“Are you aware of any device or PVR that will allow me to watch both freeview and freesat from the same device? I have found that freeview has more decent channels while freesat has more hd content.”

This is a tricky one, but we’ll try to help

TV Sets with Freesat and Freeview

There are a few of these on the market. Almost all new TV sets have Freeview built-in these days, and a small selection of TV sets on the market also have an on-board Freesat decoder.

At the time of writing, there are four LCD or Plasma TV sets on sale at Currys that have both Freeview HD and Freesat HD built in. Cheapest of these at the time of writing is the PANASONIC VIERA TX-L37DT30B, for £850. This also supports 3D TV.

To have a look what Currys offer in the way of Freeview and Freesat TV sets, go to the Currys HD TV set list

PANASONIC VIERA TX-L37DT30B with Freesat and Freeview

Set-top boxes with Freesat and Freeview

We’ve looked, and we can’t find any. Although there are TV sets with both services built-in, demand for a set-top box with both appears to be pretty low.

The solution? If your TV set has Freeview built-in, then all you’ll need is a Freesat box connected to the telly either with a SCART lead, or for HD, with an HDMI lead. This will give you access to Freeview on the telly, and Freesat via the Line In on your telly.

PVRs with Freesat and Freeview

As far as we know, there is no single PVR (hard disk recorder) that has both Freeview and Freesat built-in. Again, we weren’t surprised about this, as mixing the two technologies on one box would be problematic. Try to imagine the Electronic Programme Guide with two different services mixed together… very messy.

The workaround here if you want to be able to record both Freeview and Freesat onto the same box, is to look for a DVD/HDD Recorder with Freeview built-in.

A standard Freeview PVR will only be able to record Freeview channels, but many DVD recorder / Hard Drive Recorder combo boxes can cope with recording the built-in Freeview, as well as an external source connected via a SCART lead. This would mean that you’d be able to record Freeview with the box’s onscreen Electronic Programme Guide, and the output of a connected Freesat box via the Line In

Panasonic DMR-EX773EBK DVD/HDDRecorder

Again, a quick look on Currys reveals that there are several combined DVD/HDD recorders with built-in Freeview, including models from Panasonic and LG. Take a look at www.currys.co.uk to see what recorders are currently available.

If you know of any boxes that have both Freeview and Freesat built-in, please let us know using the comments below.

What is an IP address?

An IP address looks like this: 12.123.45.123 – It’s a sequence of four sets of numbers with a dot in between.

IP addresses are at the heart of how the Internet works, and when you go to a website or send an email, you’re connecting from your computer’s IP address, through various servers on the Internet (all with their own IP address), to the destination machine’s IP address

Whenever you’re connected to the Internet, you will have an IP address

What is my IP address?

When you connect to the Internet, you will be assigned an IP address by your Internet Service Provider. There are two types of IP address:

• A Static IP Address – Typically, businesses get these, so that their IP address never changes
• A Dynamic IP Address – More common for home users, these get assigned to you automatically when you switch on your router or modem and connect to the Internet

You can check right now what your current IP address is using one of a large number of sites, including:

• whatismyipaddress.com
• www.whatsmyip.org
• www.whatismyip.com
• www.123myip.co.uk

A screenshot from the website whatismyipaddress.com

What is my IP address used for?

The IP address is assigned to you by your Internet Service Provider, and is used whenever you surf the web, download a file, send an email, or do anything else online.

When you visit a website, the website sees your IP address, and uses this to get general information about who’s visiting and which countries people are visiting from

Whenever you send an email, your IP address is sent too, and can be seen by viewing the email header

If you were to do something naughty on the Internet, in many cases, you can be traced using this IP address – the complainer would contact your Internet Service Provider and make a complain against the person using that specific IP address at a specific time, and the ISP has a record of the name and address of the bill payer for that IP address

IP addresses can also be used to prevent email and forum spam, and there are several databases of IP addresses that are used by known spammers

How can I check an IP address?

We’ve already shown above how you can find out what your current IP address is, but what about checking other IP addresses? Here are some useful links:

• CQ Counter Whois IP – Enter an IP address to find out who owns it
• DNSStuff – Tools for checking on an IP address
• Stop Forum Spam – A free database of known IP address spammers

Got a question about IP addresses? Let us know!

