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.

Click here to ask a new question

Your comments: most recent posts are at the bottom

First comments Earlier comments  ◊  Later comments Latest comments

Your comments are always welcome. Please use the form below to add your thoughts or questions to this page. We will get back to you as soon as we can.

I

ian
Monday 16 July 2012 10:28AM

how do attach my cables between a Humax Foxsat, HD Television and my HDMI dvd recorder/player so I can recored using the Foxsat channels I have a HD television, a Humax Foxsat HDR and a Sony HDMI dvd

2 posts

B

Barry
Thursday 26 July 2012 10:41AM

I have Sky+ HD box and have just cancelled Sky+HD TV. I plan to go to Freesat. Can I use my existing Sky+HD box to view Sky Freesat channels and keep the record/rewind functions of the box or do I need to buy a Freesat+HD box (eg Humax) to get iPlayer and ITV Player ? Thanks.

1 post

Briantist
Thursday 26 July 2012 11:27AM

Barry: Please see  Upgrading from Sky+HD to Freesat+HD | ukfree.tv - 10 years of independent, free digital TV advice to answer all your questions.

37,275 posts

E

Eve
Thursday 26 July 2012 7:59PM Gatwick

Hi. I've moved into a house near Gatwick airport previous tenants had Sky and dish is still here. I only want to live here for six months so don't want to subscribe to Sky. There is no aerial on roof and estate agents said one would probably not work anyway. Bt Vision told me to fit a wide band aerial. Someone else has suggested getting a Freesat box. There are two Sky cables running into lounge and there are loose aerial type cables here and there including in loft. I've been without any TV for two weeks and I'm going nuts! I didn't realise TV signals were bad in some areas. My postcode is RH6 7JD.

Any suggestions please.
Thanks

1 post

•  Recepition map
•  Terrain plot
•  Reception list
•  R+T Investigation
•  Digital UK tradeview
•  DAB radio checker

J

jb38
Thursday 26 July 2012 11:44PM

Eve: If there are two cables running into the lounge from the dish then the previous residents must have used either a Sky+ box or a Freesat twin tuner recorder(PVR).

I would be inclined to purchase a simple Freesat receiver box which uses only one of the two leads from the dish, the other being left unconnected to anything as they are totally independent from each other.

4,694 posts

M

Mr Dennis Talbot
Tuesday 31 July 2012 5:41PM

My Sky subscription expired some years ago, and I have continued to use the dish and "Pace" sky box without any problems, obviously viewing onlt the normal freeview channels. I have now connected a second television, hard wired from the 9v RF out box connection, but when I try to programme that connection via the system setup etc, the "activate the 9v RF outlet" is not available and therefore I cannot get it to work.
Can you be of assistance please.

1 post

J

jb38
Tuesday 31 July 2012 11:10PM

Mr Dennis Talbot: You have to be in the "installers" menu to access these settings, this done by pressing (4) system set up then press in and even flow fashion "0 - 1 - select" and the installers menu should come on.

4,694 posts

M

Mukh
Wednesday 1 August 2012 3:28AM

There is a communal sky dish in my block. I have a Technomate mt600 reciever can this to get the free-air channels including all the arabic chanels.
Thx

1 post

Les Nicol
Wednesday 1 August 2012 7:12AM

Mukh: You will be able to connect the Technomate to the SKY dish from the communal dish outlet OK, but will only receive channels from the cluster of satellite's and the transmissions from 28 degrees South East. There may be the odd Arabic channel from these Satellites, but most come from eg:- Eutelsat (Hotbird) at 13degrees South East and Nilesatlocated at its position a few degrees West of True South. Some communal flat dish installations have more than the one dish trained on different satellites and you would really need to check if such am imstallation caters in this respect at your block of flats.

972 posts

R

Rob
Friday 3 August 2012 10:29AM

i have purchased a Monster Power HDP 750G PowerCenter
There is only i in and out for the sat cable but i have SKY HD BOX which has 2 cable connections for recording.
Which 1 of these cables connects to the power center "dish input 1 or dish input 2"?

