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.
6:05 PM
I live in a flat in an area that used cable so we don't have an aerial to receive digital channels. I took out sky as a solution which TV in lounge is connected up to. TV in bedroom continued receiving a few channels but recently a message is displayed to say analogue will be switched off 28th nov and it don't want to pay for sky multi room- could you tell me what my options I have? Thanks
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Hannah:
You have 2 options
1. get a satellite cable into the bedroom with which you an connect a Freesat box to, this will give you Free to Air stations
2. Run a coax cable from your sky box which will enable you to watch you sky box in the bedroom (only the same channel)
regards
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jamie's: mapJ's Freeview map terrainJ's terrain plot wavesJ's frequency data J's Freeview Detailed Coverage
9:13 PM
Hannah: As a matter of interest, where are you?, since analogue finished some time ago, as far as I'm aware.
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12:12 AM
Jamie Stevens: many thanks, just looked up and see sky offer freesat so hopefully they can help sort that out reasonably given I already have a subscription with them
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12:17 AM
MikeB: I thought that too! I thought that I was getting the channels on bedroom tv by fluke and naively thought was somehow just picking up a signal off a satellite dish. Then just two weeks ago a message in white text started running across the tv to say analogue will be switched off 28th November. Area is Milton Keynes
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8:16 AM
Hannah: you will need to pay sky for this extra service, but you can get a cheap freesat box for less than £50 - all you need is a spare lnb. Of course the other question is , if you can get an analogue signal, could you get a digital one by using a cheap portable aerial?
A digibox is £15 or less ( someone might even let you have one for nothing), and although portables are usually rubbish, might be fine - I saw one in a supermarket the other day for less than £10.
At least you have options.
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8:22 AM
Hannah: a quick look on the web shows that your picking up a signal from virginmedia , but on cable (google Milton Keynes and analogue tv) - so you have sky, virgin, freesat, and freeview. What's really strange is how your getting the signal in the bedroom - are you actually paying for this ?
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11:56 AM
MikeB: A lot of MK is cable -I think started off through NTL then Virgin took it on so used to be no option but to receive tv signal that way. Can only get a handful of channels so i guess they just kept analogue running a bit longer and so that must be why still working in bedroom - not sure!
As they are turning off think perhaps going with freesat is my best bet. I am not sure about the spare lnb though- is that something that is part of the dish as I just have the sky dish they installed so if I bought a freesat box would I need to get an independent engineer to sort a connection from the sky dish? I think if I go through sky it sounds like I have to pay them a one off fee to be connected? I am not technical at all so it's beyond me!! Thanks for your help
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8:39 PM
I want to take my existing sky box out of the lounge and put in the bedroom which only has an aerial fitted. I will be having HD in the lounge but don't want to pay an extra £10 for the additional multi-room. Will I just be able to put the old box into the aerial and watch the existing free channels and also watch what has been recorded on the hard drive? Any help much appreciated.
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9:23 PM
Paul: If you are referring to a normal aerial then no!.
Secondly, unless a Sky box is coupled into the dish it will not be receiving the access code that enables the recording / playback side the box to operate.
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