or do a self-install:
Freesat from Sky costs £150 - includes Dish, Box, Card & Installation.
- however with the current £10/month for first 3 months offer and then the 2-mix package at £15/month a years viewing costs slightly less than £150 (free installation, box & dish), and you can cancel at the end, at which point the viewing card becomes a 'Freesat' card.
Well ive been able to get Channel 5 since day one, and ive also had Channel 4 since the mid 1990s.
Well that's because you live on the sunny southern seaside young Jez [and your aerial also points towards Mendip].
I have had C4 since the mid 90s because I had cable so could pick it up on that, same with HTV West on number 97. They put S4C on number 98 on the cable box and Channel 4 in its correct place. My aerial does not point to Mendip.
He said he didn't want DSat, although I agree it would answer the basic problem. You don't need to subscribe to Sky to get the basic 5 channels, just buy a second-hand Sky box and dish, install yourself and acquire a freesat card (I believe Sky will sell you one for £25). That way you'll be able to receive all the channels you need.
Oh fantastic. Please tell me more or where I can find more information about this.
In addition to the post above, if you would rather not buy a second hand box or do a self-install:
Freesat from Sky costs £150 - includes Dish, Box, Card & Installation.
- however with the current £10/month for first 3 months offer and then the 2-mix package at £15/month a years viewing costs slightly less than £150 (free installation, box & dish), and you can cancel at the end, at which point the viewing card becomes a 'Freesat' card.
Good point, I hadn't thought of that. Yes that is a good alternative, and you get a few extra channels for the first year. Just have to make sure you cancel after the year.
Well ive been able to get Channel 5 since day one, and ive also had Channel 4 since the mid 1990s.
Well that's because you live on the sunny southern seaside young Jez [and your aerial also points towards Mendip].
I have had C4 since the mid 90s because I had cable so could pick it up on that, same with HTV West on number 97. They put S4C on number 98 on the cable box and Channel 4 in its correct place. My aerial does not point to Mendip.
Oh right, I thought we were on about terrestrial?
I remember S4C being on ch98, nicely tidied away at the end -- how thoughful of them.
You can pick up the west [and westcountry ish] terrestrially mostly around where you are in your cottage in the woods too mind you, as Wenvoe is in the same direction as Mendip.
He said he didn't want DSat, although I agree it would answer the basic problem. You don't need to subscribe to Sky to get the basic 5 channels, just buy a second-hand Sky box and dish, install yourself and acquire a freesat card (I believe Sky will sell you one for £25). That way you'll be able to receive all the channels you need.
Oh fantastic. Please tell me more or where I can find more information about this.
In addition to the post above, if you would rather not buy a second hand box or do a self-install:
Freesat from Sky costs £150 - includes Dish, Box, Card & Installation.
- however with the current £10/month for first 3 months offer and then the 2-mix package at £15/month a years viewing costs slightly less than £150 (free installation, box & dish), and you can cancel at the end, at which point the viewing card becomes a 'Freesat' card.
Good point, I hadn't thought of that. Yes that is a good alternative, and you get a few extra channels for the first year. Just have to make sure you cancel after the year.
No, I don't want installation, I can do all that myself. Thanks for the info Jason.
One quick suggestion would be to get the card registered to your address in the YTV region. I'm not 100% sure, but I think in Wales either (1) you can't get C4 even on satellite, or (2) it's shuffled away on some obscure channel number somewhere. I think it's (2) but don't quote me on that.
By registering the card at home it comes pre-loaded with local BBC/ITV mappings for your home address so you'll be able to watch Look North/Calendar if that's any use to you. It also guarantees that C4 is available on channel 104.
EDIT Channel 4 is available on Satellite in Wales on Channel 117. Still not 100% ideal so better to register the card in England (so that way C4 is on 104 and S4C is on 135).
Well ive been able to get Channel 5 since day one, and ive also had Channel 4 since the mid 1990s.
Well that's because you live on the sunny southern seaside young Jez [and your aerial also points towards Mendip].
I have had C4 since the mid 90s because I had cable so could pick it up on that, same with HTV West on number 97. They put S4C on number 98 on the cable box and Channel 4 in its correct place. My aerial does not point to Mendip.
Oh right, I thought we were on about terrestrial?
I remember S4C being on ch98, nicely tidied away at the end -- how thoughful of them.
You can pick up the west [and westcountry ish] terrestrially mostly around where you are in your cottage in the woods too mind you, as Wenvoe is in the same direction as Mendip.
Oh i can pick up Westcountry, but the picture is bad, but i didnt know Westcountry was Mendip? Maybe my aerial does point there then?. Im sure ive been able to pick up Channel 5 since the start on both cable and terrestrial.
I think S4C is still on ch98 for those who still have analogue cable in Wales, ive got digital now and we only have the S4C digital channel, not the one which has both Welsh and English programmes, I guess they thought no-one would want it what with Channel 4 being available. HTV West is on number 850 and ITV London on number 952. I have the BBC nations on there as well but never watch those so no idea of the numbers.
One quick suggestion would be to get the card registered to your address in the YTV region. I'm not 100% sure, but I think in Wales either (1) you can't get C4 even on satellite, or (2) it's shuffled away on some obscure channel number somewhere. I think it's (2) but don't quote me on that.
By registering the card at home it comes pre-loaded with local BBC/ITV mappings for your home address so you'll be able to watch Look North/Calendar if that's any use to you. It also guarantees that C4 is available on channel 104.
EDIT Channel 4 is available on Satellite in Wales on Channel 117. Still not 100% ideal so better to register the card in England (so that way C4 is on 104 and S4C is on 135).
Yes, and I think on DSS you can get both the BBC1 and BBC2 national channels (i.e, Scotland, Wales and NI), BBC2 England and all the BBC1 English regions. I can probably even get the ITV1 regions if I tune into them. The instructins to do so are somewhere on this site.
There's also BBC2 England on 951, which is handy for the Welsh who don't like 2W, but it's pointless for the rest of us who get the same feed on Channel 2/102 anyway.
