Can I use my ex-contract sky digital satellite receiver to get Freeview channels?
You can get the following Freeview channels on with an ex-contract digital satellite receiver (once it is connected). Items marked with a star require either a Freesat from Sky (fSfS) card, or a expired Sky subscription card to view.
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MarkThursday 23 December 2010 2:32PM
Hi,
Wow thanks for the quick answers ... so I can use an ex-Sky engineer to put the cables in (£60-£90), then buy a FREESAT box from Argos or similar for about £60-£80 - slighly cheaper than Sky ...
But do I need a FREESAt Sky card £25 from Sky ....
Great site & thanks again ... I will tweet this site to my 2500 linked in users & 500 twitter followers if you don't mind.
MarkMark: You can use anyone you trust to run the cables in, or do it yourself, if you have the right tools.
No card is required for Freesat boxes, they have nothing at all to do with Sky. This includes the Freesat+ boxes that record/play/pause without a contract.
Please do tweet, everyone is welcome here. MarkThursday 23 December 2010 7:27PM
Hi,
So you are saying use my existing SKY dish, run cables to where I need them, then buy a FREESAT box from Argos or similar?
Sounds fairly simple ....
Will tweet ....
MarkJimMonday 27 December 2010 7:30PM
Sky plus functionality? Will it be lost if I cancel my Skysports pack subscription and jsut go to freeview channelsJim: If you pay at least £10 a month (the basic package is £22, so that qualifies) you keep play/pause/record. If you don't then you will need to buy a Freesat+ or Freesat+HD box if you want to play/pause/record. JJThursday 30 December 2010 1:00PM
i have just moved house and want to use sky box to receive channels for free. can this be done? i have connected it but it asks for a telephone connection.what do i need to do now?PatrickThursday 30 December 2010 8:53PM
I have just cancelled my Sky+ package. All I want to receive are the freeview channels which I am getting OK. However I still want to record some programs. Do I have to purchase a card from Sky to do this? Les NicolThursday 30 December 2010 11:15PM
Patrick - You will not be able to record without subscribing to a SKY package. SKY disable this function once you cease to subscribe.beauFriday 31 December 2010 12:56AM
Hi I have 3 sky boxes which I have had for over a year if I cancel the 2 multi room boxes can I still view the full viewing package I have on the two multi room boxes if I keep the full package on my main tv??? Thanks beau: No, the other boxes will revert to free channels (fSfS) only if you stop paying for Multiroom. AndySaturday 1 January 2011 8:07PM
Many thanks for help with this...
I live in an area with no freeview reception and am looking at the best (cheapest?)way to get TV reception in our main bedroom.
In our living room we have sky+HD with a current subscription.
If I get an engineer to run two cables from our existing sky dish into the bedroom and then I buy a second hand sky+ box and connect it up, what functionality would I get?
Would it
a)be able to play/pause/rewind?
b)be able to record?
Have also looked at the options of buying a freesat box (basic / HD or HD+).
Many thanksAndy- In my opinion, your best option would be to purchase a Free-sat box. However, the channel line up is limited in comparison to Sky.
If you go for a second Sky-box, you would still be able to play and record, but you would however need to pay Sky extra monies for the privilage.
matthewMonday 3 January 2011 10:52PM
ive bought a second hand sky hd box but want free sat my older box downstairs works fine with a card i bought from sky but the hd box in the bedroom says no satilite signal being recived yet on the strength and quality its vertually full do i need to buy a card for this to work or shpould i be able to get some kind of picture ive scratched my head for far to long thanx anyone that can help mattJanWednesday 5 January 2011 11:06AM
Hi. I have just moved in NEW house and there is old sky sattelite with cables. is it possible to put that cable to my LCD tv with freeview build in? or do i need to buy SET-top box? ThanksLes NicolWednesday 5 January 2011 11:51AM
Jan - I would make use of the existing dish, but you would need to purchase a "Freesat" receiver which are available in Standard - High Definintion and recordable variants from a range of manufacturers. These are available from local suppliers multiples eg: Curry's Argos, John Lewis, Comet etc and online. You may simply be able to connect up yourself, but a local installer's services should be relatively in-expensive if the dish and wiring are already in-situ. Minor upgrade might be necessary if you were to opt for a twin tuner receiver with full recording capability.Les NicolWednesday 5 January 2011 11:57AM
P>S If you opt for the onboard "Freeview service cia your TV you would tequire to connect to an external roof mounted TV aerial.
I would check the level and quality of reception in your area on Freeview with near neighbours as it may be more limited than what "Freesat" will offer.TonyWednesday 5 January 2011 10:21PM
Hi,
Can I use 1 sky card on two sky+ boxes by physically replacing them?Tony: I'm not sure what you mean by "them" in that sentence, but I can't think of anything that would not result in the same answer: no. PeteSaturday 8 January 2011 1:31PM
I have a sky+ box I want to use to receive free to air/satalite channels only. I dont have any cards with it do i need any??Pete: If you only want to watch, you don't need a card to use a Sky+ box for the free-to-air channels.
However, if you want to play/record/pause with it, you need both a card and a subscription.
If you want free channels AND play/record/pause, you will need to buy a Freesat+ or Freesat+HD box. MattSaturday 8 January 2011 10:23PM
I have Sky HD+ down in my front room. I would like Sky in my bedroom. I dont want to pay for multi room and a new box. Can i run a HDMI cable from my Sky HD+ box (Yes a long one) from down stairs and use a magic eye upstairs to control my sky box from downstairs and watch sky HD in my bedroom without paying for a new box and multi room?andy1Monday 10 January 2011 11:08AM
Help needed!
