Ground floor sat dish and tv aerial

[ey143]

But the Sky+ HD box I bought would not show any channels whatsoever including the free ones, unless I bought a basic Sky card costing circa £15. They said I needed this and would need to renew the card every 3 or so years. Its been about 3 or 4 years already. I am not paying any monthly fees however. The box might be coded this way but I thought the free 1-5 channels and news etc are being broadcast by Sky, so wouldn't it make sense that they require a card to unlock the content on the sky box?

I guess that is the reason why Freesat doesn't include some of the other free to air channels that are offered on a Sky box?

 

[winston1]

Those channels are NOT broadcast by sky. They are broadcast by the BBC, ITV, CH4 etc. A card is NOT needed to view them. Have you tried pulling the card from the box? All that card does is regionalise the EPG to give the correct BBC ITV region for your area and give around 5 extra free to view (as against free to air) channels, mostly Sony ones. Once again sky have lied.

Freesat only include free channels that pay them to be included, but all Freesat boxes have a non Freesat mode that can get all the free to air channels.

If your box won't get the free channels without a card it is faulty.

 

[ey143]

I would need to check again as its been a few years since I've pulled the card out, but I do recall that I would not get any free channels before I had the card. I would get a blue screen with a message saying to call sky to get any of the channels.

 

[flameport]

but I do recall that I would not get any free channels before I had the card. I would get a blue screen with a message saying to call sky to get any of the channels.

That is done deliberately by Sky as it means they can try and sell you other channels each time you call. They also get your name and address so they can send you advertising for their paid channels.

Freesat boxes are buy, plug in and use for ever. They do not have or require any card.

 

[winston1]

That is done deliberately by Sky as it means they can try and sell you other channels each time you call. They also get your name and address so they can send you advertising for their paid channels.

Source?

You won't find one as sky boxes do not give a blue screen on fta channels. Sky were forced to allow their boxes to provide fta channels right from the start.

 

[bigboyo0]

Hi
Just thought I would comment.
Sly did a freesat box dish and card install at £150 no more fees but you will need to update card in 3 years when new cards are sent out.
Since then they stopped it and you can pick up free to air channels on sly boxes.
If you buy a box and does have wrong region i.e. BBC from the north and you live in south you can rescan box with new installation and will bring your region in.


Hope this helps.

 

[winston1]

Hi
Just thought I would comment.
Sly did a freesat box dish and card install at £150 no more fees but you will need to update card in 3 years when new cards are sent out.
Since then they stopped it and you can pick up free to air channels on sly boxes.
If you buy a box and does have wrong region i.e. BBC from the north and you live in south you can rescan box with new installation and will bring your region in.


Hope this helps.

Does not help as it is wrong.
Sky never did Freesat boxes. They did a standard subscription box with a special card to decode a few extra channels. There were more fees, those to replace the card every few years.
You always been able to get free to air channels on sky boxes, but in the early days BBC were not free to air, they were free to view thus requiring that card.

If you buy a box without a card it will give BBC London and ITV Central West. No amount of rescanning will change that. Popping in a local, even expired, card will change the region however without rescanning.

One exception is newer boxes that have been used with an Irish card. They stick with the Irish EPG, and a UK card is needed to change that.

 

[ey143]

I can confirm that having taken the card out of the box, I can still view free to air channels.