Sky box - any ideas?

Homeagain

Hi everyone,
I have been given a Sky box but I can't really afford Sky right now. I have heard it is possible to watch 'tv' (I guess rather like Freeview) through a Sky box without actually subscribing. Is this possible? Any advice would be so appreciated especially as I don't want to take the box unless it can be of some use to me. I am seriously downsizing to a tiny little house so every bit of space is sacred!
Thanks everyone

googler

Yes, a standard Sky box without a viewing card will pick up the free channels that are broadcast by Sky.

Whether the box is of any use to you will depend on whether or not you have a dish, an aerial, or both. Which do you have already?

Cornucopia

You can also get a non-sub Sky card that unlocks more Free channels. I believe this costs £20, one-off fee.

HappyMJ

Any old sky subscription card will do. You will get exactly the same channels. No need to pay £20. The BBC and ITV channels may not be regionalized correctly but they are all there.

GunJack

you can buy a one-off fee card to allow your box to get the free-to-air channels, or possibly get away without it... channel lists here:-

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_free-to-air_channels_at_28°E

a card from sky is a one-off £25

Lum

You say you've been given a box.

Possibly an idiot question, but you do have a dish as well? If not then enjoy your new doorstop.

Homeagain

Lum wrote: »

You say you've been given a box.

Possibly an idiot question, but you do have a dish as well? If not then enjoy your new doorstop.

Yes there is some kind of dish outside, but sorry, I don't need a doorstop! It was just question from one who knows nothing. Sorry, I try to learn all the time.

Lum

It wasn't intended as a dig at you in any way, sorry. It's just I have in the past seen someone told that they can get freeview with a Sky box then try to do so using an aerial rather than a dish.

Homeagain

Lum wrote: »

It wasn't intended as a dig at you in any way, sorry. It's just I have in the past seen someone told that they can get freeview with a Sky box then try to do so using an aerial rather than a dish.

Oh I see - well there is a dish outside on the wall but I know so little about these things.

Lum

Homeagain wrote: »

Oh I see - well there is a dish outside on the wall but I know so little about these things.

Well so long as the cables are intact and run into the house then you'll be fine.

The other end of the cable should look like this, and on a typical Sky installation will just appear from a hole in the wall somewhere:



Screw that into the connector on your sky box, and hook it up to your TV, follow the rest of the advice in this thread and you should be good to go!