Can someone help me understand Sky/Freesat?

HarriettPotter

I'd never heard of Freesat until I read about it here the other day but I think I need it clarifying!

We have Sky, but we can't justify the £36 charge. We have Sky+, and I think we'd miss it, but when we sat and thought about it, we barely watch what we record anyway! It seems silly paying £36 just for that. In addition, Mr HP does have Sky Sports 1 but says there is not much good stuff to watch on there anymore and you have to get more Sport channels really (not going to happen).

We started looking into Freeview, but there is no kind of TV aerial point in the house, just the Sky box and dish etc. Then I read about Freesat. I looked into buying a Freesat box (seen one for £65 ish so it would be the same as 2 months Sky then kind of free after that) but having read a few posts here would I be right in thinking that my Sky box would become my Freesat box? Have I got that right? If I leave Sky, the box will still work as a Freesat receiver (with only Freesat channels I realise)? Or do I have to buy a Freesat box?

keith1950

If I leave Sky, the box will still work as a Freesat receiver (with only Freesat channels I realise)?

Hi, you will get "freesat from sky" but without a subscription will lose all recording capabilities.

macman

Freesat is a different satellite platform to Sky, no commercial connection, the former being a consortium created by the BBC and ITV. The channel line up is similar, but not identical. If you cancel your sub, you will still get all the Sky FTA channels (what Sky call 'Freesat From Sky', to cause deliberate confusion). However your Sky+ functions will no longer work unless you pay Sky £10 a month-clearly absurd.
So if you want PVR functions, your best bet is to get a Freesat PVR (The Humax Foxsat HDR is the one to go for). This is a straight box swap for your existing Sky box-same cabling, LNB and dish. This will also give you the 4 Freesat HD channels.
Best place to get a Foxsat is Richer Sounds.

HarriettPotter

Thanks both. Ideally I want to spend nothing! So if I cancelled all Sky - it would go to Freesat from Sky, and I'd be able to see freeview channels and it would cost me nothing?

Heinz

HarriettPotter wrote: »

Thanks both. Ideally I want to spend nothing! So if I cancelled all Sky - it would go to Freesat from Sky, and I'd be able to see freeview channels and it would cost me nothing?

Take the card out and, generally speaking, what channels you can still view are the ones you will keep. Your exisiting Sky card will morph into a Freesat from Sky card when your subscription ends and will still decrypt a few additional channels - but nothing major. It will also continue to 'regionailse' your BBC1 and ITV1 reception.

It won't be the same selection of channels as are available on the terrestrial Freeview service but it'll still be a lot of channels. I'd strongly recommend use of the (50) Favourite Channels facility to enable you to escape most of the dross channels and those you will no longer be able to decrypt.

19 posts to go.

HarriettPotter

I just looked at Freesat from sky and I apparently need a Freesat from sky viewing card?! Not much about this 'free' telly stuff is actually free is it?!

jem16

HarriettPotter wrote: »

I just looked at Freesat from sky and I apparently need a Freesat from sky viewing card?! Not much about this 'free' telly stuff is actually free is it?!

You don't need a new card - that's only for those that don't have Sky originally.

Once your subscription is turned off, your Sky box with its current card will become a Freesat from Sky player.

Please note - you will not be able to record anymore.

HarriettPotter

I see, thank you. I'm not bothered about recording as we never watch what we record anyway!

GlynD

HarriettPotter wrote: »

I just looked at Freesat from sky and I apparently need a Freesat from sky viewing card?! Not much about this 'free' telly stuff is actually free is it?!

It may seem like that as you're coming in at this point but say for example you buy a new telly: more and more manufacturers are including Freevioew and Freesat as internal components which just need the appropriate antenna to be connected. It's a bit of a bummer if you don't have this on your telly but consider that some people don't even have digital capability on their telly; they're going to have to buy a completely new set to get telly at all after the switchover.

In your case I'd be inclined to buy the Freesat box because if you stay with Sky then all you'll get is lists of channels you can't select. As you said yourself, for the sake of 2 months payments you'll get a box which will give you everything you need with no surplus caggage. Plus I'd lay money that if you connect a memory stick or external hard drive to the box you've seen it'll record just fine and there's the option to connect high speed internet too which will give you TiVo style facilities.

PS: We had Sky for 15 years and now we have Freesat+. No complaints and we get more telly than we need.

macman

HarriettPotter wrote: »

Thanks both. Ideally I want to spend nothing! So if I cancelled all Sky - it would go to Freesat from Sky, and I'd be able to see freeview channels and it would cost me nothing?

No, Freeview is another platform again, that is a terrestial channel that comes via an aerial. Not available by satellite. But a similar channel line up to Freesat.
If you don't want PVR functions, then just cancel your sub and watch the !!!!!! channels for no cost whatsoever. As others have said, you already have a viewing card.
If you are confused about which platforms have which channels, just go to the relevant site and look at their respective channel listings.

jem16

macman wrote: »

If you are confused about which platforms have which channels, just go to the relevant site and look at their respective channel listings.

Here's a list of all channels available on each platform.

http://www.ukfree.tv/allchannels.php