I have sky plus in the lounge and recently wired up a single wire from the satalite dish to the bedroom to an old sky box to get the free channels. when i first turned on it worked then now says "no signal being recieved" - when i "wiggled" the LNB it again worked but has stopped again. Have rechecked the connections and all seem tight and fine.
Any ideas??? could it be a faulty LNB???Les NicolMonday 10 January 2011 12:21PM
andy1 - You may need a FSFS (Freesat from SKY card - 325.00 scroll to the top of this page.Les NicolMonday 10 January 2011 12:24PM
Andy1 - Apologies - I mis-typed the 3 should be this £ ie: One off £25.00SuperDaveMonday 10 January 2011 2:12PM
Hi I have a current SKY HD box and full HD package. I have lost my job and am looking to cut costs quickly. Options:
1) Cancel SKY fully. Loose recoridng functions plus subscription channels. Advisor at SKY told me I will only get five channels (THE FTA ones) and I would need to purchase a freesat card for £25 to get the others. I thought using an old ex subscription SKY card enabled the FTV channels via the SKY box? The advisor said this has now changed and I would need to buy a Freesat card! SI this correct? Can anyone confirm if an old sky card still works or not and also what channels you exactly receive if doing this method versus actually buying a free sat card (for old sky box)?
2) Cancel SKY subs but pay the £10 month to keep the SKY+ recording functionality?
3) Reduce subs to lowest package (£18 I think). Tis would gve me recording functionality included and how many extra channels compares to options 1 /2 above?SuperDave: (1) is a lie. You get hundreds of channels, not five - see the "fsfs" list at the top of the page. The card provides access to THREE channels: Sky3, Fiver and Five USA.
Why not just buy a Freesat+HD box from a store and swap it for your Sky+HD box? No subscription, full functionality.
A Freesat+HD will cost you £200. John Tuesday 11 January 2011 3:48PM
We have a Freeview ready TV. Do I have to buy a new Freeview box with hard drive to pause & record? Or can I simply attach my spare Sky+ box and use that?
My Sky HD is in another part of the house and don't want to pay for multiroom?
Many thanksJohn: If you want to record/pause/play Freeview, you need a Freeview+ or Freeview+HD box.
Your Sky+HD box only works with satellite, and only whilst you subscribe. nassTuesday 11 January 2011 6:39PM
Hey guys really great thread.
on a down note, just lost my job so called sky to cancel.luckly im within my 30 days. thing that surprised me was they will be sending someone out to collect the sky box? i thought virgin only did this?nassTuesday 11 January 2011 6:40PM
guess going to have to go buy a cheap and cheerfull freesat box to do me over for the time being. nass: You've paid for the Sky box and dish, they are yours. nassTuesday 11 January 2011 6:50PM
thats what i thought mate. but they told me if you cancel skyhd within 30 days the collect the box.... not sure if they wanted to strong arm me into staying on a contract nass: Oh right, if you haven't paid for the box then you will have to give it back.
Sorry, I should have started the previous reply with "if". nassTuesday 11 January 2011 7:02PM
no probs mate, thanks for the advice. most likly get a cheap and cheerfull free sat box or pick one up from ebay what do you use?
also im assuming i just plug in the free sat box to the exsisting sky dish cables?nassTuesday 11 January 2011 9:07PM
cheers mate - hope the sites paying you for the support your providing to everyone ;) nass: Always happy to help. DIANNETuesday 11 January 2011 9:57PM
Hello, got sky+ box and 1 multi room, got a spare sky+ box if i pay to have this box connected up via the sky dish will i be able to receive sky channels that i subscribe to without paying for another multi room?nassTuesday 11 January 2011 10:09PM
Birmingham Briantist - just thinking would they also uninstall the dish. man that will be a bummer? has anyone else had their dish uninstalled?
DIANNE: No, that's the point of Multiroom. nass: They might do, but it might cost them more to take it down than to leave it. nassTuesday 11 January 2011 10:19PM
Birmingham very true, i guess it depends on the guy, il offer him a cuppa :) HadgeFriday 14 January 2011 11:01AM
Forgive me if this has already been adressed but I haven't found anything as I have read through these posts - I have an iMac with an Elgato Diversity which is able to receive DVB-T via usb to the Mac and coaxle to the rooftop aerial. I'm in an area that has limited coverage until digital switchover in 2012. However, having just moved in to the house there are cables and a Sky dish installed (no box obviously) My question is, Can I use the cables to receive a signal from the dish using the Elgato USB tuner as my freeview box? I'm guessing I may need som form of adaptor for the Sky dish cable to connect it to the Elgato?
Hope you can help. AlexSunday 16 January 2011 1:07PM
Hi there. I've got sky + and am thinking of unsubscribe ing to get freesat. Sky have told me I need to buy a freesat card from them for £20 otherwise the box will not work. Is this true, as i thought as long as I have my old sky viewing card I should b able to receive freesat? Please help as I don't want to leave sky and then b left with no channels to watch??Alex: The card provides access only to three channels: Sky3, Fiver and Five USA.
Otherwise the box will work will show all the other free channels with or without a card.
The £25 card will provide no more channels or service than an expired subscription card. carlMonday 17 January 2011 8:30PM
Hi I am moving to Valencia spain and want to get a satalite reciever and wanted to know if the sky+ box i have (Pace) can pick up other satalites like nile sat or others for that area? I know I cant get Astra as im out the foot print and am not willing to get a large dish!
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