Does anyone know if the new Panasonic Vieras with the built in Freesat tuner
have an LNB output for a Sky Digibox? Panasonic's website has loads of
flashy advertising about this TV, but no downloadable pdf manual, and no
picture of the sockets on the back panel.

For me, an LNB output makes the difference between this being a TV that's
worth buying or one that isn't. My dish is a long way away on another
building because dishes are prohibited on my own building, and running a
second cable to my dish would be neither practical or affordable.

There could be many other people in the same position as me, who already
have a dish and want to use Freesat HD as an addition to Sky, not a
replacement, but they either can't or don't want to have to run a second
cable. An LNB feedthrough socket makes all the difference, but so far I've
only seen one Freesat box (a Grundig) that has it.

It should be mandatory for all Freesat tuners to have an LNB feedthrough
output, because it greatly increases the number of opportunities for Freesat
to get a foothold in viewers' homes. I think the Freesat people need to get
this issue sorted out quickly because there could be more potential Freesat
customers among people who already have Sky than people who don't, and what
these potential customers need above all is an LNB feedthrough output socket
for their Sky Digibox.

Then they can get the benefits of Freesat HD without losing what they
already get from Sky, or having to subscribe to Sky HD when all they want is
BBC HD for Wimbledon for example.

I suppose Sky should cut the price of Sky HD to stop people like me getting
Freesat HD as a sort of add-on to Sky, but they obviously don't think it
makes commercial sense to do that yet. In the meantime we need the
feedthrough on all Freesat tuners, to give Freesat the advantage for HD.

I'm afraid I can't help with your actual query.

As regards the rant, why pick on FreeSat?  The trouble is that both
FreeSat and Sky are departures from existing industry standards
(though perhaps both vying to become the next one).  As neither comply
with existing standards, it would be more appropriate to demand that
both should compulsorily have LNB feedthrough to connect industry
standard equipment.

But we all know OffCom have no balls, so it will never happen ...

On Tue, 24 Jun 2008 02:35:14 +0100, "Stephen"
 wrote:
> 
> It should be mandatory for all Freesat tuners to have an LNB feedthrough
> output, because it greatly increases the number of opportunities for Freesat
> to get a foothold in viewers' homes. I think the Freesat people need to get
> this issue sorted out quickly because there could be more potential Freesat
> customers among people who already have Sky than people who don't, and what
> these potential customers need above all is an LNB feedthrough output socket
> for their Sky Digibox.

Stephen wrote:

> Does anyone know if the new Panasonic Vieras with the built in
> Freesat tuner have an LNB output for a Sky Digibox? Panasonic's
> website has loads of flashy advertising about this TV, but no
> downloadable pdf manual, and no picture of the sockets on the back
> panel.
> 
snip

> I suppose Sky should cut the price of Sky HD to stop people like me
> getting Freesat HD as a sort of add-on to Sky, but they obviously
> don't think it makes commercial sense to do that yet. In the meantime
> we need the feedthrough on all Freesat tuners, to give Freesat the
> advantage for HD.

My understanding was that you needed one LNB per receiver, as the
receiver interacted with the LNB to tune into a particular channel.  So
there isn't such a thing as a LNB feedthrough like there is with TV
coax.

On Tue, 24 Jun 2008 02:35:14 +0100, "Stephen"
 wrote:

>Does anyone know if the new Panasonic Vieras with the built in Freesat tuner
>have an LNB output for a Sky Digibox? Panasonic's website has loads of
>flashy advertising about this TV, but no downloadable pdf manual, and no
>picture of the sockets on the back panel.
>
>For me, an LNB output makes the difference between this being a TV that's
>worth buying or one that isn't. My dish is a long way away on another
>building because dishes are prohibited on my own building, and running a
>second cable to my dish would be neither practical or affordable.
>
>There could be many other people in the same position as me, who already
>have a dish and want to use Freesat HD as an addition to Sky, not a
>replacement, but they either can't or don't want to have to run a second
>cable. An LNB feedthrough socket makes all the difference, but so far I've
>only seen one Freesat box (a Grundig) that has it.
>
>It should be mandatory for all Freesat tuners to have an LNB feedthrough
>output, because it greatly increases the number of opportunities for Freesat
>to get a foothold in viewers' homes. I think the Freesat people need to get
>this issue sorted out quickly because there could be more potential Freesat
>customers among people who already have Sky than people who don't, and what
>these potential customers need above all is an LNB feedthrough output socket
>for their Sky Digibox.
>
>Then they can get the benefits of Freesat HD without losing what they
>already get from Sky, or having to subscribe to Sky HD when all they want is
>BBC HD for Wimbledon for example.
>
>I suppose Sky should cut the price of Sky HD to stop people like me getting
>Freesat HD as a sort of add-on to Sky, but they obviously don't think it
>makes commercial sense to do that yet. In the meantime we need the
>feedthrough on all Freesat tuners, to give Freesat the advantage for HD. 

