Digital Freeview boxes for under £22

BexTech

nourishment wrote:

Cancelled my subscription in April 2005 and still have all the channels. The box has never been plugged into a phone socket and I suspect this has something to do it.
!

Phone line has nothing to do with it. All the phone line is used for is sending back the details from time to time of any box office items you have purchased and for any interactive stuff that requires it, such as online voting.

All EPG data, Viewing entitlements, channel updates, software upgrades - and Sky communication is sent over the satellite.

Occasionally the Sky computers forget to send the kill signal to your viewing card, and even less occasionally the Sky computer still sends the keep alive signal when it should no longer be.

I've had similar happen to me, though I only got around 8 months of full viewing before their system stopped sending the keep alive signal and then my card reverted to an FTV card.

BexTech

ChrisRobinson wrote:

We've got the full Sky package but don't watch all the channels, just occasional sport - football & golf (my husband) Living, FX, Hallmark (yes, I know I'm sad!), and occasional films - grandchildren watch the Kids Sky package when they come round, of course, but we're 60+ now and need to watch the pennies so we can go on lots of holidays now we've retired! However we don't get a very good BBC or Five main reception so we tend to watch these through Sky instead. We were thinking of saving the money and downgrading - However, I really like Hallmark, and I think I can only get that on Sky. Am I right? what can you advise, please?

chrissiebabe, Chepstow

Hallmark is also available on Cable as well as satellite (not a Sky channel - doesn't have Sky in the name), but not on Freeview.

BexTech

smurf wrote:

I used one of the Scart outputs on the digi box to connect it to my tv, but i could have used the RF output also.
Just to let you know, using the scart output will give you a slightly better picture than if you were to use the RF lead.

...and also stereo / pro-logic sound if your have a stereo or pro-logic TV.

If you have an RGB enabled scart socket on the TV and the box set to RGB you will get an improved picture (though there are a few TVs that are badly made and don't like RGB).

Landewednack_Lad

ksh123 wrote:

Not much difference I know, lol, but easier if anything goes wrong I guess.

I posted the Amazon one mentioned above myself a few days ago when I was looking to see if folk had any advice about it (they didn't) It was in the In my Home thread.

Homebase have in their sale a "Digihome Freeview Box" reduced from £24.99 to £19.99.

Lugh_Chronain

duncanda wrote:

shupa

Call Telewest and follow the options for something like "bill enquiries". Tell them you want to cancel your broadband because you can get it cheaper elsewhere, quote Talk Talk or someone else. The operator will then try and pursuade you that competitors aren't as good, but say you want to reduce your costs and then they come up with a deal for TV, Broadband and phone. I've nearly halved my monthly costs by doing this.

The deal I got is for three months, but the person I spoke to suggested calling back then to see what other deals they could offer. They don't want to lose your custom. Good luck.

I know someone who did this and they made massive savings. I’ve just emailed them and will post the information I receive on this thread ASAP if it will help.

shupa

Yes please Lugh, that would be good. I have called them and innocently asked what I could do to reduce my bills. They suggested ditching my tv package and just having freeview through their box (saving £5.50/month) and reducing my 4mg broadband to 2mg (saving £8.01) I am sure they could do better! I have told them I will think about it whilst looking into other providers.

Stuartli

Soph wrote:

Dear all

We've been thinking about getting a freeview box and cancelling our Sky subscription. Recently we had a call from a Sky representative trying to sell us insurance for our Sky box. When I told him that we were going to be leaving Sky soon, he told me that Sky actually do a 'freeview' package.

If you are already a Sky customer and have the box and the dish etc, then for a one off payment of £20 Sky will send you a new card for your Sky box, enabling you to view over 120 channels, which beats the 30 or so channels on Freeview.

If you're not currently a Sky customer, however, you'd need to pay £150 to get the box etc, so this is only a great deal if you're looking to 'downgrade' from your Sky subscription.

There is a specific website for this - freesatfromsky.co.uk if you'd like any more information.

Hope this is helpful!

Soph

It's NOT the same as Freeview - most of the channels will be of no interest whatsoever to most people.

anotherbob

Stuartli wrote:

It's NOT the same as Freeview - most of the channels will be of no interest whatsoever to most people.

Freesat provides all the channels available on FREEVIEW. The extra ones are the ones you won't want to watch.

blitz

shupa wrote:

Does anyone know Telewest will do the same thing if I tell them I want to cancel my tv with them? I have phone and broadband with them too, and it gets expensive when you add bits on to the package so any saving is a welcome one. TIA!

Yes. As long as youve their phone line, then ring them & say you want to downgrade to their free tv package. I did it just before xmas, when i realised that you still get sky one on it:j

BexTech

anotherbob wrote:

Freesat provides all the channels available on FREEVIEW.

WRONG !


There are several channels that are on Freeview, but not free over satellite.