Top Up TV

[Renard]

Has anyone got it and how is it for cycling coverage?

I used to have it so I could watch Eurosport. When they changed it to selected feeds I wasn't sure that they would necessarily show cycling. Having watched Paris Roubaix highlights yesterday it whetted my appetite for watching some bike racing again. I wonder if the new top up tv is any good or am I better just getting sky?

 

[LordoftheTeapot]

Wait until next month, Renard. A new service starts which might be worth consideration... Freesat

 

[yenrod]

http://www.freesat.co.uk/help.php#q5

 

[beanzontoast]

Blimey! I had no idea this was about to happen. How much will it be, I wonder? Will have to rethink our Sky subscription - we don't use half the channels that we pay for.

 

[marinyork]

TUTV is a swear word to me. You're best off getting satellite (which platform is entirely upto you).

LOTP speaks the truth. Freesat is launching in about 3 weeks time. You'll get BBC1, BBC2, ITV, C4, c5 should follow in June and a basket of other channels that will increase over time. I'm pretty sure that you can get eurosport FTA in other languages if you point the satellite a few degrees further west. I cannot remember but I think eurosport UK is a subscription channel though, so bad news on that one.

 

[marinyork]

Unfortunately Freesat is rather overpriced. Retailers have been trained up in recent weeks and it is guessed/speculation at being about £150 for installation . You haven't heard about it as it's been complete silence with mess up after mess up. Some specs of freesat STBs have been leaked recently if you care to enquire about specs/prices.

 

[beanzontoast]

Unfortunately Freesat is rather overpriced. Retailers have been trained up in recent weeks and it is guessed/speculation at being about £150 for installation . You haven't heard about it as it's been complete silence with mess up after mess up. Some specs of freesat STBs have been leaked recently if you care to enquire about specs/prices.

On the site, it says that if you have satellite already installed, that may be ok for use by Freesat - wonder if this will defray the cost somewhat?

 

[wafflycat]

Wafflycat Mansions changed *reluctantly* from Freeview to Top-Up TV to get the cycling. Then, alas, TUTV got Satanta on board & the amount of Eurosport coverage went from not a lot, but enough to get the cycling, do no more than a couple of hours. This was as useful as a chocolate teapot. So reluctantly we moved over to Sky. But it does mean we now have all the cycling that British Eurosport does and will be watching the Amstel Gold coverage later today.

 

[marinyork]

On the site, it says that if you have satellite already installed, that may be ok for use by Freesat - wonder if this will defray the cost somewhat?

Yes, if you have a satellite you can point it at any point in the sky, 19E, 28.2E, 28.5E, plug in an STB that works with that platform and receive anything you like that isn't encrypted beanzontoast. Yes, it will save a lot of money. Standard satellite STBs have been cheap for sometime e.g. aldi did a satellite and STB kit for £50 self installation. Others should certainly be £30 to £50 (still allowing generous profits). I mean second hand Sky+ boxes are £40 FFS. If you want a high def one it's likely to be a lot more I'm afraid, hummy seemed to be saying £100+ for their one.

For anyone who doesn't fancy freesat there's freesat from sky (FSFS) which is similar but with the sky EPG and those encrypted channels e.g. more4, five, five us, five life(/"fiver"). Sky had an installation etc for £75 a while back. It'll become a mute point though as most of these FTV channels will go FTA eventually.

Unfortunately I don't watch cycling much but if any of you are that into the cycling but not interested in other subscription channels why not get a spare satellite and watch it not in english on one of the other european fta channels on another satellite? Just an idea. It's what I'd do rather than forking out loads of dosh on sky sub channels if it really came to that.

 

[twentysix by twentyfive]

Wafflycat Mansions changed *reluctantly* from Freeview to Top-Up TV to get the cycling. Then, alas, TUTV got Satanta on board & the amount of Eurosport coverage went from not a lot, but enough to get the cycling, do no more than a couple of hours. This was as useful as a chocolate teapot. So reluctantly we moved over to Sky. But it does mean we now have all the cycling that British Eurosport does and will be watching the Amstel Gold coverage later today.

Waffly - did you get the Amstel Gold? When I looked on my ageing analogue satellite receiver I got large men in skimpies lifting heavy weights

 

[twentysix by twentyfive]

Yes, if you have a satellite you can point it at any point in the sky, 19E, 28.2E, 28.5E, plug in an STB that works with that platform and receive anything you like that isn't encrypted beanzontoast. Yes, it will save a lot of money. Standard satellite STBs have been cheap for sometime e.g. aldi did a satellite and STB kit for £50 self installation. Others should certainly be £30 to £50 (still allowing generous profits). I mean second hand Sky+ boxes are £40 FFS. If you want a high def one it's likely to be a lot more I'm afraid, hummy seemed to be saying £100+ for their one.

For anyone who doesn't fancy freesat there's freesat from sky (FSFS) which is similar but with the sky EPG and those encrypted channels e.g. more4, five, five us, five life(/"fiver"). Sky had an installation etc for £75 a while back. It'll become a mute point though as most of these FTV channels will go FTA eventually.

Unfortunately I don't watch cycling much but if any of you are that into the cycling but not interested in other subscription channels why not get a spare satellite and watch it not in english on one of the other european fta channels on another satellite? Just an idea. It's what I'd do rather than forking out loads of dosh on sky sub channels if it really came to that.

So will my old analogue receiver work like that? I get a crappy signal from the Astra(?) satellite - but it is British Eurosport. Where should I point my dish?