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Upgrading from Sky+HD to Freesat+HD

What to do if you want to stop subscribing to Sky+HD but do wish to record/pause/play free HD television.

What to do if you want to stop subscribing to Sky+HD but do wis
published on UK Free TV

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.

Help with Free satellite?
What can I do when my Sky Digibox says 'No Signal' or 'Technical fau1
Can I receive UK TV in Ghana?2
What is a CA module?3
My box says "No Satellite signal being received"4
Is there any way I can get free channels via satellite and have the kind of hard5
In this section
Freesat adds a plethora of new channels in time for Christmas including channel 1
A tale of a two Freesat boxes2
Yesterday, Drama and Really joining Freesat this month3
PBS America joins Freesat for Halloween4
Fixing the Freesat Freetime internet connection problem5
Satellite TV operators FRANSAT, TIVUSAT and our Freesat launch FreeTV Alliance 6

Comments
Wednesday, 30 November 2011
J
jb38
sentiment_very_satisfiedPlatinum

4:09 PM

Hayley: The post code is only used to ensure that the viewer receives news items etc appropriate to their area, but in your case you should just enter a post code taken at random from any of the advertisers seen in the Yellow pages that covers the Dover area, or anywhere else if it comes to it!

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jb38's 7,179 posts GB flag
J
jb38
sentiment_very_satisfiedPlatinum

4:12 PM

Hayley: In addition, yes, you will get all the channels exactly as though you were in the UK.

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jb38's 7,179 posts GB flag
Thursday, 22 December 2011
Mike W.
8:04 PM

I have a Sky HD satellite installation, and my subscription expired a while ago so i just kept the 'freeview' channels. Now the box has packed up & I want to replace with a Freesat HD box.
The problem I have come across, is that the lead from the dish splits into a double plug. On the old sky box it shows 'Dish Input 1' & 'Dish Input 2' which is where both these leads plugged into the box. Most Freesat HD boxes I have looked at in places like Argos or Curry's only have 1 input socket on the back of the unit. I'm confused? Do i need to get the cabgle from the dish replaced or is there a twin socket box available on the market that is just hiding from me?!?

Thanks for any help, it would be appreciated!

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Mike W.'s 4 posts GB flag
Mike W.
8:10 PM

Sorry, also regarding the above - I have found a few boxes that have 'LNB IN' & 'LNB OUT' right where the two plugs from the dish should fix into. Are these the correct slots for the twin lead from my satellite dish?

Many thanks,

Mike

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Mike W.'s 4 posts GB flag
Briantist
sentiment_very_satisfiedOwner

8:12 PM

Mike W.: Use "LNB in" only.

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Briantist's 38,915 posts GB flag
Mike W.
10:17 PM

Thanks Brian, although I am struggling to find a box that has two input sockets. Most of the ones in mainstream shops only have the one, even though they are HD.

Does anyone have any links to a page that stocks the one i need?

Many thanks in advance...

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Mike W.'s 4 posts GB flag
Friday, 23 December 2011
J
jb38
sentiment_very_satisfiedPlatinum

12:12 PM

Mike W: Boxes that have two "F" connector inputs are always twin tuner PVR's, the two sockets necessary to be able to record on one channel whilst viewing another, or recording two channels at the same time, as on satellite reception equipment each device requires its own input from the dishes LNB.

The "LNB out" referred to is only to enable anyone with a twin tuner PVR but only one input from the dish to be able to use both tuners at the same time, as they would loop the "LNB out" into the No2 "LNB in", the snag with doing that being that both programmes being viewed / recorded has to be on the same polarity V or H, that being why individual inputs are required for satisfactory operation.

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jb38's 7,179 posts GB flag
J
jb38
sentiment_very_satisfiedPlatinum

12:24 PM

Mike W.: And as you will probably guess, PVR means "personal video recorder", these as with your previous Sky box only being able to record what they actually receive, and not that they can be used to record from external sources.

If you are thinking on a Freesat twin tuner PVR (HD or otherwise) you cant really go wrong with a Humax brand device.

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jb38's 7,179 posts GB flag
Wednesday, 28 December 2011
J
j
1:28 PM

Excellent but what if I would like UK Gold and Bloomberg which are not on Freesat?

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j's 2 posts GB flag
Tuesday, 10 January 2012
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