Freeview Or Freesat

[Budlet]

Totally fed up with paying Sky a fortune each month and only watching about 10% of the channels. Which would be the better option Freesat or Freeview. They both seem to have the same channels.

[Old_Geezer]

Well precisely (although I think sat may have a few more). It you already have a sat aerial then maybe sat is true way to go, but I can't see it being worth installing one explicitly to opt for sat over view. But it's up to you.

[Yorky Lass]

You will still get some free channels on Sky when your subcription has ended. Pull your card out now and you will see what they are.
Had Freesat in a holiday cottage we rented. When viewing the channel guide unlike Freeview there is no small live picture at the top and the sound is muted too. This is very annoying if you are wanting to see what is on next as one program is ending.

[Old_Geezer]

It may depend on the receiver. I have Freeview and the Humax upstairs doesn't give picture in EPG whilst the Technika downstairs does. On the other hand the EPG upstairs understand when I press a channel number to go there, whilst the one downstairs seems not to know the channel numbers in the EPG. I have no experience with Sky receivers to comment further on Freesat. Are they all the same ?

[Buenchico]

>>>They both seem to have the same channels

Oh no they don't!

Freesat has far more channels but you probably wouldn't want the obscure additional ones anyway. Freeview carries the free UKTV channels (Dave, Yesterday, Really and Drama) which aren't available on Freesat.

Your options are as follows:
1. Simply keep your Sky box (with the old card in it) but allow the subscription to run out. You'll still be able to get all of these channels:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_free-to-air_channels_at_28%C2%B0E

2. Replace your Sky box with a Freesat box. You'll then get these channels:
http://www.freesat.co.uk/what-you-get/our-channels/
(In practice, the only real advantage over Option 1 is that you gain Freesat's electronic programme guide, which would otherwise be missing, plus access to to some 'red button' extras).

3. Switch to Freeview, giving you these channels:
http://www.freeview.co.uk/whats-on/channels

As a lover of Dave and Yesterday my own choice has to be Freeview.

Chris

[Budlet]

To be honest as long as I get the BBC, ITV, Ch4 and 5 and food network I am happy. I didn't realise I could still get some channels even though I wasn't subscribing to Sky. Thanks for all your answers.

[boxtops]

we've just got BT Sport - and Freeview comes with out TV. I wouldn't pay out for Sky, we've now got more than enough channels, and not the indignity of having a dish nailed to the house.