1 post

J

jb38
Friday 3 August 2012 4:17PM

Rob: A Sky boxes LNB 2 input is the one mainly used for recording, the two leads from the dish being identical to each other in the technical sense as well as being electrically independent.

As far as the Sky box is concerned, irrespective of what this device might claim as far as its protective qualities are concerned (in "my" opinion as an engineer dubiously!) I cant quite see how you are going to use it without upsetting the operation of the Sky+ box, as Sky+ boxes require both inputs to be permanently connected for satisfactory operation, as although the tuners as such might well be separate devices the outputs from them are interconnected with each other.

The other problem is, that you will not be able to record two channels at the same time
without the other dish feed being connected, and that somewhat by-passes any safety element that may exist with the single feed going through the device.

4,694 posts

K

Kevin
Monday 6 August 2012 10:21PM

Hi, I have a Sky HD subscription in my front room and have a twin cable running from the front room to a new back room. Is it possible to feed the sky transmission to another Sky box in the back room in order to watch the free to air channels? Would I need a subscription card or can I just get another sky box and connect the two? Thanks.

1 post

J

jb38
Tuesday 7 August 2012 12:10AM

Kevin: Not 100% sure about what your intentions are, but the best way to remember it is that a satellite coax feed from a dish cannot be shared with anything else, and that an outlet port on the LNB can only be used for one LNB input on a single device.

If you have Sky+HD then you will have two coax inputs from the dish, and so if you want to use an ordinary Sky box in another room then it will require another feed from the dish, you dish "might" already have a quad block fitted and which would have two spare outlet ports, and so one could be used for the ordinary Sky box, if through your LNB is a dual type then it requires to be changed for a quad, these costing around £10.00 or so from numerous e-bay outlets.

You do not require a card to be fitted in a Sky box to view any "free to view" channels, the only snag being that the local news might not actually be that but from a wider area, as its the card that determines what local news a viewer receives.

4,694 posts

T

Tom
Wednesday 8 August 2012 9:39AM

Hi,
I have currently got Sky+ multi room. I want to cancel the one in my bedroom, but there is no aerial point in there, just the two sky leads. Two questions. 1) If i cancel sky will I be able to still receive the free to view channels through the existing box? 2) if that is not the case, will a freesat box work when the Sky dish will still be in use for the HD box in my lounge??
Many thanks.

1 post

J

jb38
Wednesday 8 August 2012 4:52PM

Tom: The basic answer to question (1) is yes, that is provided you are outside of any 12 months contract otherwise they "might" want to box back "if" it was provided free by Sky, but the main point to remember is that you do not require a card installed in any Sky box to receive free channels, and Sky have no way of stopping anyone viewing them as their powers are restricted to blocking only Sky dedicated channels that's part of a package.

On question (2), although you will most likely be retaining the Sky box in the bedroom you could if you wish use a Freesat box, as the two cables from the dish are not connected in any way with your lounge box although they go back to the same LNB on the dish, as each of the outlet ports you see are totally independent of each other.

4,694 posts

A

Andy
Thursday 9 August 2012 10:02AM

Hi
We have cancelled sky multiroom is there any way we can get shut of all the stations that we can't view to make it easier to scroll through the channels .

Thank you

1 post

J

jb38
Thursday 9 August 2012 12:24PM

Andy: No! if you are referring to the EPG channel list as its only Sky that can make changes to this, however you could get over it in a fashion by simply entering all the channels you regularly view in the favourites list and then inching though them all using the blue button.

4,694 posts

T

tom
Wednesday 15 August 2012 8:29PM

i have moved house and took my dish with me .i cancelled musky contract .I've put dish up with new aerial cable.but cannot get a signal can u help.

2 posts

J

jb38
Wednesday 15 August 2012 8:53PM

tom: Quite a number of reasons can exist as to why you have not had success with what you have done, these ranging from the dish not having been aligned properly to a possible short circuit in one of the "F" connectors that you have fitted onto the coax, the usual one being caused by a single strand of braiding wire having got accidentally wrapped around the inner core, and so I would unscrew each in turn just to check that this hasn't happened.

