This Much I Know

Hi Dave

One of the nifty things about having Freesat From Sky is that they regularly offer you tempting goodies to try to persuade you to become a full Sky subscriber. Last summer it was all the usual subscription channels free for three months plus 50 quids’ worth of Marks & Spencer vouchers, which I gladly accepted. At the end of the trial period I simply said “no thanks” and reverted to my subscription-free Freesat. Lovely. (And the shirt and trousers I bought from M&S with the vouchers look very nice too.)

The only thing that hacks me off is: why do we not get all the same channels as the BBC’s Freeview? I don’t understand why E4 and More4 aren’t available to Freesat viewers (not to mention the ultimate niche-marketing channel… *cough* “Dave”…)

Can I convert my SkyHD box to receive Freesat HD?

@John Yeh I think so as bbc hd, ITV HD are non subscription channels,
I do not have sky so I am not 100% sure on this try talking to other people if they have it.

I see you can now get E4 & More4 on Sky Freesat All we need now is Dave & lifes complete!

John: I don’t think so.

David R: That’s excellent news – thanks for the tip!

Hmmmm. Phil’s advice sounds good to me. But what happens if you want Freesat from Sky in more than one room? Does Sky still charge you for extra TVs viewing different channels in different rooms?

A list of tv channels available on SKY FREESAT can be found on the http://www.skyepg.co.uk website

I’ve been living abroad for a few years and now I’m returning to the UK. A neighbour has offered to give us a Skybox. Our house already has a Sky dish. Should I go with this (getting a 20 pound card)? If I decided on the BBC/ITV Freesat, would the Skybox work, and if so, how and what would that cost to start it working? Also, how do the channel lists compare between the two services and would we get all the usual Freeview channels? Thanks in advance!

I thought that, but guess what several days later the card had a sudden technical fault and I cant recieve anything at all..

We are using Freesat on a normal Sky Box receiver. We have been offered a Sky+Box and have arranged for the extra cable etc from the dish to be fitted. Will this Sky+ Box allow you to continue on Sky Freesat.
Thanks.
STR.

Hi Str,

I’ll be honest, I don’t know – but I’d be 99% sure that you won’t be able to use any of the benefits of the Sky+ box (such as recording) with “Freesat from Sky”. I’m assuming that this is why you would be looking to switch over to the Sky+ box?

Hi Dave,
Thanks for that information. I thought that may be the case but it could have been worth a try.
Regards,
STR.

I have a dish and sky box which has not been used for about two years. can i get fresat on it.

Alan

Hi Alan,

You should be able to, if you get a “Freesat from Sky” card from Sky. You should just need the card and not the full installation.

I am looking at cancelling my Sky Subsciption, they have increased it yet again. Then I would go onto ‘Freesat from Sky’ does anyone know if you can ‘Add Channels’ still, through the services button on the Sky remote?

Cheers

I’ve had enough of SKY, only had it because it was the only way for me to get HD.

If I cancel Sky HD and go for Freesat from Sky, will I still get the Free HD channels?

Thanks Dave sorry for the delay i have looked for a card and sky want £30 for them, so i may take the other way and get a freesat box for a bit more. maplin do so for £35
Alan

If I convert to Sky Freesat can I then get a Sky+ box and just pay the rental on that box?

i have a old sky box which my son wants in this room for freesat, so he just needs a sky card from sky ?

Hi Karen,

Yep – as long as the box has a “Freesat from Sky” card in it, it should work fine without the need for a Sky subscription.

after reading through the other comments do you know yet if it is possible to get free sat from sky and still benefit from your sky+box recording etc after you have fulfilled your initial 12 month contract?

Hi Dave,

I don’t know for sure, but I would be surprised if the Sky+ would still work, as it is a subscription service. You might be able to use the Sky+ box as a normal “Freesat From Sky” box without the extra Sky+ features, however. Unfortunately I don’t have a Sky+ box, so haven’t been able to test this.

Dave.

