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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JordyBSaturday 17 March 2012 11:51AM
I Have an old Sky + box aliong with my old sky viewing card, i've brought a free sky sat dish along with cable connectors etc...
if i setup this new sat at my caravan and connect it to my old box and card should i recieve free sat service? or is that something else that i will require?E
ElliottMonday 19 March 2012 2:20PM
First, thanks for all the excellent info on this site.
Have a Sky dish that's no longer being used - I managed to connect the Sky box and can get all the non-contract channels.
Just wanted confirmation that it was the same wiring to connect a freesat box?
Any help would be appreciated - lot of variables out there!
Thanks,
ElliottE
ElliottMonday 19 March 2012 2:22PM
Sky box I checked with was only standard def.
Thanks again!M
M.Rowell.Saturday 24 March 2012 12:42PM
Brettpigeon: Probably should get your facts straight before posting. VIVA is a subscription channel on satellite, and there is no such thing as a "free cable" service.
I think you will find my list of channels is 100% correct, unlike yours. Elliott: Yes, the wiring is the same for Freesat and Sky. M
Mike SmarttThursday 3 May 2012 10:18AM
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franklynTuesday 15 May 2012 10:51PM
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Neil BellWednesday 16 May 2012 6:15PM
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tellypatheticSaturday 19 May 2012 12:33PM
without any card. I`m buying a flatscreen
soon, and want to continue fSfS and be able to
r/p fSfS HD., again without any card.
Do i just swap my sky+ box for a sky+HD box,
or is that too simple??.
J
jb38Saturday 19 May 2012 8:03PM
Maybe you could clarify on this.T
tellypatheticSaturday 19 May 2012 10:55PM
lay gathering dust in a vacated bedroom until
i extended the cables and, when it worked, i
assumed (Doh) fSfS was indeed free, as with
freeview. I have just spoken to the original
subscriber,and have been assured the subscription was cancelled after the minimum contract period, and he also was unaware of any £10.00 p.m.access fee.
It would appear there are two possible
reasons for the service to be live.
1.He is not aware of continuing payments.
2.Sky have somehow left this box with fSfS r/p active.This may be most unlikely. but not
impossible?. So the situation remains as
described in my initial post.Needless to
say,i would be hesitant to initiate changes
requiring interaction with sky.
J
jb38Sunday 20 May 2012 8:39AM
However that said, the baffling aspect about all this is that the access code to enable the recorder to operate is programmed onto the Sky card and likewise has always to be kept inserted or the recorder will not respond to any commands, this just in the same way as if viewing Pick TV (epg:152) and the card is removed when after a few seconds a message will come on stating "please enter your viewing card", and so if you do not have a card inserted then although I have never personally witnessed nor ever heard of this type of situation applying, and its highly unlikely that it would, but it makes one wonder if a glitch has occurred in the access code processing side of the box whereby the memory has locked giving permanent access, and so just in case this happened I would refrain from ever being tempted to use the software update reset facility as it would be tempting fate.
Anyway whatever the reason, I will agree that it would be most inadvisable to initiate any changes that would draw attention to the situation.
PS: Can you view Pick TV without the card? P
PaulSunday 20 May 2012 11:08AM
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tellypatheticSunday 20 May 2012 5:08PM
`The mystery of the cardless service` remains but will not, i suspect survive the changes (HD r/p) i will require when i buy my new TV.
Incidentally, i wanted to stay using fSfS
because i like Aljazeera, (evenings only on
Freeview), and NHK world, now HD (not on Freeview).Perhaps i should consider Freesat?.
J
jb38Sunday 20 May 2012 7:43PM
Freesat would be a really good option, and especially so when you have a dish feed ready to be used, and of course unlike the situation when dealing with Freeview, good reception of Freesat is guaranteed.
By the way, Aljazerra on Freesat is on EPG 203 and with NHK world HD on EPG 209, as I view both of these myself as well as Russia today on EPG 206, matter of fact all of the news channels are on the EPG 200 ranges.J
jb38Sunday 20 May 2012 8:07PM
Les NicolSunday 20 May 2012 9:45PM
Paul - I would have thought the 90cm dish is possibly to small for reception of UK TV in Valencia. When the dish was fitted did the installer give you any indication of it's suitabilty for reception at your locus?
The Amstrad receiver,may not be the best suited either for use in Spain. I would check if possible with an ex pat installer in your area.
The Humax "Freesat" HDR has one of the most sensitive tuners of the UK boxes,but again
it would be best to check out the most appropriate receiver through local knowledge in Valencia. Les NicolSunday 20 May 2012 10:08PM
Paul, The recommended dish size for Alicante and Torrevieja areas is 1.4 metre Prime Focus Dish and for an offset 1.5 to 1.8.
For Valenica, Murcia and Madrid the recommendation for an offset dish is 1.8 metre
J
JackeyTuesday 29 May 2012 1:06PM
Can anyone help?Les NicolTuesday 29 May 2012 4:14PM
Jackey - Yes straight connection to his dish but you need to advise/discuss with SKY.J
JackeyWednesday 30 May 2012 11:38AM
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PhilThursday 31 May 2012 9:17PM
Trying to tune in my old SD Thompson skybox to RTL for the F1 next week. Found all the channels on 19.2E on F 12187H 27.5 3/4 and added RTL from the search list with the yellow button. However. Can't view. Keep getting the No satellite signal being received or insert sky viewing card messages, yet I tuned in reasonably easily. What do i need to do to view?? I'm well stuck. Thanks for advice in advance.