Most podcasts are in the MP3 file format, and by default, Windows 7 should try to play MP3 files using Windows Media Player. In case something’s gone wrong, here is a quick summary:

Step 1 – Download the podcast

1. Open Internet Explorer on your PC
2. Go to the podcast’s website
3. Find the episode you want to download, and look for a link that lets you download the podcast
4. Click on the link with the right-hand mouse button. A menu should pop up. Select “Save Target As”

Select and download a podcast

You will be prompted to download the file. Remember which folder you saved it in. Start the download

The podcast being downloaded

Step 2 – Open the podcast

The file should have been downloaded to a folder on your computer. Open this folder (using the “Open folder” button on the download screen, or via My Computer)

1. Look for the podcast you have just downloaded
2. Right-click on the icon for the podcast you have just downloaded
3. On the pop-up menu that has appeared, select “Open with”
4. Another menu appears – Select “Windows Media Player”

Select which program to use to play an MP3 file

Windows Media Player should now start up, and your podcast should start playing

Playing an MP3 podcast in Windows 7

Step 3 – Making this easy

Rather than doing this step every time, you may want to set your machine so that it always opens MP3 files (such as podcasts) using Windows Media Player.

Here’s how to do that:

1. Find an MP3 file somewhere on your computer (follow the process outlined above for Step 2).
   Use the right-hand mouse button to click the MP3 file
   Pick “Open with” from the menu
2. Select “Choose default program” from the pop-up menu
3. Select “Windows Media Player” as the default program, and click OK

Select which program to use to play an MP3 file

Windows should now remember that you want to use Windows Media Player to play back any MP3 files on your computer, or from any website you may visit.

Job done

With the Apple TV product and a bit of free software, sharing your photos, music and video clips from your iPhone or iPod Touch is both easy, and impressive. Here’s a photo of photo sharing in action:

Photo on the iPhone and on TV with Apple TV

What you’ll need

The four things you’ll need to enable media sharing:

• An iPhone or iPod Touch
• The Apple TV box, connected to your TV set
• A free app, called Remote (by Apple)
• A wi-fi network

The second-generation Apple TV Box, from Amazon.co.uk

How to get it set up

Assuming you have the Apple TV plugged into your TV set and working, it’s then a case of installing the Remote App (from the Apple iTunes App Store)

With this app, you can use your iPhone or iPod touch as a replacement for the Apple TV remote, and, of course, use the app to display your iPhone / iPod content.

To work this magic, your Apple TV and iPhone/iPod need to be on the same wireless wi-fi network, as the software uses wi-fi to talk between the two Apple devices.

With the app installed and wi-fi turned on, the first step is to “pair” the iPhone/iPod and the Apple TV. Here’s how:

1. Open the Remote app, and go to Settings

2. Enable “Home Sharing”, and enter your Apple ID (email address) and password – The one you use for iTunes

Remote App settings on the iPhone

3. Now, select “Add an iTunes Library”. You’ll get a 4 digit PIN. Keep this on-screen

4. Next, on the Apple TV, go to ‘Settings ‘ > ‘General’ > ‘Remotes’ > ‘Remote App’, and enter the 4 digit PIN from the last step

Pairing your iPhone to Apple TV

You now should be paired and set up

How to share media

Let’s try it with a photo.

Get a photo up on your iPhone (from the Photos app, or after taking a photo. the menu bar, you should see a new icon – A rectangle with a triangle in it. Press it.

The Sharing button from the iPhone Photos app

You should next get a prompt to show the photo on your iPhone screen, or on the Apple TV

Selecting iPhone or Apple TV from Remote

Once you’ve pressed ‘Apple TV’, your photo should be displayed both on your iPhone and on the telly – flick through photos, and they’ll appear on the telly too.

You’ll now notice the new icon in the iPod application, so when you’re playing a video clip, music, or a podcast, you now have the option to get these up onto your nice shiny widescreen telly too.

Easy as that!

Sure – you can get a USB dongle for Internet access, but that’s not always the right solution. Here’s why a portable wi-fi hotspot could be the answer:

Why use a portable wi-fi hotspot?

• It creates a wireless hotspot, so that any wi-fi device can connect
• Handy for iPod Touch, games consoles, and portable devices without a USB slot
• Lets up to 5 devices connect to the Internet at the same time (try doing that with a USB dongle)
• It’s portable, so you can place it near a window for a better signal, and surf elsewhere
• An alternative to mobile phone tethering (connecting a mobile phone to a laptop

How to get a portable wi-fi hotspot

The product you’re looking for, goes my the name of “MiFi” – These are combined modems and wi-fi  access points. They contain a slot for a mobile phone SIM card, and then a SIM card is inserted, they connect to the mobile Internet and make that connection available to any wi-fi device that wants to connect in.

