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.
Dawn McAdam: For a start off you will need to run another cable from the dish to the upstairs room.
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12:35 PM
Dave Lindsay: Thank you for your help, after having just paid out to replace the broken dish and upgrade the box I had hoped there would be a way round this as it means paying out another £70!
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Dawn McAdam: It is a satellite receiver and must therefore be connected to a satellite dish so as to receive the signal.
It is possible to DIY an additional feed, although this may void any warranty you have with the company that installed the new dish.
The LNB is the bit on the arm that the cables connected to. If it is a dual LNB (two cable connections) and both are used then you will need to replace the LNB with a quad to give you two more connections. LNBs are available online from sources such as eBay for around £10.
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Dawn McAdam: As you may have gathered, the aerial link between your downstairs Sky box (which is connected to the dish) and the upstairs one does not provide any connection to the dish. It is purely so that you can view the output of the downstairs box using an analogue signal which was the type used for TV before the switchover.
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3:29 PM
Hi I HAVE PROBLEMS WITH MY SKY HD BOX THE MOTOR GOES INTO DRIVE MAKING A WORRING SOUND, AND I LOSE THE PICTURE.
THIS HAPPENS MORE OR LESS ON A DAILY BASIS I FOLLOW THE ON SCREEN INSTRUCTIONS WHICH DONT ALWAYS WORK I FIND IT INFURIATING.
IAM FACED WITH THE CHOICE OF RENEWING OR CHANGING TO FREESAT AND POSSIBLY SAVE SOME MONEY
ADVISE PLEASE
FRANK
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10:48 AM
my daughter has moved into shared accommodation the landlord has said there is sky in her room she has bought a tv but has tried everything to get it working does she just connect the ariel from the wall into the back of the tv or does she need a box if so what should she need to buy thanks
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10:31 PM
If there is no Sky box connected in her room, she does not have Sky. She might have a satellite feed to her room. The wall socket, is it a push in coax or a screw on F connector? How many sockets are there?
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11:49 PM
ydoyle: If the landlord has said that your daughters accommodation has a Sky connection facility in her room but that she doesnt actually have a Sky box then a Freesat box is the answer, as Sky and Freesat are 100% compatible with each other as far as dish connections are concerned.
The other point being, that only a Freesat TV would work in situations where the only socket provided was a satellite connection as Freeview requires a normal aerial, this being either loft or roof mounted the former dependant on location.
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12:10 PM
jb38, why is a freesat box the answer? In this situation you don't yet know enough facts to give a full answer. Ydoyle's daughter might want a Sky subscription which won't work on a freesat box.
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6:27 PM
Jimbo: There are a couple of reasons for suggesting this based on having comprehensive knowledge of the type of circumstances involved, the first being that when the landlord told ydoyle's daughter that there was Sky in her room, then going by the generalised descriptions used by most (e,g: "Hoovered" the carpet etc) he was most likely referring the fact of it having a satellite socket.
Secondly, numerous people do not realise that a "non-subscription" Freesat box works from exactly the same satellite connection as used by a Sky box, plus there was no suggestion that this was actually wanted anyway! and so when taking into account the circumstances that ydoyle's daughter is residing in (shared accommodation) her taking out a 1 year (minimum term) subscription contract with Sky is committing herself to paying out considerably more money than a Freesat box would cost, something that most people I have ever known in these type of circumstances prefers not to do.
Of course Freeview being even more ideal should there have been a standard aerial socket fitted rather than a satellite one.
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