TV with Freesat

[JonMad]

Is this no longer a thing?

Our Samsung TV (bought in 2013) was going fine until our son smashed a Wii controller through the screen at the weekend.
Looking at replacements, this

seems good (see also this review https://www.techadvisor.co.uk/review/hi ... 0-3700189/) but says Freeview Play, not Freesat, which it looks like only works with an aerial.

Our Samsung had Freesat (HD) and we moved to that from Freeview because reception from our aerial is crap.

Is there a decent (up to 50") TV with Freesat HD and all the Smart stuff (well, Prime, Neflix and YouTube are all we want)
This similarly priced Samsung one doesn't have it

Would I need a Humax Freesat receiver to go with any new TV to get Freesat (for the occasional live TV thing)?

Edit: Or use the Freeview Play app on my iPad and cast it to the TV, but that seems a little bit of a faff, though maybe less faff actually than having a separate Freesat box plugged into the TV and a separate remote control to use). That seems to let you watch live TV though e.g. iPlayer. Does built-in Freeview Play let you do this, or does it need an aerial?

[duncs500]

I miss my freesat, used to record a lot of bits and bobs on it, but our new place has a new sky dish which it doesn't work with.

You're welcome to have my old freesat box if you want it, it's a bit old and slow witted, but it's got plenty of storage.

[Sundayjumper]

My Sony has Freesat but it’s utterly rubbish so we don’t use it. It doesn’t even manage to provide a programme guide, thus rendering the the recording facility rather pointless.

From what I’ve read you need a separate Freesat box to get any proper usability.

[JonMad]

Ok, it might be that Freeview Play (the On Demand part) is enough, e.g. for the kids to watch CBBC themselves.

Duncs, thanks for the offer, we have a Humax receiver (not recording) on an upstairs TV that we use occasionally for live TV. A recording receiver that lets you pause live TV on the main TV downstairs would be a handy thing that we currently don't have.

[Orange Cola]

Good luck trying to find a decent freesat box, I want to replace our Humax which generates amnesia on an almost annual basis but it looks like they’ve pulled out of doing freesat boxes There are Manhattan(?) branded boxes about but I don’t think they record, only receive.

[duncs500]

Ok, it might be that Freeview Play (the On Demand part) is enough, e.g. for the kids to watch CBBC themselves.

Duncs, thanks for the offer, we have a Humax receiver (not recording) on an upstairs TV that we use occasionally for live TV. A recording receiver that lets you pause live TV on the main TV downstairs would be a handy thing that we currently don't have.

Yeah, the one I've got is a Humax one with recording. The only thing that bothered me was having to wait a second every time you pressed the button. PM me if it's any good to you.

[Jobbo]

My Sony has Freesat but it’s utterly rubbish so we don’t use it. It doesn’t even manage to provide a programme guide, thus rendering the the recording facility rather pointless.

From what I’ve read you need a separate Freesat box to get any proper usability.

My Sony has a satellite receiver built in, which wasn't branded Freesat at the time but would be now. It's nice to have because it means it can be used to watch live telly in my study, where there's no normal TV aerial point but there is a Sky lead.

[simon_g]

“Freesat” is the brand of the BBC/ITV venture, including 7 day guide but only on approved receivers made under licence.

My old Sony has a satellite input but you only get now/next programme info.

You can get proper Freesat TVs though, mostly LG and Samsung.

[Jobbo]

Freesat is just branding though - functionally no different to free to air satellite channels which you can pick up through any satellite receiver. It only exists because Freeview became a well-known brand for normal digital telly.

ETA: having just looked it up, I wasn’t aware there is a separate ‘Freesat by Sky’ - from the user’s point of view I have no idea whether it makes a difference. My Sony telly post-dates the existence of the Freesat brand and gives me all the channels I’d get through the various free to air satellite services.

[simon_g]

Yep, the channels are free to air, the branded bit mostly seems to be about access to their proprietary 7 day guide.

It’s not a big problem for just watching live (CBeebies in our house) but recording anything on USB mean putting in the channel, start and end times like you used to with VHS recorders.

[JonMad]

Picked up the Hisense one. Turns out Freeview Play works over satellite, not just aerial. Result!

[Jobbo]

Picked up the Hisense one. Turns out Freeview Play works over satellite, not just aerial. Result!

v
Wut? Freeview is the branding for digital tv received through an aerial, so I really don't think this Freesat/Freeview branding works at all