Upgrading from Sky+HD to Freesat+HD
You might get a glossy magazine every month, but what do Sky really think of your custom?
"Give me a f**king name on a direct debit and it's mine for life,"
- Sam Chisholm, former boss of BSkyB.
Perhaps you responded to an offer like the one blow that promised a gratis Sky+HD box (for new customers taking their first Sky+HD package) with free standard set-up
But you were so excited with the thought of a £50 M&S voucher that you didn't think to follow each of the little daggers and little stars to quite read all the terms and conditions:
So, your twelve months of commitment are over and, for reasons of budget (or politics) you have decided you want to keep all the features of Sky+ - live pause, high definition, extended electronic programme guide, series record, and recording two programmes at once whilst you watch another - but don't want to fork out every month on top of your TV Licence - and you still get hundreds of free TV channels
Here's what you can do.
First you need to buy a Freesat+HD box. There are many on the market, and can be bought from Argos, Currys DIGITAL, John Lewis, Comet and online at Amazon, as well as other stores.
When you use a Freesat+HD box NO SUBSCRIPTION HAS TO BE PAID. NONE. NOT A PENNY TO ANYONE.
Installing
This will take no more than ten minutes. First you will need to disconnect the Sky+HD box mains from the wall socket.Then you will need to disconnect the cables from the back of the Sky+HD box.
Pull out the mains power connection (1), carefully unscrew the satellite dish links (2) and (3), and then take out the HDMI lead (4) to your HDTV. If you have an "surround sound" amplifier, you may also have a digital audio connection (5).
Remove the Sky+HD box and put the Freesat+HD box back in the same position.
Then reconnect the cables: the mains power cable (1) - but not to the wall just yet, screw the two satellite dish links (2) and (3) and connect the HDMI cable (4) to your HDTV. If you had one, reconnect the digital audio connection (5).
If you have an Ethernet router, you can connect it to the Freesat+HD box at this point (5).
With everything in place, turn on the mains power and power up the Freesat+HD box.
The TV screen first displays the box's logo
The first set-up screen allows you to select the TV type, widescreen mode and resolution:
Next the box checks for the satellite signal:
Then there is a check for updated software:
Then you enter your postcode and the box checks it:
The next step is a scan for channels. This takes about 30 seconds:
And that's it. You can now view channels, like 108 for BBC HD:
Or press the GUIDE button for the EPG:
And that's it.
Strathearn: Freesat+HD has a full radio EPG, and interactive radio "red button" stuff the same as Freeview.
Yes, there are lots of other advantages to Freesat+HD, this page I created because lots of people have asked about how to change a Sky+HD box for a Freesat+HD one.
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4:16 PM
Vic Poole - Strathearn. The "Freesat" Technisat HDFS is available at £120.00 It does require either an external 2.5 Laptop HDD or High Capacity Pen Drive and records only One channel while watching another as opposed to the Humax and others that record two whilw watching another. However, having both of the aforementioned receivers - the Technisat does everything else accesses iPlayer that the Humax does and also can be networked to a PC.Picture quality is beyond reproach. Has Diseqc also so can bemotorised and although more limited than an FTA box in this respect it is better managed in this respect than the Humax. Certainly worth consideration.
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Les Nicol: I must get one of those to try out, I've got a spare 2TB external drive lying around not doing very much.
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7:35 AM
Brian - 3year manufacturers warranty with this is an added bonus.
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7:43 AM
Brian - Forgot to mention - PVR functionality was an added update which the receiver will do automatically - An extended downloadable manual is accessed from the website that fully covers the PVR setup recording and playback functions.
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Les Nicol: Thanks. The download is listed on the Freeview and Freesat set-top box updates | ukfree.tv - independent free digital TV advice page.
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3:38 PM
Les Nicol - The Technisat HDFS - 'just double checking, but could you confirm the radio EPG, pause, rewind live radio and the ability to record programme series etc., is all available.... and that iPlayer is still ONLY available if the box is connected to the Internet?
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Strathearn: The iPlayer is an internet service. That's what the "i" stands for "internet".
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7:43 PM
Briantist: That may be so, but a cabled Virgin Media box offers iPlayer without an internet connection.
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Strathearn: I think you will find that there is an internet connection to the back of the cable box.
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