Leading the field in off-the-shelf MiFi products, is 3. They sell a well-specced MiFi unit that’s supplied with a 3 mobile phone SIM card, and some pre-loaded with a data allowance. You buy the MiFi modem for a one-off cost, then top up as needed. The screen on the MiFi tells you how much data you’re using, which helps work out when you’re approaching your limit.

The MiFi adapter is available from 3 stores, or online from http://www.three.co.uk/Mobile_Broadband

MiFi Portable Wireless Hotspot from 3

How does it work?

The MiFi box acts as a wireless modem – it connects to the mobile phone network and lets you access the Mobile Internet. Your wi-fi device can connect to the Mi-fi device as if it was connecting to a fixed Wi-fi access point., The Mifi works with:

• Laptops and Netbooks (Windows, Mac or Linux)
• Smartphones
• Media devices with wi-fi, such as the iPod Touch
• Games consoles with wi-fi (including the Nintendo Wii and Nintendo 3DS)
• Amazon Kindle eBook reader
• Pretty much anything that connects to the net using wi-fi

How much does it cost?

You have two choices:

• Pay-as-you-go: A one-off cost for the modem – typically between £50 and £70. Then you pay for the data on a top-up basis
• Contact: Get the modem free on a rolling monthly contract. At the time of writing, £16 a month gets you a free modem and 6GB of data a month

Obviously, for occasional use, and for those not into contracts, the Pay-as-you-go option works well. At the time of writing, costs for topping up a 3 MiFi are:

• 500Meg = £5
• 120Meg a day = 50p

To check current prices, go to the  3 Mobile Internet site

Alternatives?

The MiFi from 3 offers an easy off-the-shelf solution, and oddly, most of the other network operators don’t offer similar products, which you might think ties you to the 3 network.

There are other options though:

The 3 MiFi shown above is SIM-locked to the 3 network, but you can buy unlocked versions that you can use on any network – We found the Unlocked Wireless Modem Huawei E585 at Amazon

We’re using a different MiFi modem – the Novatel Wireless MiFi-2352, which supports any network. It’s slightly more expensive, as it’s not operator-branded or subsidised, but it’s a good modem. We’ve tested it with a variety of SIM cards, with good results. It supports 3G and EDGE, and is great at holding a decent mobile Internet signal. It also supports multiple profiles, so it great if you need to swap SIM cards.

Novatel MiFi 2352 with a SIM Card

We’ve used the Novatel MiFi with an o2 and a 3 SIM card. We also un derstand that the Mi-Fi with a GiffGaff SIM card, but as one of the comments below points out, you’re not supposed to use a GiffGaff SIM card in any device other than a mobile phone – a shame, as the GiffGaff cards offer unlimited Internet access.

Mi-fi Summary

The MiFi solution offers a good way of getting mobile data using wi-fi – we’ve been using the solution for a couple of years now, with no problems. The only issue worth bearing in mind, is batter life. Unlike a USB dongle, they rely on a rechargeable batter (or a mains adapter), so make sure you’re fully charged before you travel.

Got a Mi-Fi? Please add your comments below…

This guide was triggered by one of our visitors, Darren. He asked: “I have just upgraded to Sky+HD.  have cabling for multiroom and a second Sky box.  I want to get HD upstairs, but don’t want to go to the expense of getting Sky HD Miultroom”

Sending HD wirelessly

Without getting a second Sky+ HD box, possibly the most elegant solution is to get a wireless video sender. These have been around for a while, and traditionally connect via SCART. You can now get a wireless video sender that supports High Definition wirelessly.

We’ve found a wireless sender that supports 1080p (the top HD format) over a distance of up to 25 metres, or 720p up to 50 metres, although real range is hindered by walls and floors. The model we’ve seen also allows infrared remote control commands to be sent over the wireless link, so you can switch channels from the other room.

HDMI Wireless Video Sender Kit

The HDMI wireless kit contains a transmitter and receiver, both of which are mains powered. Setup is easy, and as well as being handy for sending HD to a second TV, you can also use the kit to send to an overhead projector, or where having trailing wires isn’t an option.

