Sky Dish - any use without a subscription?

Hanoijane

You can pay £20 to sky for a free to view card, but wasn't there a TV channel sending out digibox cards free of charge (as a hook)? I can't find the old thread.

BenL

It might be worth adding that the freesat card from sky will only give you access to ITV1, C4 and C5. These channels are called Free to View but are encrypted.

Most of the other channels are Free to Air and require no viewing card, e.g. all BBc channels, some music, sky news, ITV2,3 ITV news, my favourite Motors TV.

Ben

m00nie

BenL wrote:

It might be worth adding that the freesat card from sky will only give you access to ITV1, C4 and C5. These channels are called Free to View but are encrypted.

Most of the other channels are Free to Air and require no viewing card, e.g. all BBc channels, some music, sky news, ITV2,3 ITV news, my favourite Motors TV.

Ben

hmm, if i take my card out i get no channels at all.

Talon_Karrde

i have just recently bought a freesat card (yellow house) and it works fine.
Moonie, if you, like I, had an OLD card then this would still allow you to pick up the free to air as described above (although this does not include ITV2) it would appear that with no card at all the box won't work at all, ie decode any signal.
I agree that this is perfect for people like me who have inherited a old box and dish with no subscription on it. We don't have to pay for a freeview box (which, btw decreases in output strength if you try and connect more than one box to one Ariel, ie if you wanted freeview in more than one room, the quality of signal goes down significantly)
not surprising that sky don't advertise this is it!? You can buy the box/dish installation version, but this is £150, whereas a "good" freeview box is around 60-80?

ta muchly