Hands on: Freesat on your PC

The launch of the Freesat service will undoubtedly spark an increase in the number of people using satellite receivers with their media PCs. In this month’s Performance column, we’ll look at what’s required to watch and record Freesat transmissions with your PC, as well as point out the caveats and pitfalls at the time of writing.

Receiving the signal
The first bit of equipment you’ll need to receive Freesat, whether with your PC or a traditional set-top box, is a dish. Existing Sky dishes will work, and if you have a twin- or quad-LNB model with spare outputs, you could run an existing Sky installation alongside one for Freesat.

If you don’t have a dish, Freesat retailers can put you in touch with a local installer who’ll fit one for a one-off fee. Remember you’ll need an LNB output for every tuner, so if you’re planning a dual-tuner configuration, you’ll need two spare outputs.

Next you’ll need a suitable satellite receiver card. At the time of launch, all Freesat channels, including BBC HD, were being broadcast using the established DVB-S standard, so any digital satellite card should receive them. One potential issue, though, involves the newer DVB-S2 standard, which Sky uses for its HD channels. It’s possible that some or all of the Freesat HD channels may move onto DVB-S2 in future, which means tuner cards that only support DVB-S won’t receive those channels.

This is a tricky one to predict - while the move to DVB-S2 for HD channels is likely in the long term, it may take years. However, many believe Channel 4 HD may continue to use DVB-S2 once its contract with Sky expires later this year. So to future-proof, you’re really looking for a satellite tuner card that supports DVB-S2. A typical model is the Hauppauge WinTV HVR-4000, a full-height PCI card that supports
DVB-S2, DVB-S, DVB-T (Freeview terrestrial) and analogue TV. The HVR-4000 costs around £125, which is quite pricey if you want to use two of them in your PC.

If you’re willing to take a risk that DVB-S alone will suffice, there are several cheaper, smaller alternatives that offer multiple tuners. One is Black Gold’s BGT3540, which has twin
DVB-S, twin DVB-T and analogue TV tuners on a low-profile PCI Express card for £94 ex Vat.

Offering better value, albeit in a full-height PCI Express card, is Pinnacle’s 7010i, an OEM package costing £31.99 ex Vat from suppliers like www.scan.co.uk that offers twin DVB-S, twin DVB-T and analogue TV tuners. Both these cards will work with Freesat, although they won’t receive DVB-S2 broadcasts in future.

None of these cards are certified Freesat products and you shouldn’t expect to receive the Freesat EPG (electronic programme guide) nor use its interactive services. But few, if any, Freeview TV tuners are certified and media PCs have long managed with third-party EPGs; just don’t expect any technical support from Freesat should you use your PC to receive or record its broadcasts..