Technology

Technology Satellite TV and Internet by Stuart Wallace

Hello and welcome to March. Where does the time go? Hopefully the same place as the cold weather of the last couple of months. ‘Brass Monkeys’ as my grandad used to say. He did keep some strange pets though. So maybe? Anyway, I hope this finds you well and ready for the next instalment of what must surely by now be a prime candidate for a Netflix series. They’ve got everything else, so why not a gripping drama about life as a satellite TV installer and monthly columnist? I should think a 3-series commission and a stand-alone film deal should be easily achievable. I imagine Ryan Reynolds would play me, as he’s probably nearly as handsome as I am. That said, Mrs W did suggest Susan Boyle instead. These things need to be accurate, she told me. That hurt…

I know I say it every month, but Freesat is not the same as Freeview. The clue is in the name. If your receiver doesn’t have a threaded screw connection on the back then it’s not a satellite receiver and is no good for the reception of UK TV.

You may have discovered this already, but BBC3 is back on regular TV. It was moved to iPlayer around 6 years ago despite being the only BBC channel that had any decent comedy. However, it’s back now. BBC3 HD can be found at channel 107. This does of course mean that some other channels have moved position. Your receiver should find this automatically but if not, you might need to do a Freesat channel scan to make sure that everything is up to date.

If you have a generic FTA receiver then you will need to perform a fresh scan, you should find that BBC3 then appears.

Just following up on something I mentioned a few months back. I’m not a huge fan of the new Freesat+ recorders, but I have discovered that they seem to be far more reliable when used with a standard twin output LNB as opposed to a wideband LNB. This does mean that you can record fewer channels at the same time, but it also means that the unit itself seems to work properly. It should be fine with a wideband LNB, but experience tells me that many units don’t play well with them.

It used to be that wireless TV transmitters were a good option if you wanted to send the signal from your satellite receiver to a second TV. Well, as we know, technology waits for nobody and now, the popular method is either by RJ45 (Ethernet cables - the things you use to connect your PC to a router perhaps?) or better still, by CPL. This system uses the electrical wiring in your house to send the signal from one location to another. It’s all very clever. Only works with an HDMI output though. The downside of wireless transmitters these days is the risk of interference with 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz Wifi transmissions.

Don’t forget that whilst I cannot supply Neosat from Nordnet (satellite internet), I am happy to install it for you. You get the kit, I’ll climb the ladder.

A little off topic perhaps, but it is worth remembering that if you plan to wall mount your flat screen TV, you need to ensure you purchase the correct mounting bracket for it. This is for two reasons. The first is that not all brackets are suitable for all TVs. You need to know the VESA size. This is the horizontal & vertical distance between the four holes on the back of the TV to which the brackets screw to. If they are 20cm by 20cm, that is known as VESA 200 x 200. Basically, the VESA numbers are in millimeters.

Secondly, ensure the bracket leaves enough space between the TV and the wall for all your connections (scart leads, HDMI cables etc). Some are very slim and can position the TV only a couple of cm from the wall. Great, but not if you don’t have downward facing inputs on the TV.

As always, please feel free to get in touch if you would like any further information or would like to discuss your requirements. Contact details can be found on the advert.

Stuart runs The French House Satellite TV tfhsatellite@gmail.com Other contact details in his advert in the Buildings & Renovations section of the magazine