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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Catherine Wednesday 8 June 2011 6:14PM
Hi, I use an old Sky box & card to watch tv in my bedroom. I live in the London area but my on the ITV channel, the region has changed to from London to ITV Central West, which covers Birmingham etc. Any idea how to change it back? Thanks. BenThursday 9 June 2011 5:35PM
The previous tennants in my new flat had sky installed - the dish and two wires are still in the flat, but the cables don't look like the coax cable.
My question is: are the cables currently in the flat ok to use with FreeSat?Catherine: You will need to get a new "Freesat from Sky" card, as this is what controls the ITV region you see, or spend the money on a Freesat box, where you can select any postcode you like yourself. JohnTuesday 14 June 2011 5:01PM
I am in cyprus, and can get connected to a dish, I also have a sky box. How do i get free channelsKenTuesday 14 June 2011 8:48PM
I have decided to upgrade to sky+ and multiroom. I understand sky will fit a quad lnb. Will they provide a new box for the multiroom as I want to use my existing box to pick up freesat from skyMichaelSaturday 25 June 2011 5:54PM
I would like to see everyone stop subscribing to sky TV and stand up to this corporation.
It is an absolute disgrace what they are charging people.
The Pub Licencing Trade are having to use Italian Sky because the UK Government refuse to address it. UK Citizens are in debt and the likes of this is adding to it.
They charge a fortune to watch TV and even charge a fortune if you put more than one Sky box in any room of your house.
The subscriptions can easily top £1000 per year per household.
They even charge a subscription to record TV Programs.
BskyB call pirates Criminals and prosecute these people.
What the hell are they?
Why can't people see it.
The UK Government will never address it.
Rupert Murdoch owns much of the Media and the only way to get all these problems addressed is for everyone to stop subscribing to it!
Look at the money wasted in producing Plastic Cards that are designed to stop you watching TV unless you pay a fortune.
It's just unbelievable?
People have signed petitions - The pub licenseing Trade have taken their case to Europe - The UK Government have done reviews and years down the line people are still being ripped off,
There are too many channels - many of which are low quality all in on this pay £1 per month extra on top of your subscriptions all getting paid out of this vast pool of Money and i cannot understand why people cannot see it. All that should be charged for are the movie channels and live sports - the rest should be free - and if these channels can't fund themselves - then they should drop out. CBS are living proof that they can support themselves and i admire this channelneilTuesday 12 July 2011 10:13PM
i have sky+hd box less than 12 months old.i recently canceled sky hd subs and bought skyfreesat card .i now get bbc london when i live in west yorkshire wf1 and i dont get chan5 (105) or 5hd anymore which i previousley did.sky tell me i needed to update software so i followed there instructions ,no joy ,they now tell me my box must be faulty ,which i find very strange as worked ok 1 day then cancle and now doesnt work .i can find chan5 if i manualy search ,but this does not help me get the card to work .please any help ?SteveThursday 14 July 2011 3:58PM
I have a sky+ HD box, dish and viewing card, I'm about to cancel my contract,My question is, once cancelled, will I be able to use what i have to obtain Sky freesat in my bedroom? If not, what else do I need?jb38Thursday 14 July 2011 4:41PM
neil: When you purchased the Sky Freesat card Sky should have authorised it along with the code applicable to your particular area of residence, as this effectively instructs the Sky box to tune to a particular transponder number that caters for your area when on certain channels.
The fact that you get London suggests that they didn't do that as London is a default setting, I would keep on at them as when I first obtained my card I was getting the incorrect news service, however this was sorted out by them altering my card via a download, this not taking effect until a few hours later.
jb38Thursday 14 July 2011 4:45PM
Steve: If you are viewing Sky Freesat in your bedroom via the Sky boxes analogue RF output socket, then nothing will change in this respect.
MickyFriday 22 July 2011 7:02AM
Hi
I am thinking of cancelling my Sky Subscription (been a customer since 1987) as the costs are now so huge.
Just to confirm, will me expired cards (I have two Sky+/SkyHD boxes) provide me with the same channels as FreeSatFromSky cards would?
Thanks in advanceDavid NTuesday 26 July 2011 12:34PM
Hi
I’ve just bought a small portable satellite dish for my motor home and plan to use my old sky digital satellite receiver but I had to put the old card into my new plus box. My question is can I buy a new card to receive the sky channels on my old box without removing the one from my plus box.
David N: A card will only provide access to three channels: PICK TV, 5* and 5USA. If you want a card for these three channels, call 08442 411 602 and be ready with £25 on a debit card. David NWednesday 27 July 2011 4:22PM
Thank you Briantist
Without the card could you tell me please what channels I will receive or what would my best course of action be.
