Can I use Sky+ with just free-to-air channels?
Brian Butterworth published on UK Free TV Sky allow you pay £10 monthly subscription just for the PVR functionality, as long as you have completed the minimum one-year term on any subscription package.
All questions
In this section
Sunday, 3 July 2011
M
Mike McCoy9:27 AM
Market Rasen
Hello,
some guidance please.
I am retired and have decided that SKY is a luxury I can no longer afford. I have a SKY+ box and have been a subscriber for +/- 8 years.
Reading the many posts on your site regarding using SKY+ box to record Freesat channels, I understand that a 'record' card may be needed (£10 per month). Without this card can I still receive the excellent EPG menu and programme information ?
many thanks
Mike
| link to this comment |
Mike's: mapM's Freeview map terrainM's terrain plot wavesM's frequency data M's Freeview Detailed Coverage
Thursday, 7 July 2011
P
Paul12:21 PM
You will be able to use the EPG but will lose the 'record' feature. Any recorded programs on the Sky+ will also not be playable. The 'record' feature is active as longas you remain a subscriber or pay £10/month.
| link to this comment |
Friday, 8 July 2011
T
Tom7:29 AM
I use my old sky+ box for just that. No problems but as stated no record or playback features. You need a card to get some programmes mine cost £20. as a one of payment
| link to this comment |
Sunday, 17 July 2011
Mike McCoy: There's more at Upgrading from Sky+HD to Freesat+HD | ukfree.tv - independent free digital TV advice .
| link to this comment |
Thursday, 21 June 2012
L
Luke2:08 PM
I recently purchased a sky+ box and white sky card. Can I use 80gb of the 160gb box to record without any subscription?
Thanks
Luke
| link to this comment |
J
jb3811:28 PM
Luke: No! as Sky permanently retains access to the recording side of Sky+ boxes and will only allow its use if a subscription is paid, of I believe £10.50 per month.
By the way the box doesn't require a card to view normal channels, although the regional news will default to London without the card if the box has been unpowered.
| link to this comment |
Wednesday, 24 October 2012
G
Gary4:45 PM
i live in ireland and i want to use my sky+ box to view free to air channels only.. i dont have time to watch tv due to work so i dont want to pay for it any longer.. no point in paying for something i dont use,, anyways, my problem is this.. i have signal and signal quality at around 75% each.. but when i try to load the "all channels" menu, it says "searching for listings",, and after a few minutes says, "no satellite signal is being received".. i have removed the card and asked a few friends about it but nobody has the answer.. i know there is some simple explanation as to why it wont work,, i just dont know what it is..can you help me please?..thanks
| link to this comment |
Wednesday, 19 December 2012
D
Dave9:17 PM
Hi Gary, we moved to Ireland 3 years ago took our sky+ box but cancelled our subscription in uk. Could get channels even though we had 75% signal and 40% quality. Had to get an engineer with a super a very sensitive meter to set the dish and all was well, I was using a simple meter in line. Interesting thing is we can still record and pause etc without a subscribtion. Trying now to get my folks sky+ to function the same without subscription but no joy.
| link to this comment |
J
jb389:37 PM
Dave: Sky's ability to cancel off a non subscribers access to the recording / playback side of the box is done via the card, and so you must either have timed things (albeit accidentally) whereby your box was not operational when the OA (over air) cancellation signal was sent by Sky, or through some fluke Sky omitted to send it, because this action is done by human hand (typing) and not automation.
Just out of interest, was your ability to view package channels cancelled? although cancelling these and killing access to recording / playback is not necessarily always done at the same time.
| link to this comment |
J
jb3811:58 PM
Gary: If you have a signal strength "and" quality of around 75% or so then there is no reason for your box not finding and retaining the channels, that is unless the power supply to the tuner is defective and with this being something that is a known problem in quite a number of boxes, albeit that in many cases these mostly being ones that are allowed to run on the warm side by not having sufficient ventilation, because unlike Dave with a indication of 40% quality which for a Sky signal is not really good enough, whereas you on the other hand are well inside of the signal drop out safety margin.
In cases like yours its best to seek out someone with a similar set up to yourself and see if they will allow you to tune in your Sky box on their system, or alternatively have them try their box on your dish, because by being able to do this cuts out endless tests having to be made.
| link to this comment |
Select more comments
Your comment please