Can I stop paying Sky and use my satellite receiver to get Freeview ?
Yes, but only "sort of".
Freeview is the name of the (BBC-backed) digital TV system that uses hilltop transmitters to rooftop aerials. It is run separately from the "Sky" satellite-to-dish service.
free-to-VIEW is a term for satellite channels that need a viewing card to watch, but not to collect a subscription. free-to-AIR channels are ones that can be received without needing a viewing card or subscription.
The free-to-AIR satelite service backed by the BBC and ITV is called Freesat. The free-to-VIEW service operated by Sky is called fSfS or Freesat from Sky.
As long as you have finished your first year, you can leave Sky when you want.
To do this just give Sky a call and tell them you don't want to subscribe any more.
If you stop subscribing you will be able to watch the hundred or so free-to-air channels listed on free channels list. This service is called Freesat from Sky (fSfS).
Some of the channels on the Freeview service are subscription only on satellite, specifically: 4Music, Challenge, Dave, Dave ja vu, Quest, VIVA and Yesterday . See these links to compare the TV channels on Freesat-from-Sky and Freeview, and to compare radio stations on Freeview and fSfS. Many homes have free satellite and Freeview to get the full range of channels.
You will still need to keep your Sky viewing card. If you stop subscribing on a Sky contract, you can keep using that card to watch 5USA, 5* and PICK TV, the so-called "free-to-view" channels. (All ITV channels are free-to-air).
It is not possible to plug an aerial into a Sky Digibox to receive Freeview channels because the boxes have not been designed this way.
You will continue to get the full Sky EPG listings; you just will not be able to watch subscription channels.
If you want to go for High Definition, HD, you can swap out your Sky box for a Freesat one very easily.
A card is not needed to watch BBC services, but it is needed to get the correct BBC ONE and BBC TWO regions on 101 and 102.
Another option is to disconnect your Sky Digibox altogether and Upgrade from Sky to Freesat - ukfree.tv. If you have an HD-Ready TV and a standard Sky box, this is a good option.
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Alan BridgerMonday 7 June 2010 6:53PM
can you get fiver and five usa on free skyAlan Bridger: Yes, you get those channels with fSfS, but only with the £20 card.
The channels are not yet on Freesat. ChristineTuesday 8 June 2010 8:03AM
I dont have a freeview tv but subscribe to sky.I wish to leave sky but have been told I will receive freeview through my sky box. Is this correct.
Christine: Not quite, see the top of the page. gemmaTuesday 8 June 2010 4:12PM
I have got channel five with out paying £20 for a card and I have no card in my box. I went onto services and system setup, add channels, frequency type in 10773, polarisation change to h, symbol rate 22.0, fec 5/6 and then press select on find channels, five will appear and press yellow to place a tick on it. then press select and then go to tv guide and five should work. I also have the frequency for five usa and a few more, let me know if you want these. LauraTuesday 8 June 2010 6:50PM
hi gemma, could you give me the code for five usa and fiver please.Stan CollisWednesday 9 June 2010 1:46PM
Since going digital my Hitachi DTV model HDR082 recorder,s reception of all ITV,channel 4 and channel 5 programmes is very poor. Too poor to record.I also have a Sony DVD recorder which records all channels perfectly. Two TV's also have perfect reception, one of which gets its signal through the Hitachi. Could this be a weak signal problem or perhaps a Hitachi one. Its reception of all BBC channels is good.Stan Collis: The most likely place to start looking is with the aerial cables that connect to the recorder.
However, it is often the case that some boxes work better under lower signal conditions.
SarahWednesday 9 June 2010 3:29PM
Sorry if you are going to have to repeat yourself and get fed up with giving the same answer! But I have Sky+ in my living room (on subscription) and want to have tv in another room - don't need loads of channels just the free ones will do. I have bought a second hand Sky box and we have the cables in the other room because we used to have multi-room in there.
Can you please confirm the following, with a definite yes or no?
Can I plug the 2nd hand box in and expect to get a few free channels without having to get a card?
Many thanks!Sarah: Yes, the card only provides Sky Three, Fiver and FIVE USA. ZoeThursday 10 June 2010 10:18AM
Hello there! As a first time homeowner and only got the keys yesterday, I am urgently trying to figure out the digital tv situation.
