Can I use my ex-contract sky digital satellite receiver to get Freeview channels
Brian Butterworth published on UK Free TV You can get the following Freeview channels on with an ex-contract digital satellite receiver (once it is connected). Items marked with a star require either a Freesat from Sky (fSfS) card, or a expired Sky subscription card to view.
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Saturday, 5 November 2011
marilyn: No. You can get a Freesat+ box though. See Upgrading from Sky+HD to Freesat+HD | ukfree.tv - independent free digital TV advice .
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Friday, 25 November 2011
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Sandra Wright10:14 AM
can a sky + box be adapted to use as a freesat + box Sandra
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Mike Dimmick1:00 PM
Sandra Wright: If you stop subscribing to Sky, you can still watch the free-to-air and 'soft-encrypted' channels - see Compare Freesat and Freesat-from-Sky TV | ukfree.tv - independent free digital TV advice for the list of services on 'Freesat-from-Sky'.
However, Sky will disable the recording and time-shifting features of the box, and you won't be able to watch anything you previously recorded. It's possible to transfer recordings of free-to-air channels to a PC using a tool called +Extract - +Extract - free software that rips free-to-air recordings from a Sky+ hard disk .
These are software limitations but I'm not aware that anyone has taken the trouble to write new software for the boxes that would remove these limits. As far as we know, the only way to get recording without paying Sky any money is to buy a different box.
Generic free-to-air recorders are also available, but Freesat-branded boxes will have a full Electronic Programme Guide, series link, accurate recording, etc - all the features you're used to from Sky+.
The link above does show a relatively small number of channels that are in Sky's service but not in Freesat's. Note that 5* and 5 USA, and their +1 time-shifts, will be joining Freesat on 8 December, according to Generic FAQ F to J | Channel 5 . Pick TV and Sky News are unlikely to ever come to Freesat as they are Sky-owned channels.
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Tuesday, 29 November 2011
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David5:00 PM
Sooo swopping a digibox/pvr for a Sky+ box is not a problem but do I have to re-align the dish to another planet, oops, satellite?
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jb385:31 PM
David: If you have stopped using a Sky+ box and want to use the dish for a Freesat PVR then nothing requires to be altered, as the dish is totally compatible with both pieces of equipment.
The important part being that you are only using Satellite equipment, and which is completely incompatible with anything connected to terrestrial Freeview.
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Wednesday, 18 January 2012
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Sue3:09 PM
I have a standard sky satellite box and was wondering if I will be able to get sky freesat, as I can no longer afford to pay a subscription.
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Friday, 20 January 2012
Monday, 23 January 2012
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kareena12:50 AM
Good evening all- I am a newbie & totally in the dark regarding all this tehno stuff. I have no aerial-currently with guy that owns an island & flys to the USA-but I want to stop this contract. I have bought a new TV- I have a separate Freeview box that has never been used and need to ask for some help & guidance-
I have a UHF TV aerial kit still in the box-it states receives analogue &strong digital terrestial UHF signals-can this be used when they change the system?
I have a sky dish on the side of the building is this useable?
Would I need to find the not used for a long time, sky box?
Can anyone advise what I need to use my telly &freeview box once the change over happens and what is the current approx cost to get someone in to set this all up?
What should I be asking of an installer?-
many thanks for any replies
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kareena: If you have a satellite connection, you need a Freesat box. You can get these from as little as £30.
You provided no postcode, so it is impossible to be sure about Freeview, but you can't usually get a decent, stable signal with an indoor aerial.
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Selma7:57 PM
Hello, we've just ended our sky subcription and moving out the country, can we use our boxes in other countries as a digital receiver??? thank you
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