You can find more details of this model, plus the cheaper standard definition video senders here: List of Wireless Video Senders.

Get a second HD receiver

This option gives you the greatest flexibility, as it would allow you to watch a different HD channel to the one being shown on the main Sky HD box. Here are several options:

• Get Sky Multiroom. We appreciate that the person asking the original question wasn’t looking to go down this route, but it does offer the widest choice for HD, as you can get up over 50 HD channels on a second TV set. To find out more, go to the Sky Multiroom site.
• If you don’t want to increase your Sky bill by going for Multiroom, consider getting a Freesat HD box for the other room. This uses your existing Sky satellite dish and will give you BBC One HD, BBC HD, ITV 1 HD and Channel 4 HD without a subscription
• You could also consider getting a Freeview HD box for the second room. Freeview uses a TV aerial, not a dish, so make sure you have an aerial point in the second room. As with Freesat, you get BBC One HD, BBC HD, ITV 1 HD and Channel 4 HD subscription-free

 More HD Help

For answers to more HD questions, see our HD Advice category

This is a common area of confusion. Let’s try to explain…

When you see LED in conjunction with a TV set, what the term is most commonly referring to is an “LED backlit LCD screen”

An LCD TV set uses a Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) screen for the picture – as opposed to a Plasma or Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) screen

An LCD TV screen has to be ‘backlit’ – the light shines through the Liquid Crystal Display to give you the picture.

Older LCD TV sets use a flourescent light to backlight the screen, whereas some LCD TV sets use LEDs (light emitting diodes) to illuminate the screen.

The advantage of using LED for LCD backlighting is the technology uses less power and results in a thinner screen.

In summary, an LED TV is an LCD TV that uses LED technology.

The BT Vision service uses a special BT Vision V+ box to get live TV from Freeview, and on-demand content over a BT Broadband connection.

So, what happens if you are looking for a BT Vision Multiroom service, where you end up with two BT Vision boxes, for different rooms in the house?

Sadly, at the moment, having two BT Vision boxes working from a single BT Broadband-enabled phone line is not supported.

BT Vision V+ Set-top box

Why is that?

It’s our understanding that the BT Vision box communicates to the BT Vision remote servers for services such as the on-demand video, electronic programme guide and software updates. The box has to communicate heavily with the Vision server, and it’s a one-to-one thing. Having two boxes on one line causes problems, as the server can’t communicate effectively with two different boxes

So, what can I do?

Here are a few options:

Option 1: If you really want two fully featured BT Vision boxes at your home, you will need to get a second BT phone line, and sign up to a second BT Broadband account. This is obviously not a cheap option

Option 2: The easier option is to connect one BT Vision box’s output to the second TV. You can do this using co-ax aerial  cable (with a TV extension kit), or wirelessly (using an AV sender). For more on this option see the BT Vision in other rooms FAQ at Radio and Telly. The down-side to this, is that you’ll be limited to watching the same thing on both TV sets.

Option 3: The final option, is to consider what you actually want to achieve. If it’s the live TV you’re interested in getting to other rooms (as opposed to the on-demand content), then a basic Freeview box connected to your TV aerial is all that’s needed to watch the live channels found on a BT Vision box

Anything else I should know?

It’s only fair to mention that some people have been able to get two BT Vision boxes to work on the same phone line, normally by ensuring that only one box is connected to the broadband line at any one time. The solution isn’t ideal, and typically results in programmes not being recorded correctly and the box not getting new software upgrades. The configuration is not supported by BT, and people who try it, do so at their own risk

There is a chance that BT may offer some sort of multiroom service in the future, but we’re not aware of any firm plans at this time.

Other links

More BT Vision questions answered on the unofficial BT Vision FAQ

Sky+ is a service offered by Sky Digital. It allows you to record TV programmes onto the hard drive built in to Sky+ and Sky+ HD boxes.

If you subscribe to Sky and have a Sky+ or Sky+ HD box, then the Sky+ service is free. If you don’t subscribe to any Sky TV channels, then you will need to take out a Sky+ Subscription to be able to use the record and playback facilities on the Sky+ box.

At the time of writing, a Sky+ subscription is free to those subscribing to any Sky TV package, otherwise it’s £10 a month to those that don’t subscribe to a Sky package.

Question: Why should I have to pay to use my Sky box after I cancel my Sky contract?