The new house has a satellite dish, but only one cable from LBD so guessing it was not sky+.
We have bought a second hand SKy+ box from a friend.
Once we cancel our existing sky subscription (in current rented accommodation), am I right in thinking that all we need to do is plug in the second hand SKy+box to the sky dish cables, pull out the sky card and we should receive Freesat channels?
Or is there any tuning I need to do on the tele to receive the Freesat channels?
Thank you for your time - confused but very excited first time buyer!!!Zoe: Yes, just connect the dish LNB to the first input on the sky+ box. Leave the card in as it will give you Sky Three, fiver and five USA.
Unless you have a Freesat TV, you can not attach it to the dish directly. We have a freeview t v but we seem to have lost the freeview channels. I seem to remember that there was a date we had to contact or alter something. Needles to say we forgot what and when it was. Can we reinstate those channels ? BenMonday 14 June 2010 1:29PM
Hi
I have a sky+ and want to keep sky. Can I run another cable from the sky dish to a FreeSat box in a different room and watch both?rayMonday 14 June 2010 7:35PM
hi,
we are currently on sky and have a standard set top box my uncle has given us a sky + box as he has changed to hd, if i swap the boxes over and insert my sky card will it work?
thanx in advance :-)
mariaMonday 14 June 2010 11:06PM
Hello there, Now I have just a normal sky box which works fine with my satellite, but I am thinking to buy sky + to record problems when I am out.
Without card and subscription Is it possible to use a sky+ also?
Thanks
olwendysonTuesday 15 June 2010 7:52PM
i want to use my sky +hd reciver as a freeview box but the center red light is on is it stuck in recording or is there a fault or can i wipe it please advise what i could do to put this rightMaxTuesday 15 June 2010 8:23PM
I have a sky hd box, I don’t subscribe to the hd
package, I just have the verity &
Knowledge pack. I can record ITV1hd
CH4hd bbchd ect.
If I cancel my subscription with sky
can I record the free to air channels?
RhysTuesday 15 June 2010 9:35PM
Hi i have just upgraded to sky hd in the front room but, i have a tv in our bedroom which the freeview is very poor on, Can i use my old sk+ box to view standard channels itv bbc etc , i have plugged it in but it just says searching for channels then nothing else happens, have i connected the cables up wrong? many thanks in advanceBen: Nice simple answer to that - yes, you can. Run two cables for a Freesat+HD box. ray: A Sky+ or Sky+HD box requires two dish connections to work, and also a valid Sky subscription.
Without box of these, the box will work 100% as your existing box.
You will need a "quad-LNB" fitted to the dish, and another cable run in at the very least.
You will then need to contact Sky too to let them know you want Sky+ to work. Rhys: You must connect the old Sky+ box's first satellite input directly to an LNB output on the dish. No other connection will work. sharealamWednesday 16 June 2010 6:52AM
ray yes it wiil work if you swap sky box and insert your sky card.GafoorWednesday 16 June 2010 3:10PM
Hi,
I have got a spare sky receiver as i recetly switched over to Sky HD, can i use this receiver for getting other channels which are not in the sky list, like some indian channels on eurobird, i have got a spare dish antenna and an LNB too, please tell me how can i tune the channels using the sky receiver, how can i unlock this, or is not possible to use for tuning channels.Can anyone help me on this matter.Gafoor: To be honest, it is a right pain in the neck to even try this with a Sky box, you have to use the "other channels" feature and it is not really designed to be used that way.
You can get "unbranded" freesat boxes that are much more suitable. Ade22Saturday 19 June 2010 7:35PM
Hi,I just bought a sky+HD from ebay, quite new though,but won't work. I live in a block of flat that has a communal satellite dish at the top. Other flats do receive sky channels from using the satellite point in their flats, but mine won't work. I have used a connecting cable from the point on the wall that goes into the input 1 and 2 at the back of the box, but still won't work. Would anybody know what next I can do. Somebody said i still need a viewing card. Is this true, but where can one buy a second hand card. Someone also said i could get it chipped (like you open your phone to all network. Could this be done also. Please help anyoneJackSunday 20 June 2010 1:20PM
Hi, I think I am pretty clear on the answer but love some expert confirmation. I have Sky+ on subscription but also have the old sky box. The LNB on the Sky dish is quad, therefore I can get a signal from all outputs. My question: Can I use my old Sky box as a Freesat receiver (if so how) or do I need to buy one. Thanks Jack- You are able to use an old Sky box to receive FreeSat channels. You would need to contact Sky for full details.
