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.
8:26 AM
Martin B: You can use the lead from the Sky dish for your TV's Freesat facility without having to alter anything as Freesat and Sky are completely compatible with each other in this respect, however if you want to use Freeview as well then you will require a normal aerial connection for this.
As far as quality is concerned there is very little difference in quality between any of them, and any differences that do occur are usually down to quality variations in the particular programme being transmitted.
By the way if two leads have been supplied from the dish for either Sky+ or a Freesat PVR (recorder) then you can use any one of the leads as they are independent of each other, but if you are thinking on the latter then you would require an additional lead to be run from the dish, one for Freesat (on the TV) and the other two for a Freesat PVR.
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8:30 AM
Martin B: Also meant to say that you do not require a Sky box, as Sky's free to view programmes are very similar, and in most cases, the same as the ones seen on Freesat, and with only a few exceptions existing.
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9:35 AM
Thanks JB
There are two leads from the dish coming in to the house but not long enough to get to the TV which is why I thought the box might be an option
Freeview reception seems ok but expected a little better from my new TV I guess - but I think that is down to the cable service at out last house compared to the freeview air service here ... and dont get me started on the internet!!!
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9:29 PM
Martin B: If the lead from the dish is not long enough to reach your Freesat TV then you should make up an extension using a length of satellite grade coax and screw an "F" connector onto each end taking care that you dont catch a strand of the braiding on the middle core of the cable, then couple one end into your TV and link the other end onto the feed (any of two) from the dish with the aid of a female "F" back to back coupler.
New flat screen TV's always take a while to get used to, as unlike old CRT sets there are a multitude of individual adjustments that can be made to the picture, and to anyone fussy about quality this can be a nightmare even to get a happy medium, as unlike CRT sets flat screen sets arent very good at ironing out differences in quality between programmes.
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2:28 PM
i have been with sky for over a year and so own the equipment. Sky just hiked their prices up to far for me if i cancel my subscription can i still get the sky freeview channels on my equipment, do I have to do anything, or will I automatically get them once sky have turned off their service.
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7:44 AM
Hi, I live in france and have had a standard sky box set up for a few years now. If I wanted to 'upgrade' to a sky+hd box, would it give me some of the standard services such as hd, and recording ability if I have the two cables running to it. I have tried in the past with a box of this type just on a standard single cable and do not get the information deatils of programmes with this box unlike the standard box. Is this normal.
thanks
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10:05 PM
Hi All
you have totally lost me with all this - we are moving to south Germany in a few weeks and currently do not have sky, receivers, dishes or anything else we just watch "regular" TV and are hoping to find a way to continue to do so once we have moved - can anyone help with advise what we need to get.
Thanks
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10:53 AM
Fordingbridge
I am a real technophobe and hoping for some help please!! We have recently moved to an area where Freeview is a bit hit and miss and have been advised to get Freesat as there are connections in the house for Sky. My friend has offered me her old Sky+ HD box. There are wires in my garage for Sky that aren't connected to anything and then wires in the lounge and 2 bedrooms. What do I connect the sky box to and will i need to get anything else (ie extra wires) for this to work??
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Kerry's: mapK's Freeview map terrainK's terrain plot wavesK's frequency data K's Freeview Detailed Coverage
7:30 PM
I have a Sky HD box at the moment purely because there is no ariel reception where I live so a Sky dish is a must.
As Sky prices have been steadily increasing I am considering stopping my subscription to Sky and buying a Humax Freesat box. I am considering the Humax HDR-10005-1TB in particularly.
Is it simply a case of removing the Sky box and replacing it with the Humax Freesat box?
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8:00 PM
Paul Hammett: Yes! its as simple as that as Sky and Freesat are 100% technically compatible as far as anything connected to the dish is concerned, that is if you have twin feeds from the dish and are using a Sky+HD box, because anyone with Sky that doesnt have twin feeds requires an extra coax to be run from the dish to the box as well as having to change the LNB on the dish arm for either a dual or quad type, these obtainable from e-bay outlets for around £10.00 or so.
Of course a twin tuner Freesat PVR will work with one feed, but it seriously limits its recording capabilities.
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