Is the built-in Freesat tuner an HD model?

An LNB loop through is not as straightforward as an normal aerial loop through.
Only one satellite receiver at a time may control the LNB so you either need to
ensure one or other receiver is switched off while the other is in operation.
You could use a simple & cheap manual switch.

BTW As a Sky subscriber you don't need to add a subscription to Sky HD (10
pounds per month) to get BBC HD you just need a Sky HD digibox. You will also
receive Channel 4 HD & Luxe TV without an HD subscription & these channels are
currently not available from Freesat.
--

Cheers

Nigel Barker
Live from the sunny Cote d'Azur

This is just not true, see 
	http://tinyurl.com/5jf45c
... standing in for ...
http://groups.google.com/group/alt.satellite.tv.europe/browse_frm/thread/7552bf04e74e8e2d/75488b94245d9bbd

On Tue, 24 Jun 2008 08:54:49 +0000 (UTC), "Andrew Chapman"
 wrote:
> 
> My understanding was that you needed one LNB per receiver, as the
> receiver interacted with the LNB to tune into a particular channel.  So
> there isn't such a thing as a LNB feedthrough like there is with TV
> coax.

"Nigel Barker"  wrote in message 
news:r9d164ts0trm03j4e3t5mdjvr7s3nedoai@4ax.com...

<snip>
>
> BTW As a Sky subscriber you don't need to add a subscription to Sky 
> HD (10
> pounds per month) to get BBC HD you just need a Sky HD digibox. You 
> will also
> receive Channel 4 HD & Luxe TV without an HD subscription & these 
> channels are
> currently not available from Freesat.

No a lot of help if the OP wants the ITV HD service though, which is 
only available via Freesat...

"Jerry" <INVALID@INVALID.INVALID> wrote in message 
news:g3qfuo$6cu$1@registered.motzarella.org...
>
> "Nigel Barker"  wrote in message 
> news:r9d164ts0trm03j4e3t5mdjvr7s3nedoai@4ax.com...
>
> <snip>
>>
>> BTW As a Sky subscriber you don't need to add a subscription to Sky HD 
>> (10
>> pounds per month) to get BBC HD you just need a Sky HD digibox. You will 
>> also
>> receive Channel 4 HD & Luxe TV without an HD subscription & these 
>> channels are
>> currently not available from Freesat.
>
> No a lot of help if the OP wants the ITV HD service though, which is only 
> available via Freesat...

Isn't it all a bloody mess?

Bill

"Bill Wright"  wrote in message 
news:9fKdnV23to62a_3VRVnyjAA@pipex.net...
>
> "Jerry" <INVALID@INVALID.INVALID> wrote in message 
> news:g3qfuo$6cu$1@registered.motzarella.org...
>>
>> "Nigel Barker"  wrote in message 
>> news:r9d164ts0trm03j4e3t5mdjvr7s3nedoai@4ax.com...
>>
>> <snip>
>>>
>>> BTW As a Sky subscriber you don't need to add a subscription to 
>>> Sky HD (10
>>> pounds per month) to get BBC HD you just need a Sky HD digibox. 
>>> You will also
>>> receive Channel 4 HD & Luxe TV without an HD subscription & these 
>>> channels are
>>> currently not available from Freesat.
>>
>> No a lot of help if the OP wants the ITV HD service though, which 
>> is only available via Freesat...
>
> Isn't it all a bloody mess?
>

Yes, and it's about time Ofcom started to smash some heads together, 
Freesat was *meant* to simplify it all but has just added another 
layer of bloody mindedness... :~(

"Bill Wright"  wrote in message
news:9fKdnV23to62a_3VRVnyjAA@pipex.net...
>
> "Jerry" <INVALID@INVALID.INVALID> wrote in message
> news:g3qfuo$6cu$1@registered.motzarella.org...
>>
>> "Nigel Barker"  wrote in message
>> news:r9d164ts0trm03j4e3t5mdjvr7s3nedoai@4ax.com...
>>
>> <snip>
>>>
>>> BTW As a Sky subscriber you don't need to add a subscription to
>>> Sky HD (10
>>> pounds per month) to get BBC HD you just need a Sky HD digibox.
>>> You will also
>>> receive Channel 4 HD & Luxe TV without an HD subscription & these
>>> channels are
>>> currently not available from Freesat.
>>
>> No a lot of help if the OP wants the ITV HD service though, which
>> is only available via Freesat...
>
> Isn't it all a bloody mess?
>

Yes, and it's about time Ofcom started to smash some heads together,
Freesat was *meant* to simplify it all but has just added another
layer of bloody mindedness... :~(