4,694 posts

T

tom
Thursday 16 August 2012 7:46PM

have checked cable with a sparky .he said no prob with cable connection .still getting black screen with no signal on it my dishon same wall as next door tried moving dish around nothing happening .

2 posts

J

jb38
Thursday 16 August 2012 8:40PM

tom: Well in that case (if checked correctly) then it only really leaves the possibility of the dish being out of alignment, as setting up a Sky dish requires the utmost of precision in its alignment as if its the merest fraction out it will kill the signal, although the usual mistake made by many if using one of these small sat finders is to set it up on the wrong satellite such as 19.2, as although that seems to be quite far away from 28.2 on one of these meters referred to it only represents the slightest of movement.

What do you see indicated strength / quality wise on the signal level check screen when you press "services - 4 - 6"

4,694 posts

M

Mags
Thursday 16 August 2012 10:39PM

I am looking at getting a second sky+ box for the bedroom but can't afford a multi room subscription at the moment. If I get a box installed will I be able to use the functions of the sky+ box, ie record programmes, without the multi room subscription?

1 post

J

jb38
Thursday 16 August 2012 10:49PM

Mags: By rights no! as a card has to be permanently installed in the box to allow the recording / playback side of it to operate because the access codes necessary to allow this operation are on the card, and unless anything has been changed in recent times the card from the main box cannot be used in the proposed second one either as serial numbers are involved.

4,694 posts

M

Mick Allsop
Thursday 16 August 2012 11:59PM

I have an old motorised dish that I used to pick up all the old analogue channels, which is no longer used. I also have Sky HD in 4 rooms (octo lnb). I have plenty of spare Sky boxes and want to know if the lnb on the old motorised dish will be able to pick up Sky enabling me to run another feed into the room which does not have a cable in? Or do I need to buy a 'digital lnb'?

1 post

J

jb38
Friday 17 August 2012 7:18AM

Mick Allsop: Provided the identification plate on the old LNB is seen to state 9.75 - 10.6 Ghz then its perfectly OK for what you wish to do, although watch that its fixing collar its cracked or split and caused by the plastic having turned brittle through age.

By the way LNB's, just like normal aerials arent digital or analogue specific, albeit some advertisers might make it appear that way.

4,694 posts

R

Russell Howes
Sunday 19 August 2012 12:52PM Norwich

Russell Howes
Sunday 19 August 2012 12:23PM
7 minutes ago
I am not a Sky customer./ However I do have a freestat -HD Humax and outside dish.
My Panasonic TV has 5 channels listed for HD.
I now wish to view Premier league Sports Programmes. To whom would you recommend I contact for the best re-arrangement.I may have no option but to purchase a Sky package but not keen to do so
Automatic update every 1 minute

5 posts

•  Recepition map
•  Terrain plot
•  Reception list
•  R+T Investigation
•  Digital UK tradeview
•  DAB radio checker

R

Russell Howes
Sunday 19 August 2012 12:54PM Norwich

Russell Howes
Sunday 19 August 2012 12:52PM
0 minutes ago Norwich
Russell Howes
Sunday 19 August 2012 12:23PM
7 minutes ago
I am not a Sky customer./ However I do have a freestat -HD Humax and outside dish.
My Panasonic TV has 5 channels listed for HD.
I now wish to view Premier league Sports Programmes. To whom would you recommend I contact for the best re-arrangement.I may have no option but to purchase a Sky package but not keen to do so
Automatic update every 1 minute

5 posts

•  Recepition map
•  Terrain plot
•  Reception list
•  R+T Investigation
•  Digital UK tradeview
•  DAB radio checker

R

Russell Howes
Sunday 19 August 2012 1:07PM Norwich

I do not have Freeview reception problems.Aerial is in the roof space, approximately 3 miles from the Tacolneston transmitter.
Seeking to use the Humax Sat-HD to enable me to receive most Sports programmes.Can this ahieved with Freeview or do I have to purchase Sky TV Sport?

