big wheels

Evening John.
I'm afraid the lidl box wont get you any of the sky channels even if you subscribe, as it only does what it says on the box (free to air).
To receive any sky channels other than the free to air BBC chans you need a receiver with a built in video guard decoder and card slot ie the sky digi boxes

The lidl box and small dish do work very well for free channels on other satellites with a wider beam over Spain.

BW.

EsuriJohn

Hi bigwheels,

Only quoting what it says in heavy red type in the advert "can be used to receive Sky but will require a subscription to the service"

I think it has a card slot.

Regards,

John.

big wheels

Be very careful, the receivers that lidl sell are normally the ones made by
Comag. These are very good receivers but they are only for free to air use.
I would be very wary of the Sky claim. Ask some questions as to what decoder if any it has embedded. And will they give you your cash back if it don't work.
If you can post the make and model of the receiver they are advertising I'll make some enquiries and get back.

regards.
BW.

EsuriJohn

Hi bigwheels,

They don't come in until Thursday so I can't examine them too closely but I have looked carefully at the description and photo's using my trusty magnifying glass. It says:-

Receiver features include

• Plug and play
• Auto search with 4500 programmable channels
• MPEG-2 and on screen DVN compatible
• On Screen Display
• Super fast teletext, 800 pages
• Software update via satellite 'Astra 19'
• Multi function timer
• Coaxial, optical and S-VHS connection
• Pre-programmed satellites; Astra, Astra II, Eutelsat Hotbird, Turksat and Hisoasat
• Twin Scart

The pictures show it is called "Silver Crest" SL 65 DVB and lots of labels for the inputs/outputs but not the manufacturers label

Regards,

John.

big wheels

Hi John
This receiver is branded as 'SilverCrest' with no mention of Comag, but it is 100% Comag and is mentioned by name in the operating manual. It is strictly a free to air receiver only, and by all reports a quite good one.
If anyone is interested you can have a look at the manual for these boxes here.
http://comag-ag.de/software/silvercr...L65_man_EN.pdf
please note there is no mention of a card slot.

Lidl are renowned for gaffes on product descriptions, they are written by people who probably know nothing about the product, they did the same with an analogue receiver a couple of years ago, saying that it could receive the free to air Sky channels, but changed it after people started returning the boxes.

regards
BW.

Chiclanagir

La Jaconde
These frequencies you gave for E4 - help!

Input the frequencies you gave but when you press select nothing happens and it reverts back to original settings.

EsuriJohn

Hi bigwheels,

I have had a look at the manual and compared the diagrams with the photo's in the Lidl paper and I would say they are the same.

If I did not want any Sky subscription channels on a second TV set would I be able to have a large dish (say 2m) with 2 transponders one wired direct to the Comag box and the second wired to a Sky box and receive separate linefeeds in different rooms. The lounge with Sky on subscription and the bedroom with Comag, would I get the UK freeview channels plus free to air programmes in the bedroom.

Also do you agree that the Panasonic box is the best in sensitivity terms for the Costa Esuri Urbanisation?

Regards,

John.

big wheels

Evening John
There would be no problem at all in running two receivers from the one dish.
You will need to buy a twin outlet LNB. Just run one cable to the sky box and the other to the comag box. The comag box will then work on the FTA BBC etc. But not the free to view ITV, ch4, 5, E4 etc. ( I realise it can be confusing but there is a difference between free to air and free to view)
The best way to explain it is if you were to take out your sky veiwing card from the sky box. The channels left open are the ones that are available with the comag.
If you prefer, by fitting a DUAL LNB You could also pick up 2 or more different satellites from the same static dish. See my reply in this thread.
http://britishexpats.com/forum/showt...26#post2558926

As to the Panasonic box being the best for your area. I can't speak personally as I refuse to have anything to do with Mr Murdochs' monopoly
I find plenty to watch on the many other satellites without resorting to paying any money to SKY
I can only go on what others say. The Panasonic does seem to be better than others for picking up the weaker signals.
regards
BW

EsuriJohn

Morning bigwheels,

Great to meet a fellow Murdoch phobe. I think he should be the real enemy not poor old George he's just doing his misguided best.

Thanks for all the info it will come in handy when "Big Build Spain" is finished. Part of the agreement with "her indoors" is that she will be able to follow her beloved Liverpool FC, the Olympics, cricket, rowing and just about any other non-American sport thats available.

Part of my "crafty plan" is to nick a Sky digi box from my sister who lives in deepest Wales and wouldn't get telly if it wasn't for satellite, and moving between farm properties has got three boxes, one of which is a Panasonic.

Indecently do you know the model number for the sensitive one?

We don't have one here in MK since the original town plan did not allow external ariel's or dishes so we are all cabled, but it is horrible old analogue, so I have a selection of channels on my cable box and a loft ariel for digital freeview. My Sony 'tele' has dual inputs so we get the best of both worlds.

I saw your explanation of the difference between "Freeview", "free to view" and "free to air" on another thread and before that thought they were interchangeable, but now realise you need different equipment to view each unless you succumb to the dreaded Murdoch.

From this conversation I have learned that you can have "dual LNBs" and "twin LNBs" and you get 2 of one and one of the other but I think I would need two LNBs to feed different requirements int different rooms?

Regards,

John.

big wheels

Hi John. Murdoch phobes of the world unite eh?
If you want to watch different channels from the same satellite, in different rooms with two tv's and two receivers. You only need the one LNB with two outputs.
one of these.

La Joconde

[QUOTE=glynis]La Jaconde
These frequencies you gave for E4 - help!

Input the frequencies you gave but when you press select nothing happens and it reverts back to original settings.[/QUOTE

Glynis, the frequencies were correct when I gave them to you. You need to input via "Services" press 4 then 4 again, enter the frequencies, move to the last line and press select, you need to wait for a while, if you can receive the channel, it will appear maybe with others, just tick against the channel and press select, then you should be able to access it via services at will.

I think you were trying to change the default frequencies that's why it was reversing back to the original set up.

Good luck.
Hope this is helpful.

derek500

E4 is now on Freeview (digital terrestrial in the UK). On Sky it is part of a subsciption package so not free to view.

Chiclanagir

Did try what you said and ticked the channel but when I went to try to view E4 it said you had to upgrade your subscription.

If it is on digital terrestial is it possible to get a free to view box from the UK and use it that way?

big wheels

Not even with an aerial 3miles high digital terrestrial means just that. ie The signal for E4 is sent to your roof top aerial from the UK local transmitter mast,along with all the old analog signals.

regards
BW.

Beachcomber

You can find a full description of the differences between 'Freeview', 'Free to View' and 'Free to Air' here.