This is a pretty common practice in many fields these days… whilst you remain a loyal customer, you get a service for free, but once you cancel your contract, that service is not longer available. Other examples:

• Free email addresses and web space from your broadband provider (deleted when you cancel)
• Free voicemail and mobile Internet services on your phone (not available when you cancel)
• A free modem or router that can’t be used if you move Internet provider

Sky’s not alone in restricting use of hardware after you cancel. If you cancel BT Vision, the BT Vision V+ box can no longer record, and if you cancel Virgin Media, the on demand services and TiVo functionality no longer work

The Sky box will still be able to get the free Sky channels, and you’ll be able to record them on a connected DVD or video recorder – it’s just the Sky+ recording and playback services that will be unavailable after you cancel.

Question: How do I get a Sky+ subscription?

If you have a Sky+ or Sky+ HD box, and subscribe to any of the Sky channel packages, then your Sky+ subscription will be free, and available on your Sky viewing card.

If your Sky+ service isn’t working, or you need to take out a Sky+ subscription, call Sky Customer Services on 08442 414 141.

Don’t want to pay for Sky+?

If you only want to watch free-to-view satellite TV channels and you want to be able to record and pause TV without paying a subscription, then you should consider getting a Freesat PVR – these allow you to record the Freesat channels onto a built-in hard disk, and support features like series link, live pause and rewind.

Our favourite Freesat hard-disk recorder is the Humax Foxsat HDR, pictured here. This holds up to 200 hours of satellite TV and also supports HD. There’s no subscription.

Humax Foxsat HDR Freesat PVR

For a list of Freesat Recorders, see: UK Freesat Box List

Get Your Own Domain Name

First off, why would you want your own web domain? There are several reasons:

• Perhaps you want to start a website or plan to start one in the future
• Maybe you want a personalised email address, such as pete@myfamilyname.co.uk
• Or perhaps you don’t like the idea of someone getting there first and nicking your name

Getting your own web domain is quick, cheap and easy, and you don’t need to have a website to go with your domain name

What is a domain name, and how do I get one?

Assuming you’re in the UK, then getting a .co.uk or a me.uk domain name should cost you around £5. You pay to register the domain name, and once you’ve paid for it, you can direct it to a website or to another email address

Let’s assume your name is “Pete Family” – You could get the email address pete@familyemail.co.uk to forward to your personal Hotmail address – and if you decide to get a web site in the future, the domain is yours and you can point it at a website easily.

So, how do you do it? Just three easy steps…

Step One: Check availability

There are plenty of companies around the world that will sell you a domain name. Here, we use Namesco and 1 & 1 Internet for domain names, and are happy to recommend either. For this example, we’re going to use 1 & 1 Internet, as they’re slightly cheaper.

First, go to order.1and1.co.uk (this link opens a new window)

Then, type in the name you’re after, select “co.uk” and select ‘Check’

Example of 1 and 1 Domain Checking

If the name you want isn’t free, look for another.

Step Two: Buying the domain

Once you have settled on a free name, you will be prompted to buy the domain, or to buy web hosting. You just want the domain name, and not the hosting. At the time of writing, the price is £2.99 a year for a .co.uk domain name at 1 & 1 Internet.

You’ll then have to put in your name, address and credit card details, and set up an account with 1 & 1. This should take you no more than 5 minutes.

Once you have bought your domain name, you may need to wait between 12 and 24 hours before this becomes live (it’s normally much quicker). This allows time for the registration to be completed with the domain authorities, and for the domain to propagate around the Internet.

Step 3: Forwarding your domain

Now you have bought and paid for your domain, it’s time to do something with it – let’s set up the domain to forward email to your main email address

Log on to your 1 & 1 account using the account number and password created when you bought the domain. Then, do the following:

• Go to the Administration screen
• Select “Manage Domains”
• Select “Emails”
• Press “New”
• Type in the email address at your new domain (e.g. pete@familyname.co.uk)
• Select Type as “Forward”
• Enter the email address to forward emails to (such as your BT, Virgin, TalkTalk, Hotmail address)
• Press OK

Example of 1 and 1 Email Forwarding Setup

And that’s it. Should you wish, you can make changes to your email forwarding address, add other aliases (e.g. thewife@familyname.co.uk), or even direct your domain to a website – all by logging on to the 1 & 1 Control Panel.

We hope you found this little guide useful…