Does anyone know what the benefits are of buying a “Freeview from Sky” card, compared to what i already receive through my Sky box without a card.
Thanks in advance.

Hi All,

I think the deal from Sky for their Freesat package sounds pretty good at £150. The thing is I’ll need the dish fixed to the chimney stack and Sky cannot give me an up-front cost for this prior to the engineer’s visit. Does anyone have an idea of what this would cost ?

I have a sky +box and a spare freesat box that I want to use in another room. Is it possible to fix the extra cable into the dish?

i have a sky+ box and a spare free sat box. CanI put the extra cable into the same dish? Any tips?

I own a sky+ HD box and currently receive one of their sky + packages. I have been told by sky that if I cancel my contract and receive freesat sky only I will lose the facility of recording programmes.

Is this right? Is there a workaround as I cannot afford a seperate recorder?

I have a Sky Plus box, after cancelling my original Sky subscription. I bought a Humax HD PVR to replace it. However, I discovered that BBC freesat does not include Fiver, and Fiver USA, two channels I watch a lot. So I reconnected my Sky Plus box and to my amazement I discovered I still get all the freeview channels, including fiver etc, and CAN USE THE SKY PLUS recording facilities, for free! I thought this was not the case and now realise I needn’t have bought the Humax.

Only fly in the ointment is that Sky are changing all their cards and I don’t know if I will have to replace mine, and that if in doing so whether the Sky Plus features will still work.

Anyone know?

Thanks for the tip; sky is a good product but the service!!! been trying to contact sky to downgrade, met blind alleyway every time! in sheer frustration Ive reluctantly cancelled subscription with them and cancelled DD. been unable to access emails prior to cancelling hence outlook express; always did like outlook anyway, no hardship! thanks again for info.

Hi
I have sky hd+ box and subscription
already but wanted to use my old sky box connected to the Quad LNB. this worked ok but decided to install SKY freesat card.Recieved the card, but when I phoned 08442411602 to activate it, I was put in on hold for over an hour. then my phone battery ran out. Is this just a cheap trick by Sky to obtain revenue, or is there a way to avoid this? I can get a lot of channels using the old card but some like Sky 3 are missing.

hi,my son has gave me a skyplus box,sky have told me i need to get an engineer of my own in to fit the box,then they will pair the viewing cards,i havent got a clue how to get my own engineer,please help

I have sky freesat and Have just contacted them to change the card before November as the sky web site says. I was told that the current freesat cards have a life of 2 or 3 years and then you have to buy a new one for £20 which will last 5 years. Everyone will have to do this if there cards are currently over 3 years old or they will lose all but the bbc channels. For sky plus to work properly you need a sky plus subscription (may work for a bit but will stop when you have to do the above). Iam very angry about this as I belive it is fraud as freesat is not free but just a very cheap subscription. The freesat website makes no mention of time limits on cards

so, am i reading this right,that as a current subsciber to sky, ican cancel my subsciption and just ask for the freesat package?

anybody worked out how to get extra channels? i see there s a book out telling how to do it but don t like buying this sort of thing.can you get the quest channel on freesat? looks interesting.

Hi Dave, i have freesat from sky and have been informed via the tv that i need to get a repalcement card (costing £20)to continue viewing all the free channels-is this the case or are sky trying to make extra cash on the basck of the digital switchover?
Cheers

Hi,
We have been using Freesat since Sep 2005 and are no getting onscreen messages stating we will loose the channels we are watching. I contacted Sky about this and was told my card only had a 3 year life
(card now 4years old)and would have to purchase a new card for £20.
When I said that I thought the first payment of £20 was a one off, all I got was the run around.
Like many people, I was of the opinion that it was a single payment and that was it. They did mention that they reserved to right to replace the card from time to time but to my recollection, no extra payment was declared at the time of the purchase of the Freesat Card.
I am very annoyed about this and on the face of it looks like a sharp practice. have others had the same experience. To safeguard our view I have tonight been forced to purchase a new card but will be writing to Sky for a full explanation as to why it is neccessary to have buy another card when it is generally understood that “FREESAT” as the name implies is a one off payment scheme.
Regards,
STR