David.Keith JenkynsThursday 28 July 2011 11:10AM
I am thinking of cancelling sky as I only have the basic package anyway which is costing me £18 month
What channels will I be losing by using Freeview instead?BeaThursday 28 July 2011 11:23AM
My Parents have the old sky box and get all the freeview channels etc etc - they no longer subscribe to sky but were thinking of subscribing again to get the new box which allows you to record (SkyPlus) A friend of mine has given me her skyplus box as they now subscribe to virgin and nolonger have a need for the skyplus box - I was thinking - how easy is it to just swap over the cables etc for my parents so they can have the benefit of skyplus without having to subscribe....? they only want the freeview channels anyway.... what would i have to do? will i need to ring sky? swap cards? get new leads? please help.Olga DouglasThursday 28 July 2011 8:40PM
We live 6 months in Spain. I am assured that if I take my sky+ box and buy a card for £ 25 from sky I should be able to poick up the channels in Spain. Is that right?Les NicolThursday 28 July 2011 9:39PM
Olga - Yes that should be OK subject to you having a suitable location and dish antenna size.LynSaturday 30 July 2011 9:33PM
I am moving about 30 miles away from where I live now , so will be canceling my Sky subscription. Can I take the dish with me and install it in my new home and recieve free view ?jb38Sunday 31 July 2011 10:50AM
Lyn: If referring to Satellite "free to view" from Sky, basically yes! (not Freeview as thats via a normal aerial)
That being said provided that you are outside of the main contract period with Sky and working on a month to month basis as far as being able to cancel your subscription is concerned.
You should also note that if you do install the Sky dish at the other location it can also be used with a Freesat box as well as the Sky one, that is if the LNB on the end of the dish arm is changed to a dual or quad block and another cable installed from one of its outputs to the Freesat box position.
Note:- A free to view card from Sky (@ £25.00) will be necessary to be able to view some channels including 5* (star) and ITV in certain area's.
niceFriday 5 August 2011 8:56AM
i have a 3mtre dish in spain and bring my sky digi box and card it wont work i want to watch sky sports. i have the full pacakage in the uk wot do i need to do get it in spain mainlandbarrySunday 7 August 2011 5:47PM
I have an old skybox and card plus 2.4dish.we do not subscribe anymore.but when i have put the tv on we receive freesat for a couple of hours during the day and then it says ring up sky to reconnect which we dont wan to do ,we live in the moraira are spain niceMonday 8 August 2011 2:02PM
Thanks briantist?
so all i need to do then is then get the satelite aligned to astra 2 satellite cluster is this easily done
Thanks
nicehayleyTuesday 9 August 2011 10:47PM
Hi
I want to cancel my subscription to sky. I have a sky plus box.I understand i will not be able to use the sky plus features but if i keep the box connected as it is will i still receive channels ????? if so which ones
sorry if I am asking you to repeat info i am a little confuses!!!
thanksandyWednesday 10 August 2011 12:38AM
ok loking to get tv whilst camping, i have an lcd screen ex computer setup and a sky+ box. By adding a portable dish am i complete, bar cables of course. I am still wit hsky so have 2 no. viewing cards.pat quinnThursday 11 August 2011 7:35PM
i have a problem with my sky box which i do not pay any subscripton it will stop workining and the caption stay on but it wont change channels or sitch off i have tried another box with the same results any ideas patColinSaturday 13 August 2011 9:06AM
I have a sky plus box (not HD) I dont have any subscripton to sky I just get the 3 veiw channels and I have a white sky card in the box.
The problem is the box wont record anything,would this be the card or the box or do I have to get a subscripton from sky?
Can any one help ???pat quinn: Did you try using a different Sky remote control? mr m rathhodSaturday 20 August 2011 11:20PM
sky hd subscription finished and cant get any free channels,bbc and itv hd.all i get is no signal message,doe it mean that my box is rsdundsnt or do i need a viewing card from sky.
thanksMaryMonday 22 August 2011 5:40PM
Dartmouth Hi! I find all this changeover business quite confusing! Like many people, I'm quitting SKY because of the disgraceful carryings-on by RM and co and plan to switch to FreeSat (can't get Freeview here) but as we have two TVs, do we need a Freeview box for each one? Presumably we do, as we currently have two SKY boxes. Could you clarify for me please, many thanks.jb38Monday 22 August 2011 5:50PM
Mary: You can really up to a point adopt the same attitude with Freesat as you do with Sky, as Sky has one advantage over Freesat insomuch that you can use its RF output to feed a TV in another room, albeit watching the same programme, whereas Freesat boxes dont have built in RF modulators to do that.
But what you have said is correct.
viv ryanTuesday 23 August 2011 2:32PM
have a freeview built in tv and live in london wc1n but cant get a signal for channel s 4 nd 5 also itv and fiver five us and bad rception for some others why is this?v ryanMike DimmickTuesday 23 August 2011 3:06PM
viv ryan: Are you using an indoor, loft or rooftop aerial? What is the full postcode? Is this a shared, communal aerial? If not, is one available?HeinzSaturday 3 September 2011 3:12PM
Norwich graham swallow:
See the list above (Freesat from Sky).HeinzSaturday 3 September 2011 3:13PM
Norwich Depending on dish size appropriate for loaction, of course.WinstonSaturday 17 September 2011 9:18AM
Since switchover when pressing guide on my Sony RDR-HXD890 all I get is "This function cannot be used now".jrp03Saturday 17 September 2011 1:41PM
to admin ..im from phillipines and currently working here in middle east. can i use satellite reciever to watch my fave channels there in my country ? and which satelltie reciever you can advice.. if ever i can use ...thanks in advance hope good day!
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