5 posts

•  Recepition map
•  Terrain plot
•  Reception list
•  R+T Investigation
•  Digital UK tradeview
•  DAB radio checker

R

Russell Howes
Sunday 19 August 2012 1:09PM Norwich

Russell Howes
Sunday 19 August 2012 1:07PM
10 minutes ago Norwich
I do not have Freeview reception problems.Aerial is in the roof space, approximately 3 miles from the Tacolneston transmitter.
Seeking to use the Humax Sat-HD to enable me to receive most Sports programmes.Can this ahieved with Freeview or do I have to purchase Sky TV Sport?

5 posts

•  Recepition map
•  Terrain plot
•  Reception list
•  R+T Investigation
•  Digital UK tradeview
•  DAB radio checker

Dave Lindsay
Sunday 19 August 2012 1:18PM

Russell Howes: Sky Sports 1, Sky Sports 2 and ESPN are available on a subscription basis via the digital terrestrial television (DTT) network.

AFAIK, the only two subscription services that allow access to these DTT encrypted channels are:

 Sky Sports, Sports Packs, Sky Sports 1 & 2 | Top Up TV
 Prices | BT Vision

4,065 posts

R

rob
Monday 20 August 2012 8:45PM

i have a sky+ box using freesat.How can i record or pause live tv

1 post

J

jb38
Monday 20 August 2012 9:20PM

rob: You cannot unless you have a Sky subscription, as Sky retains permanent control of the access codes necessary to enable the recording / playback side of the box to operate.

4,694 posts

M

Michelle Keable
Friday 24 August 2012 7:09PM

I have sky multiroom in two rooms downstair. I would like to put freesat in two bedrooms upstairs using standard sky boxes. Will I be able to use the viewing card from one of the multi room boxes to watch my sky subscription channels upstairs occasionally?

1 post

J

jb38
Friday 24 August 2012 8:34PM

Michelle Keable: It depends on whether or not when you had first taken out the multiroom subscription that Sky registered the serial numbers of the boxes being used over the one they had provided, that is if they supplied one free as part of the deal, as if they did then the card would not work unless inserted in that particular box as the card would only allow access if the serial number matched to the one programmed into the card.

However this might be academic, as the simple way to find out is to borrow a standard box and try a test with the multiroom card.

4,694 posts

T

tama
Tuesday 28 August 2012 12:17PM

hi all is there anyway that ya can continue to use planner and programmes that ya have recorded... and also can ya record programemes of the free to air channels using the sky+ boxes. thankyou

1 post

F

frankie
Wednesday 12 September 2012 11:10PM

i have a sky+box and i am thinking of stopping sky can i still watch the programs i recorded if i cancell sky

3 posts

J

jb38
Thursday 13 September 2012 6:43AM

frankie: No! as Sky permanently retains access to the recorder / playback side of the box and will cancel this along with your ability to view their Sky package programmes.

4,694 posts

J

jayjay
Sunday 16 September 2012 6:21PM

I have got hd box in my room and my son keeps coming in and recording all his things he likes and after school is claiming my telly and sky, but he has sky set up in his room but was just getting free channels as got someone who put my television arial up to do it for him and he had basic box.
I wanted to know if i got a box with record play and rewind etc on it-example another BOX which has record on it can i put it in his room and he can play pause etc like in my room and record? What would be case if he used my card in it to watch things on the planner would this work? or would i need get shy to make record play etc pause work and pay for multiroom?

1 post

J

jb38
Sunday 16 September 2012 9:28PM

jayjay: Your son would not be able to record anything on a Sky+ box unless you had a multiroom subscription, and Sky would likely want to know the boxes serial number as cards are usually matched to the box whereby the card would only work in that particular box.

The other point being, that does your son have two feeds from the dish in his room? as Sky+ boxes as you will no doubt already know requires a dual feed from the dish.

Of course there is nothing to stop you from purchasing a Freesat PVR (recorder) for your son, as its 100% compatible with a Sky dish and connections from, and it doesn't require a contract to use it either!

By the way Freesat PVR's also require a twin feed from the dish.