You do not mention HD, but if you did want HD on FreeSat, your old Sky box would need to be replaced with a FreeSat HD receiver/recorder. JackSunday 20 June 2010 3:12PM
Thanks Lutonfan, that works a treat. Your a great help, enjoy next season bud.HelenSunday 20 June 2010 6:50PM
Hi, having bought hd recentley i have just connected up our sky+ box in other room giving us the usuall channels you have mentioned except itv? keeps saying using wrong card with or with out the card?can you help? RickMonday 21 June 2010 1:43PM
I live in a flat which has a communal aerial. I have Sky + in my living room which is plugged in to a a socket on the wall. The socket includes the aerial for the living room. I brought a new digital tv for the bedroom yesterday and a new co-ax aerial cable. However, the TV will not pick up any channels. could this be due to the sky+ in the other room?Ade22: Are you sure that you have TWO satellite connections to your flat? I am very concerned by "a connecting cable from the point on the wall that goes into the input 1 and 2", as this sounds like you have split the output, this will simply not work. Rick: It is unlikely to have anything to do with your Sky+ box, and more to do with not being connected to an actual aerial. Lola2002ukTuesday 22 June 2010 12:11PM
Hi I wonder if someone can help me. There was a very big old dish on our house when we bought it and the LNB has now failed. It has 2 cables coming from it. I've seen a new small dish that I like but the LNB only has space for 1 cable. Can I buy some sort of reducer or must I buy one with 2 connections? All the cables are hidden inside the walls of the house. Many thanks.David BarkerWednesday 23 June 2010 12:01PM
I have Sky multi-room and have just upgraded my Sky+ for HD. HD uses the Sky+ card.
My multi-room box is the old non-Sky + type with a single cable.
I would like the Sky+ facility upstairs. Can I replace it with the old Sky+ box and use the non+ card?
If not are there any uses for the Sky+ box.
Your help would be appreciated.Lola2002ukWednesday 23 June 2010 12:50PM
Thanks BrianDavid Barker: Unless you pay Sky for multiroom Sky+, the box will revert to a standard Sky non-plus box.
You would also need to connections to the dish for a "+" box upstairs.
However, you can use a Freesat+ box if you have two connections, and they require no subscription. kieranWednesday 23 June 2010 2:38PM
what are the codes for itv and more channels so i can watch free on my sky box any one pleaseLillianSunday 27 June 2010 9:09AM
I have an HD ready TV / a Sky+ box / a DVD recorder which I only use for dvd/cd playing discs.
My son bought me a Humax FoxSat HD box so I could watch BBC and ITV HD channels.
I have to unscrew a connection from the Sky box and insert it into the Humax box to view HD programmes. This connection just has a very thin wire and I am afraid of breaking it.
Is there an easier way of using this HD Box?
Thanks for help offered.
ps Please make any suggestions really simple to follow!!!!
Lillian
Lillian: You should run another cable from the dish, there will be two spare outputs on the "quad LNB".
The cable needs to be satellite-grade coax cable.
Please don't pull it in and out of the receivers, you risk doing permanent damage to both boxes. L NicklessTuesday 29 June 2010 11:17AM
I am having been using my sky box without subscription to view all the avaiable channels for a while now but lately it keeps regularly telling me there is no signal. I then plug it into the phone line for a few minutes and try again and it works for a few days then we are back to square 1 with no signal. What is going on here? Do I give up and buy a free sat box?mindigTuesday 29 June 2010 7:51PM
I unsubscribed NTL few months ago. I still have their set up box. Can I use this to receive free digit channel?mindig: No, you can't. Technically it is not your set top box either! JOEWednesday 30 June 2010 1:10PM
Southampton Is Rowbridge really giving out a weak signal.
At the North of Southampton portable equipment is picking up nothing today.
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Buy Quad Output Universal LNB. at Argos.co.uk - Your Online Shop for .
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