How does Freesat Work?

Can I get freesat?

Yes you can, 99% of homes in the UK can setup FREESAT and receive the signal. Many people already have a compatible dish ready to use.

How can I check if it will work?

The easiest way to know, is simply, if you have had SKY TV in the last 10 years, and your DISH is still mounted to your house, then you should be able to plug in directly to that dish and a way you go.

If you have never had sky you will need a dish -  you can buy a kit from us or get a local installer to help

Arris Freesat UHD-4X Smart 4K Ultra HD Digital TV Recorder 500GB BRAND NEW - Freesat Spares

Why do I need a Dish?

Freesat is a digital satellite TV service from the BBC & ITV (EveryoneTV) offering even more free channels than are available on Freeview*

As with Freeview, there are no ongoing fees and you don't have to worry about a contract - but you'll need a dish fitted to your home to receive Freesat. While this can require an initial outlay, it may suit those who don't get the best reception with Freeview. You'll also need a Freesat set-top box - some of which allow you to pause and rewind live TV. But what else does Freesat offer, and is it the best option for your home? Read on to find out.

What channels are available on Freesat?

While Freeview offers over 70 TV channels, including 15 HD channels, and 32 radio stations, Freesat bests that by giving access to more than 130 options, with 15 in HD.

Alongside the five main TV channels – BBC One, BBC Two, ITV1, Channel 4 and Channel 5 – Freesat customers can access channels such as:

Entertainment: BBC Three, BBC Four, ITV2, ITV3, ITV4, E4, More4, 5 USA
News: BBC News, BBC Parliament, Sky News, Al Jazeera, France 24
Films: Film4, GREAT! movies
Lifestyle: Food Network, Really, HGTV
Kids': CBBC, CBeebies, Pop

Freesat HD

Freesat HD has 25 HD channels in total including BBC One HD, BBC Two HD, BBC News HD, ITV1 HD and Channel 5 HD.

To enjoy these channels you'll need a television with a Freesat HD tuner (also known as DVB-S2), or a compatible set-top box or PVR (personal video recorder).

*Freeview* - TV signals Via an aerial

Other Options

Freesat from Sky?

Freesat from Sky is not the same as Freesat – rather it was launched by Sky as a competitor to the BBC and ITV's main Freesat service in 2008, and was discontinued in 2021. 

Both services used the same satellites to deliver free TV channels to people's homes. Freesat from Sky gave you access to all the channels available on Freesat, with over 240 channels, but only 11 in HD, compared to over 20 available on Freesat. Channels included BBC1, BBC2, ITV, Channel 4, Pick TV, 5 USA, plus  a few channels you won't find on Freeview or Freesat. 

We also sell these boxes SEE HERE

Find out more from Freesat themself in the short video below

 If Videos are not your thing you can read the Transcript here

hi
its easy it is to enjoy satellite tv subscription free our latest 4k, tv boxes work with most UK satellite dishes
so if you're switching from another satellite tv provider or you've already got a working dish and cabling installed then connecting your new freesat box is as simple as plugging in your existing dish cables and following the on-screen
instructions
if you're switching from sky q then your dish is likely to have a
wide band lnb that's the part that sticks out from the middle of the dish this type of dish lets your box record up to four shows at the same time and will have two cables that need to be screwed into the ports
labelled rf-in1 and rin2 on the back of your box it doesn't matter which cable is connected to which port just screw them in securely
if you're switching from sky plus SKY+ then your dish is likely to have a standard
lnb which can have one or two cables if it has two cables then you should be able to record up to two shows at the same time and if it only has one cable then you'll be able to record one show at a time if you're not sure what type of dish you have then don't worry you can check this in the settings menu under system information
just scroll down to signal info and your dish information will be listed next to type if you live in a building with a communal satellite dish it might say mdu or mdu2 so speak with your building manager or landlord if you have any questions of course
if your home doesn't already have a satellite dish then you'll need to get one installed you'll find more information about recordings and dish types in our recordings video and you'll find lots of information and advice about satellite installation and different types of LNBs within the help section of our website
where you can also download the full user manual.
END.

 

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