P
PhilThursday 31 May 2012 9:45PM
inserted sky card from normal sky box.
entered pin
changed pin controls
now can view via option 7
wow!!!!!
easy when you spend 2 hours trying everything!!!!
D
DanielSaturday 9 June 2012 5:39PM
Thanks
DanJ
jb38Saturday 9 June 2012 7:38PM
These are all the possible reasons for your problem if you know for certain that the box was working OK, and by the way the card is not necessary for Sky's free to view channels except for Pick TV. S
Stephen NewmarchMonday 16 July 2012 3:06PM
I am currently using a HD+ box.
I understand I will lose some channels and the HD facility, will I still be able to record programmes from the remaining channels and play them back.
SteveJ
jb38Monday 16 July 2012 5:19PM
That said, I have seen it reported that if you remove your card before cancellation and are content to view normal "free to view" channels then you "might" manage to hold on to the recording facility, that is so long as you never at any time are tempted to try the card, as access is cancelled via an "over air" command from sky straight into the card, this being the key to the system.
Try a test by removing the card and placing the box in standby, then take it out of standby and check if you can play back something you have recorded, "if" you can then that's the procedure to use.
E
E36Tuesday 17 July 2012 7:37PM
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David JordanWednesday 25 July 2012 8:47AM
I am looking to cancel my SKY + subscription and go the route of FreeviewSat. My question is, will I still be able to use the "mouse" attached to our kitchen TV for receiving channels post SKY?
Many thanksM
markWednesday 1 August 2012 3:31PM
Les NicolWednesday 1 August 2012 5:30PM
mark: No upgrade to the dish is required. You don't say what type of satellite receiver you have though? If it is a an HD capable receiver,then you will receive transmissions, but this assumes you have an HD capable TV. Alternatives to SKY are the BBC ITV supported "Freesat"HD boxes and FTA Free to air generic HD satellite recievers e.g. "Tdechnomate" HD or similar.
S
stephenSunday 16 September 2012 7:51AM
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jb38Sunday 16 September 2012 10:48AM
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Dennis McDowellThursday 20 September 2012 9:03PM
Awaiting your reply.
Many thanks. DennisP
poppyTuesday 2 October 2012 8:58PM
Ebbw ValeJ
jjTuesday 2 October 2012 9:36PM
is it possible to take the skybox & card from my multiroom with me in a caravan & recieve all channels?ie movies etc. i subscribe to all chanells except the sports, the multiroom box is not connected to a phone line at home so will it know sky is not at home but in a caravanJ
jb38Tuesday 2 October 2012 11:19PM
Also as the multiroom box is not connected to a phone line then that's a plus point, although even if it was its quite permissible for a box to be unpowered for a week or so if a person is on holiday etc, as people generally turn off power to everything except their freezer.
By the way Sky would not know where any box is being used if its not connected to a phone line, as the phone line is the only form of communication between the box and Sky.
All that said on the assumption that you have a suitable dish installed at the caravan. J
jb38Tuesday 2 October 2012 11:23PM
If though you are not meaning that then please clarify.J
jjWednesday 3 October 2012 7:34PM
Duns
many thanks for the info, i thought that would be the case but had`nt tried it. ive bought a dish for the caravan + satellite finder so hopefully it will all work (i will test it out at home before i go away though(
jjM
Mrs LewerMonday 12 November 2012 1:21PM
would appreciate any help don't want to cancel sky incase we are left with no channels.P
Paul MerrittMonday 12 November 2012 7:07PM
Marlow
I'm thinking of cancelling Sky. If I did would I still be able to receive Horse & Country channel(free) and would I still have the live pause/record feature? I have a modern Samsung TV. If not then could you please advise what would you suggest?S
Syd LyonThursday 6 December 2012 12:42PM
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vanessa coombesWednesday 9 January 2013 6:46PM
Could I connect my freevew plus box to my unused satellite dish.vanessa coombes: No.
The Freeview system requires an aerial (which points to a transmitter on the ground) whereas the satellite dish points to an orbitting satellite.
Why can you not use the aerial? V
vanessa coombesFriday 11 January 2013 1:23PM
M
milanFriday 11 January 2013 2:42PM
London
Ignorant question. At present we are watching Freeview (non - HD) via a Sagem STB/recorder. We are upgrading our CRT to a flat panel with Freeview HD built in. How can we watch HD broadcasts while, at the same time, using the recorder to record channels we are not watching, so we can watch later on the TV? Is an aerial cable splitter the only way, and is that likely to impact the quality of each signal?
Thanksmilan: You appear to be making an assumption or think that it is likely that one will interfere with the other which is unlikely.
Feed the aerial lead into the recorder and out to the TV like in the days of analogue reception with a VCR and TV. M
milanFriday 11 January 2013 3:17PM
London
Will I still get an HD signal on the TV if it's routed via a non-HD box? I also have to check what connections the box has (for output) I suppose.....
milan: It shouldn't be expected to make any difference. It certainly won't stop it passing through because it isn't HD.
If the box has HDMI out, then you should use that because it keeps the signal digital from the box to the TV. Obviously it won't provide a HD picture, but it will be a better choice than using scart. 
02:32
Gone Digital | Sky Sports on Freeview – how do you get it? 
Upgrading from Sky+HD to Freesat+HD | ukfree.tv - 10 years of independent, free digital TV advice . 
