The short answer
Freeview arrives through a TV aerial from a transmitter on the ground. Freesat arrives through a satellite dish from satellites over the equator. Both carry the main BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5 channels, including HD versions, and both have catch-up apps built into the newer boxes and smart TVs.
For most homes in Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire, Freeview through a good aerial is the simplest choice. Freesat earns its place when the aerial signal is poor and can't be fixed, or when you already have a dish on the wall.
When Freeview is the better choice
- You have a clear view towards your transmitter, which for most of our area means Crystal Palace, Oxford or Sandy Heath.
- You want TV in several rooms. One aerial can feed every room through a distribution amplifier, with no extra box needed in each room for most modern TVs.
- You would rather not have a dish on the front of the house, which matters in conservation areas.
- You want local news for your region. Freeview carries the regional BBC and ITV news for the transmitter you point at.
In Milton Keynes, for example, most homes have a strong line to Sandy Heath, and a properly aligned aerial gives a rock-solid picture. Our TV aerial installation page explains how we choose the aerial and the transmitter.
When Freesat is the better choice
- You live in a valley or under a hill where the aerial signal is weak. Parts of the Chess valley around Chesham, and the Chiltern villages below the scarp, are typical.
- You already have a Sky dish. A dish installed for Sky points at the same satellites Freesat uses, so in most cases it can be reused with a Freesat box.
- Your TV breaks up in certain weather or when the trees are in leaf, and a better aerial still won't give a reliable margin.
A dish needs a clear line to the south-south-east sky. Tall trees, a neighbour's extension or a block of flats in that direction can block it, so we always check the view before recommending satellite.
Recording and watching in other rooms
A Freeview recorder records one channel while you watch another from a single aerial cable. A Freesat recorder needs two cables from the dish to do the same, so if you are switching from Sky, we check the old dish has a twin output and that both cables are sound.
Running Freeview to every room is usually easier and tidier, because one aerial and an amplifier can serve the whole house. Freesat in several rooms needs a cable from the dish to each box, or a multi-output LNB.
If you are deciding between the two, a signal reading at your house settles it. An engineer can measure both the aerial and the satellite signal on the same visit.
Can you have both?
Yes, and plenty of our customers do. Many TVs have both a Freeview and a satellite tuner built in. Freeview on the aerial gives you the regional news and easy multi-room TV, and Freesat on the dish acts as a backup when the aerial signal dips. It also suits homes where one room has a poor aerial feed.
What we would check on a visit
- Signal strength and quality from the aerial, on a meter, for each transmitter you could use.
- The view to the satellites from the wall or chimney where a dish would go.
- The cable, joints and any amplifier, because a tired cable spoils Freeview and Freesat alike.
- How many rooms need TV, and whether you want to record.
We then tell you which option will be more reliable for your house. If it is Freesat, we can usually switch an old Sky dish over. If it is Freeview, we fit or re-align the aerial and retune every TV.