Satellite TV

[GW91050]

I have just bought a caravan with a Maxview Satellite dome, it looks like a NASA dome
My question is can you just connect a normal TV to it and get satellite channels or does it need some subscriptions or other stuff
Grateful for any advice.

 

[RogerL]

I have just bought a caravan with a Maxview Satellite dome, it looks like a NASA dome
My question is can you just connect a normal TV to it and get satellite channels or does it need some subscriptions or other stuff
Grateful for any advice.

It'll need the matching satellite receiver and dome control box within the caravan - it should be possible to get all Free-To-Air (FTA) channels - the TV would connect to the receiver

 

[JTQ]

Some TVs are built with satellite decoders. If yours has that solves one issue but leaves the need for the dome's control box.
You need to identify what you have & what you have not got in regards to this system.

Edit: with the improved digital terrestrial TV signal cover, its arguable that spending a lot on satellite TV here in the UK is cost effective, IMO. I does allow you to get your home location programmes.
[ I have a satellite set up, a basic manually directed dish one but it is only taken now to a few "difficult" locations.]

 

[GW91050]

It'll need the matching satellite receiver and dome control box within the caravan - it should be possible to get all Free-To-Air (FTA) channels - the TV would connect to the receiver

It has a Maxview box inside the caravan that operates the dome and scans for channels.
When I power it on it the dome obviously searches the sky by the noise it makes and you can then select different satellites.

 

[GW91050]

Some TVs are built with satellite decoders. If yours has that solves one issue but leaves the need for the dome's control box.
You need to identify what you have & what you have not got in regards to this system.

Edit: with the improved digital terrestrial TV signal cover, its arguable that spending a lot on satellite TV here in the UK is cost effective, IMO. I does allow you to get your home location programmes.
[ I have a satellite set up, a basic manually directed dish one but it is only taken now to a few "difficult" locations.]

Please see my answer to RogerL
If I need any more equipment than the current Maxview box I don't think it will be worth it.

 

[JTQ]

Please see my answer to RogerL
If I need any more equipment than the current Maxview box I don't think it will be worth it.

What is the output from the Maxview box?
If its HMDI, then the satellite signal ought to be already decoded and your set accept that HDMI input, which you then select as the TV's source.
If the Maxview box is "Freesat" (TM), then life selecting the channels is greatly simplified, typically using you home post code. Once set, Freesat or even free-to view do not need altering as does terrestrial TV as you move around the different site locations.

 

[RogerL]

What is the output from the Maxview box?
If its HMDI, then the satellite signal ought to be already decoded and your set accept that HDMI input, which you then select as the TV's source.
If the Maxview box is "Freesat" (TM), then life selecting the channels is greatly simplified, typically using you home post code. Once set, Freesat or even free-to view do not need altering as does terrestrial TV as you move around the different site locations.

I agree with the advantage of Freesat when touring - however I retune the Freesat box with the site's postcode as that gives local news and weather.

 

[Buckman]

Please see my answer to RogerL
If I need any more equipment than the current Maxview box I don't think it will be worth it.

We have had the dome and also the satellite dish however we used a SkyHD+ box and then later a Freesat box. You can pick up the Sky Box HD+ box free from Freecycle and use it to watch all the Freesat programs. The Freesat box allows you to record programs.

We connected the satellite signal into either one of the boxes and then used HDMI to connect to the TV. We never bothered with connecting it direct to the TV so cannot answer that one.

 

[JTQ]

I agree with the advantage of Freesat when touring - however I retune the Freesat box with the site's postcode as that gives local news and weather.

I have done the same, for the same reasons, the point though being made you don't "need" to retune in the somewhat annoying way as can be needed with terrestrial TV .

Possibly it's a particularly irritating aspect with me as I have an Avtex TV , that by design could not feature a slower auto tuner if it was specifically designed to. IMO a concept that is totally at odds with the needs of their intended target market, a TV for those travelling about, so regularly having to be retuned. Hopefully something in their more recent TVs they have addressed.

 

[GW91050]

We have had the dome and also the satellite dish however we used a SkyHD+ box and then later a Freesat box. You can pick up the Sky Box HD+ box free from Freecycle and use it to watch all the Freesat programs. The Freesat box allows you to record programs.

We connected the satellite signal into either one of the boxes and then used HDMI to connect to the TV. We never bothered with connecting it direct to the TV so cannot answer that one.

So if I buy one of these from Ebay I can attach that to the Maxview box and then HDMI to TV.
Sky DRX890W HD+ Satellite Receiver Box

 

[RogerL]

So if I buy one of these from Ebay I can attach that to the Maxview box and then HDMI to TV.
Sky DRX890W HD+ Satellite Receiver Box

You still need to ensure the Maxview Dome controller is present - it's that which lines the dish inside the dome onto a specific satellite.

If you're not bothered about sky subscription channels, there are "Freesat" receivers around, eg Humax and also on Ebay. I use a Humax Foxsat which includes a hard drive and the ability to record programmes.

 

[Woodentop]

If you use a Sky+HD box, if it has an expired viewing card still in it then it will work for FTA channels without adjustment. If the box has no card it will show BBC1 London and ITV Central West. You can buy a Freesat-from-Sky card from Sky for a one-off of about £25.
Tip: if you go to the likes of Cash Converters you can get a Sky second room box (does not have recording capability) with remote, mains lead, and warranty for less than £20. If you are lucky it will still have a viewing card in it so will work on FTA channels.