Hi
We have a Sky+Box but cannot make any recordings on it. Freesat advised when speaking about the viewing card situation, that if I paid a monthly subscription of £9.75, I could then have the recording facility. I can see us going to Freesat BBC/ITV and gain BBC HD channels (no ITV HD in Scotland as yet through this Freesat arrangement)with no monthly cost, by purchasing a Freesat Box with recording and CD/DVD playing facilities incorporated. Only thing is keeping us back, is the doubt about receiving the full range of Five channels,Fiver Five USA etc.
Regards,
STR

Hi Dave i have sky plus downstairs, and sky box upstairs which i pay £10 a month for would i be able to have freesat on my upstairs one and still keep my subscrition for downstairs as i use record quite a lot i would appreciate it if you could tell me if you know please thank you Rosemary

You don’t need a freesat card if you are happy having the basic free view channels less channel 5.
The card does however give you a lot more channels.

Hi,
I did exactly what you did and have been enjoying sky freesat for over three years BUT suddenly last week every channel has gone and in it’s place a message reads. “There is a technical problem with this channel, please try again later”

What’s happened???? Norman.

Hi again,
Yep, I’m back to let you know I too fell for the card con trick by Sky. I did the right thing and paid my £20 for the new card only to find I can get all the channels WITHOUT any card in the top box at all just by doing a bit of tweaking with the remote control……Norman.

I too have received a message from Sky re new card. Rather than pay the £20 I have decided just to disconnect the telephone line and see what happens? (I am assuming that any loss of channel would be sent electronically via the telephone line? – or can they actually disable a card/change package in any other way?)

Gordon

I’ve never actually plugged my Sky box into the phone line, even when I was a subscriber. Not sure if it makes a difference for potentially disabling cards.

FWIW, my card is still working and I’ve no plans to pay Sky £20 for a new one if asked.

Norman, what trickery did you do to your remote? I’m intrigued!

- Dave

I am a sky subscriber and have just bought a Panasonic TV with Freesat built in as well as freeview.
When trying to tune in my Freesat it said it could not find the satelite. I was told by John Lewis Dept Store that I would be able to get freesat as I had a sky dish. Was I misinformed

Paul J : If you have not already done so, you need to connect a sat cable to the TV instead of the sky box to get the TV to tune into FreeSat. This will disconnect your sky box (or leave it with only one tuner attached if you have Sky+/HD). Only other opion would be to run an extra sat cable from the LNB on the dish to the TV then both TV and Sky box will have sat channels. (TV will only get basic channels not including the extra ‘five’ channels.)

Gordon : Sky will disable your card over the satalite transmission, they know your card number and send all card programming info over the satelite transmission. The telephone line is only used for interactive services and to send anonymous usage statistics to sky every few days.

Just a couple of hints for the Sky Freesat viewer.
1. Don’t be taken in by screen messages telling you your card is about to expire and you have to go to the sky website. You will be invited to pay £20 for a new card. Just take out the existing one and then put it back in, and carry on as before.
2. If you lose any channels, Turn the Sky box off, take the card out, turn it on again & after a few moments put the card in again and off you go! We got channel 5 back in this way after losing it.

I’ve been a Sky subscriber for ages now and only just learned from a friend about Freesat from Sky! Now I’m thinking of ending my subscription and then, assuming that I DON’T have to pay £20 for a Freesat card from Sky, will start to get much the same channels as are in my faves anyway.

A question – will I still get the Sky EPG, with the Planner and stuff?

Hi Dave, Just a question I wonderd if you could answer please?
Ive just had a comunial Dish put up on my flat, I was Told if i buy a freesat box or sky box I can just connect to the new satalite socket, I already have freeview, but interested in the christian channels only sky and freesat have. my mum and dad have an Old sky+ box could i connect that and Ask for a freesat sky card and use that?
also is there 2 types of freesat?
a freesat offerd by the BBC and another from Sky?
Thanks in advance for any reply
Tony.

