Freeview vs Sky

So my understanding is that both are giving you a digital viewing experience. The question is, do you need both? We have sky digital and to be honest we watch almost as much as the other 4 channels, especially UKTV. So, what's the difference? Are they just giving you different channels?:rolleyes:

Excuse all the technology questions.....[]

Technology questions are fine Oskatd

It gets boring if there are only animal questions all the time

The whole situation with FreeView and Sky is a pain in the arse really [!]

There are some FreeView channels you cannot get on Sky e.g. TVNZ6, TVNZ7 and TVNZ Sports Extra. In most other countries, you can get all channels on Pay TV and just some as Free-to-Air. Not in NZ [xx(]

Then of course, we have the opposite situation regarding Prime for viewers outside the main centres. Prime is not broadcast on UHF north of Whangarei. And, even though it is a Free-to-Air channel, it is not broadcast on FreeView either. So nobody in the Far North can see it unless they have Sky.

Consequently, for us TV consumers, we now need two Set Top Boxes in order to access all the channels. This is just plain stupid IMO [!]

Having said that, the programs on TVNZ6 et al are pretty dismal viewing, and if you have Sky, well why would you bother with them?

By failing to put these extra channels on Sky, TVNZ have largely confined them to the dustbin of TV history IMO. It will be interesting to see how many are in existence in a few years time.

Cheers, Grant. It's as I thought! Is there any reason why sky or whoever couldn't offer broadband via satellite, or is that not possible &/or too much to hope for? would seem sensible to me to get everything through the dish on the roof....

Sky or FreeView dishes are Receive Only. In order to get broadband, the dish needs to be capable of Transmitting as well. And of course, the satellite needs to be geared up for bi-directional comms as well.

The Optus D1 satellite currently used for Sky is mostly set up for Digital Video Broadcasting (DVB). Consequently, for broadband, you need a dish which is pointing at another satellite. In this part of the world, the best satellite for broadband is IPStar as offered by Farmside, Wireless Nation, ICONZ, Orcon et al.

So, to summarise:

- You need a bi-directional dish for broadband (vs. Receive Only for Sky)

- The dish needs to be pointed at a different satellite than the one Sky uses

Both of these reasons preclude use of the existing Sky dish for broadband. Maybe it will be possible in future, but not anytime soon I would say.

Right, so a sort of simple explanation why it won't happen. Seems like a good idea to the uninformed like me....

How do sky know when you book a movie then? Or is that what the phone line is for? Have never figured out what the phone line is for, as we have accidentially left it unplugged for weeks with no effect on sky at all....

I wondered about the phone line thing too! We've just got sky and have never had it before so its a learning curve. We got it with a special offer and there were 12 free movies included. We didnt have a clue how to get them so contacted sky, they booked it for us and low and behold at 8.35 it appeared just as they said it would! How could we have doubted them. She did ask if we had a phone line in at the back, we said no as we don't and it would be quite difficult for us to get one.
I wonder if this means we'll always have to phone to book a film?

I'm liking it, mainly as we now have a perfect picture and Prime - I find we mostly watch about 3 Sky channels and I would be too embarassed to tell you what they are ( Not porn though!!) and the normal tv. Really happy with it though.

we have the base Sky package so we can get the free tp air channels and its great. We budget for 1 movie per month and are happy with that. A friend recently got freeview and is very dissapointed with the quality. The TVNZ extra channels are apparently pretty poor and shes pissed off as she cant get Prime.

Gidday

Well I aint no techno or whatever and I do have freeview.

I just don't have the money and could not justify it to myself to pay monthly for TV when there is enough there free.

It all depends on how much time you sit viewing and what you want to see while doing it.

I find that the TVNZ 7, Stratos and CUE plus the regular 1,2,3 and Maori to be sufficient for me. I am not interested in sport except the odd test but if any sport cannot give it to us live they can go to hell.

With Freeview you buy the box and the set up costs then that's it, no more cost so that suits me fine.

It's my understanding that all new TVs are shipping with Freeview decoders, so it's likely to endure a while.

By failing to put these extra channels on Sky, TVNZ have largely confined them to the dustbin of TV history IMO. It will be interesting to see how many are in existence in a few years time.

Actually, that's by Sky refusing to take those channels, I'm sure TVNZ would love Sky to screen them.

I find that the TVNZ 7, Stratos and CUE plus the regular 1,2,3 and Maori to be sufficient for me

How are you finding TVNZ 7 Jack? (never heard of Stratos & CUE, but) glad that someone else finds the Maori channel a good view (sell TVNZ & give the charter money to Maori TV I reckon!)

oskatd;185571 wrote: How do sky know when you book a movie then? Or is that what the phone line is for? Have never figured out what the phone line is for, as we have accidentially left it unplugged for weeks with no effect on sky at all....

Correct, the phone line is only used when you book a movie.

BillyTheTractor;185583 wrote: I wondered about the phone line thing too! We've just got sky and have never had it before so its a learning curve. We got it with a special offer and there were 12 free movies included. We didnt have a clue how to get them so contacted sky, they booked it for us and low and behold at 8.35 it appeared just as they said it would! How could we have doubted them. She did ask if we had a phone line in at the back, we said no as we don't and it would be quite difficult for us to get one.
I wonder if this means we'll always have to phone to book a film?

Calling Sky is the other way of doing it if you can't get access to a phone line. It works equally well, but takes much longer than pressing a few buttons on the remote [8D]

Llew;185590 wrote: It's my understanding that all new TVs are shipping with Freeview decoders, so it's likely to endure a while.

Don't get me wrong -- I'm not saying that FreeView won't endure; it is definitely here to stay.

It's just the continued existence of those extra channels with old/recycyled/niche content that I am questioning.

Llew;185590 wrote: Actually, that's by Sky refusing to take those channels, I'm sure TVNZ would love Sky to screen them.

The problem is that Sky want lots of money to screen the extra channels. Last I heard, they were charging in excess of $1M per year per channel.

Given the very small number of viewers for those FreeView-only channels, it isn't likely that TVNZ would want to stump up $3M for the privilege of having Sky rebroadcast their channels.

TVNZ and Sky are actually at loggerheads presently over the Prime issue []

I dont have sky but the telephone jackpoint is for the movies you pay for to transmit to you. I know this because my neighbour has sky and that telephone line crashed her phone for 10 days before telecom would come and fix it

Dont have them just get TV1 TV2 PRIME gota have Prime for Dr WHO

sod;185598 wrote: Dont have them just get TV1 TV2 PRIME gota have Prime for Dr WHO

These are old Analogue transmissions which will be switched off around 2012 or thereabouts.

Eventually, everyone will need to have FreeView or Sky, otherwise they will not get TV any more [!]

You don't need to have a set top box for Freeview ...

You can get a - correct me, b/c I'll get it wrong - digital whodakythingiemebob for approx $272 which you plug in to your computer (well, your Mac anyway) and TV (or is it sat?) aerial and through which you can then receive (and record) FreeView.