Sky / Satellite question

ckui

Just moved into a house and it has a sky dish & connection.

Don't want a monthly tv subscription so considering the options.

Rang Sky and they said a HD freesat box wouldn't work as something needs activating? The Sky freesat HD box seems to be around £500 all in which is too much.

Anyone know if a HD freesat box is likely to work or any other options?

996ducati

Buy a sky box from ebay (HD or Non HD) and pay £25 for a freeview card from sky.

Q: I already have Sky digital satellite equipment - what else do I need?

A: All you need to gain access to the free channels available on the digital satellite platform is a Freesat from Sky viewing card, which costs just £25. If you’d like to access the interactive services available, you’ll also need a working phone line. To purchase a viewing card please phone Sky on 08448 244 400

or....

http://www.freesat.co.uk/index.php?page=products.Products&type_id=2

Phantom_Flan_Flinger

If you don't want any subscription channels, then Freesat is probably your best route.
A standard Freesat box will work just fine. If you want the recording facilities, you'll need a Freesat+ box with 2 feeds from the dish to fully utilise it.

Going the Sky route, an old digibox will do and it would work fine without a card and no subscription. The FreesatFromSky card regionalises BBC & ITV and gives you FIVE, FIVER, FIVEUS and Sky3, but you don't need it. FIVE can actually be added in manually if you wish.
A Sky+/Sky HD box would require an active subscription or a payment of £10/month to use the recording facilities.

macman

ckui wrote: »

Just moved into a house and it has a sky dish & connection.

Don't want a monthly tv subscription so considering the options.

Rang Sky and they said a HD freesat box wouldn't work as something needs activating? The Sky freesat HD box seems to be around £500 all in which is too much.

Anyone know if a HD freesat box is likely to work or any other options?

Assuming they were referring to a Freesat HD box and not a Sky HD box, they were talking complete cobblers, whether by accident or design. The dish set up is exactly the same for Sky or Freesat, if you plug a Freesat digibox or PVR into a Sky dish feed it will work. No 'activation' is required.