Unless you like the 3 channel 5 channels and sky3 you have no need to spend the £20 on replacing your freesat from sky card.

You still get access to every single other channel on the feesat from sky service bar the ones above without a viewing card.

You may lose channel 4+1 and have a different ITV region but that’s it. I’ve managed like this for a month so far although I may pay the £20 for a new card once Flash Forward starts again.

We have had a Skly box and let the subsription fall away. Untill frequently with no problems then Sky started to send a message across the screen telling us we need to upgrade our card which will cost £20.It seems that if we dont cough up the £20 we gat this pesky message across the screen and if we are taping will be all the way through the taping. Good old Sky win again.Peeed off

You do not need a card as you can add Channel 4+1 and Five in Add Channels.

C4+1:

Go to Services, select 4: System Setup, select 4: Add Channels and type in the following:

10.729
V
22
5/6

Click on Find Channels and it should find all C4+1 channels. Make sure you select yellow to store.

Five: (Regions 1,3 & 4)

12422 H
SR 27500
FEC 2/3

Five: (Region 2)

10773 H
SR 22000
FEC 5/6

If you want to watch SKY3, VIVA, Fiver and Five USA, you can watch them live online

http://www.tvcatchup.com/channels.html

We only have sky at home because we can’t get regular tv because we’re in a quarry, kind of below ground level. This article has certainly got me thinking of ways of having a second telly in our sitting room. I think we have a spare sky box so i’m gonna get to work tonight!

thanks

We are interested in Freesat as Freeview (joke of a name) doesn’t work here properly.
We’d like to connect two TV’s up & considering getting some second hand equipment. What should we be looking for in a dish to provide coverage for two TV’s? I assume we’d need a box for each TV.
Any help, advise or hints on this would be greatly appreciated.
Many thanks.

just wanted to add yes freesat from sky is all well and good, but dont forget if you want to record anything you have to pay £9.99 a month subscription to sky. So they have you over a barrel. So think its best to opt for freesat and you can get your own freesat tv recorder, after 12 months of not giving money to sky you should have enough for a nice new one

Hi,

We’re having a completely free upgrade from Sky on Saturday (Sky + HD without the HD part as we don’t have a HD tele). I am keeping my existing Sony Sky box and moving it to a bedroom. Do new SKY + boxes come with a completely new card? If so, I could probably use my existing card in my existing box to get Freesat from Sky. Would I be about right assuming that?

Hi Clive, unless you take out multiroom the box does not come with a new card, you put your existing card into your new hd box and then either the engineer or yourself phone sky and pair card to new box to recieve all the channels. Hope this helps

I have been thinking of getting freesat upstairs in the bedroom but want to keep sky downstairs i’ve got an old sky box so could i get a freesat card still for £20 so i can get freesat upstairs.

i was a sky subscriber with a sky+ box. We moved to Holland 2 years ago and I want to know if I can now get a dish, LND and cable and recieve channels such as ITV. I still have the card but do not know if it does anything… will i need a sky free sat card or will this work?

Cheers

I have just installed a Freesat box to my existing Sky dish,I have 85% signal strenth but still can’t receive any of the Channel 4 programs,So I have Gone back to my 10 year old skybox with no card and get all the channels I want inc all c4 channels,NOW How can I get CHANNEL 5 HELPPPPPPPPPPPP

Hi Dave

I’ve read through all the comments on this thread and though very interesting I haven’t seen one that answers my question, so excuse me if I missed it somewhere.
I just wondered if there is any way of unlocking the recording facility on Sky+ after cancelling your subscription? The sneaky devils didn’t tell us that not only can you record anything, but you can’t get into all your previously recorded stuff to watch or copy it to disk afterwards!
Helllllp!