Can I stop paying Sky and use my satellite receiver to get Freeview ?
Brian Butterworth published on UK Free TV 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.
11:14 AM
'her run ebon':
Assuming you are meaning that those are Freeview channels (and not Sky or Freesat), then that rather sounds like a fault in the set. But first, check all the aerial cables at the back of the TV set to ensure there are no damaged sections and that all the connections are in good condition (unplugging and plugging back in often helps).
Then check, on your TV, the reported signal strengths of the channels experiencing the problem, your TV User Manual will tell you how to do that. The reported strengths should be between 50% and 85% for the SD channels and between 60% and 85% for the HD channels. If they are lower than that then you need to investigate why, but as you have not given a full post code, we have no means of checking what reception conditions are at your location. If the strengths are greater than 85% then you have too much signal and that is causing the problem. To reduce the signal strength you can fit an attenuator or turn down the gain of any amplifier fitted in the aerial system.
If none of that applies after checking, then you need an engineer to look at the TV and aerial system.
| link to this comment |
Hi.
I want to receive UK freeview TV here in Germany.
I have a satellite dish fitted but can't find any UK channels. (it's pointing in the right direction apparently)
Do I need a special freeview box/reciever to help?
Cheers.
Andy
| link to this comment |
2:27 PM
Andy Roberts:
Freeview is not available in Germany, but you may be able to get Freesat with suitable equipment. Bear in mind that the Freesat (or free-to-air0 services are intended for reception in the UK so you may need a UK Freesat receiver and possibly a large dish as some parts of Germany are outside of the normal reception area.
| link to this comment |
2:29 PM
Wayne Wayne Britt:
It all depends on where you are located. Please provide a full post code so that we contributors can examine the reception conditions in your area. It will also allow us to determine which of the more than 1000 transmitters serves your locality. Without the full post code we do not know where you are.
| link to this comment |
1:36 PM
I am going to cancel my Sky subscription and would like know if i can still use the dish after cancellation by connecting dish directly to the tv
| link to this comment |
1:44 PM
Dave Marks: Read the previous comments - unless the TV has a sat. tuner as well, no.
| link to this comment |
5:55 PM
Dave Marks:
Terrestrial TV, such as Freeview, comes from ground based transmitters and uses a UHF aerial to receive the signals. Satellite based TV comes from an Astra satellite in a geo-stationary orbit above the Equator, roughly over Eqst Africa, and uses a dish to receive the Ku band signals.
To watch Freeview you can use a UHFD aerial mounted correctly for your intended transmitter (there are over 1000 of them!) and fed into the normal coaxial aerial socket of the TV.
To watch Freesat yoiu can use your existing dish as the same satellite as used by Sky is used by Freesat. But you need either a separate set top box or a TV with a satellite receiver built in. If your TV has one it will have a screw-on 'F' connector for the satellite downlead to feed the signals into the satellite tuner.
A dish cannot be used to receive Freeview at all, nor any other terrestrial signals.
| link to this comment |
7:04 AM
Seems to be a tad complicated to me! I'm afraid I'm a technophobe so not sure what to do!
| link to this comment |
6:02 PM
Jeanne Lane:
What is it that you want to do? If you tell us in clear terms we can maybe offer some advice that you can use - avoiding where possible the technical terms.
| link to this comment |