4,694 posts

leslierainer
Wednesday 19 September 2012 9:08PM Skegness

hi i have a freesat box and need a freesat box for tv iplayer i also need to no how to put more channeles on but dont no how

27 posts

•  Recepition map
•  Terrain plot
•  Reception list
•  R+T Investigation
•  Digital UK tradeview
•  DAB radio checker

G

Gareth
Saturday 22 September 2012 10:44AM

Hi There,

I have an existing sky quad lnb and am planning to run another 2 cables from it to a humax hdpvr, does anyone know if I can use standard satellite cable and f connectors for it rather than shotgun cable with the smaller ones?
Also do you need male connectors for going into the quad or female?

Thanks

Gareth

2 posts

J

jb38
Saturday 22 September 2012 5:28PM

Gareth: It makes no difference what type of satellite cable you use as shotgun twin cable is only used because you can get a neater installation using it, and especially in installations where a Freesat PVR (or Sky+) is being used along with a Freesat TV and possibly a standard Sky box.

Shotgun cable is slightly less efficient on long runs though, and in these type of cases its best to use standard satellite coax such as WF100 or similar.

4,694 posts

G

Gareth
Sunday 23 September 2012 2:50PM

Thank you JB

2 posts

J

jb38
Sunday 23 September 2012 3:20PM

Gareth: Pleased to have been of assistance, although I did forget to add that male connectors are used in practically all situations involving a connection into a piece equipment, female connector ends usually only found in cable couplers used for various purposes.

4,694 posts

S

Stephen Rodway
Monday 1 October 2012 12:20PM

Hello, if i cancel my sky subscription would i have to pay the £175 to watch freesat from sky or do you get that automatically if you cancel your sky subscription.

Thank you
Stephen Rodway.

1 post

S

Sal
Monday 1 October 2012 3:40PM

I have a flat screen tv with an integrated DVD player and freeview - if I have Sky plugged into this tv [at home] will it harm the freeview? I need to be able to take this tv to a care home on an irregular basis where I plug it in to their ariel to pick up freeview.

thanks

2 posts

J

jb38
Monday 1 October 2012 4:49PM

Sal: No! as you are only using the external connection sockets (scart or HDMi) which does not interfere in any way with the tuning menu.

The only thing you "might" require to do is to reselect DVB on the TV's remote control after having used the external connections, that is if Freeview doesn't appear after switching on.

4,694 posts

J

jb38
Monday 1 October 2012 4:54PM

Stephen Rodway: The Sky box automatically reverts to that mode and so you do not require to do anything.

Remember though, that should you be using a Sky+ box then the recording side of the box will be disabled by Sky at the same time as your access to Sky's dedicated package channels.

4,694 posts

S

Sal
Tuesday 2 October 2012 1:38PM

Thank you for your comments, that is great news - saves buying Mum a 2nd TV for respite.

cheers

2 posts

W

WILFRED SWAIN
Friday 5 October 2012 9:16AM

I have a sat dish with one cable going to the tv in the lounge, I have got a tv for the kitchen , can I join a cable into the above one or do I have to take it from the dish (which is a long way from the kitchen .) ? I want to get freeview do I have to get another aeriel? I live in co. down N.Ireland

1 post

J

jb38
Friday 5 October 2012 8:23PM

WILFRED SWAIN: If you are referring to actual Freeview and not Sky's "free to view" channels on satellite then you will require a normal aerial, as satellite and terrestrial systems are not compatible.

If though you just wanted to view the same channel as on your Sky box then you could run a normal coax from the Sky boxes RF1 socket to your kitchen TV's aerial socket, retune the TV whilst on analogue, and that will enable the programme on the Sky box to be viewed in the kitchen.

This said provided your Sky box is not an Amstrad DRX595 which does not have a modulator.

4,694 posts

M

Martin B
Wednesday 10 October 2012 7:46AM

Hi

Just moved into a house that has a dish installed - previous owners had sky service. Just bought a new TV with Freeview and Freesat built in - can I get a sky box and connect that to the TV and use the box as a receiver(?) for Freesat ?? Would freeview be better quality or is that only through the external aerial??

Sorry for the ignorance but just left an area with cable and moved to a non cable area ... not good!!!

Cheers

2 posts

P1

P35

P36

P37

P38

P39

Page 40

P41

P42

P43