I am pondering on changing my TV reception from the present SKY multiple channels to Freesat. I currently own a Beovision 3 and it has been siggested by a local B&O dealer that to proceed it will mean upgrading my set with a NEW chip, that will work with the HUMAX Freesat box.

Why I ask, as my current dish, which will not change, already works with the Infrared Beosat hand-unit and is linked to my set with a little sticky unit that sits on the front of the SKYbox.

Can someone please explain the options open to me as this new CHIP is quite expensive to install.

Regards   David

You have Sky Plus at present presumeably?

I'd stay with Sky,but praps trade down to a lower subscription package,you will still get all the Freesat channels,plus a good selection of basic Sky channels.Avoid the hassle of changing your box etc,and keep the very logical ease of use of the Sky/B&O configuration?

Just my "two-pennerth".

Regards,

Nick

Nick.

No just the basic SKY with all channels, incl Sky sports, but the subscription is going up to £51.00 per month, which is a bit much just to get Sky sports.

I'm more concerned about this so called new chip to be put into my Beovision 3, and WHY

David

dsc8w:

Nick.

No just the basic SKY with all channels, incl Sky sports, but the subscription is going up to £51.00 per month, which is a bit much just to get Sky sports.

I'm more concerned about this so called new chip to be put into my Beovision 3, and WHY

David

David,

Sky is just about the only STB that appears on all the chips (because they keep the same coding even with later updates.) So, as Nick suggests, your best option is to just stop subscribing to Sky. You will still get all the free to air broadcasts and can rearrange them on the Sky EPG as favourites to avoid having to trawl through all the encrypted programmes. The only draw back to this approach is that Sky will not let you have channel 5 and will give you ITV  Midlands unless you pay them £20 for their 'Freesat' card.

If you wanted to change your receiver for the Freesat broadcasts, you are best to take a look at the STB list on your current TV. (Double click menu etc.) You will probably find no current freeview boxes, but one or two satellite boxes like the Topfield 4000 that you can still get and use for Freesat. (Remember that there will only be a handful of the 60+ STBs that were intended for the UK.)

If you want to update the chip the major part of the cost will probably be the call-out for a dealer visit. I got around that by buying a used HDR1 which had the later chip/PUC already in it, giving me additional STB control and recording for the same price as a call-out.

If you search Beoworld you will find more advice on this topic.... like using the Lintronic website to compare codes between STBs if you wanted to take a chance on an old Humax listed on your current chip giving you control of a later Humax model.

Graham

vikinger:

[The only draw back to this approach is that Sky will not let you have channel 5 and will give you ITV  Midlands unless you pay them £20 for their 'Freesat' card.

The cancelled card should still be 'active' for free to view channels after it is cancelled.  You won't have to buy a new card until Sky do another round of card swapping.

Thank you to all those who have left various messages etc. The problem I understand relates to the fact that the present Beovision 3/32 does not have the current HUMAX box in its listing. This means an upgrade to the back of the TV, so that I can utilise my B&O handset to link-in to the various codes that the HUMAX has as opposed to the SKY box. This means a call-out from a B&O dealer etc.

Regards David

dsc8w:

Thank you to all those who have left various messages etc. The problem I understand relates to the fact that the present Beovision 3/32 does not have the current HUMAX box in its listing. This means an upgrade to the back of the TV, so that I can utilise my B&O handset to link-in to the various codes that the HUMAX has as opposed to the SKY box. This means a call-out from a B&O dealer etc.

Regards David

David,

I think if you search the forum you will find that Keith Saunders has suggested that Humax only makes minor coding changes when issuing later boxes (covering extra/ later functions.) If you are committed to a particular Humax box, why not instal it and select any of the Humax boxes listed on your TV and see what level of control you can get? If not satisfactory you could then call out the B&O dealer to change the chip.

Good luck whatever you decide. Just double check that the latest chip lists your chosen Humax before committing yourself to a box and/or the dealer call-out.

Graham